First pick
Castlehamilton Demesne
Wood or forest · 50 m outside town
119 ha0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
1.2 km eastfrom the centre
Killeshandra Loop
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Aervac · CC BY-SA 3.0100%near a park
Outdoors in Killeshandra · parks, paths & countryside
Woods cover more of Killeshandra than of 9 in 10 Irish towns
Mapped woodland takes up 17% of Killeshandra and the kilometre around it. Parks and playing fields in Killeshandra add up to 16.8 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical Irish town has 4.1. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 100% of residents.
Near a park
100%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
16.8 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
1 km
0.2 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical Irish town: 2.1 km per km²
Protected for nature
13%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Lough Oughter and Associated Loughs SAC
Woodland
17%
of the town and 1 km around it
Typical Irish town: 2.7%
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Killeshandra?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Wooded country17% mapped woodland in and around town, more than 99% of Irish towns.Room to roam16.8 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 91% of Irish towns.A park on every doorstep100% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.Few mapped footpaths0.2 km of path per km²; the typical Irish town has 2.1.
Killeshandra’s strongest suit is its woods, followed by plenty of park space. Where it falls short is footpaths.
Against other towns
How Killeshandra compares with Irish towns
Each figure against Ireland’s 321 towns and city neighbourhoods of 2,500+ (city hubs left out): the marked bar is the town’s, the line the median. Ireland has no Outdoors Grade yet: the figures are described, each against other Irish towns, and none of them counts towards the overall grade.
A park within a walk100%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
83out of 100
Public green space16.8 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
92out of 100
Footpaths0.2 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
1out of 100
Protected for nature13%of the land within 5 km
94out of 100
Woodland17%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
100out of 100
Parks, paths and woods: OpenStreetMap; residents: CSO Census 2022 Small Areas; protected sites: NPWS; sea: CSO and ONS land outlines. A 0 means nothing is mapped.
Towns its size
Killeshandra has the 4th fewest footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (248 to 3,141 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From Ballybrack (8.6 km per km²) to Sixmilebridge (0 km per km²).
Footpath, km per km²
Killeshandra0.2
Towns its size0.7
Co. Cavan towns0.6
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Killeshandra16.8
Towns its size4.1
Co. Cavan towns2.2
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Killeshandra100%
Towns its size87%
Co. Cavan towns80%
Typical Irish town92%
Against towns its size, Killeshandra stands out most for park space per resident: only 3 of the other 39 have more. It falls furthest behind on path per km², where 36 of the others do better.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | The sea | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ballybrack Dublin | 8.6 | 8% | 0.2% | 36% |
| 2 | Sunday's Well Cork | 7.3 | 2.7% | 0.4% | – |
| 3 | Blackpool Cork | 6.6 | 3% | 1.4% | – |
| 4 | Carna Dublin | 5.4 | 1.7% | 0% | – |
| 5 | Taylor's Hill Galway | 5.1 | 1.2% | 15% | 37% |
| 6 | Togher Cork | 5 | 1.5% | 0.5% | – |
| 7 | Decies Dublin | 4.8 | 7.2% | 0% | – |
| 8 | Mayfield Cork | 4.7 | 5.3% | 3.3% | – |
| 9 | Kylemore Dublin | 4 | 3% | 0% | – |
| 10 | Edenmore Dublin | 2.8 | 3.6% | 5.9% | 24% |
| 11 | Ballynanty Limerick | 2.5 | 5.7% | 12% | – |
| 12 | Claddagh Galway | 2.4 | 0.2% | 17% | 46% |
| 13 | Murrough Galway | 2.3 | 5.1% | 10% | 26% |
| 14 | Grange Upper Waterford | 1.4 | 1.5% | 6.6% | – |
| 15 | Blarney Cork | 1.4 | 14% | 0% | – |
| 16 | Kilbarry Waterford | 1.3 | 1.6% | 5.1% | – |
| 17 | Bantry Cork | 1 | 4.4% | 0% | 18% |
| 18 | Ballina Tipperary | 0.9 | 1.8% | 4.7% | – |
| 19 | Moate Westmeath | 0.7 | 2.4% | 2.4% | – |
| 20 | Callan Kilkenny | 0.7 | 0.1% | 2.3% | – |
| 21 | Kingscourt Cavan | 0.7 | 12% | 0% | – |
| 22 | Kenmare Kerry | 0.6 | 7.2% | 6.5% | 6.4% |
| 23 | Athboy Meath | 0.6 | 1.1% | 1.5% | – |
| 24 | Bundoran Donegal | 0.5 | 2% | 5.1% | 35% |
| 25 | Muinebeag (Bagenalstown) Carlow | 0.5 | 3.9% | 2.9% | – |
| 26 | Skibbereen Cork | 0.5 | 1.7% | 1.6% | – |
| 27 | Kinnegad Westmeath | 0.3 | 4.5% | 4.5% | – |
| 28 | Donegal Donegal | 0.3 | 4% | 4.1% | 12% |
| 29 | Boyle Roscommon | 0.3 | 3.2% | 0% | – |
| 30 | Bailieborough Cavan | 0.3 | 10% | 0% | – |
| 31 | Castleisland Kerry | 0.3 | 1.7% | 12% | – |
| 32 | Kanturk Cork | 0.3 | 0% | 5.1% | – |
| 33 | Baltinglass Wicklow | 0.2 | 4.9% | 0.5% | – |
| 34 | Ballyhaunis Mayo | 0.2 | 2.8% | 3.4% | – |
| 35 | Kilrush Clare | 0.2 | 9.8% | 37% | – |
| 36 | Ballyjamesduff Cavan | 0.2 | 7.6% | 0% | – |
| 37 | Killeshandra Cavan | 0.2 | 17% | 13% | – |
| 38 | Gort Galway | 0.2 | 4.3% | 24% | – |
| 39 | Carndonagh Donegal | 0.1 | 4.9% | 5.1% | 5.8% |
| 40 | Sixmilebridge Clare | 0 | 0.7% | 2% | – |
The map
Parks, woods, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Killeshandra’s urban area.
