National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin

The gardens were founded in 1795 on the bank of the Tolka in what was then countryside and is now inner suburban Dublin. The reason to come is the glass: Richard Turner's curvilinear range, built in the 1840s, is a high point of Victorian iron and glass engineering, restored and still holding the collections it was built for, with the Great Palm House standing beside it. Outside there are systematic beds arranged by plant family, a long double herbaceous border, an arboretum, a walled vegetable garden and a rock garden. Entry is free. It is a botanical institution first and an ornamental garden second, which shows in how the plants are grouped and labelled.

History

The gardens were founded in 1795 by the Dublin Society, later the Royal Dublin Society, on 19.5 hectares between Glasnevin Cemetery and the River Tolka. They are now in state ownership and hold about 20,000 living plants and many millions of dried specimens (Wikipedia, National Botanic Gardens (Ireland)).

What's there

• The curvilinear range - Turner's 1840s glasshouses, restored and replanted.
• The Great Palm House - the tall glasshouse standing alongside it.
• The herbaceous border - the long double border at its best in high summer.
• The systematic beds - plants grouped by family rather than by appearance.

When to go

April to September for the borders, with late June and July the peak, though the glasshouses justify a winter visit too and they are warm. It opens daily and closes earlier in winter than most people expect. Weekday mornings are quiet. Individual glasshouses close for restoration work, which is worth checking first.

Good to know

It is a scientific collection, so long stretches are labelled beds rather than display planting, and visitors expecting a show garden find it plain. Glasshouses have been shut for restoration for extended periods more than once. Parking is limited and charged, the surrounding streets are residential, and Dublin rain finds you here as readily as anywhere.

Nearby

Glasnevin village is at the gate; Phoenix Park is a short drive west.

Key facts