First pick
Marlay Park
Park or garden
84 ha18.5 km of path
4 h 5 minto walk all 18.5 km of path
1.0 km south-westfrom the centre
Footpath (Under Construction)
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Sarah777 · Public domain98%near a park
Outdoors in Ballinteer · parks, paths & countryside
Ballinteer has more footpath per square kilometre than 8 in 10 Irish towns
Footpaths add up to 99 km in the neighbourhood and the kilometre around it, 6.2 for every square kilometre. Wicklow Mountains National Park begins 4.0 km away. 9 waymarked trails start within 5 km of Ballinteer, among them the Wicklow Way and Tibradden - Mountain Access route Tibradden/Kelly's Glen.
Near a park
98%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
10.1 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
99 km
6.2 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical Irish town: 2.1 km per km²
Protected for nature
2.8%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Wicklow Mountains SAC
Woodland
7.1%
of the town and 1 km around it
Typical Irish town: 2.7%
Character
What kind of outdoors neighbourhood is Ballinteer?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A neighbourhood of footpaths6.2 km of path per km², more than 84% of Irish towns. The typical town has 2.1.A park on every doorstep98% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.Room to roam10.1 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 81% of Irish towns.Hills with a view4 mapped viewpoints, about 7× as many per resident as the typical Irish town.
Ballinteer’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by parks close to every home.
Against other towns
How Ballinteer 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 walk98%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
61out of 100
Public green space10.1 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
82out of 100
Footpaths6.2 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
85out of 100
Protected for nature2.8%of the land within 5 km
56out of 100
Woodland7.1%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
85out 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
Ballinteer has the 8th most footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (13,854 to 18,644 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From Tallaght (8.8 km per km²) to Tullamore (0.7 km per km²).
Footpath, km per km²
Ballinteer6.2
Towns its size3.6
Co. Dublin towns5.4
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Ballinteer10.1
Towns its size5.2
Co. Dublin towns7.6
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Ballinteer98%
Towns its size98%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
Against towns its size, Ballinteer stands out most for park space per resident: only 12 of the other 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | The sea | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tallaght Dublin | 8.8 | 3.8% | 0.6% | – |
| 2 | Cabra East Dublin | 8 | 2.2% | 0% | – |
| 3 | Ballyowen Dublin | 7.5 | 6% | 0% | – |
| 4 | Stoneybatter Dublin | 7.5 | 1.6% | 0% | – |
| 5 | The Liberties Dublin | 7.4 | 0.5% | 0% | – |
| 6 | Stillorgan Dublin | 6.5 | 3% | 0.1% | 17% |
| 7 | Ashtown Dublin | 6.3 | 6.9% | 0% | – |
| 8 | Ballinteer Dublin | 6.2 | 7.1% | 2.8% | – |
| 9 | Dundrum Dublin | 6.2 | 4.7% | 1.3% | 6.7% |
| 10 | Clonskeagh Dublin | 6 | 2.7% | 0.1% | 16% |
| 11 | Rathmines East Dublin | 5.9 | 2.3% | 0.1% | 13% |
| 12 | Knocklyon Dublin | 5.8 | 4.7% | 3.2% | – |
| 13 | Rathfarnham Dublin | 5.5 | 4.8% | 0.1% | – |
| 14 | Templeogue Dublin | 5.2 | 3.8% | 0.1% | – |
| 15 | Cabinteely Dublin | 5.1 | 7.6% | 1.1% | 29% |
| 16 | Kimmage Dublin | 4.3 | 0.1% | 0% | – |
| 17 | East Wall Dublin | 4.1 | 1% | 3.5% | 27% |
| 18 | Belmayne Dublin | 3.8 | 1.9% | 5.2% | 25% |
| 19 | Maynooth Kildare | 3.7 | 3.9% | 0.5% | – |
| 20 | Mahon Cork | 3.6 | 6.1% | 5.3% | – |
| 21 | Leixlip Kildare | 3.6 | 7.7% | 0.5% | – |
| 22 | Clontarf West Dublin | 3.2 | 2.2% | 3.5% | 17% |
| 23 | Bishopstown Cork | 3.2 | 6% | 0.2% | – |
| 24 | Clontarf East Dublin | 3.1 | 3% | 6.1% | 38% |
| 25 | Dún Laoghaire Dublin | 3 | 0.5% | 0.3% | 56% |
| 26 | Corbally and King's Island Limerick | 3 | 3.7% | 9.5% | – |
| 27 | Darndale Dublin | 2.7 | 1.9% | 3.7% | 11% |
| 28 | Castletroy Limerick | 2.4 | 1.8% | 6.6% | – |
| 29 | Malahide Dublin | 2.4 | 3.4% | 2.1% | 32% |
| 30 | Ashbourne Meath | 1.6 | 0.3% | 0% | – |
| 31 | Midleton Cork | 1.6 | 2.6% | 4.5% | – |
| 32 | Knocknacarra Galway | 1.6 | 3.4% | 32% | 34% |
| 33 | Ballybane Galway | 1.5 | 3.9% | 12% | 15% |
| 34 | Killarney Kerry | 1.3 | 14% | 34% | – |
| 35 | Laytown-Bettystown-Mornington-Donacarney Meath | 1.2 | 0.5% | 4.4% | 39% |
| 36 | Clonmel Tipperary | 1.1 | 14% | 3.9% | – |
| 37 | Dooradoyle Limerick | 1 | 2.6% | 7.7% | – |
| 38 | Carrigaline Cork | 0.9 | 6.5% | 0.2% | 6.7% |
| 39 | Cobh Cork | 0.8 | 3.5% | 13% | 23% |
| 40 | Tullamore Offaly | 0.7 | 10% | 3.8% | – |
The map
Parks, woods, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Ballinteer’s neighbourhood.
