First pick
Mountjoy Square Park
Park or garden
1.8 ha0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
Centralin the middle of Parnell Square
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: David Dixon · CC BY-SA 2.0100%near a park
Outdoors in Parnell Square · parks, paths & countryside
Parnell Square has more footpath per square kilometre than nearly 9 in 10 Irish towns
44 km of footpaths run through the neighbourhood and the kilometre around it, 6.6 for every square kilometre. Wicklow Mountains National Park begins 12 km away. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 100% of residents.
Near a park
100%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
1.0 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
44 km
6.6 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical Irish town: 2.1 km per km²
Protected for nature
0.1%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: South Dublin Bay and River Tolka Estuary SPA
The sea
5.6%
of the area within 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors neighbourhood is Parnell Square?
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.Hills with a view5 mapped viewpoints, about 14× as many per resident as the typical Irish town.Less park per person1.0 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical Irish town has 4.1.
Parnell Square’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by parks close to every home. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Against other towns
How Parnell Square 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 space1.0 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
5out of 100
Footpaths6.6 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
88out of 100
Protected for nature0.1%of the land within 5 km
25out of 100
Woodland0.2%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
3out of 100
The sea5.6%of the area within 5 km
69out 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
Parnell Square has the 8th most footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (8,734 to 11,704 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
Parnell Square6.6
Towns its size2.9
Co. Dublin towns5.4
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Parnell Square1.0
Towns its size4.7
Co. Dublin towns7.6
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Parnell Square100%
Towns its size96%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
Against towns its size, Parnell Square stands out most for path per km²: only 7 of the other 39 have more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 37 of the others do better.
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 | Phibsborough Dublin | 7.6 | 0.4% | 0% | – |
| 4 | Sandyford Dublin | 7.5 | 4.8% | 0.3% | 6.2% |
| 5 | Kilnamanagh Dublin | 7.4 | 3.9% | 0.5% | – |
| 6 | Palmerston Dublin | 6.9 | 8.6% | 0% | – |
| 7 | Ronanstown Dublin | 6.6 | 0.7% | 0% | – |
| 8 | Parnell Square Dublin | 6.6 | 0.2% | 0.1% | 5.6% |
| 9 | Glasnevin Dublin | 6.6 | 1.2% | 0% | – |
| 10 | Ballygall Dublin | 6.3 | 1.4% | 0% | – |
| 11 | Killiney Dublin | 6 | 7.7% | 0.5% | 45% |
| 12 | Churchtown Dublin | 5.6 | 3.3% | 0.1% | – |
| 13 | Drumcondra Dublin | 5.6 | 1.6% | 0.8% | 6.9% |
| 14 | Terenure Dublin | 4.9 | 2.1% | 0% | – |
| 15 | Monkstown Dublin | 4.2 | 0.8% | 0.3% | 38% |
| 16 | Finglas North Dublin | 4.2 | 1.2% | 0% | – |
| 17 | Shankill Dublin | 3.6 | 12% | 3.8% | 28% |
| 18 | Donaghmede Dublin | 3.5 | 2.7% | 6.2% | 31% |
| 19 | Kilmore Dublin | 3.1 | 2.2% | 3.5% | 9.5% |
| 20 | Raheny Dublin | 3.1 | 2.8% | 11% | 46% |
| 21 | Donabate Dublin | 2.8 | 6.8% | 2.8% | 32% |
| 22 | Portmarnock Dublin | 2.7 | 0.8% | 7.9% | 44% |
| 23 | Skerries Dublin | 2 | 1.7% | 0% | 53% |
| 24 | Shannon Clare | 1.8 | 3.9% | 35% | – |
| 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 | Rush Dublin | 1.1 | 0.4% | 3.7% | 51% |
| 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 | Portarlington Laois | 0.8 | 2.5% | 1.6% | – |
| 35 | Dungarvan Waterford | 0.7 | 0.7% | 1.8% | 19% |
| 36 | Gorey Wexford | 0.7 | 3.9% | 0.5% | – |
| 37 | Grantstown and Ballinakill Waterford | 0.6 | 4.5% | 10% | – |
| 38 | Longford Longford | 0.6 | 2.7% | 5.6% | – |
| 39 | Nenagh Tipperary | 0.4 | 1.8% | 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 Parnell Square’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 Parnell Square
The biggest is Mountjoy Square Park, 1.8 ha (4 acres).
All 9 named parks and woods by size: 8 ha (20 acres) and 3 km of path
Parks & gardens 8.0 ha
The two biggest, Mountjoy Square Park and King's Inns Park, are 44% of the named green space. 9 of the 9 are under 2 ha.
