First pick
Herbert Park
Park or garden
13 ha4.9 km of path
1 h 5 minto walk all 4.9 km of path
0.9 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Sarah777 at English Wikipedia · Public domain100%near a park
Outdoors in Ballsbridge · parks, paths & countryside
Ballsbridge has more footpath per square kilometre than nearly 9 in 10 Irish towns
76 km of footpaths run through the neighbourhood and the kilometre around it, 6.3 for every square kilometre. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 100% of residents. 4 waymarked trails start within 5 km of Ballsbridge, among them the National Famine Way and Royal Canal Greenway Walking Trail.
Near a park
100%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
3.0 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
76 km
6.3 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical Irish town: 2.1 km per km²
Protected for nature
1.2%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: South Dublin Bay SAC
Woodland
1.3%
of the town and 1 km around it
Typical Irish town: 2.7%
The sea
18%
of the area within 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors neighbourhood is Ballsbridge?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A neighbourhood of footpaths6.3 km of path per km², more than 85% of Irish towns. The typical town has 2.1.A park on every doorstep100% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.Countryside close byWicklow Mountains National Park starts 10 km south-west.
Ballsbridge’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by parks close to every home.
Against other towns
How Ballsbridge 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 space3.0 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
39out of 100
Footpaths6.3 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
86out of 100
Protected for nature1.2%of the land within 5 km
44out of 100
Woodland1.3%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
22out of 100
The sea18%of the area within 5 km
81out 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
Ballsbridge has the 10th most footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (10,952 to 14,739 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From Cabra East (8 km per km²) to Enniscorthy (0.4 km per km²).
Footpath, km per km²
Ballsbridge6.3
Towns its size4.5
Co. Dublin towns5.4
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Ballsbridge3.0
Towns its size4.1
Co. Dublin towns7.6
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Ballsbridge100%
Towns its size94%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
Against towns its size, Ballsbridge stands out most for path per km²: only 9 of the other 39 have more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 24 of the others do better.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | The sea | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cabra East Dublin | 8 | 2.2% | 0% | – |
| 2 | Deansrath Dublin | 7.9 | 2.2% | 0% | – |
| 3 | Phibsborough Dublin | 7.6 | 0.4% | 0% | – |
| 4 | Ballyowen Dublin | 7.5 | 6% | 0% | – |
| 5 | Kilnamanagh Dublin | 7.4 | 3.9% | 0.5% | – |
| 6 | Fettercairn Dublin | 7 | 3.5% | 0.4% | – |
| 7 | Palmerston Dublin | 6.9 | 8.6% | 0% | – |
| 8 | Firhouse Dublin | 6.8 | 4.4% | 4.2% | – |
| 9 | Ronanstown Dublin | 6.6 | 0.7% | 0% | – |
| 10 | Ballsbridge Dublin | 6.3 | 1.3% | 1.2% | 18% |
| 11 | Ballygall Dublin | 6.3 | 1.4% | 0% | – |
| 12 | Summerhill Dublin | 6 | 0.4% | 0.2% | 8.5% |
| 13 | Clonskeagh Dublin | 6 | 2.7% | 0.1% | 16% |
| 14 | Foxrock Dublin | 5.8 | 5.3% | 0.2% | 25% |
| 15 | Knocklyon Dublin | 5.8 | 4.7% | 3.2% | – |
| 16 | Drumcondra Dublin | 5.6 | 1.6% | 0.8% | 6.9% |
| 17 | Finglas South Dublin | 5.6 | 1.7% | 0% | – |
| 18 | Whitehall Dublin | 5.6 | 2.6% | 0.3% | – |
| 19 | Sallynoggin Dublin | 5 | 2% | 0.3% | 47% |
| 20 | Blackrock Dublin | 4.7 | 1.4% | 0.2% | 30% |
| 21 | Ongar Dublin | 4.2 | 2.7% | 0.2% | – |
| 22 | Mahon Cork | 3.6 | 6.1% | 5.3% | – |
| 23 | Shankill Dublin | 3.6 | 12% | 3.8% | 28% |
| 24 | Hollystown Dublin | 3.3 | 2% | 0% | – |
| 25 | Bishopstown Cork | 3.2 | 6% | 0.2% | – |
| 26 | Corbally and King's Island Limerick | 3 | 3.7% | 9.5% | – |
