First pick
Saint Catherine's Park
Park or garden
99 ha10 km of path
2 h 15 minto walk all 10 km of path
1.8 km north-westfrom the centre
Woodland Walk
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Ro55box · CC BY-SA 4.096%near a park
Outdoors in Lucan · parks, paths & countryside
Lucan has more footpath per square kilometre than 9 in 10 Irish towns
Footpaths add up to 178 km in the neighbourhood and the kilometre around it, 6.8 for every square kilometre. Wicklow Mountains National Park begins 12 km away. There are 9.9 ha of parks and playing fields for every 1,000 people in Lucan, against 4.1 in the typical Irish town.
Near a park
96%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
9.9 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
178 km
6.8 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical Irish town: 2.1 km per km²
Protected for nature
0.2%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Rye Water Valley/Carton SAC
Woodland
7.3%
of the town and 1 km around it
Typical Irish town: 2.7%
Character
What kind of outdoors neighbourhood is Lucan?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A neighbourhood of footpaths6.8 km of path per km², more than 90% of Irish towns. The typical town has 2.1.A park on every doorstep96% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.Room to roam9.9 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 81% of Irish towns.Countryside close byWicklow Mountains National Park starts 12 km south-east.
Lucan’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by parks close to every home.
Against other towns
How Lucan 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 walk96%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
57out of 100
Public green space9.9 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
81out of 100
Footpaths6.8 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
90out of 100
Protected for nature0.2%of the land within 5 km
29out of 100
Woodland7.3%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
87out 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
Lucan has the 8th most footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (18,369 to 27,923 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 Portlaoise (0.6 km per km²).
Footpath, km per km²
Lucan6.8
Towns its size2.7
Co. Dublin towns5.4
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Lucan9.9
Towns its size4.0
Co. Dublin towns7.6
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Lucan96%
Towns its size95%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
Against towns its size, Lucan stands out most for path per km²: only 7 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 | Old Bawn Dublin | 8.5 | 3% | 1.8% | – |
| 3 | Dolphins Barn Dublin | 8.4 | 2.9% | 0% | – |
| 4 | Stoneybatter Dublin | 7.5 | 1.6% | 0% | – |
| 5 | The Liberties Dublin | 7.4 | 0.5% | 0% | – |
| 6 | Carpenterstown Dublin | 7.3 | 11% | 0% | – |
| 7 | Blanchardstown Dublin | 7 | 3.8% | 0% | – |
| 8 | Lucan Dublin | 6.8 | 7.3% | 0.2% | – |
| 9 | Mulhuddart Dublin | 6.6 | 4% | 0% | – |
| 10 | Ballymun Dublin | 6.5 | 2.6% | 0% | – |
| 11 | Clonsilla Dublin | 6.4 | 3% | 0.1% | – |
| 12 | Jobstown Dublin | 6.3 | 1.9% | 2.2% | – |
| 13 | Rathmines West Dublin | 6 | 1.7% | 0.1% | 5.8% |
| 14 | Crumlin Dublin | 5.4 | 0.8% | 0% | – |
| 15 | Clondalkin Dublin | 4.6 | 3.3% | 0% | – |
| 16 | Stepaside Dublin | 4.3 | 15% | 6.4% | 5.9% |
| 17 | Sandymount Dublin | 3.6 | 1.2% | 3.6% | 35% |
| 18 | Clontarf East Dublin | 3.1 | 3% | 6.1% | 38% |
| 19 | Kilkenny Kilkenny | 3.1 | 3.8% | 2.4% | – |
| 20 | Beaumont Dublin | 2.9 | 2% | 3.4% | 9.7% |
| 21 | Celbridge Kildare | 2.4 | 6.9% | 0.5% | – |
| 22 | Malahide Dublin | 2.4 | 3.4% | 2.1% | 32% |
| 23 | Greystones-Delgany Wicklow | 2.2 | 11% | 5% | 35% |
| 24 | Balbriggan Dublin | 2.1 | 1.6% | 0% | 37% |
| 25 | Naas Kildare | 1.9 | 1.4% | 0% | – |
| 26 | Douglas Cork | 1.7 | 4.6% | 5% | – |
| 27 | Knocknacarra Galway | 1.6 | 3.4% | 32% | 34% |
| 28 | Ballincollig Cork | 1.3 | 8.4% | 0% | – |
| 29 | Athlone Westmeath | 1.3 | 6.1% | 14% | – |
| 30 | Sligo Sligo | 1.2 | 6.1% | 9.5% | 18% |
| 31 | Tralee Kerry | 1.1 | 2.4% | 21% | 6.4% |
| 32 | Clonmel Tipperary | 1.1 | 14% | 3.9% | – |
