First pick
Ballawley Park
Park or garden
8.7 ha2.5 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.5 km of path
1.2 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: NTF30 · CC BY-SA 4.097%near a park
Outdoors in Sandyford · parks, paths & countryside
Sandyford has more footpath per square kilometre than 9 in 10 Irish towns
Footpaths add up to 101 km in the neighbourhood and the kilometre around it, 7.5 for every square kilometre. Wicklow Mountains National Park begins 5.6 km away. 6 waymarked trails start within 5 km of Sandyford, among them the Dublin Mountains Way and Wicklow Way.
Near a park
97%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
5.0 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
101 km
7.5 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical Irish town: 2.1 km per km²
Protected for nature
0.3%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: South Dublin Bay and River Tolka Estuary SPA
Woodland
4.8%
of the town and 1 km around it
Typical Irish town: 2.7%
The sea
6.2%
of the area within 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors neighbourhood is Sandyford?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A neighbourhood of footpaths7.5 km of path per km², more than 95% of Irish towns. The typical town has 2.1.A park on every doorstep97% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.Countryside close byWicklow Mountains National Park starts 5.6 km south-west.
Sandyford’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by parks close to every home.
Against other towns
How Sandyford 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 walk97%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
59out of 100
Public green space5.0 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
58out of 100
Footpaths7.5 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
95out of 100
Protected for nature0.3%of the land within 5 km
33out of 100
Woodland4.8%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
74out of 100
The sea6.2%of the area within 5 km
71out 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
Sandyford has the 2nd most footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (7,864 to 10,117 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
Sandyford7.5
Towns its size2.4
Co. Dublin towns5.4
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Sandyford5.0
Towns its size4.2
Co. Dublin towns7.6
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Sandyford97%
Towns its size96%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
Against towns its size, Sandyford stands out most for path per km²: 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 | Parnell Square Dublin | 6.6 | 0.2% | 0.1% | 5.6% |
| 5 | Glasnevin Dublin | 6.6 | 1.2% | 0% | – |
| 6 | Killiney Dublin | 6 | 7.7% | 0.5% | 45% |
| 7 | Dubber Dublin | 5.7 | 2.1% | 0% | – |
| 8 | Churchtown Dublin | 5.6 | 3.3% | 0.1% | – |
| 9 | Ballybough Dublin | 5.5 | 1.4% | 1% | 9% |
| 10 | Booterstown Dublin | 5.4 | 2.2% | 0.2% | 29% |
| 11 | Cherry Orchard Dublin | 4.6 | 0.5% | 0% | – |
| 12 | Monkstown Dublin | 4.2 | 0.8% | 0.3% | 38% |
| 13 | Finglas North Dublin | 4.2 | 1.2% | 0% | – |
| 14 | Baldoyle Dublin | 3.7 | 0.3% | 11% | 40% |
| 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 | Kilcock Kildare | 1.7 | 2.8% | 0% | – |
| 24 | Ballyvolane Cork | 1.6 | 6.7% | 2.8% | – |
| 25 | Trim Meath | 1.3 | 0.9% | 1.5% | – |
| 26 | Monaghan Monaghan | 1.3 | 8.7% | 0% | – |
| 27 | Waterford City Centre Waterford | 1.3 | 1.5% | 6% | – |
| 28 | Ratoath Meath | 1.3 | 0.4% | 0% | – |
| 29 | Lusk Dublin | 1.1 | 0.6% | 1.3% | 6.4% |
| 30 | Youghal Cork | 0.9 | 0.6% | 13% | 29% |
| 31 | New Ross Wexford | 0.9 | 7.3% | 5.4% | – |
| 32 | Portarlington Laois | 0.8 | 2.5% | 1.6% | – |
| 33 | Dungarvan Waterford | 0.7 | 0.7% | 1.8% | 19% |
| 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 Sandyford’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 Sandyford
The biggest is Ballawley Park, 8.7 ha (21 acres).
Clonmore Park
Park or garden · 350 m outside town
4.5 ha1.4 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.4 km of path
1.2 km north-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
Almost everyone in Sandyford 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 (97%)Further (3.4%)
Sandyford97%
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 and River Tolka Estuary SPA is the nearest protected area, 3.3 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 Sandyford0%
Within 5 km0.3%
Co. Dublin towns0.2%
Typical Irish town1.8%
4 protected sites lie within 5 km of Sandyford. 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 · 3.3 km from the edge
NPWS pageSouth Dublin Bay SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 7.3 km² · 3.3 km from the edge
NPWS pageWicklow Mountains SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 345 km² · 4.8 km from the edge
NPWS pageWicklow Mountains SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 14 km² · 4.9 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 5.6 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
5.6 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
Footpaths and woods in and around Sandyford
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
101 km
over 13.4 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
4.8%
about 0.6 km² of mapped woods
Registered trails
6
walking trails within 5 km
Km per km², town and 1 km around · mapped on OpenStreetMap
SandyfordCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths7.5
04.59 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
SandyfordCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Woodland4.8%
0%50%100%
Sandyford has more footpath per km² than 95% 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
6 waymarked trails start near Sandyford
101 km of footpaths are mapped in Sandyford and the kilometre around it, 7.5 km for every square kilometre (the typical Irish town has 2.1).
