Corkagh Park


Corkagh Park spans over 150 acres between the Naas Road and historic Clondalkin Village. The park incorporates the lands of Corkagh House which was demolished in the early 1960s leaving only the stables and outbuildings visible today. The estate was bought by Dublin County Council in 1983 and opened as a public park in 1986.  Corkagh has a long and interesting history with much to discover as you wander its paths and tracks. 

The name Corkagh comes from the Irish word for marshy land and indeed areas of the park near the Camac have a tendency to become waterlogged during wet periods.  The river Camac which rises SE of Saggart flows through the park towards Clondalkin village, then on through Inchicore and Kilmainham before entering the Liffey near Heuston Station. 

The Camac at Corkagh

While the Camac seems little more than a stream most of the time it has been known to become a raging torrent after heavy rain. 

Pier under water at the Fishing Lakes

There have been many mills built along the Camac over the centuries including two at Corkagh: The Gunpowder Mills (a mill pond, millrace, and mill ruin can be seen next to the fishing lakes) which operated throughout the 18th century, and Fairview Oil Mills (located at the Cherrywood pedestrian entrance) .

Flooding at Corkagh
Flooding at Corkagh

Corkagh once formed part of the lands associated with the monastery at Clondalkin which was founded by St Mochua in the 7th century. These lands would have been granted to him by the local ruling chieftain. Corkagh remained in church ownership until about 1600.  

Corkagh House circa 1930. Image courtesy of SDCC

In 1703 Corkagh was purchased by Lewis Chaigneau, a successful wine merchant of French Huguenot descent.  He built a fine house next to an older farmhouse dating from approximately 1690.  The older building was retained for use as kitchens and staff quarters.  

The house and lands were purchased by the Finlay family in the mid 18th century and their descendants continued as owners until 1959.  It is the Finlay family who designed the basic layout of the demesne as we see it today.

Corkagh was sold to an Australian millionaire, John Galvin, in 1959 and the Finlay/Colley family moved to Kilmatead which is located next to the park. The new owner renamed the estate Treemare Stud and founded one of the first riding schools in Ireland here.  Galvin was interested in equestrian sports and many famous horses were stabled and trained at Corkagh.  He also raised prize cattle and as a result large areas of mature trees were removed to provide grazing land.  It was Galvin who inexplicably demolished the fine old Corkagh house in the early 60s.

eighteenth century house ireland
Corkagh House before demolition. Image courtesy of SDCC

Today all that remains of Corkagh House are the stables, cottages and outbuildings which lay behind the main building.  During the heyday of Corkagh House the estate buildings were alive with the noise of servants and farm labourers going about their daily duties. Mostly dating to the early 1800s, the buildings served various functions including laundries, dairies, grain storage and animal housing. They are now used as a depot by the Parks Department.

19th century estate cottages at corkagh park clondalkin
Estate cottages

When Lewis Chaigneau purchased Corkagh in the early 18th century he leased the south-western portion of the estate to another Huguenot family, the Greubers, to develop as a Gunpowder Mill 
and building was complete by 1720.  Most of the mill buildings were located in the area next to Corkagh now known as Kilmatead however a ruined mill building, millpond and mill race can still be seen near the fishing lakes.

18th century Millpond at Corkagh Park Clondalkin Dublin
18th century millpond at Corkagh

The Arboretum is a favourite place to picnic at Corkagh.  Surrounded by mature trees it always feels sheltered.  It has been planted with trees from the continents that the Irish emigrated to following the Potato famine of the 1840s. The Arboretum has served other interesting functions over the decades:  
A circuit for motor racing in the 1940s and a show jumping ring where Olympic champions trained in the 1960s during the Treemare Stud era.

