Blacklion’s story
Blacklion: 2 buildings on the National Inventory
1 archaeological site are on the record here too.
6% of its homes were built before 1919, against 3% in the median of Irish towns.
- 1820The Market House
- 1860Olive Grove
BlacklionCo. Cavan
Population 175: a town in Co. Cavan.
Photo: Eric Jones · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
175
CSO, Census 2022 · Cavan County Council
Median age
42.3
19% are 65+ · Co. Cavan 12%
Degree level
39%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
17%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Blacklion a good place to live?
The median home sold for €233,300, 6.1 times the town’s median household income. Median gross household income: €38,380 a year. The median home sold for €233,300 from 2023 to 2025. People aged 65 and over make up nearly a fifth of residents.
With fewer than 1,000 residents, Blacklion falls below the line for grades among Irish towns.
What makes Blacklion stand out
The 3 things Blacklion does most differently from other towns.
Median gross household income
Income
Gross, a year (the median of Irish towns: €57,760)
CSO household income for the electoral division.
Median sale price
Housing
37% below the median of Irish towns, €372,600
Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
19% 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 Blacklion.
Natural hazards
Low radon and steady ground in Blacklion; flooding isn’t measured here
The ground under Blacklion carries no high landslide susceptibility. By estimate, fewer than one home in a hundred in the town has radon above the reference level. Few of its homes stand low beside water.
0%of homes in high-radon areas
Homes exposed · share of the town’s homes
In high-radon areas0%
On high landslide susceptibility0%
| Share of homes | Blacklion | Co. Cavan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| On high landslide susceptibility | 0% | 0.2% | 0% |
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 0% | 0% |
167
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Climate
Blacklion has cooler summers than Co. Cavan’s towns or Irish towns: July highs of 18.6°C
Averaged across the seasons, Blacklion sits at 9.1°C. A year brings 1,338 mm of rain, higher than both Co. Cavan’s towns (1,049 mm) and Irish towns (937 mm). This Co. Cavan town sees January nights of 1.4°C on average.
18.6°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter7.6°C
Spring12.3°C
Summer18.1°C
Autumn13.0°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Blacklion | Co. Cavan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 18.6°C | 19.4°C | 19.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 9.1°C | 9.4°C | 10.3°C |
| Rain a year | 1,338 mm | 1,049 mm | 937 mm |
| January low | 1.4°C | 1.7°C | 2.9°C |
18.6°C
July high
1.4°C
January low
1,338 mm
Rain a year
149 mm
Wettest month
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Health
For its ages, Blacklion has about as much bad health as expected
2.5% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, higher than both Co. Cavan’s towns (1.9%) and Irish towns (2%). Family carers: 4% of the people in Blacklion look after someone without pay. Weighed against its ages, disability here runs at 105 per 100 expected.
86%good or very good health
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health126
Disability105
Co. Cavan114
Expected100
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2022 | Blacklion | Co. Cavan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unpaid carers | 4% | 4.4% | 5.4% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.5% | 1.9% | 2% |
| Good or very good health | 86% | 88% | 88% |
| With a disability | 23% | 21% | 22% |
126
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Cavan 114
105
disability per 100 expected · Co. Cavan 100
83.5 · 79.5
life expectancy, women · men, the Border region, 2016
27%
hold a medical card, HSE Dublin and North East
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
Housing
More households in Blacklion live in social housing than in Co. Cavan’s towns or Irish towns: 29%
Owners make up 43% of households, below both Co. Cavan’s towns (57%) and Irish towns (61%). The private rented sector houses a quarter of households.
€233Kmedian sale price
Median sale price · Eircode area, 2023–2025
Blacklion€233K
Co. Cavan€215K
Irish towns€350K
| Housing | Blacklion | Co. Cavan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households in social housing | 29% | 14% | 13% |
| Households owning their home | 43% | 57% | 61% |
| Median sale price | €233K | €215K | €350K |
| Households renting privately | 25% | 28% | 22% |
43%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
25%
rent privately · Irish towns 22%
€1,095
a month on new tenancies, County Cavan
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure · The price is for the postcode area F91, not the town alone: too few sales inside the town carry a full address.
