Ormeau Park is the oldest and largest park in Belfast and it’s a fine spot for a stroll.
Home to one of the handier walks in Belfast City along with a playground, tennis courts and lots more, there’s plenty to see and do here.
Below, you’ll find info on everything from where to park and when it’s open to the nice and handy Ormeau Park walk.
Some quick need-to-knows about Ormeau Park in Belfast
Although a visit to Ormeau Park is fairly straightforward, there are a few need-to-knows that’ll make your visit that bit more enjoyable.
1. Location
Ormeau Park is located between Ormeau Road, Ormeau Embankment and Ravenhill Road. The Metro bus service will take you to both the Ormeau and Ranvenill entrances. It’s a 15-minute walks from the Botanic Gardens and a 20-minute walk from St. George’s Market.
2. Opening hours
The Ormeau Park opening hours are from 07:30 every morning and has various closing times, depending on daylight hours. It’s open until 10pm in July, and from then until December, it decreases by 30 minutes every month.
3. Belfast’s oldest park
Belfast Corporation bought the park from the Donegall family in 1869. It was opened to the public in 1871, making it the oldest park in Belfast. Belfast City Council own and run the park, not an easy task as it’s not only the oldest but the largest and busiest too.
4. Parking
There’s plenty of parking at the recreation centre off Ormeau Embankment (here on maps).
About Ormeau Park
The Donegall family originally owned the land where Ormeau Park now sits. They sold it to Belfast Corporation in 1869, and they set about turning it into a park for the people.
Timothy Hevey, a young architect, designed the park, and Belfast’s first public park was officially opened in 1871.
The opening attracted a huge crowd to parade through Belfast and out to the park, where speeches were made – you can imagine how impatient the gathering was to get those over with so they could go exploring!
The Ormeau name comes from the French word Orme, which was the name used for a person living near an Elm tree. This suggests there were lots of elm trees in the park.
Today, the park is a sanctuary from busy city life with several walks and trails throughout, as well as sports grounds, children’s playground, outdoor gym and orienteering courses.
The Ormeau Park walk
The Ormeau Park walk is short at 1.3 miles, but that doesn’t detract from its enjoyment. Woodland, a walled garden and the bandstand provide lots of interest along the way.
Start from the car park at the Recreation Centre and take the path to the right, passing the all-weather pitches.
Stay on the tracks to the right at the next 2 junctions until you reach a crossroads. Continue straight on. There’s a house and garden on your left – this used to be the Park Superintendent’s house.
At the next intersection, take the road to the right, and this will lead you to the walls of the former walled garden.
Keep the wall on your right until you get to the main path, where you’ll turn left. The bandstand is along this path. Keep right, and you’ll reach a wildflower meadow. Another left and a right and you’ll be back at the car park.
Things to do nearby
One of the beauties of Ormeau Park is that it’s a short spin away from many of the best places to visit in Belfast.
Below, you’ll find a handful of things to see and do a stone’s throw away:
- The Botanic Gardens (25-minute walk): Beautiful gardens that have been open to the public since 1895.
- St George’s Market (25-minute walk): A Victorian market hall from the late 1800s that’s open Friday to Sunday
- Belvoir Park Forest (10-minute drive): Over 75 hectares to explore next to the River Lagan
- Food in the city: See my guide to the best restaurants in Belfast and the top pubs in Belfast
Keith O’Hara has lived in Ireland for 35 years and has spent much of the last 13 creating what is now The Irish Road Trip guide. Over the years, the website has published thousands of meticulously researched Ireland travel guides, welcoming 40 million+ visitors along the way. In 2022, the Irish Road Trip team published the world’s largest collection of Irish Road Trip itineraries. Keith lives in Dublin with his dog Toby and finds writing in the 3rd person minus craic altogether.