Recreation Sites

Ticknock Recreation Site

DLR Nature and Place Commissions

Nature and Place is a new series of temporary works, taking inspiration from the forests of Ticknock, Tibradden, Barnaslingan, Carrickgollogan, Kilmashogue and Ballyedmonduff. The selected artists, Martin Healy, Méadhbh O'Connor and Robert Coleman / Laura Sarah Dowdall were each awarded funding by dlr Arts Office to develop their projects between December 2023 and March 2024. In October 2024 as new commission by artists Listen and Breath was launched.

Supported by Coillte and the Dublin Mountains Partnership.

Check dlr Arts for more info.

Ticknock: What's Going On? A new podcast by artists Listen and Breathe exploring the changing landscape of our forests over seasons, years and millennia. Listen at home or take it on a walk to the top of Two Rock Mountain.

Guided by a host of voices connected to the landscape, the podcast is timed to follow a moderate route at an easy pace from the upper carpark at Ticknock Forest to Fairy Castle (starting point on Google Maps here). Bring comfortable shoes, a charged phone and headphones, water and warm, waterproof clothes.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts by searching "Ticknock: What’s Going On?" Before you leave the house, download the podcast to your phone. Signal gets patchy near the masts. You can also do that by clicking this link. The podcast will pre-load on your phone’s web browser, ready to listen when you arrive. If you can't get to Ticknock you can listen wherever you are.

Ticknock: What's Going On? is funded by Creative Ireland and Dún Laoghaire – Rathdown County Council and was supported by Coillte Nature and the DMP. It is the fourth project in dlr Arts DLR Nature and Place series of commissions.

Sky Walkers by Méadhbh O'Connor

Sky Walkers invites you to take a walk in the forests of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, stopping at key sites to listen and take a private moment to reflect. It features six meditative poems written and recorded by the artist Méadhbh O'Connor. The poems are set over ambient soundscapes.

Three of pieces, Fairy Castle, Sky Walkers and Three Rock Mountain are set around Ticknock. The poems can be listened to anywhere but they take on a special meaning if heard while walking or resting on Two Rock or Three Rock Mountains.

Nature and Place is a new series of temporary works, taking inspiration from the forests of Ticknock, Tibradden, Barnaslingan, Carrickgollogan, Kilmashogue and Ballyedmonduff. The selected artists were awarded funding by dlr Arts Office to develop the first three projects between December 2023 and March 2024. Supported by Coillte and the Dublin Mountains Partnership.

Site Description

Ticknock offers up to 10 km of mountain and forest walks with some spectacular views of Dublin City, Dublin Bay, Bray Head and Wicklow Mountains. The forest has an extensive network of forest trails with pleasant walks through the plantations of Sitka spruce, Japanese larch, Scots pine, Monterey pine and lodgepole pine.

The entrance to the property at 270 meters above sea level leads to the summit of the Three Rock Mountain (444 meters above sea level). The three large rock formations are the result of weathering and together with picturesque views over the Wicklow mountains and the coast create a very popular tourist destination. Two Rock Mountain (536 meters above the sea level) is the highest point along the Dublin Mountains Way National Long Distance Walking Route. The summit of Two Rock is crowned with a large cairn that is believed to cover a Neolithic passage tomb, a type of burial monument, image of Fairy Castle by Abarta Heritage. This cairn is known locally as ‘Fairy Castle’.

The walking paths in this area are of moderate difficulty. The main forest roads are easily accessible for children and people with lower level of fitness. Ticknock is a possible starting point for the Wicklow Way, many parts of which are strenuous for walking. When taking this yellow waymarked trail and venturing into the hills, visitors are advised to be equipped with waterproof clothing, strong shoes, a drink and a map of compass.

Walking trails in this forest include Fairy Castle Loop, Dublin Mountains Way and Wicklow Way.

Ticknock Trails

Ticknock Trail(s)

Fairy Castle Loop (5.5 km / 1 3/4 hr / Moderate) - Green way marker
Download Map - All Trails
Ticknock Mountain bike trails
Coillte Tiknock

Recreation sites which you can access from here are:
Kilmashogue

Planning a Visit

Toilets: none in this recreation site.

Bins: none in this forest, litter and dog waste should be taken home and disposed of appropriately. Coillte and DMP follow and advocate Leave No Trace Ireland Principles.

Carpark Information

Car-park opening hours: 06:00 to 22:00

Parking fee: None

Car Spaces: 145

Car-park layout: parking spaces are provided along the route of the one-way system that operates in this forest, see car-park map.

Note: Please use the car park facilities provided and do not block local resident's access along the public road.

Note: When Met Eireann forecast snow/ice condition warnings are in place the car-park may be closed at short notice. In a Met Eireann 'Red' Wind warning, you should not enter any forest area. Updates on car-park and recreation site closures will be posted on the News page.

How to get to Ticknock

National Grid Reference: O 152 242 Understanding grid references

Ordnance Survey Ireland Discovery Series: 50

Location

Ticknock is located in the Dublin Mountains, only a half hour 44B bus or car journey's time from the centre of Dublin; 3 km south west of Sandyford.

How do I get there?

From the city centre, head for Marlay Park via Rathfarnham. Passing the main entrance to the Park on your right, turn right at Ballinteer St.Johns Clubhouse and, following the road around the edge of the Park, turn left at the Taylor's Grange junction onto the R113. Take the second turn on the right and this will bring you to the entrance to Ticknock forest.

For more information on all Coillte's recreational sites visit http://www.coillte.ie/our-forests/explore/