Overview
The reason to come to Stepaside is Fernhill Park and Gardens, which opened to the public in 2019 and is one of the newest of Dublin’s public parks. Beyond it, Stepaside is a commuter village in the townland of Kilgobbin, tucked under the foothills of the Dublin Mountains on the R117. It grew up in the 18th and 19th centuries when the Enniskerry road bypassed the old settlement at Kilgobbin, and it works best now as a launch point: into the gardens, up into the hills, or onto a beginner-friendly golf course. If you only have an hour, walk Fernhill; if you have a morning, keep going up to Three Rock.
History and heritage
Two survivors keep Stepaside’s early history in view. The Kilgobbin Cross is a 10th-century high cross, weathered but still standing near the modern road; the Kilgobbin Church dates to the 17th century, a plain stone parish church in a quiet graveyard. Neither is signposted like a visitor attraction, which is part of why they reward a look.
Fernhill has a shorter but greener history. The park sits on the former estate of Fernhill House, which dates to around 1823, and its 34 hectares of heritage buildings, gardens, parkland and woods were opened to the public by Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council in 2019 after a long restoration.
Fernhill Park and Gardens
Entry is free. The gardens are the strong suit – built up over generations as a plantsman’s collection, with rhododendrons and camellias carrying the colour from late spring into early summer and snowdrops and daffodils along the woodland edges in February and March. Mature specimen trees, including redwoods and old oaks, throw enough shade to make the park pleasant on a warm day.
A stream runs through the estate, crossed by stone bridges, and the paths are a mix of paved and gravel, much of it manageable with a pushchair or wheelchair. There is a café near the main entrance and picnic benches in the sunnier clearings. Opening hours are seasonal and change through the year, so check the Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council site before you set out rather than trusting a fixed timetable.
Walks and the climb to Three Rock
Fernhill borders the Ticknock and Cruagh woods, and footpaths lead straight from the park into the forest network. From there it is a straightforward, well-trodden climb to Three Rock Mountain, 316 metres up, for one of the clearest panoramas over Dublin Bay, the city and the Wicklow hills – usually 45 to 60 minutes from the park boundary. The wider Dublin Mountains open up hiking, cycling and horse-riding through plantations of Sitka spruce, Japanese larch and Scots pine.
For a gentler outing, the nearby Stepaside Golf Centre is a par 3 public course and driving range in the foothills. Its nine holes were laid out by the great Eddie Hackett and it has been open since the early 1980s; a round costs €7 (2026), which makes it about the cheapest way to get a club in your hands in south Dublin. Details are on the golf centre’s website.
Getting there and practical information
Stepaside is reached by car via the R117, which meets the M50 at junction 14, and Fernhill has free parking near the main entrance. By public transport, Dublin Bus routes 44, 47 and 118 serve the village, and Go-Ahead Ireland’s L26 also stops here. The nearest Luas is the Green Line at Glencairn and The Gallops, each about 2 km from the village centre – there is no DART station close by.
Dogs are welcome on leads throughout Fernhill, and visitors are asked to keep to the paths to protect the planting. Spring and early summer give the most colour and the best light for photography; the mature trees and open lawns hold up well the rest of the year.