First pick
Terryland Forest Park
Park or garden · 260 m outside town
31 ha4.8 km of path
1 h 5 minto walk all 4.8 km of path
1.4 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Sulmac at English Wikipedia · Public domain100%near a park
Outdoors in Eyre Square · parks, paths & countryside
Eyre Square has more park space per resident than nearly 9 in 10 Irish towns
Parks and playing fields in Eyre Square add up to 13.0 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical Irish town has 4.1. The sea makes up 36% of the area within 5 km. Burren National Park begins 18 km away.
Near a park
100%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
13.0 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
54 km
3.4 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical Irish town: 2.1 km per km²
Protected for nature
14%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Lough Corrib SAC
Woodland
1.2%
of the town and 1 km around it
Typical Irish town: 2.7%
The sea
36%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors neighbourhood is Eyre Square?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Room to roam13.0 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 88% of Irish towns.A park on every doorstep100% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.Hills with a view6 mapped viewpoints, about 24× as many per resident as the typical Irish town.On the coast36% of the area within 5 km is sea.
Eyre Square’s strongest suit is plenty of park space, followed by parks close to every home.
Against other towns
How Eyre Square 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 space13.0 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
88out of 100
Footpaths3.4 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
62out of 100
Protected for nature14%of the land within 5 km
95out of 100
Woodland1.2%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
21out of 100
The sea36%of the area within 5 km
92out 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
Eyre Square has the 15th most footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (5,851 to 7,894 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From O'Connell Street (8.1 km per km²) to Roscommon (0.2 km per km²).
Footpath, km per km²
Eyre Square3.4
Towns its size2.2
Co. Galway towns2.1
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Eyre Square13.0
Towns its size4.6
Co. Galway towns5.5
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Eyre Square100%
Towns its size100%
Co. Galway towns80%
Typical Irish town92%
Against towns its size, Eyre Square stands out most for park space per resident: only 2 of the other 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | The sea | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | O'Connell Street Dublin | 8.1 | 0.6% | 0.1% | 7% |
| 2 | Temple Bar Dublin | 7.9 | 1.1% | 0.1% | 6.2% |
| 3 | Christchurch Dublin | 7.8 | 0.7% | 0.1% | – |
| 4 | Gillabbey Cork | 7.1 | 2.6% | 0.5% | – |
| 5 | South Gate Cork | 6.8 | 1% | 1.3% | – |
| 6 | Glasheen Cork | 6.4 | 2.3% | 0.5% | – |
| 7 | Castleknock Dublin | 6.2 | 9.1% | 0% | – |
| 8 | The Glen Cork | 5.7 | 4% | 1.8% | – |
| 9 | Turner's Cross Cork | 5.3 | 2.5% | 1.3% | – |
| 10 | Clongriffin Dublin | 5 | 0.2% | 6.6% | 31% |
| 11 | Santry Dublin | 4.4 | 2.8% | 0% | – |
| 12 | Ayrfield Dublin | 3.8 | 1.8% | 5.3% | 19% |
| 13 | Baldoyle Dublin | 3.7 | 0.3% | 11% | 40% |
| 14 | Perrystown Dublin | 3.6 | 1.8% | 0% | – |
| 15 | Eyre Square Galway | 3.4 | 1.2% | 14% | 36% |
| 16 | Marino Dublin | 3.3 | 2% | 2.8% | 10% |
| 17 | Farranshone Limerick | 2.8 | 1.5% | 11% | – |
| 18 | Walkinstown Dublin | 2.8 | 0.3% | 0% | – |
| 19 | Dock Limerick | 2.5 | 1.3% | 12% | – |
| 20 | Kinsealy-Drinan Dublin | 2.3 | 1.8% | 1.1% | 8.3% |
| 21 | Dunboyne Meath | 2.2 | 2.5% | 0.4% | – |
| 22 | Frankfield and Grange Cork | 2.1 | 4.3% | 2.1% | – |
| 23 | Lisduggan Waterford | 1.8 | 0% | 5.8% | – |
| 24 | Ballinfoile and Terryland Galway | 1.7 | 2.1% | 22% | 13% |
| 25 | Sallins Kildare | 1.6 | 0.8% | 0% | – |
