First pick
Fernhill Park and Gardens
Park or garden · 400 m outside town
32 ha5.4 km of path
1 h 10 minto walk all 5.4 km of path
3.3 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: William Murphy · CC BY-SA 2.098%near a park
Outdoors in Dundrum · parks, paths & countryside
Dundrum has more footpath per square kilometre than 8 in 10 Irish towns
120 km of footpaths run through the neighbourhood and the kilometre around it, 6.2 for every square kilometre. Wicklow Mountains National Park begins 4.9 km away. 9 waymarked trails start within 5 km of Dundrum, among them the Wicklow Way and Dublin Mountains Way.
Near a park
98%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
5.4 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
120 km
6.2 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical Irish town: 2.1 km per km²
Protected for nature
1.3%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: South Dublin Bay and River Tolka Estuary SPA
Woodland
4.7%
of the town and 1 km around it
Typical Irish town: 2.7%
The sea
6.7%
of the area within 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors neighbourhood is Dundrum?
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.Hills with a view5 mapped viewpoints, about 8× as many per resident as the typical Irish town.Countryside close byWicklow Mountains National Park starts 4.9 km south-west.
Dundrum’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by parks close to every home.
Against other towns
How Dundrum 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)
63out of 100
Public green space5.4 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
62out of 100
Footpaths6.2 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
85out of 100
Protected for nature1.3%of the land within 5 km
45out of 100
Woodland4.7%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
73out of 100
The sea6.7%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
Dundrum has the 12th most footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (14,213 to 19,287 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 Tullamore (0.7 km per km²).
Footpath, km per km²
Dundrum6.2
Towns its size3.7
Co. Dublin towns5.4
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Dundrum5.4
Towns its size5.1
Co. Dublin towns7.6
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Dundrum98%
Towns its size98%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
Against towns its size, Dundrum stands out most for path per km²: only 11 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 | Tallaght Dublin | 8.8 | 3.8% | 0.6% | – |
| 3 | Old Bawn Dublin | 8.5 | 3% | 1.8% | – |
| 4 | Dolphins Barn Dublin | 8.4 | 2.9% | 0% | – |
| 5 | Ballyowen Dublin | 7.5 | 6% | 0% | – |
| 6 | Stoneybatter Dublin | 7.5 | 1.6% | 0% | – |
| 7 | The Liberties Dublin | 7.4 | 0.5% | 0% | – |
| 8 | Mulhuddart Dublin | 6.6 | 4% | 0% | – |
| 9 | Stillorgan Dublin | 6.5 | 3% | 0.1% | 17% |
| 10 | Ashtown Dublin | 6.3 | 6.9% | 0% | – |
| 11 | Ballinteer Dublin | 6.2 | 7.1% | 2.8% | – |
| 12 | Dundrum Dublin | 6.2 | 4.7% | 1.3% | 6.7% |
| 13 | Rathmines East Dublin | 5.9 | 2.3% | 0.1% | 13% |
| 14 | Rathfarnham Dublin | 5.5 | 4.8% | 0.1% | – |
| 15 | Crumlin Dublin | 5.4 | 0.8% | 0% | – |
| 16 | Templeogue Dublin | 5.2 | 3.8% | 0.1% | – |
| 17 | Cabinteely Dublin | 5.1 | 7.6% | 1.1% | 29% |
| 18 | Kimmage Dublin | 4.3 | 0.1% | 0% | – |
| 19 | East Wall Dublin | 4.1 | 1% | 3.5% | 27% |
| 20 | Belmayne Dublin | 3.8 | 1.9% | 5.2% | 25% |
| 21 | Maynooth Kildare | 3.7 | 3.9% | 0.5% | – |
| 22 | Leixlip Kildare | 3.6 | 7.7% | 0.5% | – |
| 23 | Clontarf West Dublin | 3.2 | 2.2% | 3.5% | 17% |
| 24 | Bishopstown Cork | 3.2 | 6% | 0.2% | – |
| 25 | Clontarf East Dublin | 3.1 | 3% | 6.1% | 38% |
| 26 | Dún Laoghaire Dublin | 3 | 0.5% | 0.3% | 56% |
| 27 | Corbally and King's Island Limerick | 3 | 3.7% | 9.5% | – |
