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
2.3 km north-westfrom the centre
Tolka Greenway
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: William Murphy from Dublin, Ireland · CC BY-SA 2.0100%near a park
Outdoors in Glasnevin · parks, paths & countryside
Glasnevin has more footpath per square kilometre than nearly 9 in 10 Irish towns
78 km of footpaths run through the neighbourhood and the kilometre around it, 6.6 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Glasnevin add up to 12.0 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical Irish town has 4.1. Wicklow Mountains National Park begins 14 km away.
Near a park
100%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
12.0 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
78 km
6.6 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical Irish town: 2.1 km per km²
Woodland
1.2%
of the town and 1 km around it
Typical Irish town: 2.7%
Character
What kind of outdoors neighbourhood is Glasnevin?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A neighbourhood of footpaths6.6 km of path per km², more than 88% of Irish towns. The typical town has 2.1.A park on every doorstep100% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.Room to roam12.0 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 86% of Irish towns.Countryside close byWicklow Mountains National Park starts 14 km south.
Glasnevin’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by parks close to every home.
Against other towns
How Glasnevin 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 space12.0 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
87out of 100
Footpaths6.6 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
88out of 100
Protected for nature0%of the land within 5 km
11out of 100
Woodland1.2%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
19out 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
Glasnevin has the 6th most footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (8,152 to 10,556 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
Glasnevin6.6
Towns its size2.2
Co. Dublin towns5.4
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Glasnevin12.0
Towns its size3.7
Co. Dublin towns7.6
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Glasnevin100%
Towns its size95%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
Against towns its size, Glasnevin stands out most for park space per resident: only 6 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 | Sandyford Dublin | 7.5 | 4.8% | 0.3% | 6.2% |
| 4 | Grand Canal Dock Dublin | 6.6 | 0.9% | 1.4% | 16% |
| 5 | Parnell Square Dublin | 6.6 | 0.2% | 0.1% | 5.6% |
| 6 | Glasnevin Dublin | 6.6 | 1.2% | 0% | – |
| 7 | Killiney Dublin | 6 | 7.7% | 0.5% | 45% |
| 8 | Churchtown Dublin | 5.6 | 3.3% | 0.1% | – |
| 9 | Ballybough Dublin | 5.5 | 1.4% | 1% | 9% |
| 10 | Booterstown Dublin | 5.4 | 2.2% | 0.2% | 29% |
| 11 | Terenure Dublin | 4.9 | 2.1% | 0% | – |
| 12 | Cherry Orchard Dublin | 4.6 | 0.5% | 0% | – |
| 13 | Monkstown Dublin | 4.2 | 0.8% | 0.3% | 38% |
| 14 | Finglas North Dublin | 4.2 | 1.2% | 0% | – |
| 15 | Donaghmede Dublin | 3.5 | 2.7% | 6.2% | 31% |
| 16 | Kilmore Dublin | 3.1 | 2.2% | 3.5% | 9.5% |
| 17 | Raheny Dublin | 3.1 | 2.8% | 11% | 46% |
| 18 | Donabate Dublin | 2.8 | 6.8% | 2.8% | 32% |
| 19 | Dalkey Dublin | 2.6 | 3.5% | 0.2% | 60% |
| 20 | Howth Dublin | 2.2 | 2.4% | 18% | 75% |
| 21 | Hollyhill and Ballincolly Cork | 2.1 | 7.2% | 0.5% | – |
| 22 | Shannon Clare | 1.8 | 3.9% | 35% | – |
| 23 | Kilcock Kildare | 1.7 | 2.8% | 0% | – |
| 24 | Ballyvolane Cork | 1.6 | 6.7% | 2.8% | – |
| 25 | Trim Meath | 1.3 | 0.9% | 1.5% | – |
| 26 | Waterford City Centre Waterford | 1.3 | 1.5% | 6% | – |
| 27 | Ratoath Meath | 1.3 | 0.4% | 0% | – |
| 28 | Lusk Dublin | 1.1 | 0.6% | 1.3% | 6.4% |
| 29 | Kildare Kildare | 1.1 | 0.4% | 1.8% | – |
| 30 | Youghal Cork | 0.9 | 0.6% | 13% | 29% |
| 31 | New Ross Wexford | 0.9 | 7.3% | 5.4% | – |
| 32 | Ballina Mayo | 0.8 | 3.3% | 3.5% | – |
| 33 | Portarlington Laois | 0.8 | 2.5% | 1.6% | – |
| 34 | Dungarvan Waterford | 0.7 | 0.7% | 1.8% | 19% |
| 35 | Grantstown and Ballinakill Waterford | 0.6 | 4.5% | 10% | – |
| 36 | Clane Kildare | 0.6 | 1.9% | 1.5% | – |
| 37 | Thurles Tipperary | 0.5 | 2.8% | 1.2% | – |
| 38 | Nenagh Tipperary | 0.4 | 1.8% | 0% | – |
| 39 | Bandon Cork | 0.4 | 5.6% | 0% | – |
| 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 Glasnevin’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 Glasnevin
The biggest is Tolka Valley Park, 56 ha (138 acres).
All 10 named parks and woods by size: 99 ha (246 acres) and 26 km of path
Parks & gardens 99 ha
The two biggest, Tolka Valley Park and National Botanic Gardens, are 75% of the named green space and carry 19 km of path between them. 6 of the 10 are under 2 ha.