| 26 | Dunshaughlin Meath | 1.5 | 0.4% | 0% | – |
| 27 | Monaghan Monaghan | 1.3 | 8.7% | 0% | – |
| 28 | Kells Meath | 1.3 | 6.3% | 1.1% | – |
| 29 | Caherdavin Limerick | 1.2 | 3.4% | 12% | – |
| 30 | Westport Mayo | 1.2 | 7.1% | 3.3% | 10% |
| 31 | Passage West-Monkstown Cork | 1.2 | 3.5% | 10% | 12% |
| 32 | Ballytruckle Waterford | 1 | 1.2% | 5.1% | – |
| 33 | Kinsale Cork | 0.9 | 1.3% | 0% | 21% |
| 34 | Fermoy Cork | 0.8 | 6.3% | 4.8% | – |
| 35 | Newcastle West Limerick | 0.5 | 1.5% | 7% | – |
| 36 | Edenderry Offaly | 0.4 | 7% | 1.7% | – |
| 37 | Loughrea Galway | 0.4 | 1.7% | 4.7% | – |
| 38 | Ballinasloe Galway | 0.3 | 3.7% | 9.6% | – |
| 39 | Buncrana Donegal | 0.3 | 3.3% | 12% | 23% |
| 40 | Roscommon Roscommon | 0.2 | 2.3% | 3.9% | – |
The map
Parks, woods, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Eyre Square’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 Eyre Square
The biggest is Terryland Forest Park, 31 ha (76 acres).
All 7 named parks and woods by size: 50 ha (124 acres) and 8 km of path
Parks & gardens 50 ha
The two biggest, Terryland Forest Park and South Park, are 85% of the named green space and carry 6 km of path between them. 4 of the 7 are under 2 ha.
South Park
Park or garden · 50 m outside town
12 ha1.2 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.2 km of path
1.4 km south-westfrom the centre
The Causeway
Directionsto a point inside
O'Sullivan Park
Park or garden · 240 m outside town
4.5 ha1.4 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.4 km of path
1.5 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Father Burke Park
Park or garden · 190 m outside town
1.0 ha0.3 km of path
1.6 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
The Plots
Park or garden · 290 m outside town
0.7 ha0.1 km of path
1.2 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Woodquay Park
Park or garden · 270 m outside town
0.2 ha0.2 km of path
1.2 km westfrom 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
Everyone in Eyre Square 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%)
Eyre Square100%
Co. Galway towns80%
Typical Irish town92%
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees.
Protected areas
14% of the land around Eyre Square 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 Eyre Square32%
Within 5 km14%
Co. Galway towns14%
Typical Irish town1.8%
5 protected sites lie within 5 km of Eyre Square. Proposed Natural Heritage Areas cover 10% 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.
Lough Corrib SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 257 km² · reaches Eyre Square
NPWS pageGalway Bay Complex SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 147 km² · reaches Eyre Square
NPWS pageInner Galway Bay SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 135 km² · reaches Eyre Square
NPWS pageLough Corrib SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 176 km² · 3.3 km from the edge
NPWS pageMoycullen Bogs NHANatural Heritage Area · 36 km² · 3.4 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
Burren National Park is 18 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
Burren National Park
18 km south21 km²
National Park
Connemara National Park
58 km north-west21 km²
National Park
Wild Nephin National Park
84 km north171 km²
3 of Ireland’s six National Parks are within 100 km of Eyre Square.
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
54 km of footpaths cross Eyre Square
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
54 km
over 16.2 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
1.2%
about 0.2 km² of mapped woods
Km per km², town and 1 km around · mapped on OpenStreetMap
Eyre SquareCo. Galway townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths3.4
024 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Eyre SquareCo. Galway townsTypical Irish town
Woodland1.2%
0%50%100%
Eyre Square has more footpath per km² than 62% of Irish towns and less woodland than 79% of Irish towns.
