First pick
Malahide Castle
Park or garden
106 ha12.3 km of path
2 h 45 minto walk all 12.3 km of path
Centralin the middle of Malahide
Malahide Castle Access Road
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Zenit · CC BY-SA 3.0100%near a park
Outdoors in Malahide · parks, paths & countryside
Malahide is on the coast
The sea makes up 32% of the area within 5 km. There are 11.3 ha of parks and playing fields for every 1,000 people in Malahide, against 4.1 in the typical Irish town. Wicklow Mountains National Park begins 23 km away.
Near a park
100%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
11.3 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
61 km
2.4 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical Irish town: 2.1 km per km²
Protected for nature
2.1%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: North-West Irish Sea cSPA
Woodland
3.4%
of the town and 1 km around it
Typical Irish town: 2.7%
The sea
32%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Malahide?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
On the coast32% of the area within 5 km is sea.A park on every doorstep100% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.Room to roam11.3 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 84% of Irish towns.Protected land nearbyNorth-West Irish Sea cSPA reaches the edge of Malahide.
Malahide’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by parks close to every home.
Against other towns
How Malahide 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 space11.3 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
85out of 100
Footpaths2.4 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
52out of 100
Protected for nature2.1%of the land within 5 km
52out of 100
Woodland3.4%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
59out of 100
The sea32%of the area within 5 km
90out 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
Malahide has the 14th fewest footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (15,588 to 22,549 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
Malahide2.4
Towns its size3.6
Co. Dublin towns5.4
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Malahide11.3
Towns its size4.2
Co. Dublin towns7.6
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Malahide100%
Towns its size98%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
Against towns its size, Malahide stands out most for park space per resident: only 9 of the other 39 have more. It falls furthest behind on path per km², where 26 of the others do better.
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 | Stoneybatter Dublin | 7.5 | 1.6% | 0% | – |
| 6 | The Liberties Dublin | 7.4 | 0.5% | 0% | – |
| 7 | Carpenterstown Dublin | 7.3 | 11% | 0% | – |
| 8 | Mulhuddart Dublin | 6.6 | 4% | 0% | – |
| 9 | Stillorgan Dublin | 6.5 | 3% | 0.1% | 17% |
| 10 | Ballymun Dublin | 6.5 | 2.6% | 0% | – |
| 11 | Clonsilla Dublin | 6.4 | 3% | 0.1% | – |
| 12 | Ballinteer Dublin | 6.2 | 7.1% | 2.8% | – |
| 13 | Dundrum Dublin | 6.2 | 4.7% | 1.3% | 6.7% |
| 14 | Rathmines East Dublin | 5.9 | 2.3% | 0.1% | 13% |
| 15 | Rathfarnham Dublin | 5.5 | 4.8% | 0.1% | – |
| 16 | Crumlin Dublin | 5.4 | 0.8% | 0% | – |
| 17 | Templeogue Dublin | 5.2 | 3.8% | 0.1% | – |
| 18 | Cabinteely Dublin | 5.1 | 7.6% | 1.1% | 29% |
| 19 | East Wall Dublin | 4.1 | 1% | 3.5% | 27% |
| 20 | Maynooth Kildare | 3.7 | 3.9% | 0.5% | – |
| 21 | Sandymount Dublin | 3.6 | 1.2% | 3.6% | 35% |
| 22 | Leixlip Kildare | 3.6 | 7.7% | 0.5% | – |
| 23 | Clontarf East Dublin | 3.1 | 3% | 6.1% | 38% |
| 24 | Dún Laoghaire Dublin | 3 | 0.5% | 0.3% | 56% |
| 25 | Beaumont Dublin | 2.9 | 2% | 3.4% | 9.7% |
| 26 | Celbridge Kildare | 2.4 | 6.9% | 0.5% | – |
| 27 | Malahide Dublin | 2.4 | 3.4% | 2.1% | 32% |
| 28 | Greystones-Delgany Wicklow | 2.2 | 11% | 5% | 35% |
| 29 | Douglas Cork | 1.7 | 4.6% | 5% | – |
| 30 | Ashbourne Meath | 1.6 | 0.3% | 0% | – |
| 31 | Knocknacarra Galway | 1.6 | 3.4% | 32% | 34% |
| 32 | Ballincollig Cork | 1.3 | 8.4% | 0% | – |
| 33 | Laytown-Bettystown-Mornington-Donacarney Meath | 1.2 | 0.5% | 4.4% | 39% |
| 34 | Sligo Sligo | 1.2 | 6.1% | 9.5% | 18% |
| 35 | Clonmel Tipperary | 1.1 | 14% | 3.9% | – |
| 36 | Wexford Wexford | 1.1 | 3.8% | 13% | 22% |
| 37 | Dooradoyle Limerick | 1 | 2.6% | 7.7% | – |
| 38 | Carrigaline Cork | 0.9 | 6.5% | 0.2% | 6.7% |
| 39 | Letterkenny Donegal | 0.7 | 4.9% | 4.3% | 5.3% |
| 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 Malahide’s urban area.
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 Malahide
The biggest is Malahide Castle, 106 ha (262 acres).
All 8 named parks and woods by size: 150 ha (370 acres) and 17 km of path
Parks & gardens 148 haWoods 2.1 ha
The two biggest, Malahide Castle and Robswall Park, are 94% of the named green space and carry 16 km of path between them. 4 of the 8 are under 2 ha.
