First pick
St Anne's Park
Park or garden
120 ha19.1 km of path
4 h 15 minto walk all 19.1 km of path
1.7 km south-westfrom the centre
Forest PathRidge WalkRiver Path+5 paths
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: William Murphy · CC BY-SA 3.093%near a park
Outdoors in Raheny · parks, paths & countryside
Raheny has more park space per resident than 9 in 10 Irish towns
There are 31.6 ha of parks and playing fields for every 1,000 people in Raheny, against 4.1 in the typical Irish town. The sea makes up 46% of the area within 5 km. 4 waymarked trails start within 5 km of Raheny, among them the Howth - Bog of Frogs Loop and Howth - Black Linn Loop.
Near a park
93%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
31.6 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
56 km
3.1 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical Irish town: 2.1 km per km²
Protected for nature
11%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: North Bull Island SPA
Woodland
2.8%
of the town and 1 km around it
Typical Irish town: 2.7%
The sea
46%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors neighbourhood is Raheny?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Room to roam31.6 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 96% of Irish towns.On the coast46% of the area within 5 km is sea.Countryside close byWicklow Mountains National Park starts 18 km south-west.Protected land nearbyNorth Bull Island SPA reaches the edge of Raheny.
Raheny’s strongest suit is plenty of park space, followed by the sea.
Against other towns
How Raheny 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 walk93%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
50out of 100
Public green space31.6 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
96out of 100
Footpaths3.1 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
58out of 100
Protected for nature11%of the land within 5 km
90out of 100
Woodland2.8%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
52out of 100
The sea46%of the area within 5 km
98out 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
Raheny has the 17th most footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (7,581 to 10,077 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
Raheny3.1
Towns its size2.4
Co. Dublin towns5.4
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Raheny31.6
Towns its size4.5
Co. Dublin towns7.6
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Raheny93%
Towns its size96%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
Against towns its size, Raheny stands out most for park space per resident: only 1 of the other 39 has more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | The sea | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cabra West Dublin | 7.8 | 4.5% | 0% | – |
| 2 | Sandyford Dublin | 7.5 | 4.8% | 0.3% | 6.2% |
| 3 | Grand Canal Dock Dublin | 6.6 | 0.9% | 1.4% | 16% |
| 4 | Glasnevin Dublin | 6.6 | 1.2% | 0% | – |
| 5 | Killiney Dublin | 6 | 7.7% | 0.5% | 45% |
| 6 | Dubber Dublin | 5.7 | 2.1% | 0% | – |
| 7 | Churchtown Dublin | 5.6 | 3.3% | 0.1% | – |
| 8 | Ballybough Dublin | 5.5 | 1.4% | 1% | 9% |
| 9 | Booterstown Dublin | 5.4 | 2.2% | 0.2% | 29% |
| 10 | Cherry Orchard Dublin | 4.6 | 0.5% | 0% | – |
| 11 | Monkstown Dublin | 4.2 | 0.8% | 0.3% | 38% |
| 12 | Finglas North Dublin | 4.2 | 1.2% | 0% | – |
| 13 | Baldoyle Dublin | 3.7 | 0.3% | 11% | 40% |
| 14 | Perrystown Dublin | 3.6 | 1.8% | 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 | Farranshone Limerick | 2.8 | 1.5% | 11% | – |
| 19 | Donabate Dublin | 2.8 | 6.8% | 2.8% | 32% |
| 20 | Dalkey Dublin | 2.6 | 3.5% | 0.2% | 60% |
| 21 | Howth Dublin | 2.2 | 2.4% | 18% | 75% |
| 22 | Hollyhill and Ballincolly Cork | 2.1 | 7.2% | 0.5% | – |
| 23 | Frankfield and Grange Cork | 2.1 | 4.3% | 2.1% | – |
| 24 | Kilcock Kildare | 1.7 | 2.8% | 0% | – |
| 25 | Ballyvolane Cork | 1.6 | 6.7% | 2.8% | – |
| 26 | Trim Meath | 1.3 | 0.9% | 1.5% | – |
| 27 | Monaghan Monaghan | 1.3 | 8.7% | 0% | – |
| 28 | Waterford City Centre Waterford | 1.3 | 1.5% | 6% | – |
| 29 | Ratoath Meath | 1.3 | 0.4% | 0% | – |
| 30 | Lusk Dublin | 1.1 | 0.6% | 1.3% | 6.4% |
| 31 | Youghal Cork | 0.9 | 0.6% | 13% | 29% |
| 32 | New Ross Wexford | 0.9 | 7.3% | 5.4% | – |
| 33 | Portarlington Laois | 0.8 | 2.5% | 1.6% | – |
| 34 | Grantstown and Ballinakill Waterford | 0.6 | 4.5% | 10% | – |
| 35 | Clane Kildare | 0.6 | 1.9% | 1.5% | – |
| 36 | Thurles Tipperary | 0.5 | 2.8% | 1.2% | – |
| 37 | Nenagh Tipperary | 0.4 | 1.8% | 0% | – |
| 38 | Bandon Cork | 0.4 | 5.6% | 0% | – |
| 39 | Edenderry Offaly | 0.4 | 7% | 1.7% | – |
| 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 Raheny’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 Raheny
The biggest is St Anne's Park, 120 ha (298 acres).
St. Annes Woods
Wood or forest
23 ha5.7 km of path
1 h 15 minto walk all 5.7 km of path
1.4 km south-westfrom the centre
Forest PathRidge WalkRiver Path+4 paths
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 Raheny 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 (93%)Further (7.5%)
Raheny93%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
About 700 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees.
