The land used for the park was given to the city by the 14th Earl of Pembroke whose family name was Herbert.

[citation needed] The park bandstand was featured in the video for Phil Lynott's song Old Town.

A full circuit of the park's perimeter is almost exactly one mile (1.57 km),[5] a fact used by runners and walkers to measure their progress.

The larger half, on the south side of the road, is bounded by the River Dodder, houses, and includes a number of soccer pitches, formal gardens, and a large duck pond and an older public children's playground.

The park's pond has proven to be an excellent location for breeding carp.