Rathgar (Ráth Gharbh in Irish) is a well-to-do suburb of Dublin, Ireland, lying about 4 km south of the city centre. The housing stock largely comprises red-brick Victorian terraces. Much of the area lies within a conservation zone. Rathgar is largely a quiet suburb, with a higher than average number of retired citizenry. It has a number of retail outlets as well as a choice of pubs and restaurants in the old village.

Rathgar has a number of fine architectural features, notably the Presbyterian Church at the junction of Rathgar Road and Highfield Road in the village centre. The Roman Catholic Church of The Three Patrons on Rathgar Road is known as "The Servants' Church" because in the late 19th and early 20th century it was the place of worship for the large number of servants who worked and lived in the large houses in the area.

The suburb's most famous son is James Joyce, who was born in Brighton Square. Mr. Jack Lynch, who was Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland intermittently from 1966 to 1979 had his home at Garville Avenue, Rathgar.

The great Dublin comedian Jimmy O'Dea would describe the more central districts of Rathmines and Rathgar as a "purgatory for souls awaiting the heaven of Foxrock".1997 Anthony Cronin Samuel Beckett - The Last Modernist ISBN: 0-06-016599-5 Jimmy rendered the popular ditty "Thank Heavens we are Living in Rathgar"

The name Rathgar derives from the Irish Ráth Gharbh, meaning "Rough Ringfort".

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