First pick
Tymon Park
Park or garden · 270 m outside town
131 ha22.1 km of path
4 h 55 minto walk all 22.1 km of path
2.6 km north-westfrom the centre
Mayor's MileTymon LaneEnchanted Walk
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Sarah777 · Public domain91%near a park
Outdoors in Knocklyon · parks, paths & countryside
Knocklyon has more park space per resident than 9 in 10 Irish towns
Parks and playing fields in Knocklyon add up to 17.2 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical Irish town has 4.1. Wicklow Mountains National Park begins 2.8 km away. 9 waymarked trails start within 5 km of Knocklyon, among them the Massey's Estate - Nature trail and Wicklow Way.
Near a park
91%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
17.2 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
83 km
5.8 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical Irish town: 2.1 km per km²
Protected for nature
3.2%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Glenasmole Valley SAC
Woodland
4.7%
of the town and 1 km around it
Typical Irish town: 2.7%
Character
What kind of outdoors neighbourhood is Knocklyon?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Room to roam17.2 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 92% of Irish towns.Hills with a view4 mapped viewpoints, about 8× as many per resident as the typical Irish town.A neighbourhood of footpaths5.8 km of path per km², more than 81% of Irish towns. The typical town has 2.1.Countryside close byWicklow Mountains National Park starts 2.8 km south.
Knocklyon’s strongest suit is plenty of park space, followed by its views.
Against other towns
How Knocklyon 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 walk91%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
49out of 100
Public green space17.2 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
92out of 100
Footpaths5.8 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
81out of 100
Protected for nature3.2%of the land within 5 km
58out of 100
Woodland4.7%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
74out 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
Knocklyon has the 12th most footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (12,163 to 16,038 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From Tallaght (8.8 km per km²) to Enniscorthy (0.4 km per km²).
Footpath, km per km²
Knocklyon5.8
Towns its size3.9
Co. Dublin towns5.4
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Knocklyon17.2
Towns its size4.6
Co. Dublin towns7.6
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Knocklyon91%
Towns its size96%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
Against towns its size, Knocklyon stands out most for park space per resident: only 4 of the other 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | The sea | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tallaght Dublin | 8.8 | 3.8% | 0.6% | – |
| 2 | Cabra East Dublin | 8 | 2.2% | 0% | – |
| 3 | Deansrath Dublin | 7.9 | 2.2% | 0% | – |
| 4 | Ballyowen Dublin | 7.5 | 6% | 0% | – |
| 5 | Fettercairn Dublin | 7 | 3.5% | 0.4% | – |
| 6 | Firhouse Dublin | 6.8 | 4.4% | 4.2% | – |
| 7 | Ballsbridge Dublin | 6.3 | 1.3% | 1.2% | 18% |
| 8 | Ashtown Dublin | 6.3 | 6.9% | 0% | – |
| 9 | Ballinteer Dublin | 6.2 | 7.1% | 2.8% | – |
| 10 | Clonskeagh Dublin | 6 | 2.7% | 0.1% | 16% |
| 11 | Foxrock Dublin | 5.8 | 5.3% | 0.2% | 25% |
| 12 | Knocklyon Dublin | 5.8 | 4.7% | 3.2% | – |
| 13 | Finglas South Dublin | 5.6 | 1.7% | 0% | – |
| 14 | Whitehall Dublin | 5.6 | 2.6% | 0.3% | – |
| 15 | Cabinteely Dublin | 5.1 | 7.6% | 1.1% | 29% |
| 16 | Sallynoggin Dublin | 5 | 2% | 0.3% | 47% |
| 17 | Blackrock Dublin | 4.7 | 1.4% | 0.2% | 30% |
| 18 | Kimmage Dublin | 4.3 | 0.1% | 0% | – |
| 19 | Ongar Dublin | 4.2 | 2.7% | 0.2% | – |
| 20 | East Wall Dublin | 4.1 | 1% | 3.5% | 27% |
