National Botanic Gardens

If you are visiting Glasnevin Cemetery, you can pop over to the National Botanic Gardens next door. A pedestrian entrance is not far from Prospect Square and the famous Gravedigger’s pub, so there's no need to walk around. We suggest allowing some time to glimpse all the exotic plants inside.

Greenery environment 
The overall design and contents of the Garden create a moving environment, whether you are visiting for instruction or pleasure. Please note that the central role of the Gardens is scientific. Therefore, playing ball games, dogs, picnics, bicycles, fishing, jogging or running, or playing musical instruments or recorded music is forbidden.

Visitors adore walking through gardens and observing lush greenery from head to toe, inhaling the fresh floral scents of the greenhouse. The greenhouses combine a variety of textures, fragrances, and patterns. The first greenhouse is home to plants native to Ireland. When you turn a corner, you may bump into an avocado tree. You will be surprised to find a jungle in Dublin. The tiny little blossoms and sweeping branches are a source of inspiration.

Next, you walk into the orchid section, which feels so tropical. Orchids have had a special place at Glasnevin since the 1840s. The Curator, David Moore, grew the plants from seed to the flowering stage. Some species of tropical orchid are recorded in the National Botanic Gardens collections. The high temperature and balmy air are such a relief when Dublin is cold and grey. Be careful; you may want to stay in the room forever and climb a tree.

The Victoria Waterlily House was designed and built in 1854. At that time, there were many houses across Europe to host Victoria amazonica. The Amazon waterlily was an absolute sensation back then. In 1855, Oxford University Botanic Garden donated seeds, and these were the first to successfully flower that year. In more recent years, Victoria Cruziana has grown here. The species prefers cooler water temperatures. Unfortunately, the Victoria Waterlily house has reached the end of its years. Due to this, growing the waterlily in recent years has not been possible.

Lastly, you can enter a greenhouse with tons of cacti, ranging from fuzzy to spiky. Cacti lovers will be astonished by the variety and number of their favourite plants.

Garden features
Fascinating garden features hide behind every turn at the location: Sundials, Bandstands, and the Permanent Sculpture Collection. The immensely popular Sculpture in Context exhibition is held annually in September.
Craobh is a big sculpture carved straight into the trunk of a Hungarian oak tree. It commemorates the 200th anniversary of the National Botanic Gardens. 

There are two sundials in the National Botanic Gardens. One in front of the Palm House is the more familiar horizontal dial, made in the mid-eighteenth century. It is one of the few dials in Ireland with a time-scale that graduated in a single minute. The Rose Garden has a modern type dial with its arrow pointing directly at the North Star – Polaris.

New home
The role of the Gardens is much more significant than it might seem at first glance. The main goals of the institution are exploration, understanding, conservation, and sharing the importance of plants. At the same time, it is a place where leisure, recreation, and education work in vital harmony to keep visitors enjoying themselves.

Under the international plant partnership with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE), thirty-four tender plant species have recently started new lives at the National Botanic Gardens. 68 young Begonia and 38 potted tree ferns were carefully transported from Scottland as a part of a restoration project. During the project, over 40,000 plants were moved to new locations temporarily.

Considering current challenges such as biodiversity loss and the climate crisis, international partnerships have never been more critical. Glasnevin serves as a wonderful home to these precious specimens and ensures their continued resilience and well-being. Some of the plants are under threat in the wild.
Before being relocated to the Gardens, each specimen was inspected and quarantined in Glasnevin’s nursery facility for six months.

Bygone times
In 1790, the Irish Parliament allocated funds to the Dublin Society to establish a public botanic garden. The Speaker of the House, John Foster, actively supported the idea. The Gardens were founded in five years. 1800, they opened to the public, and the first glasshouse was built.

The Gardens initially aimed to foster a scientific approach to agriculture study. For this reason, the place demonstrated plants beneficial for animal and human nutrition, medicine, or dyeing. Growing plants also contributed to an understanding of systematic botany. Moreover, the spot was simply beautiful and exciting in itself.

By the middle of the 19th century, the gardens' principal agricultural purpose had been overtaken in favour of botanical knowledge. The arrival of plants from other countries and closer contact with the British great gardens facilitated the process. By 1842, the Curator of the Garden had laid out the system of roads and paths, establishing the basic shape of the Gardens. Many features located at that time are present today.

The plant collection increased continually. Plants from tropical areas demanded more protected conditions to grow. The way out was to develop glasshouse accommodation. Richard Turner, the great Dublin iron master, persuaded the Royal Dublin Society that an iron house would be a better investment than a wooden one.

Current state
In 1997, new service glasshouses, compost storage bays, and a herbarium/library have been built. Along with the restoration and expansion of the premises, the collections and displays have also been upgraded. Plant identification, classification, documenting, labelling, and publishing are in progress. The visitor centre has provided improved visitor and education facilities since 2000. Suitably qualified scholars, third-level students, and independent researchers can be granted access to the Library. The Herbarium can be accessed by appointment only.

In 1878, the Botanic Gardens came into state ownership and have since been administered by various Departments. The Office of Public Works (OPW) is currently responsible for the Gardens.

• Free entrance
• Open every day throughout the year except for Christmas Day