First pick
National Botanic Gardens
Park or garden · 180 m outside town
19 ha7.4 km of path
1 h 40 minto walk all 7.4 km of path
1.5 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Ridiculopathy · CC0100%near a park
Outdoors in Drumcondra · parks, paths & countryside
4 waymarked trails start within 5 km of Drumcondra
Wicklow Mountains National Park begins 14 km away. 65 km of footpaths run through the neighbourhood and the kilometre around it, 5.6 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Drumcondra add up to 7.8 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical Irish town has 4.1.
Near a park
100%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
7.8 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
65 km
5.6 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical Irish town: 2.1 km per km²
Protected for nature
0.8%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: South Dublin Bay and River Tolka Estuary SPA
Woodland
1.6%
of the town and 1 km around it
Typical Irish town: 2.7%
The sea
6.9%
of the area within 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors neighbourhood is Drumcondra?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A park on every doorstep100% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.A neighbourhood of footpaths5.6 km of path per km², more than 79% of Irish towns. The typical town has 2.1.Countryside close byWicklow Mountains National Park starts 14 km south.
Drumcondra’s strongest suit is parks close to every home, followed by dense footpaths.
Against other towns
How Drumcondra 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 space7.8 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
72out of 100
Footpaths5.6 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
80out of 100
Protected for nature0.8%of the land within 5 km
41out of 100
Woodland1.6%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
28out of 100
The sea6.9%of the area within 5 km
73out 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
Drumcondra has the 15th most footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (9,647 to 12,884 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From Cabra West (7.8 km per km²) to Tuam (0.4 km per km²).
Footpath, km per km²
Drumcondra5.6
Towns its size3.9
Co. Dublin towns5.4
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Drumcondra7.8
Towns its size4.2
Co. Dublin towns7.6
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Drumcondra100%
Towns its size95%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
Against towns its size, Drumcondra stands out most for park space per resident: only 15 of the other 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | The sea | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cabra West Dublin | 7.8 | 4.5% | 0% | – |
| 2 | Kilmainham Dublin | 7.7 | 7.3% | 0% | – |
| 3 | Phibsborough Dublin | 7.6 | 0.4% | 0% | – |
| 4 | Kilnamanagh Dublin | 7.4 | 3.9% | 0.5% | – |
| 5 | Palmerston Dublin | 6.9 | 8.6% | 0% | – |
| 6 | Firhouse Dublin | 6.8 | 4.4% | 4.2% | – |
| 7 | Ronanstown Dublin | 6.6 | 0.7% | 0% | – |
| 8 | Parnell Square Dublin | 6.6 | 0.2% | 0.1% | 5.6% |
| 9 | Ballsbridge Dublin | 6.3 | 1.3% | 1.2% | 18% |
| 10 | Ballygall Dublin | 6.3 | 1.4% | 0% | – |
| 11 | Summerhill Dublin | 6 | 0.4% | 0.2% | 8.5% |
| 12 | Killiney Dublin | 6 | 7.7% | 0.5% | 45% |
| 13 | Foxrock Dublin | 5.8 | 5.3% | 0.2% | 25% |
| 14 | Churchtown Dublin | 5.6 | 3.3% | 0.1% | – |
| 15 | Drumcondra Dublin | 5.6 | 1.6% | 0.8% | 6.9% |
| 16 | Finglas South Dublin | 5.6 | 1.7% | 0% | – |
| 17 | Terenure Dublin | 4.9 | 2.1% | 0% | – |
| 18 | Blackrock Dublin | 4.7 | 1.4% | 0.2% | 30% |
| 19 | Monkstown Dublin | 4.2 | 0.8% | 0.3% | 38% |
| 20 | Finglas North Dublin | 4.2 | 1.2% | 0% | – |
| 21 | Shankill Dublin | 3.6 | 12% | 3.8% | 28% |
| 22 | Hollystown Dublin | 3.3 | 2% | 0% | – |
| 23 | Kilmore Dublin | 3.1 | 2.2% | 3.5% | 9.5% |
| 24 | Donabate Dublin | 2.8 | 6.8% | 2.8% | 32% |
| 25 | Portmarnock Dublin | 2.7 | 0.8% | 7.9% | 44% |
| 26 | Skerries Dublin | 2 | 1.7% | 0% | 53% |
| 27 | Shannon Clare | 1.8 | 3.9% | 35% | – |
| 28 | Ratoath Meath | 1.3 | 0.4% | 0% | – |
| 29 | Kildare Kildare | 1.1 | 0.4% | 1.8% | – |
| 30 | Rush Dublin | 1.1 | 0.4% | 3.7% | 51% |
| 31 | Athy Kildare | 0.9 | 0.3% | 1.6% | – |
| 32 | Ballina Mayo | 0.8 | 3.3% | 3.5% | – |
| 33 | Tramore Waterford | 0.8 | 0.9% | 3.9% | 34% |
| 34 | Dungarvan Waterford | 0.7 | 0.7% | 1.8% | 19% |
| 35 | Gorey Wexford | 0.7 | 3.9% | 0.5% | – |
| 36 | Cavan Cavan | 0.6 | 6.7% | 5.1% | – |
| 37 | Longford Longford | 0.6 | 2.7% | 5.6% | – |
| 38 | Nenagh Tipperary | 0.4 | 1.8% | 0% | – |
| 39 | Enniscorthy Wexford | 0.4 | 6.9% | 2.1% | – |
| 40 | Tuam Galway | 0.4 | 1.4% | 2.7% | – |
The map
Parks, woods, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Drumcondra’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 Drumcondra
The biggest is National Botanic Gardens, 19 ha (46 acres).
