First pick
Tymon Park
Park or garden · 220 m outside town
131 ha22.1 km of path
4 h 55 minto walk all 22.1 km of path
2.8 km northfrom the centre
Mayor's MileTymon LaneEnchanted Walk
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Sarah777 · Public domain94%near a park
Outdoors in Firhouse · parks, paths & countryside
Firhouse has more park space per resident than 9 in 10 Irish towns
There are 20.0 ha of parks and playing fields for every 1,000 people in Firhouse, against 4.1 in the typical Irish town. Wicklow Mountains National Park begins 2.4 km away. 9 waymarked trails start within 5 km of Firhouse, among them the Dublin Mountains Way and Massey's Estate - Nature trail.
Near a park
94%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
20.0 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
88 km
6.8 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical Irish town: 2.1 km per km²
Protected for nature
4.2%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Glenasmole Valley SAC
Woodland
4.4%
of the town and 1 km around it
Typical Irish town: 2.7%
Character
What kind of outdoors neighbourhood is Firhouse?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Room to roam20.0 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 94% of Irish towns.A neighbourhood of footpaths6.8 km of path per km², more than 90% of Irish towns. The typical town has 2.1.Countryside close byWicklow Mountains National Park starts 2.4 km south.Hills close byMontpelier Hill, 383 m, is within 2 km.
Firhouse’s strongest suit is plenty of park space, followed by dense footpaths.
Against other towns
How Firhouse 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 walk94%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
53out of 100
Public green space20.0 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
95out of 100
Footpaths6.8 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
91out of 100
Protected for nature4.2%of the land within 5 km
68out of 100
Woodland4.4%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
70out 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
Firhouse has the 7th most footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (10,556 to 14,213 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
Firhouse6.8
Towns its size3.9
Co. Dublin towns5.4
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Firhouse20.0
Towns its size3.9
Co. Dublin towns7.6
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Firhouse94%
Towns its size93%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
Against towns its size, Firhouse stands out most for park space per resident: only 3 of the other 39 have more.
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 | Kilnamanagh Dublin | 7.4 | 3.9% | 0.5% | – |
| 5 | Fettercairn Dublin | 7 | 3.5% | 0.4% | – |
| 6 | Palmerston Dublin | 6.9 | 8.6% | 0% | – |
| 7 | Firhouse Dublin | 6.8 | 4.4% | 4.2% | – |
| 8 | Ronanstown Dublin | 6.6 | 0.7% | 0% | – |
| 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 | Clonskeagh Dublin | 6 | 2.7% | 0.1% | 16% |
| 13 | Foxrock Dublin | 5.8 | 5.3% | 0.2% | 25% |
| 14 | Knocklyon Dublin | 5.8 | 4.7% | 3.2% | – |
| 15 | Drumcondra Dublin | 5.6 | 1.6% | 0.8% | 6.9% |
| 16 | Finglas South Dublin | 5.6 | 1.7% | 0% | – |
| 17 | Whitehall Dublin | 5.6 | 2.6% | 0.3% | – |
| 18 | Sallynoggin Dublin | 5 | 2% | 0.3% | 47% |
| 19 | Blackrock Dublin | 4.7 | 1.4% | 0.2% | 30% |
| 20 | Ongar Dublin | 4.2 | 2.7% | 0.2% | – |
| 21 | Mahon Cork | 3.6 | 6.1% | 5.3% | – |
| 22 | Shankill Dublin | 3.6 | 12% | 3.8% | 28% |
| 23 | Hollystown Dublin | 3.3 | 2% | 0% | – |
| 24 | Corbally and King's Island Limerick | 3 | 3.7% | 9.5% | – |
| 25 | Portmarnock Dublin | 2.7 | 0.8% | 7.9% | 44% |
| 26 | Skerries Dublin | 2 | 1.7% | 0% | 53% |
| 27 | Midleton Cork | 1.6 | 2.6% | 4.5% | – |
| 28 | Wicklow Wicklow | 1.1 | 0.9% | 4.3% | 38% |
| 29 | Rush Dublin | 1.1 | 0.4% | 3.7% | 51% |
| 30 | Castlebar Mayo | 1 | 3.1% | 2.3% | – |
| 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 | 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 Firhouse’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 Firhouse
The biggest is Tymon Park, 131 ha (325 acres).
All 8 named parks and woods by size: 208 ha (514 acres) and 37 km of path
Parks & gardens 208 ha
The two biggest, Tymon Park and Dodder Valley Park, are 88% of the named green space and carry 32 km of path between them. 3 of the 8 are under 2 ha.
Dodder Valley Park
Park or garden
52 ha9.7 km of path
2 h 10 minto walk all 9.7 km of path
0.9 km north-westfrom the centre
Balrothery Weir WalkJim Lawlor Bridge
Directionsto a point inside
Knocklyon Park
Park or garden · 350 m outside town
9.3 ha1.7 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.7 km of path
1.2 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Ballycragh Park
Park or garden
7.1 ha1.7 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.7 km of path
Centralin the middle of Firhouse
Directionsto a point inside
Aylesbury Park
Park or garden · 340 m outside town
5.0 ha1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
1.7 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Avonbeg Field
Park or garden · 210 m outside town
1.5 ha0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
1.3 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Firhouse Village Park
Park or garden
0.3 ha0.2 km of path
0.6 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
9 in 10 Firhouse 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 (94%)Further (5.7%)
Firhouse94%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
About 700 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees.
