First pick
Bushy Park
Park or garden
22 ha6.3 km of path
1 h 25 minto walk all 6.3 km of path
1.7 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: 瑞丽江的河水 · CC BY-SA 4.0100%near a park
Outdoors in Rathgar · parks, paths & countryside
6 waymarked trails start within 5 km of Rathgar
Wicklow Mountains National Park begins 7.5 km away. Parks and playing fields in Rathgar add up to 9.4 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical Irish town has 4.1. 45 km of footpaths run through the neighbourhood and the kilometre around it, 4.8 for every square kilometre.
Near a park
100%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
9.4 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
45 km
4.8 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
Woodland
3.5%
of the town and 1 km around it
Typical Irish town: 2.7%
Character
What kind of outdoors neighbourhood is Rathgar?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A park on every doorstep100% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.Room to roam9.4 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 78% of Irish towns.Countryside close byWicklow Mountains National Park starts 7.5 km south-west.
Rathgar’s strongest suit is parks close to every home, followed by plenty of park space.
Against other towns
How Rathgar 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 space9.4 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
79out of 100
Footpaths4.8 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
73out of 100
Protected for nature0.1%of the land within 5 km
25out of 100
Woodland3.5%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
60out 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
Rathgar has the 10th most footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (5,228 to 6,355 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From St Stephen's Green (7.4 km per km²) to Oranmore (0.3 km per km²).
Footpath, km per km²
Rathgar4.8
Towns its size2.5
Co. Dublin towns5.4
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Rathgar9.4
Towns its size4.4
Co. Dublin towns7.6
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Rathgar100%
Towns its size98%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
Against towns its size, Rathgar stands out most for park space per resident: only 5 of the other 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | The sea | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Stephen's Green Dublin | 7.4 | 0.9% | 0.3% | 11% |
| 2 | Portobello Dublin | 7.2 | 1.2% | 0.1% | 8.8% |
| 3 | Gillabbey Cork | 7.1 | 2.6% | 0.5% | – |
| 4 | Glasheen Cork | 6.4 | 2.3% | 0.5% | – |
| 5 | Castleknock Dublin | 6.2 | 9.1% | 0% | – |
| 6 | Ballyboden Dublin | 5.9 | 4.3% | 0.5% | – |
| 7 | The Glen Cork | 5.7 | 4% | 1.8% | – |
| 8 | Edmondstown Dublin | 5.1 | 7.5% | 4.5% | – |
| 9 | Ballinlough Cork | 4.9 | 3.2% | 3.8% | – |
| 10 | Rathgar Dublin | 4.8 | 3.5% | 0.1% | – |
| 11 | Knocknaheeny Cork | 4.7 | 2.4% | 0.2% | – |
| 12 | Knockrea Cork | 4.7 | 3.1% | 3.7% | – |
| 13 | Inchicore Dublin | 4.5 | 3.9% | 0% | – |
| 14 | Ayrfield Dublin | 3.8 | 1.8% | 5.3% | 19% |
| 15 | Garryowen Limerick | 3.4 | 0.5% | 9.6% | – |
| 16 | Salthill Galway | 3.3 | 1% | 15% | 46% |
| 17 | Marino Dublin | 3.3 | 2% | 2.8% | 10% |
| 18 | Harmonstown Dublin | 3.2 | 3.8% | 5.3% | 23% |
| 19 | Galvone Limerick | 2.9 | 0.7% | 8.3% | – |
| 20 | Dock Limerick | 2.5 | 1.3% | 12% | – |
| 21 | Sutton Dublin | 2.5 | 0.7% | 12% | 48% |
| 22 | Lisduggan Waterford | 1.8 | 0% | 5.8% | – |
| 23 | Carrigtwohill Cork | 1.8 | 5.1% | 12% | – |
| 24 | Ballinfoile and Terryland Galway | 1.7 | 2.1% | 22% | 13% |
| 25 | Rathcoole Dublin | 1.6 | 2.4% | 0% | – |
| 26 | Sallins Kildare | 1.6 | 0.8% | 0% | – |
| 27 | Blessington Wicklow | 1.4 | 10% | 1.9% | – |
| 28 | Passage West-Monkstown Cork | 1.2 | 3.5% | 10% | 12% |
| 29 | Inishkenny Cork | 1.1 | 4.2% | 0.2% | – |
| 30 | Ardee Louth | 0.9 | 0.7% | 0.8% | – |
