First pick
Kenure Woods
Park or garden
4.2 ha1.6 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.6 km of path
Centralin the middle of Rush
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Eirian Evans · CC BY-SA 2.090%near a park
Outdoors in Rush · parks, paths & countryside
Rush is on the coast
The sea makes up 51% of the area within 5 km. There are 1.4 ha of parks and playing fields for every 1,000 people in Rush, against 4.1 in the typical Irish town. 19 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 1.1 for every square kilometre.
Near a park
90%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
1.4 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
19 km
1.1 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical Irish town: 2.1 km per km²
Protected for nature
3.7%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: North-West Irish Sea cSPA
The sea
51%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Rush?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
On the coast51% of the area within 5 km is sea.Protected land nearbyNorth-West Irish Sea cSPA reaches the edge of Rush.Less park per person1.4 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical Irish town has 4.1.
Rush’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by protected land close by. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Against other towns
How Rush 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 walk90%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
45out of 100
Public green space1.4 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
12out of 100
Footpaths1.1 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
31out of 100
Protected for nature3.7%of the land within 5 km
64out of 100
Woodland0.4%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
5out of 100
The sea51%of the area within 5 km
99out 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
Rush has the 12th fewest footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (9,563 to 12,475 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
Rush1.1
Towns its size3.3
Co. Dublin towns5.4
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Rush1.4
Towns its size4.7
Co. Dublin towns7.6
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Rush90%
Towns its size94%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
Rush falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 34 of the 39 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 | Kilnamanagh Dublin | 7.4 | 3.9% | 0.5% | – |
| 5 | Palmerston Dublin | 6.9 | 8.6% | 0% | – |
| 6 | Firhouse Dublin | 6.8 | 4.4% | 4.2% | – |
| 7 | Ronanstown Dublin | 6.6 | 0.7% | 0% | – |
| 8 | Parnell Square Dublin | 6.6 | 0.2% | 0.1% | 5.6% |
| 9 | Ballygall Dublin | 6.3 | 1.4% | 0% | – |
| 10 | Summerhill Dublin | 6 | 0.4% | 0.2% | 8.5% |
| 11 | Killiney Dublin | 6 | 7.7% | 0.5% | 45% |
| 12 | Foxrock Dublin | 5.8 | 5.3% | 0.2% | 25% |
| 13 | Churchtown Dublin | 5.6 | 3.3% | 0.1% | – |
| 14 | Drumcondra Dublin | 5.6 | 1.6% | 0.8% | 6.9% |
| 15 | Finglas South Dublin | 5.6 | 1.7% | 0% | – |
| 16 | Terenure Dublin | 4.9 | 2.1% | 0% | – |
| 17 | Monkstown Dublin | 4.2 | 0.8% | 0.3% | 38% |
| 18 | Finglas North Dublin | 4.2 | 1.2% | 0% | – |
| 19 | Shankill Dublin | 3.6 | 12% | 3.8% | 28% |
| 20 | Donaghmede Dublin | 3.5 | 2.7% | 6.2% | 31% |
| 21 | Kilmore Dublin | 3.1 | 2.2% | 3.5% | 9.5% |
| 22 | Donabate Dublin | 2.8 | 6.8% | 2.8% | 32% |
| 23 | Portmarnock Dublin | 2.7 | 0.8% | 7.9% | 44% |
| 24 | Skerries Dublin | 2 | 1.7% | 0% | 53% |
| 25 | Shannon Clare | 1.8 | 3.9% | 35% | – |
| 26 | Trim Meath | 1.3 | 0.9% | 1.5% | – |
| 27 | Ratoath Meath | 1.3 | 0.4% | 0% | – |
| 28 | Kildare Kildare | 1.1 | 0.4% | 1.8% | – |
| 29 | Rush Dublin | 1.1 | 0.4% | 3.7% | 51% |
| 30 | Athy Kildare | 0.9 | 0.3% | 1.6% | – |
| 31 | Ballina Mayo | 0.8 | 3.3% | 3.5% | – |
| 32 | Tramore Waterford | 0.8 | 0.9% | 3.9% | 34% |
| 33 | Dungarvan Waterford | 0.7 | 0.7% | 1.8% | 19% |
| 34 | Gorey Wexford | 0.7 | 3.9% | 0.5% | – |
| 35 | Cavan Cavan | 0.6 | 6.7% | 5.1% | – |
| 36 | Grantstown and Ballinakill Waterford | 0.6 | 4.5% | 10% | – |
| 37 | Longford Longford | 0.6 | 2.7% | 5.6% | – |
| 38 | Nenagh Tipperary | 0.4 | 1.8% | 0% | – |
| 39 | Enniscorthy Wexford | 0.4 | 6.9% | 2.1% | – |
| 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 Rush’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 Rush
The biggest is Kenure Woods, 4.2 ha (10 acres).