| 21 | Belmayne Dublin | 3.8 | 1.9% | 5.2% | 25% |
| 22 | Mahon Cork | 3.6 | 6.1% | 5.3% | – |
| 23 | Hollystown Dublin | 3.3 | 2% | 0% | – |
| 24 | Clontarf West Dublin | 3.2 | 2.2% | 3.5% | 17% |
| 25 | Bishopstown Cork | 3.2 | 6% | 0.2% | – |
| 26 | Corbally and King's Island Limerick | 3 | 3.7% | 9.5% | – |
| 27 | Darndale Dublin | 2.7 | 1.9% | 3.7% | 11% |
| 28 | Castletroy Limerick | 2.4 | 1.8% | 6.6% | – |
| 29 | Ashbourne Meath | 1.6 | 0.3% | 0% | – |
| 30 | Midleton Cork | 1.6 | 2.6% | 4.5% | – |
| 31 | Ballybane Galway | 1.5 | 3.9% | 12% | 15% |
| 32 | Killarney Kerry | 1.3 | 14% | 34% | – |
| 33 | Laytown-Bettystown-Mornington-Donacarney Meath | 1.2 | 0.5% | 4.4% | 39% |
| 34 | Wicklow Wicklow | 1.1 | 0.9% | 4.3% | 38% |
| 35 | Castlebar Mayo | 1 | 3.1% | 2.3% | – |
| 36 | Cobh Cork | 0.8 | 3.5% | 13% | 23% |
| 37 | Tullamore Offaly | 0.7 | 10% | 3.8% | – |
| 38 | Arklow Wicklow | 0.7 | 5.7% | 0.3% | 34% |
| 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 Knocklyon’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 Knocklyon
The biggest is Tymon Park, 131 ha (325 acres).
All 6 named parks and woods by size: 199 ha (492 acres) and 34 km of path
Parks & gardens 195 haWoods 3.9 ha
The two biggest, Tymon Park and Dodder Valley Park, are 92% of the named green space and carry 32 km of path between them.
Dodder Valley Park
Park or garden
52 ha9.7 km of path
2 h 10 minto walk all 9.7 km of path
1.7 km westfrom the centre
Balrothery Weir WalkJim Lawlor Bridge
Directionsto a point inside
Knocklyon Park
Park or garden
9.3 ha1.7 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.7 km of path
Centralin the middle of Knocklyon
Directionsto a point inside
PACT Woodland
Wood or forest · 320 m outside town
3.9 ha0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
1.8 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Woodstown Park
Park or garden
0.8 ha0.4 km of path
Centralin the middle of Knocklyon
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 Knocklyon 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 (91%)Further (8.7%)
Knocklyon91%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
About 1,200 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees.
Protected areas
3.2% of the land around Knocklyon 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 Knocklyon0%
Within 5 km3.2%
Co. Dublin towns0.2%
Typical Irish town1.8%
3 protected sites lie within 5 km of Knocklyon. Proposed Natural Heritage Areas cover 1.4% 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 2.8 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
2.8 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
83 km of footpaths cross Knocklyon
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
83 km
over 14.5 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
4.7%
about 0.7 km² of mapped woods
Registered trails
9
walking trails within 5 km
Km per km², town and 1 km around · mapped on OpenStreetMap
KnocklyonCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths5.8
03.57 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
KnocklyonCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Woodland4.7%
0%50%100%
Knocklyon has more footpath per km² than 81% of Irish towns and more woodland than 74% 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 Knocklyon
83 km of footpaths are mapped in Knocklyon and the kilometre around it, 5.8 km for every square kilometre (the typical Irish town has 2.1).
Walking trailLong-distance way
Massey's Estate - Nature trail2.5 km
Wicklow Way128.1 km
Dublin Mountains Way41.2 km
Tibradden - Mountain Access route Tibradden/Kelly's Glen1.6 km
Tibradden Mountain Trail2.7 km
Tibradden - Mountain Access route Tibradden/Pine Forest1.3 km
Cruagh - Sli na Slainte3.7 km
Cruagh - Mountain Access route2.3 km
Grand Canal Way117.1 km
One cycling or paddling trail also starts within 5 km.
