Locality
Ballsbridge
An affluent inner suburb on the Southside around the River Dodder, home to Herbert Park, the RDS, many embassies and some of Dublin's most expensive streets, served by DART stations at Lansdowne Road and Sandymount.
Ballsbridge is an inner suburb on Dublin's Southside, named after a bridge over the River Dodder first built by the Ball family; the current three-arch bridge dates from 1791. The area was once part of the Pembroke Township. It extends north towards the Grand Canal along Northumberland Road, south along Merrion Road towards Merrion and along Anglesea Road towards Donnybrook, and west to the area around Pembroke Road, Clyde Road, Elgin Road and Herbert Park. It is in Dublin City Council's area.
Ballsbridge is known for large Victorian and Edwardian houses, offices and institutions.
- The Royal Dublin Society (RDS) has its grounds here, and the Lansdowne Road headquarters of the Irish Rugby Football Union, where the old stadium was replaced by the Aviva Stadium, is on the boundary with Irishtown.
- Many of Dublin's embassies and diplomatic residences are on and around Ailesbury Road, including the British, American, Italian, Spanish and Dutch embassies.
- Ailesbury Road and Shrewsbury Road have some of the most expensive properties in Dublin.
- The Irish Sikh community's Gurdwara Guru Nanak Darbar is on Serpentine Avenue.
- DART (Lansdowne Road, Sandymount)
- Dublin Bus
- DART: trains stop at Lansdowne Road (also served by commuter services) and Sandymount. The DART runs along Dublin Bay from Howth and Malahide in the north to Greystones in the south, through the city centre.
- Buses: several Dublin Bus routes run through Ballsbridge towards the city centre and the southern suburbs. Check the TFI Journey Planner for current routes.
- The city centre is within walking or cycling distance.
Ballsbridge is known for its Victorian and Edwardian architecture and high property prices. Its local electoral area, Pembroke, had the highest standardised average rent for new tenancies among Dublin City Council's local electoral areas in Q1 2026.
Herbert Park, a 32-acre public park divided by a road of the same name, is the main green space and forms part of the border with Donnybrook. To the east, neighbouring Sandymount has a promenade along Strand Road and Sandymount Strand.
Mixed evenings
Ballsbridge has hotels, restaurants and pubs, and large crowds on concert and match days at the RDS and Aviva Stadium, but is mostly quiet residential streets.
Honest trade-offs newcomers mention. They are not reasons to avoid a place.
- If you live near the RDS or the Aviva Stadium, check their event calendars; large events draw big crowds.
- Rents and purchase prices are high even by Dublin standards.
- In older period houses, ask about the energy rating (BER) and heating costs when viewing.
Useful links
Sources
Facts on this page come from these sources. Neighbourhoods change — check current details before deciding.
- WikipediaBallsbridge
(Opens {{site}} in a new tab) Accessed 8 Oct 2026Bridge history, Pembroke Township, extent, Herbert Park, RDS, Lansdowne Road, embassies, Ailesbury and Shrewsbury Roads, Gurdwara, DART stations.
- WikipediaDublin City Council - local electoral areas
(Opens {{site}} in a new tab) Accessed 8 Oct 2026Pembroke electoral divisions form the Pembroke local electoral area.
- WikipediaSandymount
(Opens {{site}} in a new tab) Accessed 8 Oct 2026 - WikipediaDublin Area Rapid Transit
(Opens {{site}} in a new tab) Accessed 8 Oct 2026 - Residential Tenancies Board and ESRIOfficial sourceRTB Rent Index Q1 2026
(Opens {{site}} in a new tab) Accessed 8 Oct 2026