Fennagh’s story
Fennagh has 5 buildings on the National Inventory
11% of its homes were built before 1919, against 3% in the median of Irish towns.
- 1790All Saints' Church (Fennagh)
- 1790Milestone, Fennagh
- 1855Worker's house, 1-6, Fennagh
FennaghCo. Carlow
It is a town of 479 residents in Co. Carlow. Its population rose 10% from 2016 to 2022.
4 places within 19 kmMap →
Photo: liam murphy · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
479
CSO, Census 2022 · Carlow County Council
Median age
34.6
9% are 65+ · Co. Carlow 12%
Degree level
26%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
3%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Fennagh a good place to live?
The median sale, €241,800, comes to 3.7 times what the median household here earns. Public transport, bikes and feet take 3% of commuters to work. Born outside Ireland: just over one in ten residents. Few residents are of retirement age: 9% are 65 or over.
There are no grades for Fennagh: Irish towns need 1,000 residents for them.
What makes Fennagh stand out
The 3 things Fennagh does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
3% walk, cycle or ride
Against 23% in the median of Irish towns
CSO, Census 2022
Born outside Ireland
Who lives here
Against 22% in the median of Irish towns
CSO, Census 2022
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
Only 9% are 65 or over
Against 14% in the median of Irish towns
CSO, Census 2022
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Fennagh.
Natural hazards
An estimated 27% of Fennagh’s homes have radon above the reference level
Radon: 100% of homes are in high-radon areas, about level with Co. Carlow’s towns (100%) and above Irish towns (0%). No part of Fennagh is mapped as high landslide susceptibility. Low ground by water holds almost none of its homes.
100%of homes in high-radon areas
Homes exposed · share of the town’s homes
In high-radon areas100%
On high landslide susceptibility0%
| Share of homes | Fennagh | Co. Carlow | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In high-radon areas | 100% | 100% | 0% |
| On high landslide susceptibility | 0% | under 0.1% | 0% |
27%
of homes over the radon level
218
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Climate
Winter nights bite in Fennagh: January lows of 2.1°C, colder than Co. Carlow’s towns or Irish towns
The year’s mean temperature is 9.9°C, about level with Co. Carlow’s towns (10.1°C) and below Irish towns (10.3°C). Summer highs in Fennagh reach 20.1°C in July. October is the wettest month here, with 100 mm of rain on average.
20.1°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter8.6°C
Spring13.1°C
Summer19.5°C
Autumn14.1°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Fennagh | Co. Carlow | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 2.1°C | 2.3°C | 2.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 9.9°C | 10.1°C | 10.3°C |
| July high | 20.1°C | 20.3°C | 19.9°C |
20.1°C
July high
2.1°C
January low
912 mm
Rain a year
100 mm
Wettest month
35
Air frosts
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Health
More people in Fennagh have a disability than its ages would predict: 137 per 100 expected, above Co. Carlow’s towns and Irish towns
90% of Fennagh’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, above both Co. Carlow’s towns (85%) and Irish towns (88%). Weighed against its ages, bad health locally runs at 144 per 100 expected. A disability affects 25% of people here.
90%good or very good health
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health144
Disability137
Co. Carlow153
Expected100
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 90%Fair 8%Bad or very bad 2%
| Census 2022 | Fennagh | Co. Carlow | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 90% | 85% | 88% |
| Unpaid carers | 4.8% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| With a disability | 25% | 24% | 22% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2% | 2.5% | 2% |
144
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Carlow 153
137
disability per 100 expected · Co. Carlow 120
83.1 · 79.3
life expectancy, women · men, the South-East region, 2016
27%
hold a medical card, HSE Dublin and South East
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
Housing
Most households in Fennagh own their home: 71%, more than in Co. Carlow’s towns and across Irish towns
Private renters make up 16% of households, below Co. Carlow’s towns (22%) and Irish towns (22%) alike. Just over one in ten households live in social housing.
