First pick
Marlay Park
Park or garden · 170 m outside town
84 ha18.5 km of path
4 h 5 minto walk all 18.5 km of path
2.3 km south-eastfrom the centre
Footpath (Under Construction)
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: The original uploader was Suckindiesel at English Wikipedia . · CC BY 2.598%near a park
Outdoors in Rathfarnham · parks, paths & countryside
Rathfarnham has more park space per resident than nearly 9 in 10 Irish towns
There are 12.0 ha of parks and playing fields for every 1,000 people in Rathfarnham, against 4.1 in the typical Irish town. Wicklow Mountains National Park begins 4.8 km away. 9 waymarked trails start within 5 km of Rathfarnham, among them the Wicklow Way and Massey's Estate - Nature trail.
Near a park
98%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
12.0 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
96 km
5.5 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 SAC
Woodland
4.8%
of the town and 1 km around it
Typical Irish town: 2.7%
Character
What kind of outdoors neighbourhood is Rathfarnham?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Room to roam12.0 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 86% of Irish towns.A park on every doorstep98% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.Hills with a view4 mapped viewpoints, about 6× as many per resident as the typical Irish town.A neighbourhood of footpaths5.5 km of path per km², more than 78% of Irish towns. The typical town has 2.1.
Rathfarnham’s strongest suit is plenty of park space, followed by parks close to every home.
Against other towns
How Rathfarnham 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 walk98%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
63out of 100
Public green space12.0 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
86out of 100
Footpaths5.5 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
78out of 100
Protected for nature0.1%of the land within 5 km
25out of 100
Woodland4.8%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
Rathfarnham has the 15th most footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (14,675 to 20,967 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
Rathfarnham5.5
Towns its size3.9
Co. Dublin towns5.4
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Rathfarnham12.0
Towns its size5.3
Co. Dublin towns7.6
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Rathfarnham98%
Towns its size98%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
Against towns its size, Rathfarnham stands out most for park space per resident: only 8 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 | 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 | Ballyowen Dublin | 7.5 | 6% | 0% | – |
| 6 | Stoneybatter Dublin | 7.5 | 1.6% | 0% | – |
| 7 | The Liberties Dublin | 7.4 | 0.5% | 0% | – |
| 8 | Carpenterstown Dublin | 7.3 | 11% | 0% | – |
| 9 | Mulhuddart Dublin | 6.6 | 4% | 0% | – |
| 10 | Stillorgan Dublin | 6.5 | 3% | 0.1% | 17% |
| 11 | Ashtown Dublin | 6.3 | 6.9% | 0% | – |
| 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 | Kimmage Dublin | 4.3 | 0.1% | 0% | – |
| 20 | East Wall Dublin | 4.1 | 1% | 3.5% | 27% |
| 21 | Belmayne Dublin | 3.8 | 1.9% | 5.2% | 25% |
| 22 | Maynooth Kildare | 3.7 | 3.9% | 0.5% | – |
| 23 | Leixlip Kildare | 3.6 | 7.7% | 0.5% | – |
| 24 | Clontarf West Dublin | 3.2 | 2.2% | 3.5% | 17% |
| 25 | Clontarf East Dublin | 3.1 | 3% | 6.1% | 38% |
| 26 | Dún Laoghaire Dublin | 3 | 0.5% | 0.3% | 56% |
| 27 | Beaumont Dublin | 2.9 | 2% | 3.4% | 9.7% |
| 28 | Darndale Dublin | 2.7 | 1.9% | 3.7% | 11% |
| 29 | Celbridge Kildare | 2.4 | 6.9% | 0.5% | – |
| 30 | Castletroy Limerick | 2.4 | 1.8% | 6.6% | – |
| 31 | Malahide Dublin | 2.4 | 3.4% | 2.1% | 32% |
| 32 | Ashbourne Meath | 1.6 | 0.3% | 0% | – |
| 33 | Knocknacarra Galway | 1.6 | 3.4% | 32% | 34% |
| 34 | Ballybane Galway | 1.5 | 3.9% | 12% | 15% |
| 35 | Laytown-Bettystown-Mornington-Donacarney Meath | 1.2 | 0.5% | 4.4% | 39% |
| 36 | Sligo Sligo | 1.2 | 6.1% | 9.5% | 18% |
| 37 | Clonmel Tipperary | 1.1 | 14% | 3.9% | – |
| 38 | Dooradoyle Limerick | 1 | 2.6% | 7.7% | – |
| 39 | Carrigaline Cork | 0.9 | 6.5% | 0.2% | 6.7% |
| 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 Rathfarnham’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 Rathfarnham
The biggest is Marlay Park, 84 ha (207 acres).
