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Voykit pocket guide · Ireland
Ashbourne
Cill Dhéagláin
Use Ashbourne as one night near Dublin Airport or a day for Emerald Park — not a base: 1 night, or skip unless you have a theme-park or race day.
Ashbourne is a commuter town in County Meath, 22 km northwest of Dublin city centre and the airport, with a population of about 16,000 (2022). It is the practical overnight stop if you land late and drive on northwest, and the access town for Emerald Park, Ireland's main theme park. The town itself is modern and spread along the R135; its older remains sit under a supermarket and at the Rath Cross 1916 memorial. Most trips give it one night, or a day for the park or Fairyhouse races.
- Country
- Ireland
- Local name
- Cill Dhéagláin
- Best months
- May–Sep for Emerald Park and race days; the town works year-round
- Avoid
- None serious; check park opening days outside summer
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including pubs and taxis.
- Daily spend
- Budget €50–80 excl. bed · Mid €80–130 excl. bed · High €130+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vodafone, Three and Eir run the networks; prepaid SIMs (also 48, Tesco Mobile, GoMo) sell in phone shops and newsagents, no registration fuss.
- Emergency
- Police, ambulance, fire (Gardaí) 112 · Police, ambulance, fire (Gardaí) 999
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Type G three-pin, like the UK; European and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–15% if service is not included.; Pub: Not expected when ordering at the bar.; Taxi: Round up.; Tour guide or driver: €5–10 per person for a day tour.; Hotel porter: €1–2 per bag.
- Water
- Tap water is safe; occasional local 'boil water' notices are posted by Uisce Éireann.
- Toilets
- Free in shopping centres, museums, pubs (as a customer) and many petrol stations; some public toilets charge 50c.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €3–4.50 |
| Pub main course | €14–20 |
| Pint of stout | €5.50–6.50 |
| Taxi, Ashbourne to Dublin Airport | €35–50 |
| Bus fare, town to Emerald Park | €2–4 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DUB · Dublin Airport
- 22 km southeast by M2/N2; Bus Éireann 109A runs hourly, 24 hours, about 30 min14 mi southeast by M2/N2; Bus Éireann 109A runs hourly, 24 hours, about 30 min
Typical fares
- Dublin Airport → Ashbourne, Bus Éireann 109A
- about €8, about 30 min (check)
- Taxi Ashbourne → Dublin Airport
- €35–50 (check)
- Bus 105, Ashbourne → Emerald Park
- €2–4 (check)
Get around
The town is walkable along the main street; buses stop along it rather than at a station. Bus 105 links Ashbourne with Emerald Park and Drogheda, Bus 103 runs from Dublin via Glasnevin, and Bus 197 runs to Swords. A car is easier for the park, the racecourse and the surrounding county.
See and do
Known for
- Emerald Park (formerly Tayto Park)
- Fairyhouse Racecourse
- Rath Cross 1916 memorial
- Dublin Airport overspill beds
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Emerald Park | Bus 105 from Ashbourne main street, or 10 min by car north on the R135 | About 30–40 min |
| Fairyhouse Racecourse | Car or taxi to Ratoath, about 10 km westCar or taxi to Ratoath, about 6.2 mi west | About 20 min |
| Dublin | Bus 103 or 109A from the main street | About 45–60 min |
| Trim | Car via the N2 and R154, about 30 km northwestCar via the N2 and R154, about 19 mi northwest | About 40 min |
| Kells | Bus Éireann 109A northwest, about 40 kmBus Éireann 109A northwest, about 25 mi | About 50 min |
Sleep
- Ashbourne town centre
- Frederick St and Bridge St hotels; walk to pubs and shops, parking on site.
- Rath / M2 terminus
- 2 km north at the end of the bypass; quiet, car-first, easy on and off the M2.1.2 mi north at the end of the bypass; quiet, car-first, easy on and off the M2.
- Ninemilestone
- South end of the bypass at M2 junction 3; B&Bs, best if you are driving on early.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Dia duitjeea gwit |
| Thank you | Go raibh maith agatguh rev mah agut |
| Please | Le do thoilleh duh hull |
| Cheers | Sláinteslawn-cha |
| Where is the toilet? | Cá bhfuil an leithreas?kaw will an leh-rass |
| How much is it? | Cé mhéad é?kay vade ay |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, first names quickly; avoid: Over-formality; it reads as coldness
- Conversation: Banter, weather and sport; self-deprecating humour; avoid: Opening with Northern Ireland, religion or the Famine
- Pubs: Buy your round; chat at the bar; avoid: Leaving a round without buying one
- Identity: Say Ireland, or the Republic when you need to distinguish; avoid: 'Southern Ireland' and calling it British
- Driving: Lift a finger from the wheel to thank drivers who pull in for you; avoid: Stopping on narrow bends for photos
Scams and watch-outs
- Buses stop along the main street; there is no bus station — check the TFI route mapper for your stop.
- From Dublin city, only the 109A, 103 and 103X come through Ashbourne; the 109, 109B and 109X do not.
- Emerald Park prices and opening days change by season: book online ahead and check the official site.
- Village pubs and rural roads around Ashbourne need a car or a taxi after the last bus.
A quiet commuter town and one of the safer stops near Dublin. The real risks are rural roads after dark, unlit verges on the R135, and driving after a race day or a night in the town pubs.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Ashbourne yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Emerald Park (formerly Tayto Park)
- Fairyhouse Racecourse
- Rath Cross 1916 memorial
- Dublin Airport overspill beds
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Discover Ireland — County Meath: www.discoverireland.ie/meath
- Transport for Ireland — route maps and planner: www.transportforireland.ie/
- Bus Éireann: buseireann.ie/
- Emerald Park: www.taytopark.ie/
- Fairyhouse Racecourse: www.fairyhouse.ie/
- Wikivoyage: Ashbourne (Ireland), revision 5285597 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5285597
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
AshbourneCill Dhéagláin
Chuig an seoladh seo, le do thoil
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassy in Ashbourne; embassies are in Dublin. US citizens: US Embassy, Dublin (check the address). UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand: embassies in Dublin.
Buses stop along the main street, not at a station.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/ashbourne-ireland). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.