Great place to camp! Beautiful scenery, a lake and a castle…read moreon the grounds. Big field where you can pick where to pitch your tent. Friendly wardens. A small cafe on the grounds. Absolutely lovely!

The sun doesn't even have to be shining to put the massive grounds of Castlewellan to good use…read more There is quite a bit of natural shelter from wind and rain. When it is sunny however this place gets very busy, especially by the lake where people don't just picnic - and indeed BBQ - but kayak, fish, walk, cycle, and bring their dogs for a swim. There are plenty of amenities on site or very nearby, such as plenty of parking, clean public bathrooms, a small cafe, and a large shop within easy walking distance. There is also a huge maze for you to try and find your way out of and that alone could take up a good hour. Entrance fee per car is £4.50 - a bargain for a full day's outing. Tip: there are some rubbish bins but not a lot; people tend to take their rubbish with them. The grounds are kept exceptionally clean.

I've lived in Dublin for a year and did not know about this park until a couple weeks ago after we…read morebought a car and started to really explore the area. This park is absolutely amazing. The playground is out of this world. There is also a skate park and lots of walking paths. It is a wonderful area. If you're driving, there is ample parking in the parking lot and by bus, I think you can take bus 37 or 39 (towards Ongar) from Dublin. I believe there is a stop right by the park. Also, this park has a sandpit, so bring your shovel and bucket! You can see the huge castle slide from the road and your kids will love the zip line! It's a very cool park.

We are visiting this area and I'm very pleased to find out how much it has to offer. We've been…read morestaying at Crown Plaza Hotel for 8 weeks with two small kids and this park pretty much saved my sanity lol I wish I knew that it has great jogging trail I would have brought my gear. The play ground is great and it's perfect place to wear out your kids. It has stuff for big kids and play set for toddlers, obstacle course and a big double sandbox and a zip line!. There are toilets on play ground they rarely have toilet paper or soap but at lest bathrooms are there. There is a skate park and areas to play ball. Also there is a dog park, sadly we have no pets but it looks nice a big from afar. And everything pretty well taken care of. I definitely recommend this park!

This is probably one of the nicest children's play parks in Carrickfergus, and strangely, a lot of…read morepeople don't know about it, as it is quite secluded! There are two entrances to Legg Park, one along the main Belfast Road, just up from the Model Primary School, and another entrance facing the Windrose. The park is fully fenced off and really well equipped with soft flooring, swings, slides and climbing frames. The park is also really nicely landscaped with lots of benches making it pleasant to sit around on a sunny day.

This is one of my favourite places in Northern Ireland, the forest is well maintained and cared for…read moreby the workers. Recently whole sections of the forest had to be cut down but I've been told new trees will be planted. Situated in Newcastle the views from the top of the hills are magnificent....you can see right down to the town and the sea. It costs £5 entrance fee for a car, however we have a yearly pass which is £50, this allows unlimited visits to Tollymore and also Castlewellan and Gosford country parks if I remember correctly. There are several toilet blocks, lots of car parking and usually a chip van and Ice cream van (more so at weekends and holidays). There is also a caravan/camping site which is reasonably priced and who wouldnt enjoy waking up to a view of the Mournes. Definitely worth a visit if you fancy a change from busy shops and towns.

We recently took an impromptu drive from Bangor to Tollymore Forest Park. It took us about 1hour…read more30mins to get there, however I'm not convinced we took the quickest route. We went through Belfast, but later were told we should have gone through Comber & Downpatrick. Anyhoo.....when we arrived it was definitely worth the drive! It cost us £5 per car, paid on arrival to the car park attendant. We packed a picnic and as we had 2 dogs with us tried to find a more secluded place away from the crowds so set down our blanket. This was easily done due to the vast scale of the place. You aren't required to stick to the path so we ventured off and found some lovely grassy areas where our dogs could play and we didn't have to worry about them approaching other walkers. I didn't see any signs saying to keep dogs on a lead, so we didn't. We came across other walkers that did, and we seemed to get some funny looks. However we also saw other dogs off the lead so as far as we were concerned we were doing nothing wrong. I would recommend to keep your dog on the lead in the busier picnic areas if they aren't well trained. The scenery in Tollymore is simply stunning. There is a real medieval feel to the place. Big stone castle like walls with turrets.....wide rivers, bridges, lakes, gardens....you name it! The backdrop of the Mourne Mountains just makes it even more perfect. You can normally find a little ice cream van in the car park, selling crisps etc aswell. But from what I saw you can't get any sort of substantial meal so definitely bring a picnic if you are planning on spending some time here. However there is always the option to take the short 5min drive into the centre of Newcastle town for a sit down meal if that's what you are after. There is also a large public toilet block in the carpark. Not much to say about them.....they are public afterall, you shouldn't expect anything gleaming. I will definitely be visiting Tollymore alot more over the coming summer months. It's a treat!