All 12 named parks and woods by size: 169 ha (418 acres) and 41 km of path
Parks & gardens 169 ha
The two biggest, Marlay Park and Bushy Park, are 63% of the named green space and carry 25 km of path between them. 4 of the 12 are under 2 ha.
Bushy Park
Park or garden
22 ha6.3 km of path
1 h 25 minto walk all 6.3 km of path
1.3 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Dodder Valley Park
Park or garden
22 ha5.2 km of path
1 h 10 minto walk all 5.2 km of path
2.2 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
St Enda's Park
Park or garden
16 ha3.6 km of path
45 minto walk all 3.6 km of path
0.8 km south-eastfrom the centre
Emmet’s Walk
Directionsto a point inside
Loreto Park
Park or garden
8.2 ha2 km of path
25 minto walk all 2 km of path
1.2 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Rathfarnham Castle Park
Park or garden
6.6 ha1.6 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.6 km of path
0.8 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Dartry Park
Park or garden · 290 m outside town
4.4 ha1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
2.5 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Orwell Park
Park or garden
2.1 ha0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
2.0 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 12 named parks and green spaces
Marlay ParkPark or garden · 84 ha · 18.5 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsBushy ParkPark or garden · 22 ha · 6.3 km of path
DirectionsDodder Valley ParkPark or garden · 22 ha · 5.2 km of path
DirectionsSt Enda's ParkPark or garden · 16 ha · 3.6 km of path
DirectionsLoreto ParkPark or garden · 8.2 ha · 2 km of path
DirectionsRathfarnham Castle ParkPark or garden · 6.6 ha · 1.6 km of path
DirectionsDartry ParkPark or garden · 4.4 ha · 1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsOrwell ParkPark or garden · 2.1 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsRegency Walled GardenPark or garden · 1.3 ha · 1.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsSt Enda's Park Walled GardenPark or garden · 0.8 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsWhitecliffPark or garden · 1.3 ha
DirectionsMarianella GardensPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.4 km of path · 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 Rathfarnham 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 (98%)Further (1.9%)
Rathfarnham98%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
About 300 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees.
Protected areas
South Dublin Bay SAC is the nearest protected area, 4.5 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 Rathfarnham0%
Within 5 km0.1%
Co. Dublin towns0.2%
Typical Irish town1.8%
4 protected sites lie within 5 km of Rathfarnham. 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 SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 7.3 km² · 4.5 km from the edge
NPWS pageSouth Dublin Bay and River Tolka Estuary SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 22 km² · 4.6 km from the edge
NPWS pageWicklow Mountains SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 345 km² · 4.7 km from the edge
NPWS pageWicklow Mountains SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 14 km² · 4.8 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 4.8 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
4.8 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
96 km of footpaths cross Rathfarnham
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
96 km
over 17.6 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
4.8%
about 0.8 km² of mapped woods
Registered trails
9
walking trails within 5 km
Km per km², town and 1 km around · mapped on OpenStreetMap
RathfarnhamCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths5.5
03.57 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
RathfarnhamCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Woodland4.8%
0%50%100%
Rathfarnham has more footpath per km² than 78% 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 Rathfarnham
96 km of footpaths are mapped in Rathfarnham and the kilometre around it, 5.5 km for every square kilometre (the typical Irish town has 2.1).
Long-distance wayWalking trail
Wicklow Way128.1 km
Massey's Estate - Nature trail2.5 km
Tibradden - Mountain Access route Tibradden/Kelly's Glen1.6 km
Dublin Mountains Way41.2 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.
5 more waymarked walks on OpenStreetMap
NationalLocal
European long distance path E8 - part Ireland10.0 km
Tymon Park Purple Slí2.7 km
Tymon Park Red Slí2.6 km
Tymon Park Yellow Slí0.8 km
Fitwalk Circuit0.6 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 Rathfarnham
Parks, gardens, walled gardens and demesne walls in the town on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, each with its record.