Long-distance wayWalking trail
Dublin Mountains Way41.2 km
Wicklow Way128.1 km
Tibradden - Mountain Access route Tibradden/Kelly's Glen1.6 km
Tibradden Mountain Trail2.7 km
Tibradden - Mountain Access route Pine Forest/Glencullen0.6 km
Tibradden - Mountain Access route Tibradden/Pine Forest1.3 km
One cycling or paddling trail also starts within 5 km.
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.
When to get out
The best walking months in Sandyford: 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 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 78 | 65 | 63 | 60 | 63 | 69 | 59 | 67 | 68 | 89 | 103 | 86 |
July is the driest month (59 mm) and the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7.5 hours of daylight in December, and 103 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. The climate in Sandyford →
The coast
Sandyford is near the sea
6.2% of the area within 5 km of Sandyford is sea. 2 bathing waters are within 5 km, each with its latest class.
SeapointExcellent (2025) · 3.6 km from town
beaches.ieSandymount StrandSufficient (2025) · 4.8 km from town
beaches.ieOne of the 2 is rated excellent: Seapoint.
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
1 viewpoint and 1 hill or peak
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.
1Viewpoints1Hills and peaks1Nature reserves3Picnic sites39Playgrounds3.4× the typical Irish town, per resident4Dog parks
Per resident, playgrounds stand out most: Sandyford has 3.4× as many as the typical Irish town.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 1
Telshaun Hill1.9 km from town
DirectionsNature reserves 1
Fitzsimon's Wood14 ha · 0.3 km from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 3
Plus 3 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 39
Lakelands Childcare0.2 km from town
DirectionsFernhill Woodland Adventure Playground0.9 km from town
DirectionsTaney Playgound0.9 km from town
DirectionsBright Horizons1.7 km from town
DirectionsNewtown Park Playground1.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 34 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 4
Small Dog0.9 km from town
DirectionsLarge Dog1.0 km from town
DirectionsPlus 2 dog parks 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 Sandyford
Gardens, national parks, nature sites and islands within 15 km of the town’s edge, each with its own page.
Airfield EstateGarden · 0.3 km from town
Its pageDublin Garden TrailGarden · 2.6 km from town
Its pageSaint Enda's ParkGarden · 3.0 km from town
Its pageSaint Stephen's GreenGarden · 5.9 km from town
Its pagePlaces to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.
Next door
Next to Sandyford
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
StillorganDundrumStepasideBallinteerBlackrockClonskeaghSandyford
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandyford | 97% | 5.0 | 7.5 | 0.3% |
| Stillorgan 1.3 km | 100% | 3.5 | 6.5 | 0.1% |
| Dundrum 1.9 km | 98% | 5.4 | 6.2 | 1.3% |
| Stepaside 2.1 km | 98% | 4.3 | 4.3 | 6.4% |
| Ballinteer 2.6 km | 98% | 10.1 | 6.2 | 2.8% |
| Blackrock 2.8 km | 96% | 3.7 | 4.7 | 0.2% |
| Clonskeagh 3.2 km | 100% | 5.1 | 6.0 | 0.1% |
None of the neighbours has many more of its people near a park than Sandyford. Ballinteer has at least twice Sandyford’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 Sandyford
What is the biggest park in Sandyford?
Ballawley Park, 8.7 ha (21 acres), just outside the built-up area. Clonmore Park (4.5 ha) is second. 2 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the neighbourhood or within 400 m of it.
Is there protected countryside near Sandyford?
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, 3.3 km from the edge of town.
What are the best walks near Sandyford?
6 waymarked trails start within 5 km, including the Dublin Mountains Way, Wicklow Way and Tibradden - Mountain Access route Tibradden/Kelly's Glen.
Where can you swim near Sandyford?
The nearest bathing water is Seapoint, 3.6 km from town: Excellent (2025). Check beaches.ie before swimming: a notice can close a beach for the day.
How many people in Sandyford live near a park?
97% 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 Sandyford?
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 Sandyford near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Wicklow Mountains National Park, 5.6 km south-west of the town’s edge; it covers about 223 km².
What is there to do outdoors around Sandyford?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 1 viewpoint, 1 hill or peak, 1 nature reserve and 3 picnic sites; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Sources
Where Sandyford’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).