First pick
Lees Road Park
Park or garden · 180 m outside town
51 ha0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
2.7 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Joseph Mischyshyn · CC BY-SA 2.075%near a park
Outdoors in Ennis · parks, paths & countryside
Ennis is on the Mid Clare Way - Slí na Mearacaun
2 waymarked trails start within 5 km of Ennis, among them the Mid Clare Way - Slí na Mearacaun and Ruan - Dromore Wood loop. Burren National Park begins 8.1 km away. 45 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 0.7 for every square kilometre.
Near a park
75%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
4.0 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
45 km
0.7 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical Irish town: 2.1 km per km²
Protected for nature
7.8%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Lower River Shannon SAC
Woodland
9.6%
of the town and 1 km around it
Typical Irish town: 2.7%
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Ennis?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
On a long-distance trailThe Mid Clare Way - Slí na Mearacaun passes through.Countryside close byBurren National Park starts 8.1 km north.Protected land nearbyLower River Shannon SAC reaches the edge of Ennis.
Ennis’ strongest suit is the Mid Clare Way - Slí na Mearacaun, followed by Burren National Park close by.
Against other towns
How Ennis 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 walk75%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
28out of 100
Public green space4.0 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
49out of 100
Footpaths0.7 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
21out of 100
Protected for nature7.8%of the land within 5 km
85out of 100
Woodland9.6%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
93out 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
Ennis has the 4th fewest footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (18,593 to 40,776 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From Esker (10.5 km per km²) to Portlaoise (0.6 km per km²).
Footpath, km per km²
Ennis0.7
Towns its size2.5
Co. Clare towns0.7
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Ennis4.0
Towns its size4.1
Co. Clare towns1.7
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Ennis75%
Towns its size95%
Co. Clare towns69%
Typical Irish town92%
Ennis falls furthest behind on path per km², where 36 of the 39 others do better.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | The sea | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Esker Dublin | 10.5 | 2.1% | 0.1% | – |
| 2 | Old Bawn Dublin | 8.5 | 3% | 1.8% | – |
| 3 | Dolphins Barn Dublin | 8.4 | 2.9% | 0% | – |
| 4 | Stoneybatter Dublin | 7.5 | 1.6% | 0% | – |
| 5 | Carpenterstown Dublin | 7.3 | 11% | 0% | – |
| 6 | Blanchardstown Dublin | 7 | 3.8% | 0% | – |
| 7 | Lucan Dublin | 6.8 | 7.3% | 0.2% | – |
| 8 | Mulhuddart Dublin | 6.6 | 4% | 0% | – |
| 9 | Ballymun Dublin | 6.5 | 2.6% | 0% | – |
| 10 | Clonsilla Dublin | 6.4 | 3% | 0.1% | – |
| 11 | Jobstown Dublin | 6.3 | 1.9% | 2.2% | – |
| 12 | Rathmines West Dublin | 6 | 1.7% | 0.1% | 5.8% |
| 13 | Crumlin Dublin | 5.4 | 0.8% | 0% | – |
| 14 | Clondalkin Dublin | 4.6 | 3.3% | 0% | – |
| 15 | Stepaside Dublin | 4.3 | 15% | 6.4% | 5.9% |
| 16 | Sandymount Dublin | 3.6 | 1.2% | 3.6% | 35% |
| 17 | Clontarf East Dublin | 3.1 | 3% | 6.1% | 38% |
| 18 | Kilkenny Kilkenny | 3.1 | 3.8% | 2.4% | – |
| 19 | Beaumont Dublin | 2.9 | 2% | 3.4% | 9.7% |
| 20 | Swords Dublin | 2.6 | 2.6% | 1.1% | – |
| 21 | Celbridge Kildare | 2.4 | 6.9% | 0.5% | – |
| 22 | Malahide Dublin | 2.4 | 3.4% | 2.1% | 32% |
| 23 | Greystones-Delgany Wicklow | 2.2 | 11% | 5% | 35% |
| 24 | Bray Wicklow | 2.1 | 13% | 3.4% | 37% |
| 25 | Balbriggan Dublin | 2.1 | 1.6% | 0% | 37% |
| 26 | Naas Kildare | 1.9 | 1.4% | 0% | – |
| 27 | Navan Meath | 1.7 | 4.7% | 2.2% | – |
| 28 | Douglas Cork | 1.7 | 4.6% | 5% | – |
| 29 | Ballincollig Cork | 1.3 | 8.4% | 0% | – |
| 30 | Athlone Westmeath | 1.3 | 6.1% | 14% | – |
| 31 | Sligo Sligo | 1.2 | 6.1% | 9.5% | 18% |