Arboretum in summer at corkagh park
Arboretum

If you enter the park from the Naas Road end you will walk along a path known as Oak Avenue which was once the main approach to Corkagh House. It was named for the Oaks which lined the drive.  
Some of those Oaks, now more than 200 years old, survive and the council have planted new Oaks alongside. This path was known to be haunted by the ghost of Lord Kilwarden.
Kilwarden lived at nearby Newlands House and was ambushed in Thomas Street and murdered by Irish revolutionaries in 1803.  His horses took fright and galloped back towards Clondalkin
with the empty carriage. They entered by the St Johns Road gate and turned up Oak Avenue towards Newlands.  It is said that the sounds of ghostly galloping can still be heard from time to time.

Avenue to Corkagh House
Oak Avenue

On one side of Oak Avenue, near the Naas Road car park, is the new cycle track and you may notice some ancient gnarled trees at the centre.  This is all that is left of a wooded area marked on 19th century maps as The Foxes Covert.  


A Foxes Covert (pronounced cover) is an area of woodland or scrub where a fox is known to hide out during daylight. At the beginning of a hunt hounds are sent in to the covert to sniff out the fox and drive it to open ground where the chase begins.
Fox hunting was a popular sport with the Anglo Irish gentry of the 18th and 19th centuries and took place during the 'season' from November to March. The Finlay family and their guests would have participated in hunts that would see them pursue their unfortunate prey south through the countryside towards Tallaght or west towards Saggart and Newcastle.

ancient gnarled trees in winter
These ancient trees were once part of a Foxes Covert

Corkagh offers a wealth of amenities: Exercise equipment and a cycle track.
A fantastic new playground complete with 'mill themed' water-play, sand pits and zip line was opened recently.  There is a dedicated dog run.  Numerous sports are catered for including soccer and Gaelic pitches. There are baseball and cricket fields.  
A cycle track in a park
Cycle track

Exercise equipment is available near the St Johns Wood and Greenisle entrances

Playground
Baseball field
Cricket?

Birch woodland

Prior to the 19th century much of Corkagh would have been covered in trees.  Wood was a valuable crop at that time!   The Finlay family planted many wonderful specimen trees in the early 19th century including Corkaghs tallest: a Sequoia.

Corkaghs Sequoia is nicknamed 'Big Red'. It is also known as the 'Boxing Tree': the softness of the bark makes it painless to punch!!
Treecreeper along the back lane.

During John Galvins ownership in the 1960s many trees were felled to make room for grazing cattle and horses.  Since purchasing Corkagh Desmene in the 1980s the parks department have planted large stands of Birch and Alder.  With plenty of mature trees, new planting and hedgerows Corkagh is home to a wide variety of birds including Blackcaps, Treecreepers, Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers.

Woodland Walk sign
The Woodland walk is shown on a 19th century map of Corkagh and led to an old footbridge over the Camac. It was a popular stroll for the ladies of the house and their guests. 

In front of the estate buildings the Council have created a stunning rose garden which is a favourite spot for park regulars to relax.  At one time this would have formed part of the large drive in front of Corkagh House and later, in the 19th century, there were tennis courts here.

Gazebo in the rose garden
Gazebo at the rose garden

Swans over the Fishing Lakes

The four lakes are among the parks most notable features and while they may appear to have been there forever they were only created in 2001 as part of flood prevention works on the Camac
. The two fishing lakes near the Grange Castle Road entrance were stocked with Carp and Rainbow trout but are no longer actively managed.  A shop (when open) provides coffees and treats for visitors.
A fishermans seat by the lake at Corkagh Park


Blue bridge at Corkagh park Clondalkin. Near housing at Corkagh Grange
Blue Bridge over the Lower Lakes.

A further two lakes and a wetland area can be found near the rear of the playground. A modern bridge lends its name to the 'Blue Bridge' lake  and leads towards the easternmost lake sometimes known as Swan Lake.  When Swan lake was being created a medieval enclosure and burial site were discovered.  Twenty burials thought to be over 1200 years old were uncovered and removed.  Geotextile was laid to protect any remaining burials and the site was backfilled.  The curvilinear shape of the enclosure is still echoed in the shape of the hedge and ditch at the eastern side of the field.