Protected areas
Protected sites cover 11% of the land within 5 km of Raheny
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 Raheny48%
Within 5 km11%
Co. Dublin towns0.2%
Typical Irish town1.8%
12 protected sites lie within 5 km of Raheny. Proposed Natural Heritage Areas cover 10% 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 Bull Island SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 19 km² · reaches Raheny
NPWS pageNorth Dublin Bay SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 15 km² · reaches Raheny
NPWS pageBaldoyle Bay SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 5.3 km² · 1.0 km from the edge
NPWS pageBaldoyle Bay SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 2.6 km² · 1.0 km from the edge
NPWS pageNorth-West Irish Sea cSPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 2,333 km² · 1.2 km from the edge
NPWS pageHowth Head SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 3.8 km² · 1.5 km from the edge
NPWS pageSouth Dublin Bay and River Tolka Estuary SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 22 km² · 1.9 km from the edge
NPWS pageRockabill to Dalkey Island SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 273 km² · 2.4 km from the edge
NPWS pageSouth Dublin Bay SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 7.3 km² · 3.3 km from the edge
NPWS pageIreland's Eye SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 2.1 km² · 3.6 km from the edge
NPWS page2 more sites are within 5 km.
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 18 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
18 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
56 km of footpaths cross Raheny
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
56 km
over 18.2 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
2.8%
about 0.5 km² of mapped woods
Registered trails
4
walking trails within 5 km
Km per km², town and 1 km around · mapped on OpenStreetMap
RahenyCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths3.1
03.57 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
RahenyCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Woodland2.8%
0%50%100%
Raheny has more footpath per km² than 58% of Irish towns and more woodland than 52% 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 Raheny
56 km of footpaths are mapped in Raheny and the kilometre around it, 3.1 km for every square kilometre (the typical Irish town has 2.1).
Walking trail
Howth - Bog of Frogs Loop12.1 km
Howth - Black Linn Loop8.1 km
Howth - Cliff Path Loop7.8 km
Howth - Tramline Loop7.0 km
For a shorter walk, the Howth - Bog of Frogs Loop is 12.1 km, graded strenuous.
One more waymarked walk on OpenStreetMap
Local
Howth Cliff Walk3.4 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 Raheny: 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 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 59 | 50 | 51 | 50 | 54 | 62 | 60 | 70 | 63 | 75 | 82 | 68 |
February is the driest month (50 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7.5 hours of daylight in December, and 82 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. The climate in Raheny →
The coast
Raheny is a coastal town
46% of the area within 5 km of Raheny is sea. 4 bathing waters are within 5 km, each with its latest class.
Dollymount StrandGood (2025) · 0.2 km from town
beaches.ieSutton, Burrow BeachExcellent (2025) · 1.6 km from town
beaches.ieClaremont BeachSufficient (2025) · 2.6 km from town
beaches.ieHalf MoonExcellent (2025) · 3.2 km from town
beaches.ie2 of the 4 are rated excellent, Sutton, Burrow 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
9 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
Nature reserves 1
Bull Island Wildlife Only Area87 ha · in town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 9
St. Annes Playground0.7 km from town
DirectionsPlus 8 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Unnamed places are counted, not listed.
Gardens & nature
4 gardens and nature sites to visit near Raheny
Gardens, national parks, nature sites and islands within 15 km of the town’s edge, each with its own page.
Saint Anne's ParkGarden · 0.8 km from town
Its pageSt Anne's Park and Rose GardensGarden · 0.9 km from town
Its pageIreland's EyeIsland · 4.2 km from town
Its pageSaint Stephen's GreenGarden · 7.2 km from town
Its pagePlaces to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.
Next door
Next to Raheny
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
DonaghmedeEdenmoreSuttonAyrfieldClongriffinBaldoyleRaheny
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raheny | 93% | 31.6 | 3.1 | 11% |
| Donaghmede 0.8 km | 100% | 7.1 | 3.5 | 6.2% |
| Edenmore 1.7 km | 100% | 18.8 | 2.8 | 5.9% |
| Sutton 1.8 km | 100% | 6.6 | 2.5 | 12% |
| Ayrfield 1.9 km | 100% | 10.7 | 3.8 | 5.3% |
| Clongriffin 2.1 km | 100% | 5.4 | 5.0 | 6.6% |
| Baldoyle 2.2 km | 97% | 6.5 | 3.7 | 11% |
In Donaghmede, 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 Raheny
What is the biggest park in Raheny?
St Anne's Park, 120 ha (298 acres), just outside the built-up area. 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the neighbourhood or within 400 m of it.
Is there protected countryside near Raheny?
Yes: 11% of the land within 5 km is protected, across 12 sites. North Bull Island SPA reaches Raheny.
What are the best walks near Raheny?
4 waymarked trails start within 5 km, including the Howth - Bog of Frogs Loop, Howth - Black Linn Loop and Howth - Cliff Path Loop.
Where can you swim near Raheny?
The nearest bathing water is Dollymount Strand, 0.2 km from town: Good (2025). Check beaches.ie before swimming: a notice can close a beach for the day.
How many people in Raheny live near a park?
93% 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 Raheny?
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 Raheny near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Wicklow Mountains National Park, 18 km south-west of the town’s edge; it covers about 223 km².
What is there to do outdoors around Raheny?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 1 nature reserve; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Sources
Where Raheny’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
- 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).