€242Kmedian sale price
Median sale price · Eircode area, 2023–2025
Fennagh€242K
Co. Carlow€250K
Irish towns€350K
| Housing | Fennagh | Co. Carlow | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 71% | 54% | 61% |
| Households in social housing | 11% | 24% | 13% |
| Households renting privately | 16% | 22% | 22% |
| Median sale price | €242K | €250K | €350K |
71%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
16%
rent privately · Irish towns 22%
€1,316
a month on new tenancies, County Carlow
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure · The price is for the postcode area R21, not the town alone: too few sales inside the town carry a full address.
Outdoors
Green space is close to home in Fennagh: 100% of homes are within 400 m of some, more than in Co. Carlow’s towns and across Irish towns
Within 1 km, 1.1% of the land is woodland, lower than both Co. Carlow’s towns (1.3%) and Irish towns (2.7%). Fennagh has 2.5 ha of green space for every 1,000 residents, above Co. Carlow’s towns (1.9 ha) but below Irish towns (4.1 ha). One waymarked trail or greenway starts within 5 km.
100%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Fennagh2.5 ha
Co. Carlow1.9 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Fennagh | Co. Carlow | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near a park | 100% | 72% | 92% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.0 km per km² | 0.5 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 0% | 2% | 1.8% |
| Woodland within 1 km | 1.1% | 1.3% | 2.7% |
100%
Near a park
2.5 ha
Green space
0 km
Footpaths
1.1%
Woodland
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Work & commute
Walking, cycling and public transport carry fewer commuters in Fennagh than in Co. Carlow’s towns or Irish towns: 2.5%
Households take home €65,180 a year before tax, on average. 88% of commuters drove, above both Co. Carlow’s towns (73%) and Irish towns (66%). Working from home was the norm for 8.6% of workers at the census.
3%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van88%
Walk1%
Bicycle1%
Bus1%
Train, DART or Luas1%
| Census 2022 | Fennagh | Co. Carlow | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trips under 15 minutes | 20% | 43% | 31% |
| Average trip | 30.4 min | 25.1 min | 27.6 min |
| Median household income | €65,180 | €46,763 | €57,760 |
| Unemployment rate | 8.8% | 12% | 9.2% |
€65,180
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Carlow €53,119
9%
worked mainly from home, 2022
13%
trips of an hour or more
2,603
on the Live Register, County Carlow, September 2026
CSO, Census 2022 travel to work, work and education · CSO Geographical Profiles of Income 2022 · Live Register · Census day was 3 April 2022, with working from home still common; shares are of those who travelled.
Who lives here
A town of families: 27% of people in Fennagh are under 15, more than in Co. Carlow’s towns and across Irish towns
26% of adults hold a degree.
34.6median age
FennaghCo. CarlowIreland
Ages · share of residents
12%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none11%
Lower secondary23%
Leaving Cert33%
Diploma or cert7%
Degree or higher26%
Women and men · all residents
49.9% of Fennagh’s residents are women
239 women and 240 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Fennagh | Co. Carlow | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 27% | 20% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 12% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 31% | 30% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 23% | 23% | 24% |
| 65+ | 8.6% | 12% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 11% | 12% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 23% | 19% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 33% | 38% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 7% | 6.5% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 26% | 19% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Carlow and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
Muinebheag had one of the least contested ballots at the 2024 local elections, 8 candidates for 5 seats
Carlow County Council runs Fennagh: Ireland has one tier of local government, with no town council below it. Just over half of voters turned out at the last local elections, above both Co. Carlow’s towns (49%) and Irish towns (46%). No party holds a majority on Carlow County Council: Fine Gael lead with 6 of 18 seats, short of the 10 needed.
