First pick
Bane Field
Park or garden · 170 m outside town
1.2 ha
1.1 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Sarah777 at English Wikipedia · Public domain76%near a park
Outdoors in Ballina · parks, paths & countryside
6 waymarked trails start within 5 km of Ballina
14 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 0.9 for every square kilometre. 76% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. 4.7% of the land within 5 km is protected for nature, the nearest site being Lower River Shannon SAC.
Near a park
76%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
4.1 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
14 km
0.9 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical Irish town: 2.1 km per km²
Protected for nature
4.7%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Lower River Shannon SAC
Woodland
1.8%
of the town and 1 km around it
Typical Irish town: 2.7%
Against other towns
How Ballina 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 walk76%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
29out of 100
Public green space4.1 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
50out of 100
Footpaths0.9 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
26out of 100
Protected for nature4.7%of the land within 5 km
71out of 100
Woodland1.8%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
34out 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
Ballina has the 18th most footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (2,596 to 3,300 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From Ballybrack (8.6 km per km²) to Sixmilebridge (0 km per km²).
Footpath, km per km²
Ballina0.9
Towns its size0.7
Co. Tipperary towns0.5
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Ballina4.1
Towns its size3.4
Co. Tipperary towns3.2
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Ballina76%
Towns its size83%
Co. Tipperary towns83%
Typical Irish town92%
Against towns its size, Ballina stands out most for path per km²: only 17 of the other 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | The sea | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ballybrack Dublin | 8.6 | 8% | 0.2% | 36% |
| 2 | Sunday's Well Cork | 7.3 | 2.7% | 0.4% | – |
| 3 | Blackpool Cork | 6.6 | 3% | 1.4% | – |
| 4 | Carna Dublin | 5.4 | 1.7% | 0% | – |
| 5 | Taylor's Hill Galway | 5.1 | 1.2% | 15% | 37% |
| 6 | Togher Cork | 5 | 1.5% | 0.5% | – |
| 7 | Decies Dublin | 4.8 | 7.2% | 0% | – |
| 8 | Mayfield Cork | 4.7 | 5.3% | 3.3% | – |
| 9 | Edenmore Dublin | 2.8 | 3.6% | 5.9% | 24% |
| 10 | Ballynanty Limerick | 2.5 | 5.7% | 12% | – |
| 11 | Claddagh Galway | 2.4 | 0.2% | 17% | 46% |
| 12 | Murrough Galway | 2.3 | 5.1% | 10% | 26% |
| 13 | Blarney Cork | 1.4 | 14% | 0% | – |
| 14 | Kilbarry Waterford | 1.3 | 1.6% | 5.1% | – |
| 15 | Crosshaven Cork | 1.2 | 8.9% | 0.4% | 44% |
| 16 | Virginia Cavan | 1.1 | 18% | 0.2% | – |
| 17 | Bantry Cork | 1 | 4.4% | 0% | 18% |
| 18 | Ballina Tipperary | 0.9 | 1.8% | 4.7% | – |
| 19 | Moate Westmeath | 0.7 | 2.4% | 2.4% | – |
| 20 | Callan Kilkenny | 0.7 | 0.1% | 2.3% | – |
| 21 | Tower Cork | 0.7 | 13% | 0% | – |
| 22 | Kingscourt Cavan | 0.7 | 12% | 0% | – |
| 23 | Athboy Meath | 0.6 | 1.1% | 1.5% | – |
| 24 | Bundoran Donegal | 0.5 | 2% | 5.1% | 35% |
| 25 | Muinebeag (Bagenalstown) Carlow | 0.5 | 3.9% | 2.9% | – |
| 26 | Skibbereen Cork | 0.5 | 1.7% | 1.6% | – |
| 27 | Rathangan Kildare | 0.5 | 4.5% | 0% | – |
| 28 | Kinnegad Westmeath | 0.3 | 4.5% | 4.5% | – |
| 29 | Donegal Donegal | 0.3 | 4% | 4.1% | 12% |
| 30 | Boyle Roscommon | 0.3 | 3.2% | 0% | – |
| 31 | Bailieborough Cavan | 0.3 | 10% | 0% | – |
| 32 | Kanturk Cork | 0.3 | 0% | 5.1% | – |
| 33 | Ballinrobe Mayo | 0.3 | 0.5% | 11% | – |
| 34 | Baltinglass Wicklow | 0.2 | 4.9% | 0.5% | – |
| 35 | Ballyhaunis Mayo | 0.2 | 2.8% | 3.4% | – |
| 36 | Kilrush Clare | 0.2 | 9.8% | 37% | – |
| 37 | Ballyjamesduff Cavan | 0.2 | 7.6% | 0% | – |
| 38 | Gort Galway | 0.2 | 4.3% | 24% | – |
| 39 | Carndonagh Donegal | 0.1 | 4.9% | 5.1% | 5.8% |
| 40 | Sixmilebridge Clare | 0 | 0.7% | 2% | – |
The map
Parks, woods, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Ballina’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 Ballina
The biggest is Bane Field, 1.2 ha (3 acres).