All 5 named parks and woods by size: 59 ha (146 acres) and 17 km of path
Parks & gardens 59 ha
The two biggest, National Botanic Gardens and Fairview Park, are 63% of the named green space and carry 11 km of path between them.
Fairview Park
Park or garden · 200 m outside town
19 ha3.8 km of path
50 minto walk all 3.8 km of path
1.4 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Albert College Park
Park or garden · 310 m outside town
14 ha3.1 km of path
40 minto walk all 3.1 km of path
1.7 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Griffith Park
Park or garden
7.4 ha2.9 km of path
40 minto walk all 2.9 km of path
0.8 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Our Lady's Park
Park or garden
0.4 ha0.3 km of path
Centralin the middle of Drumcondra
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 Drumcondra 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%)
Drumcondra100%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees.
Protected areas
South Dublin Bay and River Tolka Estuary SPA is the nearest protected area, 0.8 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 Drumcondra0%
Within 5 km0.8%
Co. Dublin towns0.2%
Typical Irish town1.8%
4 protected sites lie within 5 km of Drumcondra. 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 and River Tolka Estuary SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 22 km² · 0.8 km from the edge
NPWS pageSouth Dublin Bay SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 7.3 km² · 3.5 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 14 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
14 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
65 km of footpaths cross Drumcondra
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
65 km
over 11.6 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
1.6%
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
DrumcondraCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths5.6
03.57 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
DrumcondraCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Woodland1.6%
0%50%100%
Drumcondra has more footpath per km² than 80% of Irish towns and less woodland than 72% 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 Drumcondra
65 km of footpaths are mapped in Drumcondra and the kilometre around it, 5.6 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
Royal Canal Greenway Walking Trail121.4 km
One cycling or paddling trail also starts within 5 km.
3 more waymarked walks on OpenStreetMap
NationalOther waymarked
The Royal Canal Way5.1 km
European long distance path E8 - part Ireland1.5 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 Drumcondra: 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) | 9 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 61 | 51 | 52 | 52 | 55 | 64 | 60 | 69 | 62 | 76 | 83 | 72 |
February 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 83 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. The climate in Drumcondra →
The coast
Drumcondra is near the sea
6.9% of the area within 5 km of Drumcondra is sea. One bathing water is within 5 km.
Sandymount StrandSufficient (2025) · 4.7 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
2 viewpoints and 72 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: Drumcondra has 5× as many as the typical Irish town.
Every named place, with directions
Playgrounds 72
Hill Street Playground1.0 km from town
DirectionsSean O'Casey Playground1.5 km from town
DirectionsHamilton Gardens Public Playground2.0 km from town
DirectionsPlus 69 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Slipways 1
Plus 1 slipway without a name on the map.
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Unnamed places are counted, not listed.
Gardens & nature
7 gardens and nature sites to visit near Drumcondra
Gardens, national parks, nature sites and islands within 15 km of the town’s edge, each with its own page.
National Botanic GardensGarden · 0.5 km from town
Its pageMerrion SquareGarden · 2.5 km from town
Its pageSaint Stephen's GreenGarden · 2.8 km from town
Its pageIveagh GardensGarden · 3.1 km from town
Its pageSaint Anne's ParkGarden · 3.8 km from town
Its pageSt Anne's Park and Rose GardensGarden · 4.2 km from town
Its pageWar Memorial GardensGarden · 4.4 km from town
Its pagePlaces to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.
Next door
Next to Drumcondra
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
BallyboughGlasnevinMarinoSummerhillWhitehallParnell SquareDrumcondra
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drumcondra | 100% | 7.8 | 5.6 | 0.8% |
| Ballybough 1.1 km | 100% | 3.3 | 5.5 | 1% |
| Glasnevin 1.1 km | 100% | 12.0 | 6.6 | 0% |
| Marino 1.4 km | 100% | 7.4 | 3.3 | 2.8% |
| Summerhill 1.7 km | 100% | 0.7 | 6.0 | 0.2% |
| Whitehall 1.8 km | 98% | 7.2 | 5.6 | 0.3% |
| Parnell Square 1.9 km | 100% | 1.0 | 6.6 | 0.1% |
None of the neighbours has many more of its people near a park than Drumcondra.
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 Drumcondra
What is the biggest park in Drumcondra?
National Botanic Gardens, 19 ha (46 acres), just outside the built-up area. Fairview Park (19 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 Drumcondra?
4 protected sites lie within 5 km, though together they cover under 1% of the land. The nearest is South Dublin Bay and River Tolka Estuary SPA, 0.8 km from the edge of town.
What are the best walks near Drumcondra?
4 waymarked trails start within 5 km, including the National Famine Way, Royal Canal Way and Royal Canal Greenway - Drumcondra - Ashtown - Castleknock.
Where can you swim near Drumcondra?
The nearest bathing water is Sandymount Strand, 4.7 km from town: Sufficient (2025). Check beaches.ie before swimming: a notice can close a beach for the day.
How many people in Drumcondra 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 Drumcondra?
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 Drumcondra near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Wicklow Mountains National Park, 14 km south of the town’s edge; it covers about 223 km².
What is there to do outdoors around Drumcondra?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 2 viewpoints; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Sources
Where Drumcondra’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).