| 32 | Tralee Kerry | 1.1 | 2.4% | 21% | 6.4% |
| 33 | Wexford Wexford | 1.1 | 3.8% | 13% | 22% |
| 34 | Dooradoyle Limerick | 1 | 2.6% | 7.7% | – |
| 35 | Carlow Carlow | 0.9 | 1.3% | 2% | – |
| 36 | Mullingar Westmeath | 0.8 | 8.9% | 3.3% | – |
| 37 | Ennis Clare | 0.7 | 9.6% | 7.8% | – |
| 38 | Letterkenny Donegal | 0.7 | 4.9% | 4.3% | 5.3% |
| 39 | Newbridge Kildare | 0.6 | 1.6% | 4.9% | – |
| 40 | Portlaoise Laois | 0.6 | 2.6% | 1.1% | – |
The map
Parks, woods, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Ennis’ 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 Ennis
The biggest is Lees Road Park, 51 ha (127 acres).
All 5 named parks and woods by size: 134 ha (330 acres) and 5 km of path
Parks & gardens 55 haWoods 79 ha
The two biggest, Rockmount Wood and Lees Road Park, are 97% of the named green space and carry 3 km of path between them. 3 of the 5 are under 2 ha.
Rockmount Wood
Wood or forest
79 ha2.6 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.6 km of path
3.1 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
People's Park
Park or garden
1.6 ha0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
3.3 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Claureen Community Orchard
Park or garden
0.5 ha
1.3 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
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
8 in 10 Ennis residents live 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 (75%)Further (25%)
Ennis75%
Co. Clare towns69%
Typical Irish town92%
About 7,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees.
Protected areas
Protected sites cover 7.8% of the land within 5 km of Ennis
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 Ennis7%
Within 5 km7.8%
Co. Clare towns9.6%
Typical Irish town1.8%
11 protected sites lie within 5 km of Ennis. Proposed Natural Heritage Areas cover 7.7% 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.
Lower River Shannon SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 702 km² · reaches Ennis
NPWS pageRiver Shannon and River Fergus Estuaries SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 333 km² · reaches Ennis
NPWS pageBallyallia Lake SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 1.8 km² · reaches Ennis
NPWS pageBallyallia Lough SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 1.4 km² · reaches Ennis
NPWS pageNewhall and Edenvale Complex SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 1.4 km² · 0.4 km from the edge
NPWS pagePouladatig Cave SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 0.0 km² · 0.6 km from the edge
NPWS pageDromore Woods and Loughs SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 9.0 km² · 1.0 km from the edge
NPWS pageToonagh Estate SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 0.1 km² · 2.8 km from the edge
NPWS pageOld Domestic Building (Keevagh) SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 0.0 km² · 3.9 km from the edge
NPWS pageOld Farm Buildings, Ballymacrogan SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 0.0 km² · 4.6 km from the edge
NPWS pageOne more site is within 5 km.
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
Burren National Park is 8.1 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
Burren National Park
8.1 km north21 km²
National Park
Killarney National Park
90 km south-west104 km²
National Park
Connemara National Park
90 km north-west21 km²
3 of Ireland’s six National Parks are within 100 km of Ennis.
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
45 km of footpaths cross Ennis
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
45 km
over 60.6 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
9.6%
about 5.8 km² of mapped woods
Registered trails
2
walking trails within 5 km
Km per km², town and 1 km around · mapped on OpenStreetMap
EnnisCo. Clare townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths0.7
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
EnnisCo. Clare townsTypical Irish town
Woodland9.6%
0%50%100%
Ennis has less footpath per km² than 79% of Irish towns and more woodland than 93% of Irish towns.
