First pick
Tolka Valley Park
Park or garden
56 ha11.3 km of path
2 h 30 minto walk all 11.3 km of path
5.8 km eastfrom the centre
Tolka Greenway
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Darren J. Prior · CC BY-SA 4.095%near a park
Outdoors in Blanchardstown · parks, paths & countryside
Blanchardstown has more footpath per square kilometre than 9 in 10 Irish towns
Footpaths add up to 222 km in the neighbourhood and the kilometre around it, 7.0 for every square kilometre. Wicklow Mountains National Park begins 15 km away. 3 waymarked trails start within 5 km of Blanchardstown, among them the National Famine Way and Royal Canal Way.
Near a park
95%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
8.1 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
222 km
7.0 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical Irish town: 2.1 km per km²
Woodland
3.8%
of the town and 1 km around it
Typical Irish town: 2.7%
Character
What kind of outdoors neighbourhood is Blanchardstown?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A neighbourhood of footpaths7.0 km of path per km², more than 91% of Irish towns. The typical town has 2.1.Countryside close byWicklow Mountains National Park starts 15 km south.On a long-distance trailThe National Famine Way passes through.
Blanchardstown’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by Wicklow Mountains National Park close by.
Against other towns
How Blanchardstown 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 walk95%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
54out of 100
Public green space8.1 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
73out of 100
Footpaths7.0 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
92out of 100
Protected for nature0%of the land within 5 km
11out of 100
Woodland3.8%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
63out 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
Blanchardstown has the 7th most footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (18,369 to 27,923 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
Blanchardstown7.0
Towns its size2.7
Co. Dublin towns5.4
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Blanchardstown8.1
Towns its size4.0
Co. Dublin towns7.6
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Blanchardstown95%
Towns its size95%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
Against towns its size, Blanchardstown stands out most for path per km²: only 6 of the other 39 have more.
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 | The Liberties Dublin | 7.4 | 0.5% | 0% | – |
| 6 | Carpenterstown Dublin | 7.3 | 11% | 0% | – |
| 7 | Blanchardstown Dublin | 7 | 3.8% | 0% | – |
| 8 | Lucan Dublin | 6.8 | 7.3% | 0.2% | – |
| 9 | Mulhuddart Dublin | 6.6 | 4% | 0% | – |
| 10 | Ballymun Dublin | 6.5 | 2.6% | 0% | – |
| 11 | Clonsilla Dublin | 6.4 | 3% | 0.1% | – |
| 12 | Jobstown Dublin | 6.3 | 1.9% | 2.2% | – |
| 13 | Rathmines West Dublin | 6 | 1.7% | 0.1% | 5.8% |
| 14 | Crumlin Dublin | 5.4 | 0.8% | 0% | – |
| 15 | Clondalkin Dublin | 4.6 | 3.3% | 0% | – |
| 16 | Stepaside Dublin | 4.3 | 15% | 6.4% | 5.9% |
| 17 | Sandymount Dublin | 3.6 | 1.2% | 3.6% | 35% |
| 18 | Clontarf East Dublin | 3.1 | 3% | 6.1% | 38% |
| 19 | Kilkenny Kilkenny | 3.1 | 3.8% | 2.4% | – |
| 20 | Beaumont Dublin | 2.9 | 2% | 3.4% | 9.7% |
| 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 | Balbriggan Dublin | 2.1 | 1.6% | 0% | 37% |
| 25 | Naas Kildare | 1.9 | 1.4% | 0% | – |
| 26 | Douglas Cork | 1.7 | 4.6% | 5% | – |
| 27 | Knocknacarra Galway | 1.6 | 3.4% | 32% | 34% |
| 28 | Ballincollig Cork | 1.3 | 8.4% | 0% | – |
| 29 | Athlone Westmeath | 1.3 | 6.1% | 14% | – |
| 30 | Sligo Sligo | 1.2 | 6.1% | 9.5% | 18% |
| 31 | Tralee Kerry | 1.1 | 2.4% | 21% | 6.4% |
| 32 | Clonmel Tipperary | 1.1 | 14% | 3.9% | – |
| 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 Blanchardstown’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 Blanchardstown
The biggest is Tolka Valley Park, 56 ha (138 acres).
All 9 named parks and woods by size: 152 ha (375 acres) and 30 km of path
Parks & gardens 152 ha
The two biggest, Tolka Valley Park and Hartstown Park, are 55% of the named green space and carry 17 km of path between them.