Footpaths and woods: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Woods are mapped cover, private and Coillte forests included.
Footpaths & trails
1 waymarked walk passes through or near Eyre Square
54 km of footpaths are mapped in Eyre Square and the kilometre around it, 3.4 km for every square kilometre (the typical Irish town has 2.1).
One more waymarked walk on OpenStreetMap
Local
Slí na Sláinte3.1 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 Eyre Square: 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 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 125 | 102 | 94 | 73 | 76 | 82 | 94 | 110 | 102 | 122 | 136 | 142 |
April is the driest month (73 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 19 °C). Winter days are short, about 7.5 hours of daylight in December, and 142 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. The climate in Eyre Square →
The coast
Eyre Square is a coastal town
36% of the area within 5 km of Eyre Square is sea. 3 bathing waters are within 5 km, each with its latest class.
Ballyloughane BeachGood (2025) · 0.0 km from town
beaches.ieGrattan Road BeachSufficient (2025) · 1.3 km from town
beaches.ieSalthill BeachExcellent (2025) · 3.0 km from town
beaches.ieOne of the 3 is rated excellent: Salthill Beach.
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
6 viewpoints 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.
6Viewpoints24.1× the typical Irish town, per resident1Waterfalls2Picnic sites22Playgrounds2.5× the typical Irish town, per resident4Slipways
Per resident, viewpoints stand out most: Eyre Square has 24.1× as many as the typical Irish town.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 6
Salmon Weir Bridge0.4 km from town
DirectionsPlus 5 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 1
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 2
Plus 2 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 22
Kennedy Park Playgroundin town
DirectionsCladdagh Playground0.2 km from town
DirectionsMary Byrne Playground0.3 km from town
DirectionsClaude Toft Park Playground1.5 km from town
DirectionsMerlin Woods Playground1.8 km from town
DirectionsPlus 17 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Slipways 4
Plus 4 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Unnamed places are counted, not listed.
Gardens & nature
3 gardens and nature sites to visit near Eyre Square
Gardens, national parks, nature sites and islands within 15 km of the town’s edge, each with its own page.
Eyre SquareGarden · In Eyre Square
Its pageCircle of Life National Organ Donor Commemorative GardenGarden · 2.4 km from town
Its pageRinville ParkNature site · 4.7 km from town
Its pagePlaces to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.
Next door
Next to Eyre Square
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
Woodquay and Nuns IslandMervueCladdaghMurroughNewcastleBallinfoile and TerrylandEyre Square
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eyre Square | 100% | 13.0 | 3.4 | 14% |
| Woodquay and Nuns Island 1.1 km | 100% | 9.6 | 4.5 | 14% |
| Mervue 1.5 km | 89% | 17.4 | 4.3 | 11% |
| Claddagh 1.6 km | 100% | 7.2 | 2.4 | 17% |
| Murrough 2.2 km | 100% | 13.2 | 2.3 | 10% |
| Newcastle 2.4 km | 100% | 14.4 | 5.4 | 15% |
| Ballinfoile and Terryland 2.4 km | 68% | 7.4 | 1.7 | 22% |
None of the neighbours has many more of its people near a park than Eyre Square.
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 Eyre Square
What is the biggest park in Eyre Square?
Terryland Forest Park, 31 ha (76 acres), just outside the built-up area. South Park (12 ha) is second. 7 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the neighbourhood or within 400 m of it.
Is there protected countryside near Eyre Square?
Yes: 14% of the land within 5 km is protected, across 5 sites. Lough Corrib SAC reaches Eyre Square.
Where can you swim near Eyre Square?
The nearest bathing water is Ballyloughane Beach, 0.0 km from town: Good (2025). Check beaches.ie before swimming: a notice can close a beach for the day.
How many people in Eyre Square 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 Eyre Square?
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 Eyre Square near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Burren National Park, 18 km south of the town’s edge; it covers about 21 km². 2 more are within 100 km.
What is there to do outdoors around Eyre Square?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 6 viewpoints, 1 waterfall and 2 picnic sites; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Sources
Where Eyre Square’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).