| 31 | Kinsale Cork | 0.9 | 1.3% | 0% | 21% |
| 32 | Ferrybank Kilkenny | 0.8 | 4.1% | 6.6% | – |
| 33 | Monasterevin Kildare | 0.6 | 16% | 2% | – |
| 34 | Carrick-on-Suir Tipperary | 0.5 | 9.9% | 4% | – |
| 35 | Ballybofey-Stranorlar Donegal | 0.4 | 7.7% | 2.3% | – |
| 36 | Loughrea Galway | 0.4 | 1.7% | 4.7% | – |
| 37 | Carrickmacross Monaghan | 0.3 | 5.5% | 0% | – |
| 38 | Tipperary Tipperary | 0.3 | 0.7% | 0.8% | – |
| 39 | Roscrea Tipperary | 0.3 | 3.4% | 7.9% | – |
| 40 | Oranmore Galway | 0.3 | 2% | 5.2% | 13% |
The map
Parks, woods, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Rathgar’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 Rathgar
The biggest is Bushy Park, 22 ha (56 acres).
All 10 named parks and woods by size: 48 ha (119 acres) and 15 km of path
Parks & gardens 48 ha
The two biggest, Bushy Park and Dodder Valley Park, are 74% of the named green space and carry 11 km of path between them. 5 of the 10 are under 2 ha.
Dodder Valley Park
Park or garden
13 ha5 km of path
1 h 5 minto walk all 5 km of path
2.4 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Dartry Park
Park or garden
4.4 ha1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
Centralin the middle of Rathgar
Directionsto a point inside
Palmerston Park
Park or garden
2.5 ha1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
0.9 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
Centralin the middle of Rathgar
Directionsto a point inside
Herzog Park
Park or garden
1.6 ha0.3 km of path
Centralin the middle of Rathgar
Directionsto a point inside
Marianella Gardens
Park or garden
0.6 ha0.4 km of path
Centralin the middle of Rathgar
Directionsto a point inside
Tranquilla Park
Park or garden · 350 m outside town
0.5 ha0.3 km of path
0.9 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 10 named parks and green spaces
Bushy ParkPark or garden · 22 ha · 6.3 km of path
DirectionsDodder Valley ParkPark or garden · 13 ha · 5 km of path
DirectionsDartry ParkPark or garden · 4.4 ha · 1 km of path
DirectionsPalmerston ParkPark or garden · 2.5 ha · 1 km of path
DirectionsOrwell ParkPark or garden · 2.1 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsHerzog ParkPark or garden · 1.6 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsMarianella GardensPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsTranquilla ParkPark or garden · 0.5 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsEaton Square ParkPark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsFairfield ParkPark or garden · 0.2 ha · 0.2 km of path
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 Rathgar 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%)
Rathgar100%
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, 3.5 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 Rathgar0%
Within 5 km0.1%
Co. Dublin towns0.2%
Typical Irish town1.8%
2 protected sites lie within 5 km of Rathgar. Ireland’s National Parks have a block of their own on this page; much of their land also lies inside these sites.
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 7.5 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
7.5 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
45 km of footpaths cross Rathgar
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
45 km
over 9.2 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
3.5%
about 0.3 km² of mapped woods
Registered trails
6
walking trails within 5 km
Km per km², town and 1 km around · mapped on OpenStreetMap
RathgarCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths4.8
03.57 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
RathgarCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Woodland3.5%
0%50%100%
Rathgar has more footpath per km² than 73% of Irish towns and more woodland than 60% of Irish towns.
Footpaths and woods: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Woods are mapped cover, private and Coillte forests included.