| 27 | Darndale Dublin | 2.7 | 1.9% | 3.7% | 11% |
| 28 | Midleton Cork | 1.6 | 2.6% | 4.5% | – |
| 29 | Killarney Kerry | 1.3 | 14% | 34% | – |
| 30 | Wicklow Wicklow | 1.1 | 0.9% | 4.3% | 38% |
| 31 | Castlebar Mayo | 1 | 3.1% | 2.3% | – |
| 32 | Athy Kildare | 0.9 | 0.3% | 1.6% | – |
| 33 | Tramore Waterford | 0.8 | 0.9% | 3.9% | 34% |
| 34 | Cobh Cork | 0.8 | 3.5% | 13% | 23% |
| 35 | Arklow Wicklow | 0.7 | 5.7% | 0.3% | 34% |
| 36 | Gorey Wexford | 0.7 | 3.9% | 0.5% | – |
| 37 | Cavan Cavan | 0.6 | 6.7% | 5.1% | – |
| 38 | Longford Longford | 0.6 | 2.7% | 5.6% | – |
| 39 | Mallow Cork | 0.6 | 5.1% | 3.2% | – |
| 40 | Enniscorthy Wexford | 0.4 | 6.9% | 2.1% | – |
The map
Parks, woods, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Ballsbridge’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 Ballsbridge
The biggest is Herbert Park, 13 ha (33 acres).
All 6 named parks and woods by size: 26 ha (65 acres) and 8 km of path
Parks & gardens 26 ha
The two biggest, Herbert Park and Ringsend Park, are 89% of the named green space and carry 7 km of path between them. 4 of the 6 are under 2 ha.
Ringsend Park
Park or garden · 240 m outside town
10 ha2 km of path
25 minto walk all 2 km of path
1.4 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Ranelagh Gardens
Park or garden · 370 m outside town
1.2 ha0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
1.3 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Dartmouth Square
Park or garden · 160 m outside town
0.8 ha0.4 km of path
1.2 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
South Dock Street Park
Park or garden
0.4 ha0.2 km of path
0.9 km northfrom 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
Everyone in Ballsbridge 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%)
Ballsbridge100%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees.
Protected areas
Protected sites cover 1.2% of the land within 5 km of Ballsbridge
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 Ballsbridge0%
Within 5 km1.2%
Co. Dublin towns0.2%
Typical Irish town1.8%
4 protected sites lie within 5 km of Ballsbridge. Proposed Natural Heritage Areas cover 1.3% 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.
South Dublin Bay SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 7.3 km² · 0.8 km from the edge
NPWS pageSouth Dublin Bay and River Tolka Estuary SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 22 km² · 0.8 km from the edge
NPWS pageNorth Bull Island SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 19 km² · 3.8 km from the edge
NPWS pageNorth Dublin Bay SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 15 km² · 3.8 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 10 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
10 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 Ballsbridge
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
76 km
over 12 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
1.3%
about 0.2 km² of mapped woods
Registered trails
4
walking trails within 5 km
Km per km², town and 1 km around · mapped on OpenStreetMap
BallsbridgeCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths6.3
048 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
BallsbridgeCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Woodland1.3%
0%50%100%
Ballsbridge has more footpath per km² than 86% of Irish towns and less woodland than 78% of Irish towns.
Footpaths and woods: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Woods are mapped cover, private and Coillte forests included.
Footpaths & trails
4 waymarked trails start near Ballsbridge
76 km of footpaths are mapped in Ballsbridge and the kilometre around it, 6.3 km for every square kilometre (the typical Irish town has 2.1).
Long-distance wayGreenway
National Famine Way168.6 km
Royal Canal Greenway Walking Trail121.4 km
Royal Canal Greenway - Drumcondra - Ashtown - Castleknock8.9 km
Royal Canal Way146.3 km
One cycling or paddling trail also starts within 5 km.
3 more waymarked walks on OpenStreetMap
NationalOther waymarked
European long distance path E8 - part Ireland8.1 km
The Royal Canal Way1.5 km
Icon Walk0.3 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.
