First pick
Shanganagh Park
Park or garden
33 ha7.6 km of path
1 h 40 minto walk all 7.6 km of path
0.9 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: sarah777 · CC BY-SA 2.086%near a park
Outdoors in Shankill · parks, paths & countryside
Woods cover more of Shankill than of 9 in 10 Irish towns
Mapped woodland takes up 12% of Shankill and the kilometre around it. Wicklow Mountains National Park begins 4.2 km away. 8 waymarked trails start within 5 km of Shankill, among them the Dublin Mountains Way and Carrickgollogan - Lead Mines Way - (Orange).
Near a park
86%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
8.9 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
105 km
3.6 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical Irish town: 2.1 km per km²
Protected for nature
3.8%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Ballyman Glen SAC
Woodland
12%
of the town and 1 km around it
Typical Irish town: 2.7%
The sea
28%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors neighbourhood is Shankill?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Wooded country12% mapped woodland in and around town, more than 95% of Irish towns.Hills with a view8 mapped viewpoints, about 20× as many per resident as the typical Irish town.On the coast28% of the area within 5 km is sea.Room to roam8.9 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 76% of Irish towns.
Shankill’s strongest suit is its woods, followed by its views.
Against other towns
How Shankill 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 walk86%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
39out of 100
Public green space8.9 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
77out of 100
Footpaths3.6 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
63out of 100
Protected for nature3.8%of the land within 5 km
65out of 100
Woodland12%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
96out of 100
The sea28%of the area within 5 km
87out 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
Shankill has the 19th most 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
Shankill3.6
Towns its size3.3
Co. Dublin towns5.4
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Shankill8.9
Towns its size4.7
Co. Dublin towns7.6
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Shankill86%
Towns its size94%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
Against towns its size, Shankill stands out most for park space per resident: only 12 of the other 39 have more.
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 Shankill’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 Shankill
The biggest is Shanganagh Park, 33 ha (82 acres).
All 5 named parks and woods by size: 66 ha (164 acres) and 16 km of path
Parks & gardens 66 ha
The two biggest, Shanganagh Park and Ticknick Park, are 76% of the named green space and carry 10 km of path between them.
Ticknick Park
Park or garden · 50 m outside town
17 ha2.7 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.7 km of path
2.7 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Tully Park
Park or garden · 310 m outside town
9.6 ha3.6 km of path
50 minto walk all 3.6 km of path
2.6 km north-westfrom the centre
Lehaunstown
Directionsto a point inside
Corke Abbey Valley Park
Park or garden · 390 m outside town
5.5 ha1.7 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.7 km of path
2.4 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Victorian Walled Garden
Park or garden · 280 m outside town
0.9 ha0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
2.5 km southfrom 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 Shankill 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 (86%)Further (14%)
Shankill86%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
About 1,600 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees.
Protected areas
3.8% of the land around Shankill is protected for nature
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 Shankill0%
Within 5 km3.8%
Co. Dublin towns0.2%
Typical Irish town1.8%
7 protected sites lie within 5 km of Shankill. Proposed Natural Heritage Areas cover 4.4% 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.
Ballyman Glen SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 0.2 km² · 1.3 km from the edge
NPWS pageRockabill to Dalkey Island SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 273 km² · 1.5 km from the edge
NPWS pageKnocksink Wood SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 0.9 km² · 2.3 km from the edge
NPWS pageBray Head SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 2.6 km² · 2.8 km from the edge
NPWS pageDalkey Islands SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 0.8 km² · 3.1 km from the edge
NPWS pageWicklow Mountains SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 345 km² · 4.1 km from the edge
NPWS pageWicklow Mountains SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 287 km² · 4.1 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 4.2 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
4.2 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
105 km of footpaths cross Shankill
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
105 km
over 29.4 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
12%
about 3.4 km² of mapped woods
Registered trails
8
walking trails within 5 km
Km per km², town and 1 km around · mapped on OpenStreetMap
ShankillCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths3.6
03.57 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
ShankillCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Woodland12%
0%50%100%
Shankill has more footpath per km² than 63% of Irish towns and more woodland than 96% of Irish towns.
Footpaths and woods: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Woods are mapped cover, private and Coillte forests included.
Footpaths & trails
Shankill is on the Dublin Mountains Way
105 km of footpaths are mapped in Shankill and the kilometre around it, 3.6 km for every square kilometre (the typical Irish town has 2.1).
