Marlay Park
| Marlay Park | |
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Páirc Mharlaí
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A waterfall in Marlay Park
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| Type | Suburban public park |
| Location | Rathfarnham, Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland |
| Coordinates | 53°16′23.827″N 6°16′7.912″W / 53.27328528°N 6.26886444°WCoordinates: 53°16′23.827″N 6°16′7.912″W / 53.27328528°N 6.26886444°W |
| Area | 121 hectares (300 acres) |
| Operated by | Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council |
Marlay Park (Irish: Páirc Mharlaí) is a 121 hectares (300 acres) suburban public park located in Rathfarnham in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland. Lying about nine kilometres (5.5 miles) from Dublin city centre, the parkland comprises woodlands, ponds and walks. Recreational spaces include a nine-hole, par-three golf course (reopened in 2010 after redesign and rebuild), tennis courts, six soccer pitches, five GAA pitches, a cricket pitch, two children’s playgrounds and a miniature railway run by the Dublin Society of Model and Experimental Engineers. There is also a craft courtyard with home craft shops and a coffee shop.
Dublin County Council acquired the land in 1972 and developed it as a regional park. Opened in 1975, it is now administered by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.Dublin Bus serves the park directly with the 16 bus, but the following bus is within walking distance: 14 directly to the city centre. The 75 bus goes to Dún Laoghaire. Since 2000 Marlay Park has become a popular music venue with a capacity of 12,000, featuring both renowned national and international performers. The park's name is commonly misspelled as Marley, most notably in nearby housing developments (see below).
Marlay House was built by Thomas Taylor and was known as ‘The Grange’. David La Touche, first governor of the newly established Bank of Ireland acquired and extended the house in 1764 and renamed it for his wife Elizabeth Marlay, daughter of George Marlay, Bishop of Dromore. The house, a fine example of Georgian architecture, has many elaborate features including plasterwork by Michael Stapleton. Marlay was sold in 1864 to Robert Tedcastle, a well known Dublin coal merchant, whose family lived there until 1925 when Robert Ketton Love bought the house for £8,325. He lived there until his death in 1939. His son, Philip Love, a market gardener who was once one of Ireland's largest tomato producers, was also a racehorse breeder whose famous horse Larkspur won the 1962 Epsom Derby. He died in August 1970 and in 1972 it was bought by Dublin County Council for £500,000. The park was officially opened by Taoiseach, Liam Cosgrave on 29 June 1975.
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