Overview
Sean Moore Park occupies reclaimed land off Beach Road in Irishtown, on the south side of the River Liffey. Locals tend to place it in Irishtown, Ringsend or Sandymount rather than the Docklands proper, but the setting is pure Dublin Bay: open grass, playing pitches, paths towards the shore, and the red-and-white Poolbeg chimneys standing over the whole thing. It’s free and easy to reach, which is why it works for a family afternoon, a lunchtime run, or a winter’s morning watching geese.
If you do one thing here, make it a walk out towards Irishtown Nature Reserve, best of all on a Saturday, when the parkrun is on.
A history in the name
The park remembers Seán Moore (1913–1986), a Ringsend man through and through. He grew up in Irishtown, a short walk from where the park now sits, went to the vocational school in Ringsend, and went on to a long political career as a Fianna Fáil TD for Dublin South-East, Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1963–64, and later Government Chief Whip and a Minister of State. Naming the local park after him keeps him on his home ground.
Walking, running and the parkrun
You can take a short walk through the park and continue towards Irishtown Nature Reserve along the signed paths, with the Poolbeg chimneys in view for much of the way. Keep to the shore paths and leave the tidal flats to the birds. Sandymount Strand is a separate option for a longer outing along Dublin Bay.
Poolbeg parkrun starts by the park. The usual start is Saturday at 9.30am. It is a free, timed 5k open to anyone, walkers included. Check the organiser’s course, cancellation and registration details before attending.
Playground and pitches
Dublin City Council lists a playground in the park and has reported plans to replace play equipment after damage. If the playground is the reason for your visit, check its current status on the council’s playground list. The park also has playing pitches, used for Gaelic games.
Wildlife and the geese
The park’s eastern edge merges into Irishtown Nature Reserve, a former landfill that’s been turned into productive habitat. Its shallow wetlands and eelgrass beds pull in swans, mallard, greylag geese and a range of waders. The seasonal highlight is the light-bellied Brent geese, which arrive off the reserve in winter after migrating from Arctic Canada, feeding on the eelgrass before heading back north. Blackbirds, robins and chaffinches work the scrubby corners, and foxes turn up at dawn and dusk. Early morning and late afternoon are the best windows.
Facilities and getting there
Don’t count on facilities in the park. The council has discussed café and toilet facilities, but confirm availability before relying on them, and bring water or walk into Ringsend or Irishtown, both a few minutes away, for cafés and pubs.
- Public transport: check the National Transport Authority or Transport for Ireland journey planner for buses to Ringsend and Irishtown, and look at the walking leg before setting off.
- By car: check parking in the surrounding streets before you travel, and park where you will not block access.
- Tide safety: shore paths can flood on high tides, so check tide tables before walking by the sea wall.
Nearby
- Poolbeg Lighthouse – walk east along the shore for the lighthouse and the mouth of the Liffey.
- Sandymount Strand – a wide tidal beach near the park; check the tide, as the sand goes out a long way.
- Aviva Stadium – the national stadium, a short cycle or bus ride away; check the stadium’s website for tours.
- Samuel Beckett Bridge – the harp-shaped cable-stayed span across the Liffey, a quick photo stop on the way into town.
Time a winter visit for the Brent geese, and a weekday morning if you want the paths to yourself before the weekend crowd.