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 Ballinteer
The biggest is Marlay Park, 84 ha (207 acres).
All 7 named parks and woods by size: 120 ha (295 acres) and 28 km of path
Parks & gardens 120 ha
The two biggest, Marlay Park and St Enda's Park, are 84% of the named green space and carry 22 km of path between them. 3 of the 7 are under 2 ha.
St Enda's Park
Park or garden · 360 m outside town
16 ha3.6 km of path
45 minto walk all 3.6 km of path
1.8 km north-westfrom the centre
Emmet’s Walk
Directionsto a point inside
Ballawley Park
Park or garden · 370 m outside town
8.7 ha2.5 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.5 km of path
1.5 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Loreto Park
Park or garden · 70 m outside town
8.2 ha2 km of path
25 minto walk all 2 km of path
1.6 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Regency Walled Garden
Park or garden
1.3 ha1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
0.9 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Sweetmount Park
Park or garden · 110 m outside town
1.0 ha0.2 km of path
1.6 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Little Dargle Dog Park
Park or garden
0.5 ha
0.7 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
Almost everyone in Ballinteer 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 (98%)Further (2.5%)
Ballinteer98%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
About 400 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees.
Protected areas
2.8% of the land around Ballinteer 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 Ballinteer0%
Within 5 km2.8%
Co. Dublin towns0.2%
Typical Irish town1.8%
4 protected sites lie within 5 km of Ballinteer. Ireland’s National Parks have a block of their own on this page; much of their land also lies inside these sites.
Wicklow Mountains SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 345 km² · 3.2 km from the edge
NPWS pageWicklow Mountains SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 14 km² · 3.5 km from the edge
NPWS pageSouth Dublin Bay and River Tolka Estuary SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 22 km² · 4.0 km from the edge
NPWS pageSouth Dublin Bay SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 7.3 km² · 4.1 km from the edge
NPWS pageProtected 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
Wicklow Mountains National Park is 4.0 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
Wicklow Mountains National Park
4.0 km south-west223 km²
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
Footpaths and woods in and around Ballinteer
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
99 km
over 15.9 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
7.1%
about 1.1 km² of mapped woods
Registered trails
9
walking trails within 5 km
Km per km², town and 1 km around · mapped on OpenStreetMap
BallinteerCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths6.2
048 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
BallinteerCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Woodland7.1%
0%50%100%
Ballinteer has more footpath per km² than 85% of Irish towns and more woodland than 85% of Irish towns.
Footpaths and woods: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Woods are mapped cover, private and Coillte forests included.
Footpaths & trails
Ballinteer is on the Wicklow Way
99 km of footpaths are mapped in Ballinteer and the kilometre around it, 6.2 km for every square kilometre (the typical Irish town has 2.1).
Long-distance wayWalking trail
Wicklow Way128.1 km
Tibradden - Mountain Access route Tibradden/Kelly's Glen1.6 km
Dublin Mountains Way41.2 km
Massey's Estate - Nature trail2.5 km
Tibradden Mountain Trail2.7 km
Tibradden - Mountain Access route Tibradden/Pine Forest1.3 km
Cruagh - Sli na Slainte3.7 km
Cruagh - Mountain Access route2.3 km
Tibradden - Mountain Access route Pine Forest/Glencullen0.6 km
The Wicklow Way (128 km end to end) passes through Ballinteer. One cycling or paddling trail also starts within 5 km.
One more waymarked walk on OpenStreetMap
National
European long distance path E8 - part Ireland9.6 km
Trails: Sport Ireland National Trails Register (CC BY 4.0), registered trails within 5 km; footpaths: OpenStreetMap (ODbL). More waymarked walks: OpenStreetMap route relations (ODbL) within 2 km, those already on the register left out. 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 Ballinteer
Parks, gardens, walled gardens and demesne walls in the town on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, each with its record.