National Botanic Gardens
Park or garden
19 ha7.4 km of path
1 h 40 minto walk all 7.4 km of path
Centralin the middle of Glasnevin
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
1.5 km northfrom 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
Centralin the middle of Glasnevin
Directionsto a point inside
Blessington Street Park
Park or garden · 370 m outside town
1.5 ha0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
1.6 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Fruit and Vegetable Garden
Park or garden
0.4 ha0.3 km of path
Centralin the middle of Glasnevin
Directionsto a point inside
Our Lady's Park
Park or garden
0.4 ha0.3 km of path
0.8 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Shandon Gardens Park
Park or garden · 350 m outside town
0.4 ha0.3 km of path
0.8 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 10 named parks and green spaces
Tolka Valley ParkPark or garden · 56 ha · 11.3 km of path
DirectionsNational Botanic GardensPark or garden · 19 ha · 7.4 km of path
DirectionsAlbert College ParkPark or garden · 14 ha · 3.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsGriffith ParkPark or garden · 7.4 ha · 2.9 km of path
DirectionsBlessington Street ParkPark or garden · 1.5 ha · 0.7 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsFruit and Vegetable GardenPark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsOur Lady's ParkPark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsShandon Gardens ParkPark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsGreenview Community GardenPark or garden · 0.4 ha · just outside town
DirectionsRoyal Canal ParkPark or garden · 0.4 ha · 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
Everyone in Glasnevin 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%)
Glasnevin100%
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, 1.9 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 Glasnevin0%
Within 5 km0%
Co. Dublin towns0.2%
Typical Irish town1.8%
4 protected sites lie within 5 km of Glasnevin. 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 · 1.9 km from the edge
NPWS pageSouth Dublin Bay SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 7.3 km² · 4.3 km from the edge
NPWS pageNorth Bull Island SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 19 km² · 4.9 km from the edge
NPWS pageNorth Dublin Bay SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 15 km² · 4.9 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
Footpaths and woods in and around Glasnevin
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
78 km
over 11.9 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
1.2%
about 0.1 km² of mapped woods
Registered trails
4
walking trails within 5 km
Km per km², town and 1 km around · mapped on OpenStreetMap
GlasnevinCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths6.6
048 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
GlasnevinCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Woodland1.2%
0%50%100%
Glasnevin has more footpath per km² than 88% of Irish towns and less woodland than 81% of Irish towns.
Footpaths and woods: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Woods are mapped cover, private and Coillte forests included.
Footpaths & trails
Glasnevin is on the National Famine Way
78 km of footpaths are mapped in Glasnevin and the kilometre around it, 6.6 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
The National Famine Way (169 km end to end) passes through Glasnevin. One cycling or paddling trail also starts within 5 km.
2 more waymarked walks on OpenStreetMap
NationalOther waymarked
The Royal Canal Way6.6 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 Glasnevin: 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 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 62 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 56 | 64 | 61 | 70 | 63 | 77 | 84 | 73 |
February is the driest month (52 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7.5 hours of daylight in December, and 84 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. The climate in Glasnevin →
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: Glasnevin has 6× as many as the typical Irish town.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 2
Former swimming area0.0 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 72
Hill Street Playground0.8 km from town
DirectionsHamilton Gardens Public Playground1.1 km from town
DirectionsPlus 70 playgrounds 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 Glasnevin
Gardens, national parks, nature sites and islands within 15 km of the town’s edge, each with its own page.
National Botanic GardensGarden · In Glasnevin
Its pageMerrion SquareGarden · 2.5 km from town
Its pageSaint Stephen's GreenGarden · 2.7 km from town
Its pageIveagh GardensGarden · 3.0 km from town
Its pageWar Memorial GardensGarden · 3.7 km from town
Its pageSaint Anne's ParkGarden · 5.0 km from town
Its pagePlaces to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.
Next door
Next to Glasnevin
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
DrumcondraCabra EastPhibsboroughBallyboughParnell SquareBallygallGlasnevin
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glasnevin | 100% | 12.0 | 6.6 | 0% |
| Drumcondra 1.1 km | 100% | 7.8 | 5.6 | 0.8% |
| Cabra East 1.3 km | 91% | 56.9 | 8.0 | 0% |
| Phibsborough 1.5 km | 100% | 1.3 | 7.6 | 0% |
| Ballybough 1.7 km | 100% | 3.3 | 5.5 | 1% |
| Parnell Square 1.7 km | 100% | 1.0 | 6.6 | 0.1% |
| Ballygall 1.9 km | 100% | 9.9 | 6.3 | 0% |
None of the neighbours has many more of its people near a park than Glasnevin. Cabra East has at least twice Glasnevin’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 Glasnevin
What is the biggest park in Glasnevin?
Tolka Valley Park, 40 ha (98 acres), just outside the built-up area. National Botanic Gardens (19 ha) is second. 11 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the neighbourhood or within 400 m of it.
Is there protected countryside near Glasnevin?
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, 1.9 km from the edge of town.
What are the best walks near Glasnevin?
4 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 Glasnevin 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 Glasnevin?
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 Glasnevin 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 Glasnevin?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 2 viewpoints; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Sources
Where Glasnevin’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).