Green: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces and woods, named or not.© OpenStreetMap contributors · NPWS · Sport Ireland · CSO
Places to walk
Parks to walk in, in and around Killeshandra
The biggest is Castlehamilton Demesne, 119 ha (294 acres).
Named parks, gardens, commons and woods in the town or within 400 m of it, from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL); pieces of one name that touch are one place. Sizes are the whole site; directions go to a point inside.
Close to home
Everyone in Killeshandra lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
Each square is 1 in 100 residents: green lives within 400 m of a public park, garden or playing field (CSO Census 2022 Small Areas against OpenStreetMap).
Within 400 m (100%)Further (0%)
Killeshandra100%
Co. Cavan towns80%
Typical Irish town92%
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees.
Protected areas
13% of the land around Killeshandra is protected for nature
Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas and Natural Heritage Areas designated by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, within 5 km of the town’s edge.
Inside Killeshandra1.7%
Within 5 km13%
Co. Cavan towns0%
Typical Irish town1.8%
2 protected sites lie within 5 km of Killeshandra. Proposed Natural Heritage Areas cover 16% of the land within 5 km as well; many have been proposed since 1995 and aren’t counted here. Ireland’s National Parks have a block of their own on this page; much of their land also lies inside these sites.
Protected sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service designated site boundaries (CC BY 4.0), 2026; land within 5 km from CSO Small Areas and, over the border, ONS. Overlapping sites are counted once.
National Parks
Glenveagh National Park is 105 km away
Ireland’s National Parks within 100 km, and the nearest always, by direction and distance from the town’s edge; circle size shows each park’s area.
National ParkThe 5 km around the town
National Park
Glenveagh National Park
105 km north155 km²
None of Ireland’s six National Parks is within 100 km of Killeshandra; the nearest is shown.
National Park boundaries: National Parks and Wildlife Service, generalised to 50 m (CC BY 4.0, © Government of Ireland), 2022. Distances from the town’s outline (CSO Small Areas).
Footpaths and woods
1 km of footpaths cross Killeshandra
Footways that aren’t pavements, paths, bridleways, steps and tracks open on foot, and mapped woods and forest, in the town and 1 km around it, each beside the county’s and Ireland’s typical town of 2,500+.
Footpaths
1.1 km
over 6.3 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
17%
about 1.1 km² of mapped woods
Registered trails
5
walking trails within 5 km
Km per km², town and 1 km around · mapped on OpenStreetMap
KilleshandraCo. Cavan townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths0.2
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
KilleshandraCo. Cavan townsTypical Irish town
Woodland17%
0%50%100%
Killeshandra has less footpath per km² than 99% of Irish towns and more woodland than 100% of Irish towns.
Footpaths and woods: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Woods are mapped cover, private and Coillte forests included.
Footpaths & trails
5 waymarked trails start near Killeshandra
1 km of footpaths are mapped in Killeshandra and the kilometre around it, 0.2 km for every square kilometre (the typical Irish town has 2.1).
Walking trail
Killeshandra Loop5.9 km
Killykeen Forest Park - Gartanoul Trail5.3 km
Killykeen Forest Park - Gartanoul Shore Walk2.0 km
Killykeen Forest Park - Multi-Access0.5 km
Killykeen Forest Park - Nature Trail2.8 km
For a shorter walk, the Killeshandra Loop is 5.9 km, graded easy.
Trails: Sport Ireland National Trails Register (CC BY 4.0), registered trails within 5 km; footpaths: OpenStreetMap (ODbL). Coillte’s own forest trails and recreation sites aren’t included: Coillte’s terms limit its data to research or private study. Its trails on the National Trails Register are listed.
History
One historic park or garden on the record in Killeshandra
Parks, gardens, walled gardens and demesne walls in the town on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, each with its record.
Demesne walls/gates/railingsCastle Hamiltonfrom 1840Regional rating (NIAH)
The oldest dated is Castle Hamilton, from 1840.