Footpaths and woods: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Woods are mapped cover, private and Coillte forests included.
Footpaths & trails
2 waymarked trails start near Ennis
45 km of footpaths are mapped in Ennis and the kilometre around it, 0.7 km for every square kilometre (the typical Irish town has 2.1).
Long-distance wayWalking trail
Mid Clare Way - Slí na Mearacaun143.9 km
Ruan - Dromore Wood loop6.4 km
The Mid Clare Way - Slí na Mearacaun (144 km end to end) passes through Ennis. For a shorter walk, the Ruan - Dromore Wood loop is 6.4 km, graded easy. One cycling or paddling trail also starts within 5 km.
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.
When to get out
The best walking months in Ennis: May to 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) | 8.1 | 9.8 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 15.8 | 16.9 | 16.4 | 14.7 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.6 | 7.6 |
| High (°C) | 9 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 135 | 110 | 95 | 74 | 76 | 80 | 88 | 103 | 98 | 120 | 141 | 152 |
April is the driest month (74 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7.6 hours of daylight in December, and 152 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. The climate in Ennis →
The coast
Bathing waters near Ennis
0% of the area within 5 km of Ennis is sea. One bathing water is within 5 km.
Ballyallia Lake, EnnisExcellent (2025) · 0.0 km from town
beaches.ieOne of the 1 is rated excellent: Ballyallia Lake, Ennis.
Bathing water classes: EPA, latest season (CC BY 4.0). Sea: the area outside CSO and ONS land outlines. Check today’s water quality on beaches.ie
Things to do
1 hill or peak and 7 playgrounds
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.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 1
Plus 1 peak without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 1
Post Office Field1.6 ha · in town
DirectionsPicnic sites 2
Plus 2 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 7
BarneyS Kidz Clubin town
DirectionsClarecastle Playgroundin town
DirectionsCoote Park Playgroundin town
DirectionsPlus 4 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Unnamed places are counted, not listed.
Gardens & nature
A garden or nature site to visit near Ennis
Gardens, national parks, nature sites and islands within 15 km of the town’s edge, each with its own page.
Burren National ParkNational park · 13 km from town
Its pagePlaces to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.
Next door
Next to Ennis
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
Newmarket-On-FergusShannonSixmilebridgeEnnis
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ennis | 75% | 4.0 | 0.7 | 7.8% |
| Newmarket-On-Fergus 11 km | 100% | 3.4 | 0.3 | 12% |
| Shannon 17 km | 90% | 1.8 | 1.8 | 35% |
| Sixmilebridge 18 km | 60% | 0.5 | 0.0 | 2% |
In Newmarket-On-Fergus, 100% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park, more than here.
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 Ennis
What is the biggest park in Ennis?
Lees Road Park, 51 ha (127 acres), just outside the built-up area. People's Park (1.6 ha) is second. 6 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is there protected countryside near Ennis?
Yes: 7.8% of the land within 5 km is protected, across 11 sites. Lower River Shannon SAC reaches Ennis.
What are the best walks near Ennis?
2 waymarked trails start within 5 km, including the Mid Clare Way - Slí na Mearacaun and Ruan - Dromore Wood loop.
Where can you swim near Ennis?
The nearest bathing water is Ballyallia Lake, Ennis, 0.0 km from town: Excellent (2025). Check beaches.ie before swimming: a notice can close a beach for the day.
How many people in Ennis live near a park?
75% 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 Ennis?
On the town’s 1991–2020 averages and its daylight: May to September, when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light for the place.
Is Ennis near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Burren National Park, 8.1 km north of the town’s edge; it covers about 21 km². 2 more are within 100 km.
What is there to do outdoors around Ennis?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 1 hill or peak, 1 nature reserve and 2 picnic sites; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Sources
Where Ennis’ 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
- Bathing water. EPA: bathing water quality, 2025 season
- 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).