Demesne walls/gates/railingsRosebankfrom 1810Regional rating (NIAH)
Demesne walls/gates/railingsPearse Museumfrom 1830Regional rating (NIAH)
The oldest dated is Rosebank, from 1810.
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 Rathfarnham: 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 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 73 | 62 | 59 | 57 | 60 | 65 | 57 | 65 | 65 | 83 | 95 | 82 |
July is the driest month (57 mm) and the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7.5 hours of daylight in December, and 95 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. The climate in Rathfarnham →
The coast
Bathing waters near Rathfarnham
0.5% of the area within 5 km of Rathfarnham is sea. One bathing water is within 5 km.
Sandymount StrandSufficient (2025) · 4.8 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
4 viewpoints and 7 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.
4Viewpoints6.2× the typical Irish town, per resident7Waterfalls1Nature reserves35Playgrounds1.5× the typical Irish town, per resident1Dog parks
Per resident, viewpoints stand out most: Rathfarnham has 6.2× as many as the typical Irish town.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 4
Plus 4 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 7
Plus 7 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 1
Wildflower Meadow3.4 ha · 1.0 km from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 35
Bright Horizons0.9 km from town
DirectionsMarley Playground1.1 km from town
DirectionsChildren's Playground1.1 km from town
DirectionsWoodland Activity Area1.2 km from town
DirectionsUpper Playground1.3 km from town
DirectionsWindy Arbour Playground1.4 km from town
DirectionsThe Spotty Playground1.5 km from town
DirectionsBalrothery Play Area1.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 27 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
7 gardens and nature sites to visit near Rathfarnham
Gardens, national parks, nature sites and islands within 15 km of the town’s edge, each with its own page.
Saint Enda's ParkGarden · In Rathfarnham
Its pageAirfield EstateGarden · 2.3 km from town
Its pageIveagh GardensGarden · 3.5 km from town
Its pageSaint Stephen's GreenGarden · 3.8 km from town
Its pageMerrion SquareGarden · 4.1 km from town
Its pageWar Memorial GardensGarden · 5.0 km from town
Its pageNational Botanic GardensGarden · 7.5 km from town
Its pagePlaces to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.
Next door
Next to Rathfarnham
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
BallybodenEdmondstownChurchtownRathgarBallinteerTempleogueRathfarnham
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rathfarnham | 98% | 12.0 | 5.5 | 0.1% |
| Ballyboden 1.5 km | 100% | 7.6 | 5.9 | 0.5% |
| Edmondstown 1.6 km | 91% | 21.3 | 5.1 | 4.5% |
| Churchtown 1.7 km | 76% | 9.2 | 5.6 | 0.1% |
| Rathgar 2.4 km | 100% | 9.4 | 4.8 | 0.1% |
| Ballinteer 2.5 km | 98% | 10.1 | 6.2 | 2.8% |
| Templeogue 2.5 km | 100% | 16.9 | 5.2 | 0.1% |
None of the neighbours has many more of its people near a park than Rathfarnham.
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 Rathfarnham
What is the biggest park in Rathfarnham?
Marlay Park, 84 ha (207 acres), just outside the built-up area. Dodder Valley Park (35 ha) is second. 12 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the neighbourhood or within 400 m of it.
Is there protected countryside near Rathfarnham?
4 protected sites lie within 5 km, though together they cover under 1% of the land. The nearest is South Dublin Bay SAC, 4.5 km from the edge of town.
What are the best walks near Rathfarnham?
9 waymarked trails start within 5 km, including the Wicklow Way, Massey's Estate - Nature trail and Tibradden - Mountain Access route Tibradden/Kelly's Glen.
Where can you swim near Rathfarnham?
The nearest bathing water is Sandymount Strand, 4.8 km from town: Sufficient (2025). Check beaches.ie before swimming: a notice can close a beach for the day.
How many people in Rathfarnham live near a park?
98% 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 Rathfarnham?
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 Rathfarnham near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Wicklow Mountains National Park, 4.8 km south-west of the town’s edge; it covers about 223 km².
What is there to do outdoors around Rathfarnham?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 4 viewpoints, 7 waterfalls and 1 nature reserve; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Which parks in Rathfarnham are historic?
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage records 2 historic parks, gardens and demesnes in the town, among them Pearse Museum and Rosebank.
Sources
Where Rathfarnham’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).