Blessington Street Park
Park or garden · 340 m outside town
1.5 ha0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
0.7 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
King's Inns Park
Park or garden · 170 m outside town
1.8 ha0.4 km of path
0.7 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Blessington Street Basin
Park or garden · 320 m outside town
1.0 ha0.4 km of path
0.7 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Four Master's Park
Park or garden · 330 m outside town
0.4 ha0.2 km of path
0.7 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Garden Of Remembrance
Park or garden
0.5 ha
Centralin the middle of Parnell Square
Directionsto a point inside
Liberty Park
Park or garden · 230 m outside town
0.4 ha
0.7 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 9 named parks and green spaces
Mountjoy Square ParkPark or garden · 1.8 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsBlessington Street ParkPark or garden · 1.5 ha · 0.7 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsKing's Inns ParkPark or garden · 1.8 ha · 0.4 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsBlessington Street BasinPark or garden · 1.0 ha · 0.4 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsFour Master's ParkPark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsGarden Of RemembrancePark or garden · 0.5 ha
DirectionsLiberty ParkPark or garden · 0.4 ha · just outside town
DirectionsDiamond ParkPark or garden · 0.4 ha
DirectionsWolfe Tone SquarePark or garden · 0.3 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 Parnell Square 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%)
Parnell Square100%
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 Parnell Square0%
Within 5 km0.1%
Co. Dublin towns0.2%
Typical Irish town1.8%
4 protected sites lie within 5 km of Parnell Square. 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 · 3.5 km from the edge
NPWS pageNorth Bull Island SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 19 km² · 5.0 km from the edge
NPWS pageNorth Dublin Bay SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 15 km² · 5.0 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 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 Parnell Square
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
44 km
over 6.7 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
0.2%
about 0 km² of mapped woods
Registered trails
4
walking trails within 5 km
Km per km², town and 1 km around · mapped on OpenStreetMap
Parnell SquareCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths6.6
048 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Parnell SquareCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Woodland0.2%
0%50%100%
Parnell Square has more footpath per km² than 88% of Irish towns and less woodland than 97% 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 Parnell Square
44 km of footpaths are mapped in Parnell Square 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
One cycling or paddling trail also starts within 5 km.
2 more waymarked walks on OpenStreetMap
NationalOther waymarked
The Royal Canal Way4.4 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.
History
2 historic parks, gardens and demesnes on the record in Parnell Square
Parks, gardens, walled gardens and demesne walls in the town on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, each with its record.
GardenGarden of Remembrancefrom 1965National rating (NIAH)
ParkRotunda Gardensfrom 1745Regional rating (NIAH)
The oldest dated is Rotunda Gardens, from 1745. One is rated National, the National Inventory’s second-highest rating.
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 Parnell Square: 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) | 9 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 61 | 51 | 52 | 51 | 54 | 63 | 59 | 67 | 62 | 75 | 83 | 71 |
April is the driest month (51 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7.5 hours of daylight in December, and 83 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. The climate in Parnell Square →
The coast
Parnell Square is near the sea
5.6% of the area within 5 km of Parnell Square is sea. One bathing water is within 5 km.
Sandymount StrandSufficient (2025) · 4.5 km from town
beaches.ieIt isn’t rated excellent this season.
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
5 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.
5Viewpoints13.5× the typical Irish town, per resident1Waterfalls89Playgrounds6.8× the typical Irish town, per resident
Per resident, viewpoints stand out most: Parnell Square has 13.5× as many as the typical Irish town.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 5
Former swimming area1.2 km from town
DirectionsPlus 4 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 1
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 89
Hill Street Playgroundin town
DirectionsThe Giant's Garden1.4 km from town
DirectionsWeaver's Park playground1.5 km from town
DirectionsSean O'Casey Playground1.5 km from town
DirectionsPlus 85 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 Parnell Square
Gardens, national parks, nature sites and islands within 15 km of the town’s edge, each with its own page.
Merrion SquareGarden · 1.5 km from town
Its pageSaint Stephen's GreenGarden · 1.5 km from town
Its pageNational Botanic GardensGarden · 1.7 km from town
Its pageIveagh GardensGarden · 1.7 km from town
Its pageWar Memorial GardensGarden · 3.1 km from town
Its pageSaint Anne's ParkGarden · 5.4 km from town
Its pagePlaces to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.
Next door
Next to Parnell Square
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
SummerhillPhibsboroughO'Connell StreetBallyboughStoneybatterTemple BarParnell Square
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parnell Square | 100% | 1.0 | 6.6 | 0.1% |
| Summerhill 0.4 km | 100% | 0.7 | 6.0 | 0.2% |
| Phibsborough 0.5 km | 100% | 1.3 | 7.6 | 0% |
| O'Connell Street 0.7 km | 100% | 1.6 | 8.1 | 0.1% |
| Ballybough 1.1 km | 100% | 3.3 | 5.5 | 1% |
| Stoneybatter 1.3 km | 100% | 38.8 | 7.5 | 0% |
| Temple Bar 1.3 km | 100% | 3.1 | 7.9 | 0.1% |
None of the neighbours has many more of its people near a park than Parnell Square. Ballybough, Stoneybatter and Temple Bar have at least twice Parnell Square’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 Parnell Square
What is the biggest park in Parnell Square?
King's Inns Park, 1.8 ha (4 acres), just outside the built-up area. Mountjoy Square Park (1.8 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 Parnell Square?
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 Parnell Square?
4 waymarked trails start within 5 km, including the National Famine Way, Royal Canal Way and Royal Canal Greenway - Drumcondra - Ashtown - Castleknock.
Where can you swim near Parnell Square?
The nearest bathing water is Sandymount Strand, 4.5 km from town: Sufficient (2025). Check beaches.ie before swimming: a notice can close a beach for the day.
How many people in Parnell Square 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 Parnell Square?
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 Parnell Square near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Wicklow Mountains National Park, 12 km south of the town’s edge; it covers about 223 km².
What is there to do outdoors around Parnell Square?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 5 viewpoints and 1 waterfall; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Which parks in Parnell Square are historic?
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage records 2 historic parks, gardens and demesnes in the town, among them Garden of Remembrance and Rotunda Gardens.
Sources
Where Parnell Square’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).