Robswall Park
Park or garden
35 ha3.8 km of path
50 minto walk all 3.8 km of path
2.5 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Talbot Botanic Garden
Park or garden
1.6 ha0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
Centralin the middle of Malahide
Directionsto a point inside
Gainsborough Green
Park or garden
2.7 ha0.1 km of path
1.1 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
The Green
Park or garden
0.7 ha0.2 km of path
1.2 km north-eastfrom 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
Everyone in Malahide 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%)
Malahide100%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees.
Protected areas
Protected sites cover 2.1% of the land within 5 km of Malahide
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 Malahide1.7%
Within 5 km2.1%
Co. Dublin towns0.2%
Typical Irish town1.8%
10 protected sites lie within 5 km of Malahide. Proposed Natural Heritage Areas cover 3.3% 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.
North-West Irish Sea cSPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 2,333 km² · reaches Malahide
NPWS pageMalahide Estuary SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 7.9 km² · reaches Malahide
NPWS pageMalahide Estuary SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 7.7 km² · reaches Malahide
NPWS pageBaldoyle Bay SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 5.3 km² · 1.6 km from the edge
NPWS pageBaldoyle Bay SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 2.6 km² · 1.7 km from the edge
NPWS pageRockabill to Dalkey Island SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 273 km² · 3.3 km from the edge
NPWS pageRogerstown Estuary SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 5.4 km² · 4.1 km from the edge
NPWS pageRogerstown Estuary SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 6.5 km² · 4.3 km from the edge
NPWS pageIreland's Eye SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 2.1 km² · 4.5 km from the edge
NPWS pageIreland's Eye SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 0.4 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 23 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
23 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
61 km of footpaths cross Malahide
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
61 km
over 25.3 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
3.4%
about 0.9 km² of mapped woods
Km per km², town and 1 km around · mapped on OpenStreetMap
MalahideCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths2.4
03.57 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
MalahideCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Woodland3.4%
0%50%100%
Malahide has more footpath per km² than 52% of Irish towns and more woodland than 59% of Irish towns.
Footpaths and woods: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Woods are mapped cover, private and Coillte forests included.
Footpaths & trails
Footpaths in and around Malahide
61 km of footpaths are mapped in Malahide and the kilometre around it, 2.4 km for every square kilometre (the typical Irish town has 2.1).
No waymarked trail starts within 5 km of Malahide; its footpaths are counted above.
Trails: Sport Ireland National Trails Register (CC BY 4.0), registered trails within 5 km; footpaths: OpenStreetMap (ODbL). 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 Malahide
Parks, gardens, walled gardens and demesne walls in the town on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, each with its record.
Demesne walls/gates/railingsMalahide Castlefrom 1880Regional rating (NIAH)
The oldest dated is Malahide Castle, from 1880.
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 Malahide: May to July and 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 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 58 | 48 | 51 | 50 | 53 | 60 | 58 | 69 | 62 | 75 | 80 | 68 |
February is the driest month (48 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7.5 hours of daylight in December, and 80 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. The climate in Malahide →
The coast
The coast and bathing waters near Malahide
32% of the area within 5 km of Malahide is sea. 2 bathing waters are within 5 km, each with its latest class.
Portmarnock, Velvet Strand BeachExcellent (2025) · 0.6 km from town
beaches.ieDonabate, Balcarrick BeachExcellent (2025) · 3.2 km from town
beaches.ie2 of the 2 are rated excellent, Portmarnock, Velvet Strand Beach among them.
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
2 viewpoints and 23 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.
Every named place, with directions
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 23
Robswall Playgroundin town
DirectionsYard0.1 km from town
DirectionsPlus 21 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Slipways 4
Plus 4 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 Malahide
Gardens, national parks, nature sites and islands within 15 km of the town’s edge, each with its own page.
Saint Stephen's GreenGarden · 11 km from town
Its pagePlaces to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.
Next door
Next to Malahide
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
Kinsealy-DrinanPortmarnockSwordsBelmayneClongriffinDonabateMalahide
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malahide | 100% | 11.3 | 2.4 | 2.1% |
| Kinsealy-Drinan 2.6 km | 100% | 4.1 | 2.3 | 1.1% |
| Portmarnock 2.8 km | 98% | 9.2 | 2.7 | 7.9% |
| Swords 4.7 km | 96% | 4.1 | 2.6 | 1.1% |
| Belmayne 4.7 km | 100% | 5.3 | 3.8 | 5.2% |
| Clongriffin 4.8 km | 100% | 5.4 | 5.0 | 6.6% |
| Donabate 5.1 km | 90% | 15.2 | 2.8 | 2.8% |
None of the neighbours has many more of its people near a park than Malahide.
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 Malahide
What is the biggest park in Malahide?
Malahide Castle, 106 ha (262 acres). Robswall Park (35 ha) is second. 7 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is there protected countryside near Malahide?
Yes: 2.1% of the land within 5 km is protected, across 10 sites. North-West Irish Sea cSPA reaches Malahide.
Where can you swim near Malahide?
The nearest bathing water is Portmarnock, Velvet Strand Beach, 0.6 km from town: Excellent (2025). Check beaches.ie before swimming: a notice can close a beach for the day.
How many people in Malahide 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 Malahide?
On the town’s 1991–2020 averages and its daylight: May to July and September, when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light for the place.
Is Malahide near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Wicklow Mountains National Park, 23 km south-west of the town’s edge; it covers about 223 km².
What is there to do outdoors around Malahide?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 2 viewpoints and 1 picnic site; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Which parks in Malahide are historic?
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage records one historic park, garden or demesne in the town: Malahide Castle.
Sources
Where Malahide’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)
- 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).