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (CC BY 4.0).
When to get out
The best walking months in Killeshandra: May to July and September
Met Éireann’s 1991–2020 averages for the town’s 1 km square and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 15 to 30 °C and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 7.9 | 9.7 | 11.7 | 14.0 | 16.0 | 17.1 | 16.6 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.4 | 7.4 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 107 | 86 | 83 | 71 | 68 | 77 | 82 | 98 | 81 | 108 | 108 | 116 |
May is the driest month (68 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7.4 hours of daylight in December, and 116 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. The climate in Killeshandra →
Things to do
1 hill or peak and 1 playground
Mapped on OpenStreetMap in the town and 2 km around it; each count per resident beside Irish towns’ typical town of 2,500+. Beaches are on the coast’s list, from the EPA.
The highest named top on the map is Snakeel, at 93 m, 1.8 km from town.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 1
Snakeel93 m · 1.8 km from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 2
Plus 2 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 1
Plus 1 playground without a name on the map.
Slipways 1
Plus 1 slipway without a name on the map.
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Unnamed places are counted, not listed.
Next door
Next to Killeshandra
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
BelturbetCavanBallyconnellBallinaghBallinamoreKilleshandra
Under 1%1–10%10–25%25–50%50%+
| Town | Near a park | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Paths (km/km²) | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Killeshandra | 100% | 16.8 | 0.2 | 13% |
| Belturbet 11 km | 60% | 5.5 | 0.4 | 10% |
| Cavan 11 km | 86% | 2.5 | 0.6 | 5.1% |
| Ballyconnell 12 km | 60% | 3.0 | 0.7 | 4.5% |
| Ballinagh 12 km | 72% | 2.3 | 0.2 | 0.2% |
| Ballinamore 18 km | 100% | 13.7 | 0.3 | 0% |
None of the neighbours has many more of its people near a park than Killeshandra.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Green space nearby. The share of residents (CSO Small Areas, by where people live) within 400 m of a park, garden, common or playing field mapped on OpenStreetMap. Mapping is uneven: a town whose parks nobody has mapped looks greyer than it is.
- Protected areas. Land in a Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area or Natural Heritage Area within 5 km, overlaps counted once. Protected for nature doesn’t always mean open to walkers.
- Footpaths and hiking routes. Footways that aren’t pavements, paths, bridleways, steps and tracks open on foot, in the town and 1 km around it, from OpenStreetMap. Trails are the registered ones within 5 km; a trail often follows mapped paths, so the two aren’t added.
- Woodland. Woods and forest as OpenStreetMap maps them, private and Coillte forests included: mapped cover, not access.
- No grade yet. Ireland’s grades don’t include the outdoors yet: these figures describe the town and stand beside the median Irish town.
Questions about the outdoors in Killeshandra
Is there protected countryside near Killeshandra?
Yes: 13% of the land within 5 km is protected, across 2 sites. Lough Oughter and Associated Loughs SAC reaches Killeshandra.
What are the best walks near Killeshandra?
5 waymarked trails start within 5 km, including the Killeshandra Loop, Killykeen Forest Park - Gartanoul Trail and Killykeen Forest Park - Gartanoul Shore Walk.
How many people in Killeshandra live near a park?
100% of residents live within 400 m, about a 5-minute walk, of a park or playing field; in the typical Irish town it is 92%.
When is the best time of year for walking in Killeshandra?
On the town’s 1991–2020 averages and its daylight: May to July and September, when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light for the place.
Is Killeshandra near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Glenveagh National Park, 105 km north of the town’s edge; it covers about 155 km².
What is there to do outdoors around Killeshandra?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 1 hill or peak and 2 picnic sites; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Which parks in Killeshandra are historic?
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage records one historic park, garden or demesne in the town: Castle Hamilton.
Sources
Where Killeshandra’s outdoors figures come from
- Parks, woods and paths. OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL): parks, woods and footpaths, Geofabrik extract, October 2026
- Protected sites. National Parks and Wildlife Service: designated sites (SAC, SPA, NHA), 2026
- Trails. Sport Ireland: National Trails Register, 2026
- Residents. CSO: Census 2022 Small Areas (residents)
- National Parks. National Parks and Wildlife Service: National Park boundaries, generalised to 50 m (CC BY 4.0), 2022
- Things to do. OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL): viewpoints, hills, waterfalls, nature reserves, picnic sites, playgrounds, campsites and waymarked walks, Geofabrik extract, October 2026
- Historic parks and gardens. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (CC BY 4.0)
- Weather. Met Éireann: 1991–2020 averages (Copyright Met Éireann)
Protected sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service (CC BY 4.0). Trails: Sport Ireland National Trails Register (CC BY 4.0). Bathing water: EPA (CC BY 4.0). Parks, woods and paths: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Not on this page yet: Coillte’s forest trails (its terms) and bike routes.
Contains Central Statistics Office (CSO) data, Census 2022, and Tailte Éireann boundaries (CSO Urban Areas, Small Areas, local electoral areas, constituencies), under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).