Long-distance wayWalking trail
Dublin Mountains Way41.2 km
Carrickgollogan - Lead Mines Way - (Orange)2.3 km
Carrickgollogan - Mountain Access route2.0 km
Barnaslingan - Scalp Lookout Trail (Red)1.4 km
Barnaslingan - Pine loop trail (Blue)0.9 km
Bray Head Loop Walk5.9 km
Wicklow Way128.1 km
Belmont Way5.0 km
The Dublin Mountains Way (41 km end to end) passes through Shankill. For a shorter walk, the Bray Head Loop Walk is 5.9 km, graded moderate. 2 cycling or paddling trails also start within 5 km.
One more waymarked walk on OpenStreetMap
Other waymarked
Rathmichael Walk1.8 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 Shankill: 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 | 16.9 | 16.5 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| High (°C) | 9 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 79 | 68 | 64 | 61 | 62 | 69 | 59 | 69 | 69 | 92 | 105 | 89 |
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 105 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. The climate in Shankill →
The coast
Shankill is a coastal town
28% of the area within 5 km of Shankill is sea. 5 bathing waters are within 5 km, each with its latest class.
KillineyExcellent (2025) · 1.2 km from town
beaches.ieBray South PromenadeGood (2025) · 2.0 km from town
beaches.ieWhite Rock BeachExcellent (2025) · 2.3 km from town
beaches.ieSandycove BeachGood (2025) · 4.7 km from town
beaches.ieForty Foot Bathing PlaceExcellent (2025) · 4.8 km from town
beaches.ie3 of the 5 are rated excellent, Killiney 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 viewpoints, 3 hills and peaks and 1 waterfall
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.
8Viewpoints19.9× the typical Irish town, per resident3Hills and peaks1Waterfalls5Nature reserves34Playgrounds2.4× the typical Irish town, per resident3Dog parks
Per resident, viewpoints stand out most: Shankill has 19.9× as many as the typical Irish town. The highest named top on the map is Carrickgollogan Hill, at 328 m, 0.5 km from town.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 8
Plus 8 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 3
Carrickgollogan Hill328 m · 0.5 km from town
DirectionsBarnaslingan Hill290 m · 1.1 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 peak without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 1
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 5
Loughlinstown Woods8.0 ha · 0.2 km from town
DirectionsDingle Glen7.8 ha · 0.5 km from town
DirectionsBarnaslingan Wood42 ha · 0.9 km from town
DirectionsBallybetagh Bog5.0 ha · 1.4 km from town
DirectionsBallyman Glen22 ha · 1.7 km from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 34
Plus 34 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 3
Plus 3 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 Shankill
Gardens, national parks, nature sites and islands within 15 km of the town’s edge, each with its own page.
Festina Lente GardensGarden · 0.3 km from town
Its pageMornington GardenGarden · 2.9 km from town
Its pagePowerscourt House & GardensGarden · 4.6 km from town
Its pageSaint Stephen's GreenGarden · 12 km from town
Its pagePlaces to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.
Next door
Next to Shankill
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
KillineyBallybrackCabinteelyBrayDalkeyFoxrockShankill
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shankill | 86% | 8.9 | 3.6 | 3.8% |
| Killiney 2.1 km | 100% | 13.6 | 6.0 | 0.5% |
| Ballybrack 3.0 km | 100% | 18.4 | 8.6 | 0.2% |
| Cabinteely 3.4 km | 100% | 12.0 | 5.1 | 1.1% |
| Bray 4.1 km | 89% | 2.9 | 2.1 | 3.4% |
| Dalkey 4.9 km | 94% | 8.2 | 2.6 | 0.2% |
| Foxrock 4.9 km | 100% | 9.4 | 5.8 | 0.2% |
In Killiney, 100% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park, more than here. Ballybrack has at least twice Shankill’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 Shankill
What is the biggest park in Shankill?
Shanganagh Park, 33 ha (82 acres). Ticknick Park (17 ha) is second. 5 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the neighbourhood or within 400 m of it.
Is there protected countryside near Shankill?
Yes: 3.8% of the land within 5 km is protected, across 7 sites. The nearest is Ballyman Glen SAC, 1.3 km from the edge of town.
What are the best walks near Shankill?
8 waymarked trails start within 5 km, including the Dublin Mountains Way, Carrickgollogan - Lead Mines Way - (Orange) and Carrickgollogan - Mountain Access route.
Where can you swim near Shankill?
The nearest bathing water is Killiney, 1.2 km from town: Excellent (2025). Check beaches.ie before swimming: a notice can close a beach for the day.
How many people in Shankill live near a park?
86% 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 Shankill?
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 Shankill near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Wicklow Mountains National Park, 4.2 km south-west of the town’s edge; it covers about 223 km².
What is there to do outdoors around Shankill?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 8 viewpoints, 3 hills and peaks, 1 waterfall and 5 nature reserves; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Sources
Where Shankill’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).