First pick
Kilbogget Park
Park or garden
41 ha6.8 km of path
1 h 30 minto walk all 6.8 km of path
Centralin the middle of Ballybrack
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Djm-leighpark · CC BY-SA 4.0100%near a park
Outdoors in Ballybrack · parks, paths & countryside
Ballybrack has more footpath per square kilometre than 9 in 10 Irish towns
Footpaths add up to 64 km in the neighbourhood and the kilometre around it, 8.6 for every square kilometre. The sea makes up 36% of the area within 5 km. There are 18.4 ha of parks and playing fields for every 1,000 people in Ballybrack, against 4.1 in the typical Irish town.
Near a park
100%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
18.4 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
64 km
8.6 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical Irish town: 2.1 km per km²
Protected for nature
0.2%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Rockabill to Dalkey Island SAC
Woodland
8%
of the town and 1 km around it
Typical Irish town: 2.7%
The sea
36%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors neighbourhood is Ballybrack?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A neighbourhood of footpaths8.6 km of path per km², more than 99% of Irish towns. The typical town has 2.1.Room to roam18.4 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 93% of Irish towns.A park on every doorstep100% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.Hills with a view12 mapped viewpoints, about 114× as many per resident as the typical Irish town.
Ballybrack’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by plenty of park space.
Against other towns
How Ballybrack 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 space18.4 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
94out of 100
Footpaths8.6 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
99out of 100
Protected for nature0.2%of the land within 5 km
29out of 100
Woodland8%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
90out of 100
The sea36%of the area within 5 km
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
Ballybrack has the most footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (2,536 to 3,211 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
Ballybrack8.6
Towns its size0.7
Co. Dublin towns5.4
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Ballybrack18.4
Towns its size3.8
Co. Dublin towns7.6
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Ballybrack100%
Towns its size83%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
Against towns its size, Ballybrack stands out most for path per km²: none of the other 39 has more.
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 | Blarney Cork | 1.4 | 14% | 0% | – |
| 15 | Kilbarry Waterford | 1.3 | 1.6% | 5.1% | – |
| 16 | Virginia Cavan | 1.1 | 18% | 0.2% | – |
| 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 | Ballinrobe Mayo | 0.3 | 0.5% | 11% | – |
| 34 | Baltinglass Wicklow | 0.2 | 4.9% | 0.5% | – |
| 35 | Ballyhaunis Mayo | 0.2 | 2.8% | 3.4% | – |
| 36 | Kilrush Clare | 0.2 | 9.8% | 37% | – |
| 37 | Ballyjamesduff Cavan | 0.2 | 7.6% | 0% | – |
| 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 Ballybrack’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 Ballybrack
The biggest is Kilbogget Park, 41 ha (102 acres).
Loughlinstown Linear Park
Park or garden
6.7 ha2.6 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.6 km of path
1.1 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Cluny Park
Park or garden · 400 m outside town
2.2 ha0.5 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.5 km of path
1.2 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 Ballybrack 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%)
Ballybrack100%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees.
Protected areas
Rockabill to Dalkey Island SAC is the nearest protected area, 2.5 km away
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 Ballybrack0%
Within 5 km0.2%
Co. Dublin towns0.2%
Typical Irish town1.8%
4 protected sites lie within 5 km of Ballybrack. Proposed Natural Heritage Areas cover 1.5% 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.
Rockabill to Dalkey Island SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 273 km² · 2.5 km from the edge
NPWS pageDalkey Islands SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 0.8 km² · 2.9 km from the edge
NPWS pageSouth Dublin Bay and River Tolka Estuary SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 22 km² · 3.6 km from the edge
NPWS pageSouth Dublin Bay SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 7.3 km² · 3.7 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 8.5 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
8.5 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 Ballybrack
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
64 km
over 7.4 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
8%
about 0.6 km² of mapped woods
Registered trails
5
walking trails within 5 km
Km per km², town and 1 km around · mapped on OpenStreetMap
BallybrackCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths8.6
0510 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
BallybrackCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Woodland8%
0%50%100%
Ballybrack has more footpath per km² than 99% of Irish towns and more woodland than 90% 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 Ballybrack
64 km of footpaths are mapped in Ballybrack and the kilometre around it, 8.6 km for every square kilometre (the typical Irish town has 2.1).