All 5 named parks and woods by size: 6 ha (16 acres) and 2 km of path
Parks & gardens 6.5 ha
The two biggest, Kenure Woods and Tayleurs Point Field (The Fairy Field), are 80% of the named green space and carry 2 km of path between them. 4 of the 5 are under 2 ha.
Tayleurs Point Field (The Fairy Field)
Park or garden
1.0 ha0.4 km of path
1.2 km south-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
9 in 10 Rush 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 (90%)Further (10%)
Rush90%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
About 1,100 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 3.7% of the land within 5 km of Rush
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 Rush2.4%
Within 5 km3.7%
Co. Dublin towns0.2%
Typical Irish town1.8%
11 protected sites lie within 5 km of Rush. Proposed Natural Heritage Areas cover 4.1% 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 Rush
NPWS pageRogerstown Estuary SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 6.5 km² · reaches Rush
NPWS pageRogerstown Estuary SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 5.4 km² · reaches Rush
NPWS pageRockabill to Dalkey Island SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 273 km² · 0.4 km from the edge
NPWS pageSkerries Islands SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 2.2 km² · 3.3 km from the edge
NPWS pageSkerries Islands NHANatural Heritage Area · 2.2 km² · 3.3 km from the edge
NPWS pageMalahide Estuary SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 7.9 km² · 3.5 km from the edge
NPWS pageLambay Island SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 6.0 km² · 3.7 km from the edge
NPWS pageRockabill SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 52 km² · 3.8 km from the edge
NPWS pageLambay Island SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 4.0 km² · 3.9 km from the edge
NPWS pageOne more site is 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 33 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
33 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
19 km of footpaths cross Rush
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
19 km
over 17.9 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
0.4%
about 0.1 km² of mapped woods
Km per km², town and 1 km around · mapped on OpenStreetMap
RushCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths1.1
03.57 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
RushCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Woodland0.4%
0%50%100%
Rush has less footpath per km² than 69% of Irish towns and less woodland than 95% 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 Rush
19 km of footpaths are mapped in Rush and the kilometre around it, 1.1 km for every square kilometre (the typical Irish town has 2.1).
No waymarked trail starts within 5 km of Rush; 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 Rush
Parks, gardens, walled gardens and demesne walls in the town on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, each with its record.
Demesne walls/gates/railingsKenure Parkfrom 1720Regional rating (NIAH)
The oldest dated is Kenure Park, from 1720.
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 Rush: 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 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 60 | 48 | 50 | 49 | 53 | 61 | 59 | 70 | 63 | 76 | 81 | 68 |
February is the driest month (48 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 19 °C). Winter days are short, about 7.5 hours of daylight in December, and 81 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. The climate in Rush →
The coast
The coast and bathing waters near Rush
51% of the area within 5 km of Rush is sea. 6 bathing waters are within 5 km, each with its latest class.
Rush, South BeachGood (2025) · 0.2 km from town
beaches.ieRush, North BeachExcellent (2025) · 0.2 km from town
beaches.ieLoughshinny BeachGood (2025) · 1.3 km from town
beaches.iePortrane, the Brook BeachGood (2025) · 1.6 km from town
beaches.ieDonabate, Balcarrick BeachExcellent (2025) · 3.7 km from town
beaches.ieSkerries, South BeachExcellent (2025) · 4.9 km from town
beaches.ie3 of the 6 are rated excellent, Rush, North 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
8 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
Playgrounds 8
Hand Park Public Playgroundin town
DirectionsMariners Playgroundin town
DirectionsPlus 6 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Unnamed places are counted, not listed.
Next door
Next to Rush
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
PortraneLuskDonabateSkerriesBalrotheryMalahideRush
Under 1%1–10%10–25%25–50%50%+
In Lusk, 100% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park, more than here. Portrane, Lusk and Donabate have at least twice Rush’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 Rush
What is the biggest park in Rush?
Kenure Woods, 4.2 ha (10 acres). Tayleurs Point Field (The Fairy Field) (1.0 ha) is second. 5 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is there protected countryside near Rush?
Yes: 3.7% of the land within 5 km is protected, across 11 sites. North-West Irish Sea cSPA reaches Rush.
Where can you swim near Rush?
The nearest bathing water is Rush, South Beach, 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 Rush live near a park?
90% 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 Rush?
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 Rush near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Wicklow Mountains National Park, 33 km south-west of the town’s edge; it covers about 223 km².
Which parks in Rush are historic?
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage records one historic park, garden or demesne in the town: Kenure Park.
Sources
Where Rush’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).