| 28 | Beaumont Dublin | 2.9 | 2% | 3.4% | 9.7% |
| 29 | Darndale Dublin | 2.7 | 1.9% | 3.7% | 11% |
| 30 | Castletroy Limerick | 2.4 | 1.8% | 6.6% | – |
| 31 | Malahide Dublin | 2.4 | 3.4% | 2.1% | 32% |
| 32 | Ashbourne Meath | 1.6 | 0.3% | 0% | – |
| 33 | Knocknacarra Galway | 1.6 | 3.4% | 32% | 34% |
| 34 | Ballybane Galway | 1.5 | 3.9% | 12% | 15% |
| 35 | Killarney Kerry | 1.3 | 14% | 34% | – |
| 36 | Laytown-Bettystown-Mornington-Donacarney Meath | 1.2 | 0.5% | 4.4% | 39% |
| 37 | Clonmel Tipperary | 1.1 | 14% | 3.9% | – |
| 38 | Dooradoyle Limerick | 1 | 2.6% | 7.7% | – |
| 39 | Carrigaline Cork | 0.9 | 6.5% | 0.2% | 6.7% |
| 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 Dundrum’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 Dundrum
The biggest is Fernhill Park and Gardens, 32 ha (80 acres).
Ballawley Park
Park or garden
8.7 ha2.5 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.5 km of path
0.8 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Sweetmount Park
Park or garden
1.0 ha0.2 km of path
0.8 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
Almost everyone in Dundrum 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 (2.2%)
Dundrum98%
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
1.3% of the land around Dundrum 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 Dundrum0%
Within 5 km1.3%
Co. Dublin towns0.2%
Typical Irish town1.8%
4 protected sites lie within 5 km of Dundrum. 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 · 2.6 km from the edge
NPWS pageSouth Dublin Bay SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 7.3 km² · 2.7 km from the edge
NPWS pageWicklow Mountains SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 345 km² · 4.1 km from the edge
NPWS pageWicklow Mountains SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 14 km² · 4.3 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 4.9 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
4.9 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 Dundrum
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
120 km
over 19.4 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
4.7%
about 0.9 km² of mapped woods
Registered trails
9
walking trails within 5 km
Km per km², town and 1 km around · mapped on OpenStreetMap
DundrumCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths6.2
048 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
DundrumCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Woodland4.7%
0%50%100%
Dundrum has more footpath per km² than 85% of Irish towns and more woodland than 73% of Irish towns.
Footpaths and woods: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Woods are mapped cover, private and Coillte forests included.
Footpaths & trails
9 waymarked trails start near Dundrum
120 km of footpaths are mapped in Dundrum 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
Dublin Mountains Way41.2 km
Tibradden - Mountain Access route Tibradden/Kelly's Glen1.6 km
Tibradden - Mountain Access route Tibradden/Pine Forest1.3 km
Tibradden Mountain Trail2.7 km
Tibradden - Mountain Access route Pine Forest/Glencullen0.6 km
Cruagh - Sli na Slainte3.7 km
Massey's Estate - Nature trail2.5 km
Cruagh - Mountain Access route2.3 km
One cycling or paddling trail also starts within 5 km.
One more waymarked walk on OpenStreetMap
National
European long distance path E8 - part Ireland12.3 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 Dundrum: 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 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 78 | 66 | 63 | 61 | 64 | 69 | 59 | 67 | 68 | 89 | 103 | 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 103 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. The climate in Dundrum →
The coast
Dundrum is near the sea
6.7% of the area within 5 km of Dundrum is sea. 2 bathing waters are within 5 km, each with its latest class.