6/18seats held by Fine Gael
Seats on Carlow County · June 2024
Fine Gael6
Fianna Fáil5
Independent2
Sinn Féin2
Labour Party1
People Before Profit–Solidarity1
Independent Ireland1
| Turnout | Fennagh | Co. Carlow | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 51% | 49% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 58% | 58% | 59% |
5
Councillors
6/18
Fine Gael seats on Carlow County, the largest party
51%
turnout, June 2024
5
TDs elected for Carlow-Kilkenny
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
History
For its size, Fennagh has more listed heritage than Co. Carlow’s towns or Irish towns: 104 inventory buildings per 10,000 residents
11.1% of its homes were built before 1919, higher than both Co. Carlow’s towns (3.5%) and Irish towns (3.4%). Fennagh’s built heritage counts 5 inventory entries, each of regional standing.
5inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional5
Among them
0
sites on the Sites and Monuments Record
1790
earliest dated inventory building
11%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
1
places pictured on the history page
| Heritage | Fennagh | Co. Carlow | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 104 | 37 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 11.1% | 3.5% | 3.4% |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 0 | 19 | 11 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Schools
Pupil numbers around Fennagh moved −1% since 2019, below Co. Carlow’s towns and Irish towns
Within 3 km of Fennagh there is one school. 144 pupils attend the one school within 3 km of the town.
1schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newtown Dunleckney MxdLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 144 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Fennagh | Co. Carlow | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the DEIS scheme | 0% | 50% | 35% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | −1% | +4% | +4% |
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 0% | 8% |
144
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
−1%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
2.3 km
to the nearest primary school
7.2 km
to the nearest secondary school
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · No school here carries a letter or a result: Ireland publishes neither for individual schools.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Ballymoon Castle and 2 more in and around Fennagh
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Fennagh. Best known first.
CastleBallymoon Castle3.6 km outside town, to the west
CastleBallyloughan Castle4.9 km outside town, to the southwestHistoric houseHistoric houseGarryhill House3.3 km outside town, to the southPlaces: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0) · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Ballymoon Castle: Poleary91, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ballyloughan Castle: VisionsofthePast, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Fennagh
15pages on Fennagh
The big questions
Out and about
Landmarks
Fennagh’s built heritage counts 5 inventory entries, each of regional standing.
Famous people from around Fennagh
One notable person was born in Fennagh; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.
R
Richie KavanaghIrish singer · born 1949W
William Desmond TaylorIrish-American film director and actor … · born in CarlowC
Cynthia Ní MhurchúIrish barrister · born in Carlow · born 1966Y
Yvonne BarrIrish virologist · born in Carlow · 1932–2016
Photo credits
Pat Walker: Jarvin, CC BY 3.0 · Charles K. Gerrard: Selznick Pictures Corporation / Select Pictures Corporation, Public domain
Fennagh’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
Muinebeag (Bagenalstown)TullowCarlowBunclodyFennagh
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fennagh | 479 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Muinebeag (Bagenalstown) | 2,945 | 8.1 | B+ | B+ | A− | C |
| Tullow | 5,138 | 12 | C− | B | C+ | D |
| Carlow | 27,351 | 14 | C− | B | C+ | D |
| Bunclody Wexford | 2,053 | 15 | — | B+ | C+ | B |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Fennagh
How old are the people of Fennagh?
The median age in Fennagh is 34.6, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
Do people in Fennagh drive to work?
9% mostly work from home, and 20% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
Has Fennagh grown?
Fennagh had 479 people at the 2022 census, up from 437 in 2016: 9.6% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
About Fennagh
Urban area in Co. Carlow
479 people live in Fennagh, in the area of Carlow County Council. TownRatings uses the CSO’s 2022 Urban Areas as Ireland’s towns: the physical town, as people mean the word, rather than a county or a council area, so its figures cover the town itself.
Built from Tailte Éireann’s boundaries and the CSO’s Census 2022 (CC BY 4.0)
- Population
- 479 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Carlow
- Council
- Carlow County Council
- Local electoral area
- Muinebeag
- Dáil constituency
- Carlow-Kilkenny
- Name in Irish
- Fionnmhach
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:01634
Sources: CSO, Census 2022 Small Area Population Statistics (CC BY 4.0) · Tailte Éireann, Urban Areas and Electoral Divisions 2022 (CC BY 4.0). Under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).
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).