Dublin
Padel in Dublin
Padel went from almost nothing to courts all over the city inside about three years. If you have been invited to a game and have no idea what you have agreed to, this page is for you. We sell the gear, so take the kit advice with that in mind, and take the rest at face value.
What padel actually is
A padel court is about a third the size of a tennis court, enclosed in glass and mesh, and played in doubles. The ball can come off the glass and stay in play, which is what makes it feel like squash and tennis had a very sociable child.
Rackets are solid, stringless and perforated. Serves are underarm. There is no advantage in being able to hit the ball extremely hard, which is why a 55 year old with good hands routinely beats a 25 year old who plays tennis.
Where to play
Dublin has courts across the city, indoor and outdoor. Below are venues we know players use. We deliberately do not list prices or opening hours here, because we cannot keep other people’s details accurate. Book through the club, or use the official club finder.
Bushy Park Tennis and Padel Club
Terenure, D6W
Outdoor
Star Padel at St Mary's College RFC
Templeogue, D6W
Indoor
Druid Padel
Kimmage, D12
Indoor
House of Padel
Dublin
Indoor
David Lloyd Riverview
Clonskeagh, D14
Members
Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel
Killiney, Co. Dublin
Outdoor
West Wood Club
Dublin
Indoor, opening 2026
For the full and current list, including clubs outside Dublin, use Padel Federation Ireland’s club finder.
What to bring the first time
A rented racket, court shoes if you own any, and water. That is genuinely it. Do not buy a racket before your first game. Play three or four times, work out whether you like it, and then come and talk to us.
The one thing worth sorting early is footwear. Running shoes grip forwards and refuse to release sideways, and padel is played almost entirely sideways on sand. That is how ankles get turned. Court shoes matter more on day one than a racket does.
The etiquette nobody tells you
- Serve underarm, below the waist, and let it bounce before you hit it.
- The ball can hit your own glass after a bounce and stay in play. Learn this early or you will stop playing perfectly good points.
- Do not smash everything. In padel the ball comes back off the glass, and the person it comes back at is your partner.
- Bring balls. Everyone assumes someone else brought balls.
- Book the court for an hour and a half. An hour goes in about eleven minutes.
Common questions
Do I need my own racket to start playing padel in Dublin?
No. Nearly every club in Dublin rents rackets for a few euro a session, and that is the right way to try it. Once you are playing weekly, a rented racket costs more over a season than buying one, and rental frames are usually heavy and battered.
How much does a game of padel cost in Dublin?
Court hire is charged per hour and split between four players, so the cost per person is modest. Prices vary by venue, time of day and whether the court is indoor, so check with the club directly rather than trusting a number on a shop's website.
Can you play padel outdoors in Ireland?
Yes, and several Dublin clubs are outdoor. In practice most people play indoors between October and April, because padel in horizontal rain is a specialised taste.
Is padel hard to learn?
It is the easiest racket sport to be immediately competent at and one of the hardest to be genuinely good at. Most people have a rally going within ten minutes, which is exactly why it spreads the way it does.