6 more waymarked walks on OpenStreetMap
NationalLocal
Tymon Park Purple Slí4.1 km
European long distance path E8 - part Ireland3.5 km
Tymon Park Red Slí3.1 km
Tymon Park Yellow Slí2.3 km
Dublin Mountains Way Hellfire & Massey Spur1.8 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.
History
One historic park or garden on the record in Knocklyon
Parks, gardens, walled gardens and demesne walls in the town on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, each with its record.
Demesne walls/gates/railingsProspect Housefrom 1790Regional rating (NIAH)
The oldest dated is Prospect House, from 1790.
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (CC BY 4.0).
When to get out
The best walking months in Knocklyon: 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 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 77 | 66 | 61 | 60 | 62 | 67 | 59 | 68 | 68 | 87 | 99 | 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 99 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. The climate in Knocklyon →
Things to do
4 viewpoints and 3 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.
4Viewpoints7.9× the typical Irish town, per resident3Waterfalls42Playgrounds2.3× the typical Irish town, per resident
Per resident, viewpoints stand out most: Knocklyon has 7.9× as many as the typical Irish town.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 4
Plus 4 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 3
Plus 3 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 42
Woodland Activity Area0.6 km from town
DirectionsChildren's Playground0.6 km from town
DirectionsBalrothery Play Area0.7 km from town
DirectionsNew Playground1.7 km from town
DirectionsMarley Playground1.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 37 playgrounds 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 Knocklyon
Gardens, national parks, nature sites and islands within 15 km of the town’s edge, each with its own page.
Saint Enda's ParkGarden · 1.2 km from town
Its pageAirfield EstateGarden · 4.4 km from town
Its pageSaint Stephen's GreenGarden · 6.2 km from town
Its pagePlaces to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.
Next door
Next to Knocklyon
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
BallybodenFirhouseEdmondstownRathfarnhamBohernabreenaTempleogueKnocklyon
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knocklyon | 91% | 17.2 | 5.8 | 3.2% |
| Ballyboden 1.0 km | 100% | 7.6 | 5.9 | 0.5% |
| Firhouse 1.3 km | 94% | 20.0 | 6.8 | 4.2% |
| Edmondstown 1.7 km | 91% | 21.3 | 5.1 | 4.5% |
| Rathfarnham 2.5 km | 98% | 12.0 | 5.5 | 0.1% |
| Bohernabreena 2.7 km | 94% | 28.8 | 4.3 | 5% |
| Templeogue 2.8 km | 100% | 16.9 | 5.2 | 0.1% |
In Ballyboden, 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 Knocklyon
What is the biggest park in Knocklyon?
Tymon Park, 131 ha (325 acres), just outside the built-up area. Dodder Valley Park (74 ha) is second. 5 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the neighbourhood or within 400 m of it.
Is there protected countryside near Knocklyon?
Yes: 3.2% of the land within 5 km is protected, across 3 sites. The nearest is Glenasmole Valley SAC, 3.0 km from the edge of town.
What are the best walks near Knocklyon?
9 waymarked trails start within 5 km, including the Massey's Estate - Nature trail, Wicklow Way and Dublin Mountains Way.
How many people in Knocklyon live near a park?
91% 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 Knocklyon?
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 Knocklyon near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Wicklow Mountains National Park, 2.8 km south of the town’s edge; it covers about 223 km².
What is there to do outdoors around Knocklyon?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 4 viewpoints and 3 waterfalls; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Which parks in Knocklyon are historic?
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage records one historic park, garden or demesne in the town: Prospect House.
Sources
Where Knocklyon’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
- Historic parks and gardens. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (CC BY 4.0)
- 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).