When to get out
The best walking months in Ballsbridge: 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) | 9 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 62 | 52 | 52 | 51 | 55 | 62 | 58 | 66 | 62 | 76 | 84 | 71 |
April is the driest month (51 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7.5 hours of daylight in December, and 84 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. The climate in Ballsbridge →
The coast
Ballsbridge is near the sea
18% of the area within 5 km of Ballsbridge is sea. 2 bathing waters are within 5 km, each with its latest class.
Sandymount StrandSufficient (2025) · 1.6 km from town
beaches.ieHalf MoonExcellent (2025) · 4.2 km from town
beaches.ieOne of the 2 is rated excellent: Half Moon.
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
2 viewpoints and 1 waterfall
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.
2Viewpoints1Waterfalls1Nature reserves1Picnic sites63Playgrounds3.8× the typical Irish town, per resident1Dog parks
Per resident, playgrounds stand out most: Ballsbridge has 3.8× as many as the typical Irish town.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 2
Plus 2 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 1
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 1
The Grove0.1 ha · in town
DirectionsPicnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 63
Ranelagh Gardens Playground0.5 km from town
DirectionsThe Giant's Garden0.7 km from town
DirectionsSean O'Casey Playground0.8 km from town
DirectionsThe Spotty Playground1.7 km from town
DirectionsWindy Arbour Playground1.7 km from town
DirectionsElmpark Playground1.7 km from town
DirectionsWeaver's Park playground2.0 km from town
DirectionsPlus 56 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Dog walking area of Belgrave Square1.1 km from town
DirectionsSource: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Unnamed places are counted, not listed.
Gardens & nature
9 gardens and nature sites to visit near Ballsbridge
Gardens, national parks, nature sites and islands within 15 km of the town’s edge, each with its own page.
Iveagh GardensGarden · 0.6 km from town
Its pageSaint Stephen's GreenGarden · 0.7 km from town
Its pageMerrion SquareGarden · 0.7 km from town
Its pageAirfield EstateGarden · 3.5 km from town
Its pageDublin Garden TrailGarden · 3.7 km from town
Its pageNational Botanic GardensGarden · 4.2 km from town
Its pageWar Memorial GardensGarden · 4.6 km from town
Its pageSaint Anne's ParkGarden · 4.7 km from town
Its pageSt Anne's Park and Rose GardensGarden · 4.7 km from town
Its pagePlaces to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.
Next door
Next to Ballsbridge
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
Grand Canal DockSt Stephen's GreenSandymountPortobelloRathmines EastEast WallBallsbridge
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballsbridge | 100% | 3.0 | 6.3 | 1.2% |
| Grand Canal Dock 1.0 km | 100% | 2.5 | 6.6 | 1.4% |
| St Stephen's Green 1.2 km | 100% | 5.3 | 7.4 | 0.3% |
| Sandymount 1.4 km | 100% | 4.0 | 3.6 | 3.6% |
| Portobello 1.6 km | 100% | 3.6 | 7.2 | 0.1% |
| Rathmines East 1.8 km | 100% | 3.7 | 5.9 | 0.1% |
| East Wall 2.0 km | 96% | 2.6 | 4.1 | 3.5% |
None of the neighbours has many more of its people near a park than Ballsbridge.
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 Ballsbridge
What is the biggest park in Ballsbridge?
Herbert Park, 13 ha (33 acres). Ringsend Park (10 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 Ballsbridge?
Yes: 1.2% of the land within 5 km is protected, across 4 sites. The nearest is South Dublin Bay SAC, 0.8 km from the edge of town.
What are the best walks near Ballsbridge?
4 waymarked trails start within 5 km, including the National Famine Way, Royal Canal Greenway Walking Trail and Royal Canal Greenway - Drumcondra - Ashtown - Castleknock.
Where can you swim near Ballsbridge?
The nearest bathing water is Sandymount Strand, 1.6 km from town: Sufficient (2025). Check beaches.ie before swimming: a notice can close a beach for the day.
How many people in Ballsbridge 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 Ballsbridge?
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 Ballsbridge near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Wicklow Mountains National Park, 10 km south-west of the town’s edge; it covers about 223 km².
What is there to do outdoors around Ballsbridge?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 2 viewpoints, 1 waterfall, 1 nature reserve and 1 picnic site; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Sources
Where Ballsbridge’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
- 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).