| 33 | Wexford Wexford | 1.1 | 3.8% | 13% | 22% |
| 34 | Dooradoyle Limerick | 1 | 2.6% | 7.7% | – |
| 35 | Carlow Carlow | 0.9 | 1.3% | 2% | – |
| 36 | Mullingar Westmeath | 0.8 | 8.9% | 3.3% | – |
| 37 | Ennis Clare | 0.7 | 9.6% | 7.8% | – |
| 38 | Letterkenny Donegal | 0.7 | 4.9% | 4.3% | 5.3% |
| 39 | Newbridge Kildare | 0.6 | 1.6% | 4.9% | – |
| 40 | Portlaoise Laois | 0.6 | 2.6% | 1.1% | – |
The map
Parks, woods, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Lucan’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 Lucan
The biggest is Saint Catherine's Park, 99 ha (244 acres).
All 10 named parks and woods by size: 189 ha (466 acres) and 29 km of path
Parks & gardens 180 haWoods 9.0 ha
The two biggest, Saint Catherine's Park and Griffeen Valley Park, are 66% of the named green space and carry 17 km of path between them.
Griffeen Valley Park
Park or garden
27 ha6.8 km of path
1 h 30 minto walk all 6.8 km of path
1.2 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Porterstown Park
Park or garden · 380 m outside town
13 ha2.1 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.1 km of path
4.1 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Hermitage Park
Park or garden · 90 m outside town
12 ha2.7 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.7 km of path
2.8 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Airlie Park
Park or garden
11 ha3.1 km of path
40 minto walk all 3.1 km of path
1.2 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Tandy's Park
Park or garden
7.4 ha2.5 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.5 km of path
0.8 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Willsbrook Park
Park or garden
7.0 ha1.8 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.8 km of path
1.8 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 10 named parks and green spaces
Saint Catherine's ParkPark or garden · 99 ha · 10 km of path
DirectionsGriffeen Valley ParkPark or garden · 27 ha · 6.8 km of path
DirectionsPorterstown ParkPark or garden · 13 ha · 2.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsHermitage ParkPark or garden · 12 ha · 2.7 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsAirlie ParkPark or garden · 11 ha · 3.1 km of path
DirectionsTandy's ParkPark or garden · 7.4 ha · 2.5 km of path
DirectionsWillsbrook ParkPark or garden · 7.0 ha · 1.8 km of path
DirectionsVesey ParkPark or garden · 3.6 ha
DirectionsRabbit WarrenWood or forest · 9.0 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsDog runPark or garden · 0.5 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
Almost everyone in Lucan 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 (96%)Further (3.9%)
Lucan96%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
About 1,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees.
Protected areas
Rye Water Valley/Carton SAC is the nearest protected area, 1.2 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 Lucan0%
Within 5 km0.2%
Co. Dublin towns0.2%
Typical Irish town1.8%
One protected site lies within 5 km of Lucan. Proposed Natural Heritage Areas cover 2.1% 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.
Rye Water Valley/Carton SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 0.7 km² · 1.2 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 12 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
12 km south-east223 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 Lucan
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
178 km
over 26.3 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
7.3%
about 1.9 km² of mapped woods
Registered trails
4
walking trails within 5 km
Km per km², town and 1 km around · mapped on OpenStreetMap
LucanCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths6.8
048 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
LucanCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Woodland7.3%
0%50%100%
Lucan has more footpath per km² than 90% of Irish towns and more woodland than 87% 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 Lucan
178 km of footpaths are mapped in Lucan and the kilometre around it, 6.8 km for every square kilometre (the typical Irish town has 2.1).
