Emerald Park is Ireland’s only theme park, located just outside Dublin. It was opened in 2010 by the Tayto crisp company and was called Tayto Park until a rebranding in 2022.
The theme park started out as a small zoo and tour of the Tayto factory but over time has grown to include rollercoasters and thrill rides. It’s now one of the most visited family attractions in Ireland.
A new expansion has added Emerald Park’s first themed land – Tír na nÓg. It’s based on the land of eternal youth from Irish mythology and features 3 new rides. The new land has expanded the footprint of Emerald Park and added further capacity to the theme park.
Emerald Park is easy to get to from Dublin. It’s located near Ashbourne, just off the M2 motorway. It’s about a 25 minute drive from Dublin Airport and parking is free. The park is served by 2 Bus Éireann routes. Bus route 103 goes from Dublin City Centre and route 105 goes from Blanchardstown, both on days when the park is open.
There’s a number of hotels located nearby that have great deals with Emerald Park. The Pillo Hotel in Ashbourne is just a 5 minute drive from the park.
Emerald Park is growing every year so there’ll be changes to this list as time goes on. It’s our local theme park though and we’ll no doubt be visiting often to keep it updated!
10. Air Race
Air Race is one of the first rides you come to when you enter Emerald Park. It’s got double seats designed to resemble airplanes which rotate upside down as the ride spins. It’s got fairly basic theming, especially when compared to some of the other amazing Zamperla Air Race rides we’ve been on like the INSANE Scarecrow Scare Raid in Warner Bros World in Abu Dhabi but maybe a move to somewhere near Flight School might sort it out. Air Race is a fun ride that turns you upside down with a bit of force and is a decent start to the top 10.
9. Endeavour
This is a new take on the traditional Enterprise spinning wheels that you might have seen in other parks or at fairgrounds. Like Air Race, Endeavour is made by Zamperla and the ride at Emerald Park was only the second one of these models to be installed. It spins you around as it lifts into the air, the force inverting you as it does so. It’s good fun and you’ll come off feeling a bit dizzy.
8. Flight School
This is a small rollercoaster, ideal for kids who are still a little bit unsure about the bigger rides. It’s loosely themed around a pilot training academy, hence the name. The trains have 10 cars in rows of twos and are designed to look like planes. The layout is decent and you go around the track twice most days. It’s actually got the exact same layout as Flying Eagle in Legoland Billund which we’ve also been on and enjoyed. This is a good starting point for kids (and adults!) wanting to try a proper coaster for the first time.
7. Celtic Dreamer
The Celtic Dreamer is a Zierer Wave Swinger ride that is themed around the Children of Lir of Irish mythology who were turned into swans by their jealous stepmother. It’s one of the new rides that opened in the new Tír na nÓg land. You probably know it as a swing ride, chair swing or chair-o-planes. Whatever you call it, it’s lots of fun. The story of the Children of Lir is illustrated on the ride itself and looks pretty amazing.
6. The Rotator
It’s probably one of the first things you notice when you enter Emerald Park! The Rotator is an inverting frisbee ride with outward-facing seats that’s 31 metres tall. It goes higher and higher on each swing as it spins you around. It’s really good fun. Interesting fact – when The Rotator first arrived at what was then Tayto Park in 2014, it did a full 360, going all the way around but was modified because people were too scared to go on it.
5. Dino Dash
Dino Dash was the first Vekoma rollercoaster added to Emerald Park in 2022 and was the precursor to the intertwining coasters for Tír na nÓg by the same manufacturer. It’s a kids coaster with dinosaurs all through the layout. Animatronic velociraptors spray water just before you go into the lift hill. It’s a smoother coaster than Flight School and reaches speeds of up to 50km. Its slightly higher at 11.7m. It’s another great kids coaster and this too goes around twice.
4. Viking Voyage
The only water ride at Emerald Park, although in a country with weather like we get in Ireland, it’s amazing we have even this one! After entering through the queueline themed as a viking village, you board your viking long boat for a journey back in time. You come across round towers and monasteries as you plunge downwards, first forwards and then backwards before one final giant splash down. It’s really fun ride that everyone will enjoy.
3. The Quest
The first of the new rollercoasters added to the new Tír na nÓg land, The Quest is a family coaster but a good step up from Flight School and Dino Dash. You start by being lifted backwards up a hill and then dropping back down through the station again. You twist and turn your way through Tír na nÓg and the other new coaster, Na Fianna Force, before going up a spike inside a castle. You fall backwards and do it all again in reverse before coming back to the station. It’s really good fun and the highlight is definitely the interaction with the other coaster.
@curioustourists Who’s up for The Quest, the new boomerang rollercoaster in @Emerald Park that goes forwards and backwards? #rollercoaster #themepark #emeraldpark #amusementpark #fyp
2. Cú Chulainn
The first big coaster at Tayto Park was a gamechanger here in Ireland. Nothing like this had ever been built in Ireland so it was a big deal. It helped that it was a pretty decent coaster and has been called one of the best wooden coasters in Europe by some enthusiasts. It’s by far the biggest of Gravity Group’s coasters in Europe and has a 32m drop. The layout is intense and includes a 90 degree turn at the halfway point.
1. Na Fianna Force
There’s a clear winner when it comes to the best ride at Emerald Park. The brand new coaster Na Fianna Force is AMAZING! It’s only the second Vekoma Suspended Thrill Coaster to be built and it’s a great addition to the park. The layout is fantastic and it’s so smooth. The interactions with the Quest, even going through its station building, make it even better. I can’t believe we have something this good in Ireland!