A great Coillte-run park, well worth the €5 admission. It's big enough, with four tracks, each…read moredesigned for a different function. The 5km one specialised for running is a really scenic setting for a run, and hosts charity races every other week during the summer. Another track takes you around the lake with points of interest marked out. I'm no bird-watcher, but there always more fowl than people on these paths when we visit. A clearing nearby has a little cafe serving tea, coffee and nibbles. The haphazard tables and chairs make the place look a little Alice in Wonderland too. Bicycles are small-p prohibited. If you're cycling with your kiddies on the paths, you're fine. Mountain-bike racing through the woods isn't a great idea though.

You can't expect to grow if you keep hanging around the same crowded spots or scrolling your phone…read moreall day. Donadea offers peaceful trails, fresh air, and a chance to clear the fog in your head. Walking those trails, you'll feel the stress melt away while surrounded by towering trees and calm waters that reset your energy and mindset

Big open park without much by way of features. Parks really are a mood thing. If you want a nice…read morewalk, stroll, or search for inner peace then, by all means, piss off up to Stephens Green or Merrion Square. But if you just want to kick a ball about then come here. It's big, open and mostly flat.

Very open. Playground not much the pond is a good place to go and see the ducks and the kids live…read moreto feed them. It is not really a day out but amazing for a picnic in summer with a great location everybody's a winner

This is a great walk on the outskirts of Belfast. It is well hidden from the Manse road entrance…read morebut don't be put off its worth the view! It takes roughly 30 - 40 mins to ascend depending on fitness level. The path leads from a quaint bridge along a stony lane running behind Lagan college. It has quite a steep incline half way through - really gets the heart pumping. The vista over Belfast and the lough are breath taking. I usually catch a plane or ship coming in. Tip 1. Parking can be tight, i recommend parking in local estate Garland Hill and adding to the dander Tip 2. If you don't fancy the strenuous walk up hill there is another entrance with parking on the Lisnabreeny road itself.

I love finding different places to walk without having to travel too far and this is another such…read moreplace. 10 mins by car from my house in Carryduff and nestled in the Castlereagh hills. There's a small car park off Manse Rd easy to miss as it's not signposted. Entry to the walk is through a wooden gate on the left. You are on a par with Cavehill height- wise and when it's clear you can see right down to the port of Belfast or over to the spectacular Mournes. There's a Rath surrounded by trees which is eerily quiet and the gravelled path leads you down towards Cregagh Glen and waterfalls. You walk past the back of Lagan college and enter the Glen via an underpass. Be careful as the old railway sleeper path ways can be treacherous as I found out to my cost recently! They look dry but can be slippery as I ended upon my ass. Fortunately nothing damaged except ny dignity! You can take a detour to visit the monument to American soldiers who served in NI during WW2 or walk on down the Glen which is beautiful especially after rain when the water is really flowing. It is quite a steep walk back up to the car park but there are a few benches dotted around. Hard to believe you are right in the heart of urban Belfast. This place is well worth a visit with kids (there's a little adventure playground) or its a haven for dog walkers or even just on your own.

Great park. Mix of walking, running, bike and dig park. Well maintained and lots of parking. They…read morehave started on some building restoration along with some wildlife flower seeding.

Nice park with an enclosed dog park to allow off lead. It's an interesting walk through woodland…read moreand open areas and a coffee shop to recharge. The market was a disappointment with fewer stalls than expected and nowhere near as good as others in Temple Bar, Farmleigh and Dun Laoighre. Parking available but gets busy later in the morning so arrive around 10 in my view.

Marlay Park was our treat day out when we were little. The playground - full of wooden swings,…read moremazes, slides, little houses and forts - was the best we'd ever experienced and the BMX track was brilliant. We used spend an entire summer's days there with a picnic. Kept us occupied for hours on end - good times! Over the years, I've returned to Marlay for fun of a different kind when I ventured into some quality outdoor concerts including Morrissey and Faithless along with Kasabian. It's a great place for a venue because this massive park can facilitate the crowds and buses that descend without causing (too much) disruption. You also feel like you're at a festival for a day without all of the mankiness! Marlay is also the starting point of Wicklow Way so hikers should head here if they're determined to cover the whole trail.