Long-distance wayGreenway
Grand Canal Way117.1 km
National Famine Way168.6 km
Royal Canal Way146.3 km
Royal Canal Greenway - Drumcondra - Ashtown - Castleknock8.9 km
4 more waymarked walks on OpenStreetMap
NationalLocalOther waymarked
The Royal Canal Way7.5 km
Sli Na Sláinte Leixlip Sli4.0 km
Sli Na Sláinte Leixlip Lucan Desmense2.1 km
Griffeen Valley Walk1.1 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
4 historic parks, gardens and demesnes on the record in Lucan
Parks, gardens, walled gardens and demesne walls in the town on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, each with its record.
Demesne walls/gates/railingsLucan Housefrom 1770Regional rating (NIAH)
Walled gardenWalled garden, Lucan Roadfrom 1800Regional rating (NIAH)
Walled gardenWalled garden, Leixlip Road, Lucanfrom 1840Regional rating (NIAH)
GardenGarden, Primrose Lane, Lucanfrom 1950Regional rating (NIAH)
The oldest dated is Lucan House, from 1770.
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 Lucan: 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 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 63 | 56 | 52 | 55 | 57 | 65 | 64 | 72 | 66 | 81 | 85 | 77 |
March 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 85 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. The climate in Lucan →
Things to do
2 viewpoints and 1 waterfall
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.
2Viewpoints1Waterfalls3Picnic sites37Playgroundsabout the typical Irish town, per resident2Dog parks2Slipways
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 2
Plus 2 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 1
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 3
Plus 3 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 37
Tandy's Playgroundin town
DirectionsPlay Train0.0 km from town
DirectionsFort Lucan0.4 km from town
DirectionsPlus 34 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Slipways 2
Plus 2 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Unnamed places are counted, not listed.
Gardens & nature
A garden or nature site to visit near Lucan
Gardens, national parks, nature sites and islands within 15 km of the town’s edge, each with its own page.
Saint Stephen's GreenGarden · 10.0 km from town
Its pagePlaces to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.
Next door
Next to Lucan
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
EskerBallyowenDeansrathLeixlipRonanstownPalmerstonLucan
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucan | 96% | 9.9 | 6.8 | 0.2% |
| Esker 1.6 km | 98% | 5.0 | 10.5 | 0.1% |
| Ballyowen 2.3 km | 100% | 5.3 | 7.5 | 0% |
| Deansrath 3.5 km | 93% | 13.8 | 7.9 | 0% |
| Leixlip 3.6 km | 79% | 18.6 | 3.6 | 0.5% |
| Ronanstown 4.0 km | 85% | 6.3 | 6.6 | 0% |
| Palmerston 4.9 km | 94% | 78.1 | 6.9 | 0% |
None of the neighbours has many more of its people near a park than Lucan. Palmerston has at least twice Lucan’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 Lucan
What is the biggest park in Lucan?
Saint Catherine's Park, 99 ha (244 acres), just outside the built-up area. Griffeen Valley Park (27 ha) is second. 9 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the neighbourhood or within 400 m of it.
Is there protected countryside near Lucan?
One protected site lies within 5 km, though it covers under 1% of the land. The nearest is Rye Water Valley/Carton SAC, 1.2 km from the edge of town.
What are the best walks near Lucan?
4 waymarked trails start within 5 km, including the Grand Canal Way, National Famine Way and Royal Canal Way.
How many people in Lucan live near a park?
96% 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 Lucan?
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 Lucan near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Wicklow Mountains National Park, 12 km south-east of the town’s edge; it covers about 223 km².
What is there to do outdoors around Lucan?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 2 viewpoints, 1 waterfall and 3 picnic sites; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Which parks in Lucan are historic?
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage records 4 historic parks, gardens and demesnes in the town, among them Garden, Primrose Lane, Lucan, Walled garden, Leixlip Road, Lucan and Walled garden, Lucan Road.
Sources
Where Lucan’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).