Sandymount StrandSufficient (2025) · 3.5 km from town
beaches.ieSeapointExcellent (2025) · 4.4 km from town
beaches.ieOne of the 2 is rated excellent: Seapoint.
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
5 viewpoints, 2 hills and peaks and 5 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.
5Viewpoints8.3× the typical Irish town, per resident2Hills and peaks5Waterfalls2Nature reserves4Picnic sites41Playgrounds1.9× the typical Irish town, per resident5Dog parks
Per resident, viewpoints stand out most: Dundrum has 8.3× as many as the typical Irish town.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 5
Plus 5 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 2
Telshaun Hill1.0 km from town
DirectionsThree Rock Mountain444 m · 1.7 km from town
DirectionsWaterfalls 5
Plus 5 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 2
Fitzsimon's Wood14 ha · in town
DirectionsWildflower Meadow3.4 ha · 1.3 km from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 4
Plus 4 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 41
Taney Playgoundin town
DirectionsBright Horizons0.2 km from town
DirectionsLakelands Childcare0.6 km from town
DirectionsFernhill Woodland Adventure Playground0.7 km from town
DirectionsUpper Playground0.9 km from town
DirectionsWindy Arbour Playground1.3 km from town
DirectionsMarley Playground1.8 km from town
DirectionsPlus 34 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 5
Small Dog0.7 km from town
DirectionsLarge Dog0.7 km from town
DirectionsPlus 3 dog parks without a name on the map.
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Unnamed places are counted, not listed.
Gardens & nature
6 gardens and nature sites to visit near Dundrum
Gardens, national parks, nature sites and islands within 15 km of the town’s edge, each with its own page.
Airfield EstateGarden · In Dundrum
Its pageSaint Enda's ParkGarden · 1.8 km from town
Its pageDublin Garden TrailGarden · 2.5 km from town
Its pageIveagh GardensGarden · 4.3 km from town
Its pageSaint Stephen's GreenGarden · 4.5 km from town
Its pageMerrion SquareGarden · 4.7 km from town
Its pagePlaces to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.
Next door
Next to Dundrum
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
BallinteerChurchtownSandyfordClonskeaghStillorganRathfarnhamDundrum
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dundrum | 98% | 5.4 | 6.2 | 1.3% |
| Ballinteer 1.2 km | 98% | 10.1 | 6.2 | 2.8% |
| Churchtown 1.8 km | 76% | 9.2 | 5.6 | 0.1% |
| Sandyford 1.9 km | 97% | 5.0 | 7.5 | 0.3% |
| Clonskeagh 2.2 km | 100% | 5.1 | 6.0 | 0.1% |
| Stillorgan 2.5 km | 100% | 3.5 | 6.5 | 0.1% |
| Rathfarnham 3.0 km | 98% | 12.0 | 5.5 | 0.1% |
None of the neighbours has many more of its people near a park than Dundrum. Rathfarnham has at least twice Dundrum’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 Dundrum
What is the biggest park in Dundrum?
Fernhill Park and Gardens, 32 ha (80 acres), just outside the built-up area. Ballawley Park (8.7 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 Dundrum?
Yes: 1.3% of the land within 5 km is protected, across 4 sites. The nearest is South Dublin Bay and River Tolka Estuary SPA, 2.6 km from the edge of town.
What are the best walks near Dundrum?
9 waymarked trails start within 5 km, including the Wicklow Way, Dublin Mountains Way and Tibradden - Mountain Access route Tibradden/Kelly's Glen.
Where can you swim near Dundrum?
The nearest bathing water is Sandymount Strand, 3.5 km from town: Sufficient (2025). Check beaches.ie before swimming: a notice can close a beach for the day.
How many people in Dundrum 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 Dundrum?
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 Dundrum near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Wicklow Mountains National Park, 4.9 km south-west of the town’s edge; it covers about 223 km².
What is there to do outdoors around Dundrum?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 5 viewpoints, 2 hills and peaks, 5 waterfalls, 2 nature reserves and 4 picnic sites; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Sources
Where Dundrum’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).