Walled gardenMarlay Housefrom 1794Regional rating (NIAH)
The oldest dated is Marlay House, from 1794.
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 Ballinteer: 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) | 8.0 | 9.7 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 15.8 | 17.0 | 16.5 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 78 | 66 | 63 | 61 | 63 | 68 | 59 | 67 | 68 | 88 | 102 | 87 |
July is the driest month (59 mm) and the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7.5 hours of daylight in December, and 102 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. The climate in Ballinteer →
The coast
Bathing waters near Ballinteer
1.6% of the area within 5 km of Ballinteer is sea. One bathing water is within 5 km.
Sandymount StrandSufficient (2025) · 4.9 km from town
beaches.ieIt isn’t rated excellent this season.
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
4 viewpoints, 2 hills and peaks and 7 waterfalls
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.
4Viewpoints6.8× the typical Irish town, per resident2Hills and peaks7Waterfalls2Nature reserves32Playgrounds1.5× the typical Irish town, per resident4Dog parks1Campsites
Per resident, viewpoints stand out most: Ballinteer has 6.8× as many as the typical Irish town.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 4
Plus 4 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 2
Telshaun Hill0.8 km from town
DirectionsKilmashogue408 m · 1.9 km from town
DirectionsWaterfalls 7
Plus 7 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 2
Wildflower Meadow3.4 ha · in town
DirectionsFitzsimon's Wood14 ha · 0.8 km from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 32
Marley Playgroundin town
DirectionsUpper Playgroundin town
DirectionsBright Horizons0.6 km from town
DirectionsTaney Playgound0.9 km from town
DirectionsFernhill Woodland Adventure Playground1.9 km from town
DirectionsLakelands Childcare1.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 26 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 4
Small Dog1.8 km from town
DirectionsLarge Dog1.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 2 dog parks without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Larch Hill International Scout & Guide Centre1.7 km from town
DirectionsSource: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Unnamed places are counted, not listed.
Gardens & nature
4 gardens and nature sites to visit near Ballinteer
Gardens, national parks, nature sites and islands within 15 km of the town’s edge, each with its own page.
Airfield EstateGarden · 0.6 km from town
Its pageSaint Enda's ParkGarden · 0.7 km from town
Its pageDublin Garden TrailGarden · 4.0 km from town
Its pageSaint Stephen's GreenGarden · 5.5 km from town
Its pagePlaces to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.
Next door
Next to Ballinteer
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
DundrumChurchtownEdmondstownRathfarnhamSandyfordClonskeaghBallinteer
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballinteer | 98% | 10.1 | 6.2 | 2.8% |
| Dundrum 1.2 km | 98% | 5.4 | 6.2 | 1.3% |
| Churchtown 2.0 km | 76% | 9.2 | 5.6 | 0.1% |
| Edmondstown 2.4 km | 91% | 21.3 | 5.1 | 4.5% |
| Rathfarnham 2.5 km | 98% | 12.0 | 5.5 | 0.1% |
| Sandyford 2.6 km | 97% | 5.0 | 7.5 | 0.3% |
| Clonskeagh 3.2 km | 100% | 5.1 | 6.0 | 0.1% |
None of the neighbours has many more of its people near a park than Ballinteer. Edmondstown has at least twice Ballinteer’s green space per resident.
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 Ballinteer
What is the biggest park in Ballinteer?
Marlay Park, 84 ha (207 acres). St Enda's Park (16 ha) is second. 7 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the neighbourhood or within 400 m of it.
Is there protected countryside near Ballinteer?
Yes: 2.8% of the land within 5 km is protected, across 4 sites. The nearest is Wicklow Mountains SAC, 3.2 km from the edge of town.
What are the best walks near Ballinteer?
9 waymarked trails start within 5 km, including the Wicklow Way, Tibradden - Mountain Access route Tibradden/Kelly's Glen and Dublin Mountains Way.
Where can you swim near Ballinteer?
The nearest bathing water is Sandymount Strand, 4.9 km from town: Sufficient (2025). Check beaches.ie before swimming: a notice can close a beach for the day.
How many people in Ballinteer live near a park?
98% 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 Ballinteer?
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 Ballinteer near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Wicklow Mountains National Park, 4.0 km south-west of the town’s edge; it covers about 223 km².
What is there to do outdoors around Ballinteer?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 4 viewpoints, 2 hills and peaks, 7 waterfalls and 2 nature reserves; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Which parks in Ballinteer are historic?
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage records one historic park, garden or demesne in the town: Marlay House.
Sources
Where Ballinteer’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)
- 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).