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
8 in 10 Ballina 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 (76%)Further (24%)
Ballina76%
Co. Tipperary towns83%
Typical Irish town92%
About 700 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees.
Protected areas
4.7% of the land around Ballina 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 Ballina6.2%
Within 5 km4.7%
Co. Tipperary towns3.4%
Typical Irish town1.8%
3 protected sites lie within 5 km of Ballina. 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
Burren National Park is 38 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
38 km north-west21 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
14 km of footpaths cross Ballina
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
14 km
over 16.4 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
1.8%
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
BallinaCo. Tipperary townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths0.9
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
BallinaCo. Tipperary townsTypical Irish town
Woodland1.8%
0%50%100%
Ballina has less footpath per km² than 74% of Irish towns and less woodland than 66% 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 Ballina
14 km of footpaths are mapped in Ballina and the kilometre around it, 0.9 km for every square kilometre (the typical Irish town has 2.1).
Walking trailLong-distance way
Lough Derg Way68.9 km
East Clare Way168.8 km
Ballycuggaran - Crag Wood Walk7.1 km
Graves of the Leinster Men Looped Walk5.6 km
Arra Mountains Loop12.4 km
O'Briensbridge - Parteen Weir4.7 km
For a shorter walk, the Lough Derg Way is 68.9 km, graded moderate. 5 cycling or paddling trails also start 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 Ballina: 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) | 8.1 | 9.8 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 15.8 | 16.9 | 16.4 | 14.7 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.6 | 7.6 |
| High (°C) | 9 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 141 | 112 | 100 | 82 | 79 | 86 | 91 | 110 | 100 | 126 | 144 | 154 |
May is the driest month (79 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7.6 hours of daylight in December, and 154 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. The climate in Ballina →
The coast
Bathing waters near Ballina
0% of the area within 5 km of Ballina is sea. One bathing water is within 5 km.
BallycuggeranExcellent (2025) · 1.9 km from town
beaches.ieOne of the 1 is rated excellent: Ballycuggeran.
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 hill or peak and 2 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
Hills and peaks 1
Crag Mountain1.7 km from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 2
Riverside Playgroundin town
DirectionsKillaloe Playground0.3 km from town
DirectionsCampsites 1
5th/22nd Killaloe Scout Group0.5 km from town
DirectionsSlipways 2
Plus 2 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Unnamed places are counted, not listed.
Next door
Next to Ballina
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
KillaloeNewportCastleconnellArdnacrushaNenaghAnnacottyBallina
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballina | 76% | 4.1 | 0.9 | 4.7% |
| Killaloe 1.0 km | 100% | 6.0 | 1.2 | 6.1% |
| Newport 12 km | 90% | 3.5 | 0.1 | 24% |
| Castleconnell 12 km | 37% | 1.4 | 0.4 | 4.9% |
| Ardnacrusha 16 km | 0% | 0.0 | 0.7 | 8.4% |
| Nenagh 17 km | 91% | 3.1 | 0.4 | 0% |
| Annacotty 18 km | 73% | 4.4 | 2.0 | 6.2% |
In Killaloe, 100% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park, more than here.
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 Ballina
What is the biggest park in Ballina?
Bane Field, 1.2 ha (3 acres), just outside the built-up area. Killaloe Community Garden (0.1 ha) is second. 2 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is there protected countryside near Ballina?
Yes: 4.7% of the land within 5 km is protected, across 3 sites. Lower River Shannon SAC reaches Ballina.
What are the best walks near Ballina?
6 waymarked trails start within 5 km, including the Lough Derg Way, East Clare Way and Ballycuggaran - Crag Wood Walk.
Where can you swim near Ballina?
The nearest bathing water is Ballycuggeran, 1.9 km from town: Excellent (2025). Check beaches.ie before swimming: a notice can close a beach for the day.
How many people in Ballina live near a park?
76% 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 Ballina?
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 Ballina near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Burren National Park, 38 km north-west of the town’s edge; it covers about 21 km².
What is there to do outdoors around Ballina?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 1 hill or peak and 1 picnic site; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Sources
Where Ballina’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).