Protected areas
Protected sites cover 4.2% of the land within 5 km of Firhouse
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 Firhouse0%
Within 5 km4.2%
Co. Dublin towns0.2%
Typical Irish town1.8%
3 protected sites lie within 5 km of Firhouse. 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.
Protected 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 2.4 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
2.4 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
88 km of footpaths cross Firhouse
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
88 km
over 12.8 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
4.4%
about 0.6 km² of mapped woods
Registered trails
9
walking trails within 5 km
Km per km², town and 1 km around · mapped on OpenStreetMap
FirhouseCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths6.8
048 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
FirhouseCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Woodland4.4%
0%50%100%
Firhouse has more footpath per km² than 91% of Irish towns and more woodland than 70% 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 Firhouse
88 km of footpaths are mapped in Firhouse and the kilometre around it, 6.8 km for every square kilometre (the typical Irish town has 2.1).
Long-distance wayWalking trail
Dublin Mountains Way41.2 km
Massey's Estate - Nature trail2.5 km
Cruagh - Sli na Slainte3.7 km
Cruagh - Mountain Access route2.3 km
Wicklow Way128.1 km
Tibradden Mountain Trail2.7 km
Tibradden - Mountain Access route Tibradden/Pine Forest1.3 km
Tibradden - Mountain Access route Tibradden/Kelly's Glen1.6 km
Grand Canal Way117.1 km
5 more waymarked walks on OpenStreetMap
Local
Dublin Mountains Way Hellfire & Massey Spur5.1 km
Tymon Park Purple Slí4.5 km
Tymon Park Red Slí3.1 km
Tymon Park Yellow Slí2.3 km
Fitwalk Circuit0.8 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 Firhouse: 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 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 83 | 71 | 66 | 65 | 66 | 71 | 63 | 72 | 73 | 94 | 106 | 94 |
July is the driest month (63 mm) and the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7.5 hours of daylight in December, and 106 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. The climate in Firhouse →
Things to do
2 viewpoints and 2 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.
2Viewpoints2Hills and peaks4Picnic sites53Playgrounds3.3× the typical Irish town, per resident2Dog parks
Per resident, playgrounds stand out most: Firhouse has 3.3× as many as the typical Irish town. The highest named top on the map is Montpelier Hill, at 383 m, 1.7 km from town.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 2
Plus 2 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 2
Montpelier Hill383 m · 1.7 km from town
DirectionsSlieve Gorra1.9 km from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 4
Plus 4 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 53
New Playground0.1 km from town
DirectionsBalrothery Play Area0.5 km from town
DirectionsWoodland Activity Area0.7 km from town
DirectionsChildren's Playground0.8 km from town
DirectionsSean Walsh Playground1.2 km from town
DirectionsPlus 48 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Unnamed places are counted, not listed.
Gardens & nature
2 gardens and nature sites to visit near Firhouse
Gardens, national parks, nature sites and islands within 15 km of the town’s edge, each with its own page.
Saint Enda's ParkGarden · 3.0 km from town
Its pageSaint Stephen's GreenGarden · 7.3 km from town
Its pagePlaces to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.
Next door
Next to Firhouse
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
KnocklyonBohernabreenaOld BawnBallybodenKilnamanaghTallaghtFirhouse
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firhouse | 94% | 20.0 | 6.8 | 4.2% |
| Knocklyon 1.3 km | 91% | 17.2 | 5.8 | 3.2% |
| Bohernabreena 1.5 km | 94% | 28.8 | 4.3 | 5% |
| Old Bawn 1.8 km | 100% | 10.4 | 8.5 | 1.8% |
| Ballyboden 2.2 km | 100% | 7.6 | 5.9 | 0.5% |
| Kilnamanagh 2.6 km | 100% | 26.9 | 7.4 | 0.5% |
| Tallaght 2.9 km | 100% | 9.2 | 8.8 | 0.6% |
In Old Bawn, 100% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park, more than here.
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 Firhouse
What is the biggest park in Firhouse?
Tymon Park, 131 ha (325 acres), just outside the built-up area. Dodder Valley Park (69 ha) is second. 8 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the neighbourhood or within 400 m of it.
Is there protected countryside near Firhouse?
Yes: 4.2% of the land within 5 km is protected, across 3 sites. The nearest is Glenasmole Valley SAC, 1.9 km from the edge of town.
What are the best walks near Firhouse?
9 waymarked trails start within 5 km, including the Dublin Mountains Way, Massey's Estate - Nature trail and Cruagh - Sli na Slainte.
How many people in Firhouse live near a park?
94% 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 Firhouse?
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 Firhouse near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Wicklow Mountains National Park, 2.4 km south of the town’s edge; it covers about 223 km².
What is there to do outdoors around Firhouse?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 2 viewpoints, 2 hills and peaks and 4 picnic sites; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Sources
Where Firhouse’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).