Oakfield Park is perhaps the best known Georgian Deanery in Ireland and definitely one of the country’s most famous parks. It is an award-winning location, which is easily understandable if one visits its lush parklands and mature woodlands.
Get to Know Oakfield Park
Oakfield Park has won many awards for the wonderful way in which its gardens and buildings have been restored, as some of them are more than three hundred years old. There are beautiful views of Croaghan Mountain readily available on location. You will find plenty of attractions here, including a traditional walled garden, a kitchen garden, flower meadows, lakes, streams and wild wetland areas.
The park, located in Oakfield Demesne was built in the early eighteenth century (1739) for the Dean of Raphoe. In 1869 it switched uses (it was initially employed as a Deanery) and owners, as it was sold to Thomas Butler Stoney, a Capitain in the Donegal Militia. Stoney added to the location by buying more land in Raphoe, including the old, derelict Bishops Palace.
During the 1920s and 1930s the main building was rented out, but it also spent significant spans of time unoccupied and abandoned. The current owners purchased the Deanery in the mid 90s and immediately started restoration works. They reverted the changes made during the 19th century, which displayed the Victorian style and also planted over 40,000 trees.
Good to Know about Oakfield Park
A railway line encircles the park, allowing weekend visitors to take a scenic tour of the location. The narrow gauge line runs for four kilometers and a fare will last for several hours. It will take visitors through tunnels, oak circles, boardwalks, a par-terre and a classical Nymphaeum by the upper lake.
Oakfield Park is open from 10 AM to 4 PM Wednesdays through Sundays, from May until August. The admissions prices are 5 Euros for adults and 3 Euros for children. For streamlined transport, you can purchase train tickets for Oakfield Park at the station, but the trains only run on Saturdays and Sundays.
During July and August weekends a small tea shop is open inside the park and serves light snacks and refreshments. School and play groups can arrange for group tours. Also, concerts and other events are regularly held at Oakfield Park during the warm season.
There are also lots of park benches, swings and picnic spots around the park for people who enjoy a bit of leisure time at the heart of nature. Access to the car park is free.
Address: Oakfield Park, Raphoe, Letterkeny, County Donegal, Ireland