Long-distance wayWalking trail
Dublin Mountains Way41.2 km
Carrickgollogan - Mountain Access route2.0 km
Carrickgollogan - Lead Mines Way - (Orange)2.3 km
Barnaslingan - Scalp Lookout Trail (Red)1.4 km
Barnaslingan - Pine loop trail (Blue)0.9 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 Ballybrack: June 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 | 16.9 | 16.5 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| High (°C) | 9 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 71 | 62 | 58 | 55 | 57 | 65 | 57 | 66 | 65 | 84 | 96 | 79 |
April is the driest month (55 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 19 °C). Winter days are short, about 7.5 hours of daylight in December, and 96 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. The climate in Ballybrack →
The coast
Ballybrack is a coastal town
36% of the area within 5 km of Ballybrack is sea. 5 bathing waters are within 5 km, each with its latest class.
KillineyExcellent (2025) · 1.1 km from town
beaches.ieWhite Rock BeachExcellent (2025) · 1.7 km from town
beaches.ieSandycove BeachGood (2025) · 2.9 km from town
beaches.ieForty Foot Bathing PlaceExcellent (2025) · 3.0 km from town
beaches.ieSeapointExcellent (2025) · 3.9 km from town
beaches.ie4 of the 5 are rated excellent, Killiney among them.
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
12 viewpoints and 3 hills and peaks
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.
12Viewpoints114.3× the typical Irish town, per resident3Hills and peaks2Nature reserves32Playgrounds8.6× the typical Irish town, per resident2Dog parks
Per resident, viewpoints stand out most: Ballybrack has 114.3× as many as the typical Irish town.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 12
Plus 12 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 3
Mullins Hill0.8 km from town
DirectionsKilliney Hill154 m · 1.3 km from town
DirectionsDalkey Hill140 m · 1.9 km from town
DirectionsNature reserves 2
Roche's Hill11 ha · 0.7 km from town
DirectionsLoughlinstown Woods8.0 ha · 0.8 km from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 32
Killiney Hill playground1.6 km from town
DirectionsPlus 31 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 2
Plus 2 dog parks without a name on the map.
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Unnamed places are counted, not listed.
Gardens & nature
3 gardens and nature sites to visit near Ballybrack
Gardens, national parks, nature sites and islands within 15 km of the town’s edge, each with its own page.
Mornington GardenGarden · 1.5 km from town
Its pageFestina Lente GardensGarden · 4.5 km from town
Its pageSaint Stephen's GreenGarden · 12 km from town
Its pagePlaces to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.
Next door
Next to Ballybrack
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
KillineyCabinteelySallynogginDalkeyFoxrockShankillBallybrack
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballybrack | 100% | 18.4 | 8.6 | 0.2% |
| Killiney 1.0 km | 100% | 13.6 | 6.0 | 0.5% |
| Cabinteely 1.2 km | 100% | 12.0 | 5.1 | 1.1% |
| Sallynoggin 2.4 km | 97% | 4.1 | 5.0 | 0.3% |
| Dalkey 2.4 km | 94% | 8.2 | 2.6 | 0.2% |
| Foxrock 2.5 km | 100% | 9.4 | 5.8 | 0.2% |
| Shankill 3.0 km | 86% | 8.9 | 3.6 | 3.8% |
None of the neighbours has many more of its people near a park than Ballybrack.
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 Ballybrack
What is the biggest park in Ballybrack?
Kilbogget Park, 41 ha (102 acres), just outside the built-up area. Loughlinstown Linear Park (6.7 ha) is second. 3 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the neighbourhood or within 400 m of it.
Is there protected countryside near Ballybrack?
4 protected sites lie within 5 km, though together they cover under 1% of the land. The nearest is Rockabill to Dalkey Island SAC, 2.5 km from the edge of town.
What are the best walks near Ballybrack?
5 waymarked trails start within 5 km, including the Dublin Mountains Way, Carrickgollogan - Mountain Access route and Carrickgollogan - Lead Mines Way - (Orange).
Where can you swim near Ballybrack?
The nearest bathing water is Killiney, 1.1 km from town: Excellent (2025). Check beaches.ie before swimming: a notice can close a beach for the day.
How many people in Ballybrack 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 Ballybrack?
On the town’s 1991–2020 averages and its daylight: June to September, when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light for the place.
Is Ballybrack near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Wicklow Mountains National Park, 8.5 km south-west of the town’s edge; it covers about 223 km².
What is there to do outdoors around Ballybrack?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 12 viewpoints, 3 hills and peaks and 2 nature reserves; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Sources
Where Ballybrack’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).