Hartstown Park
Park or garden
27 ha5.6 km of path
1 h 15 minto walk all 5.6 km of path
2.0 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Millennium Park
Park or garden
21 ha4.5 km of path
1 hto walk all 4.5 km of path
0.9 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Waterville Park
Park or garden
14 ha3.2 km of path
45 minto walk all 3.2 km of path
0.6 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Castle Curragh Park
Park or garden
11 ha1.9 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.9 km of path
1.4 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Corduff Park
Park or garden · 170 m outside town
7.4 ha1.4 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.4 km of path
1.1 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Martin Savage Park
Park or garden · 290 m outside town
8.4 ha0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
4.1 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Ashtown Lodge grounds
Park or garden
5.8 ha0.3 km of path
2.7 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 9 named parks and green spaces
Tolka Valley ParkPark or garden · 56 ha · 11.3 km of path
DirectionsHartstown ParkPark or garden · 27 ha · 5.6 km of path
DirectionsMillennium ParkPark or garden · 21 ha · 4.5 km of path
DirectionsWaterville ParkPark or garden · 14 ha · 3.2 km of path
DirectionsCastle Curragh ParkPark or garden · 11 ha · 1.9 km of path
DirectionsCorduff ParkPark or garden · 7.4 ha · 1.4 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsMartin Savage ParkPark or garden · 8.4 ha · 0.8 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsAshtown Lodge groundsPark or garden · 5.8 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsCrescent ParkPark or garden · 1.5 ha · 0.7 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsNamed 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
9 in 10 Blanchardstown 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 (95%)Further (5.4%)
Blanchardstown95%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
About 1,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees.
Protected areas
No protected site lies within 5 km of Blanchardstown
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.
No site protected for nature lies within 5 km of Blanchardstown.
National Parks
Wicklow Mountains National Park is 15 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
15 km south223 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 Blanchardstown
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
222 km
over 31.5 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
3.8%
about 1.2 km² of mapped woods
Registered trails
3
walking trails within 5 km
Km per km², town and 1 km around · mapped on OpenStreetMap
BlanchardstownCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths7
04.59 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
BlanchardstownCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Woodland3.8%
0%50%100%
Blanchardstown has more footpath per km² than 92% of Irish towns and more woodland than 63% of Irish towns.
Footpaths and woods: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Woods are mapped cover, private and Coillte forests included.
Footpaths & trails
Blanchardstown is on the National Famine Way
222 km of footpaths are mapped in Blanchardstown and the kilometre around it, 7.0 km for every square kilometre (the typical Irish town has 2.1).
Long-distance wayGreenway
National Famine Way168.6 km
Royal Canal Way146.3 km
Royal Canal Greenway - Drumcondra - Ashtown - Castleknock8.9 km
The National Famine Way (169 km end to end) passes through Blanchardstown.
One more waymarked walk on OpenStreetMap
National
The Royal Canal Way10.3 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 Blanchardstown: 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 | 15.9 | 17.0 | 16.5 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 65 | 56 | 54 | 56 | 59 | 67 | 65 | 75 | 67 | 82 | 87 | 78 |
March is the driest month (54 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7.5 hours of daylight in December, and 87 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. The climate in Blanchardstown →
Things to do
1 waterfall and 50 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.
Per resident, playgrounds stand out most: Blanchardstown has 1.6× as many as the typical Irish town.
Every named place, with directions
Waterfalls 1
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 2
Plus 2 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 50
Millenium Play Groundin town
DirectionsWaterville Park Playgroundin town
DirectionsOngar Children's Playground1.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 47 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Slipways 2
Plus 2 slipways 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 Blanchardstown
Gardens, national parks, nature sites and islands within 15 km of the town’s edge, each with its own page.
National Botanic GardensGarden · 3.4 km from town
Its pageWar Memorial GardensGarden · 3.7 km from town
Its pageSaint Stephen's GreenGarden · 6.4 km from town
Its pagePlaces to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.
Next door
Next to Blanchardstown
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
MulhuddartCarpenterstownCastleknockClonsillaHollystownOngarBlanchardstown
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blanchardstown | 95% | 8.1 | 7.0 | 0% |
| Mulhuddart 1.6 km | 98% | 7.5 | 6.6 | 0% |
| Carpenterstown 1.8 km | 97% | 39.8 | 7.3 | 0% |
| Castleknock 2.6 km | 100% | 117.7 | 6.2 | 0% |
| Clonsilla 2.7 km | 78% | 3.8 | 6.4 | 0.1% |
| Hollystown 3.3 km | 55% | 4.1 | 3.3 | 0% |
| Ongar 3.7 km | 96% | 3.1 | 4.2 | 0.2% |
In Castleknock, 100% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park, more than here. Carpenterstown and Castleknock have at least twice Blanchardstown’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 Blanchardstown
What is the biggest park in Blanchardstown?
Hartstown Park, 27 ha (67 acres), just outside the built-up area. Millennium Park (21 ha) is second. 9 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the neighbourhood or within 400 m of it.
What are the best walks near Blanchardstown?
3 waymarked trails start within 5 km, including the National Famine Way, Royal Canal Way and Royal Canal Greenway - Drumcondra - Ashtown - Castleknock.
How many people in Blanchardstown live near a park?
95% 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 Blanchardstown?
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 Blanchardstown near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Wicklow Mountains National Park, 15 km south of the town’s edge; it covers about 223 km².
What is there to do outdoors around Blanchardstown?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 1 waterfall and 2 picnic sites; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Sources
Where Blanchardstown’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
- 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).