Circular ditch near swan lake

Crossing the Camac via a pretty bridge you will see what remains of the Stewart's house and Walled garden which date from the first half of the 19th century. The Stewart was responsible for the running of Corkagh Estate. The garden provided fruit and vegetables for the 'big house'! The high walls that surrounded the garden and the lines of Yew and Beech hedges (traces of which can still be seen) afforded protection from the elements thus leading to a 'micro-climate' which allowed for a greater variety of fruit and vegetables.  From the 1950s to the 1970s the Karstal family rented the house and gardens.  They were famous for the quality of the flowers grown here which they sold at the Dublin Markets.  The house burned down in the late 70s but the family remained in the locality.  

Ruins of early 19th century Stewarts house at Corkagh, Clondalkin, Dublin. Once home to the Karstal family who supplied flowers to the Dublin Markets and were famous for their carnations in the 1950s and 60s ©nolene dowdall
Ruins of  the Stewards house
Beech avenue at the Walled Garden
Path towards the walled garden

19th century bridge over stream at Corkagh Clondalkin Dublin ©nolene dowdall
Corkagh has several streams and springs crossed by
charming little bridges dating back to the early 1800s.

The Back Avenue is a tree lined path from the St Johns Wood car park to the fishing lakes. This was the road used by tradesmen and estate employees. In the 1940s Corkaghs owner Dudley Colley (he had married in to the Finlay family) established Clondalkin Dairies which operated from the estate buildings (now the Council depot) and this road would have been busy with milk vans, featuring the 'Connie the Corkagh Cow' logo, delivering to local shops.

A 19th century bridge at the Back Lane

On the North-eastern side of the park is the pedestrian entrance from Cherrywood. Here you will find the remains of the 19th century Fairview Oil Mills.  Indeed records indicate that there has been a mill at this location for centuries. The buildings are now in a ruinous state and there is no access to the public.  

Ruins of Fairview Oilmills, Clondalkin Dublin taken 2008 ©nolene dowdall
Derelict building at Fairview Oil Mills

You can walk through parkland from Corkagh to Clondalkin village crossing the Fonthill Road South at pedestrian lights.  Once you cross the road you are out of Corkagh Park and into Clondalkin Park!  There is plenty of interest to see along this lovely walk with the striking Round Tower rising in the distance.

Millpond belonging to 18th century Gunpowder Mills operated by William Caldbeck at Clondalkin near Moyle park
Millpond at Clondalkin park

Corkagh has a wide range of habitats and so is home to a large variety of Flora and Fauna. Using an app like Plantnet and Merlin Bird ID to identify the many species of plants and birds at the park reveals the extent of Corkaghs biodiversity.    Google lens is excellent for helping ID the stunning dragonflies and butterflies that can be found throughout the park.

Hawker Dragonfly at Corkagh Clondalkin Dublin©nolene dowdall Sept 2020
Common Darter resting at the Fishing Lakes

Garden escapes at Corkagh Clondalkin Dublin ©nolene dowdall
Some of Corkaghs flowers are 'garden escapes' that are now spreading throughout the park like these lovely Greek Anemones.

Visitors to the park may notice several raised grassy areas like this one.  These were created
with the soil that came from the newly dug lakes. 

There are entrances with parking at:
 Naas Road (N7) at the Green Isle Road.
R136 (Grange Castle Road).
St Johns Wood

Exercise equipment is available near the Naas Road and St Johns Wood carparks.

park near Green Isle Hotel, Maldron Newlands X, Kingswood House Hotel, Red Cow Moran Hotel,
There are additional pedestrian entrances at:
St Johns Wood
 Cherrywood Crescent
Cherrywood Grove
Corkagh View
 Fonthill Rd South.

On the Green Isle Road you can find the attractive and well run Camac Valley Caravan and Camping Park, and from here you will have a wonderful view north over the park.

As you walk around the Corkagh you may notice small wooden signs marking the Maths Eyes Adventure trail.  There is a link below which will bring you to their site. 


360 degree photos of Corkagh


All images copyright of author unless otherwise stated.

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Fishing Lakes at Corkagh

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