Saint Anne's Park is the second largest city park in Dublin. There are many attractions here, the small Naniken River, ponds and numerous avenues. There is a miniature rose garden and a municipal arboretum with 1,000 different species of trees. There are as many as 35 sports fields, a golf course and tennis courts. Children can play in the playgrounds, and adults can view the artificial ruins, including the Temple of Hercules, the Roman tower, and the Celtic circle.
In the park you can meet badgers, hedgehogs, rabbits, foxes, squirrels and bats. Among the birds, hawks, woodcocks and jays live here. The park was one of the last places in Dublin where red squirrels lived. Gray squirrels were first spotted in 1998. They soon spread throughout the park, and the number of reds dropped drastically. The gray squirrel reduction program conducted by Dublin City Council and University College Dublin has proved unsuccessful.