Footpaths & trails
6 waymarked trails start near Rathgar
45 km of footpaths are mapped in Rathgar and the kilometre around it, 4.8 km for every square kilometre (the typical Irish town has 2.1).
Long-distance wayGreenway
Wicklow Way128.1 km
National Famine Way168.6 km
Royal Canal Greenway Walking Trail121.4 km
Grand Canal Way117.1 km
Royal Canal Greenway - Drumcondra - Ashtown - Castleknock8.9 km
Royal Canal Way146.3 km
One cycling or paddling trail also starts within 5 km.
One more waymarked walk on OpenStreetMap
National
European long distance path E8 - part Ireland7.5 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 Rathgar: 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) | 67 | 57 | 55 | 54 | 57 | 64 | 58 | 65 | 63 | 79 | 89 | 76 |
April is the driest month (54 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7.5 hours of daylight in December, and 89 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. The climate in Rathgar →
The coast
Bathing waters near Rathgar
4.4% of the area within 5 km of Rathgar is sea. One bathing water is within 5 km.
Sandymount StrandSufficient (2025) · 3.7 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
29 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.
Per resident, playgrounds stand out most: Rathgar has 3.9× as many as the typical Irish town.
Every named place, with directions
Nature reserves 1
The Grove0.1 ha · 1.9 km from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 29
The Spotty Playground0.4 km from town
DirectionsWindy Arbour Playground0.7 km from town
DirectionsBright Horizons1.4 km from town
DirectionsRanelagh Gardens Playground1.5 km from town
DirectionsPlus 25 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Dog walking area of Belgrave Square1.0 km from town
DirectionsSource: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Unnamed places are counted, not listed.
Gardens & nature
8 gardens and nature sites to visit near Rathgar
Gardens, national parks, nature sites and islands within 15 km of the town’s edge, each with its own page.
Iveagh GardensGarden · 2.4 km from town
Its pageSaint Enda's ParkGarden · 2.5 km from town
Its pageAirfield EstateGarden · 2.5 km from town
Its pageSaint Stephen's GreenGarden · 2.7 km from town
Its pageMerrion SquareGarden · 3.0 km from town
Its pageWar Memorial GardensGarden · 4.6 km from town
Its pageDublin Garden TrailGarden · 4.8 km from town
Its pageNational Botanic GardensGarden · 6.6 km from town
Its pagePlaces to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.
Next door
Next to Rathgar
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
TerenureRathmines WestChurchtownRathmines EastClonskeaghRathfarnhamRathgar
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rathgar | 100% | 9.4 | 4.8 | 0.1% |
| Terenure 1.4 km | 100% | 8.3 | 4.9 | 0% |
| Rathmines West 1.4 km | 100% | 1.4 | 6.0 | 0.1% |
| Churchtown 1.6 km | 76% | 9.2 | 5.6 | 0.1% |
| Rathmines East 1.7 km | 100% | 3.7 | 5.9 | 0.1% |
| Clonskeagh 2.3 km | 100% | 5.1 | 6.0 | 0.1% |
| Rathfarnham 2.4 km | 98% | 12.0 | 5.5 | 0.1% |
None of the neighbours has many more of its people near a park than Rathgar.
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 Rathgar
What is the biggest park in Rathgar?
Bushy Park, 22 ha (56 acres), just outside the built-up area. Dodder Valley Park (7.0 ha) is second. 10 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the neighbourhood or within 400 m of it.
Is there protected countryside near Rathgar?
2 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, 3.5 km from the edge of town.
What are the best walks near Rathgar?
6 waymarked trails start within 5 km, including the Wicklow Way, National Famine Way and Royal Canal Greenway Walking Trail.
Where can you swim near Rathgar?
The nearest bathing water is Sandymount Strand, 3.7 km from town: Sufficient (2025). Check beaches.ie before swimming: a notice can close a beach for the day.
How many people in Rathgar 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 Rathgar?
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 Rathgar near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Wicklow Mountains National Park, 7.5 km south-west of the town’s edge; it covers about 223 km².
What is there to do outdoors around Rathgar?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 1 nature reserve; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Sources
Where Rathgar’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).