Outdoors
Blacklion has more park space per resident than nearly 9 in 10 Irish towns
Woodland covers nearly a tenth of the land within 1 km, below Co. Cavan’s towns (10%) but above Irish towns (2.7%). Blacklion offers 13.3 ha of green space per 1,000 residents. 7 waymarked trails and greenways start within 5 km.
0%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Blacklion13.3 ha
Co. Cavan2.2 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Blacklion | Co. Cavan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near a park | 0% | 80% | 92% |
| Woodland within 1 km | 8.1% | 10% | 2.7% |
| Green space per 1,000 residents | 13.3 ha | 2.2 ha | 4.1 ha |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.6 km per km² | 0.6 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
13.3 ha
Green space
3 km
Footpaths
1.5%
Protected for nature
8.1%
Woodland
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
Blacklion today: mostly sunny, topping out at 10 degrees
Afternoon temperatures for the rest of the week run from 8°C at the low end to 10°C on Thursday. Blacklion’s averages for November set the scene: the usual high is 10°C, the usual low 3°C. It stays dry from start to finish today, with wind of 15 km/h or less and a low near 6°C.
10°C / 6°CToday
This month and the next three, normal highs · 1991–2020 averages
November10°C
December8°C
January7°C
February8°C
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 8°C | 1°C | 401 mm |
| Spring | 12°C | 4°C | 268 mm |
| Summer | 18°C | 10°C | 302 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 6°C | 368 mm |
10°C / 6°C
Today
0.1 mm
Rain, next 24 hours
15 km/h
Wind
79%
Humidity
9 h 11 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Work & commute
74% of people aged 15 to 64 in Blacklion work, more than in both Co. Cavan’s towns and Irish towns
Short trips: 37% under 15 minutes, lower than Co. Cavan’s towns (50%) yet higher than Irish towns (31%). The commute to work averages 32.4 min. Home was the main workplace for 5.8% of workers at the census.
17%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van77%
Walk15%
Train, DART or Luas3%
| Census 2022 | Blacklion | Co. Cavan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In work, 15 to 64 | 74% | 66% | 68% |
| Average trip | 32.4 min | 26.9 min | 27.6 min |
| Unemployment rate | 13% | 11% | 9.2% |
| Median household income | €38,380 | €50,360 | €57,760 |
€38,380
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Cavan €52,321
6%
worked mainly from home, 2022
18%
trips of an hour or more
2,448
on the Live Register, County Cavan, 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
Blacklion has fewer young adults than Co. Cavan’s towns or Irish towns: 4% are 15 to 24
One measure of family life: 20% of residents are under 15. People 65 and over make up nearly a fifth of the town, above Co. Cavan’s towns (12%) and Irish towns (14%) alike. Foreign-born residents make up 33% of the population.
42.3median age
BlacklionCo. CavanIreland
Ages · share of residents
19%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none10%
Lower secondary15%
Leaving Cert34%
Diploma or cert3%
Degree or higher39%
Women and men · all residents
49.1% of Blacklion’s residents are women
86 women and 89 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Blacklion | Co. Cavan | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 20% | 23% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 4% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 33% | 30% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 25% | 23% | 24% |
| 65+ | 19% | 12% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 9.8% | 13% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 15% | 18% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 34% | 39% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 3.3% | 7% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 39% | 24% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Cavan and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
Local election turnout in Blacklion: 53%, against 57% in Co. Cavan’s towns and 46% in Irish towns
Turnout at the general election came to 64%. There is just one council for Blacklion, Cavan County Council: Ireland has only one tier of local government. With 6 of 18 seats, Fine Gael are the largest group on Cavan County Council, short of the 10 a majority needs.
6/18seats held by Fine Gael
Seats on Cavan County · June 2024
Fine Gael6
Fianna Fáil6
Sinn Féin3
Aontú1
Independent1
Independent Ireland1
| Turnout | Blacklion | Co. Cavan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 53% | 57% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 64% | 64% | 59% |
6
Councillors
6/18
Fine Gael seats on Cavan County, the largest party
53%
turnout, June 2024
5
TDs elected for Cavan-Monaghan
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
History
Heritage is thick on the ground in Blacklion: 114 inventory buildings per 10,000 residents, above Co. Cavan’s towns and Irish towns
5.9% of homes date from before 1919. 1 archaeological sites are on the record, below both Co. Cavan’s towns (5) and Irish towns (11). Blacklion’s built heritage counts 2 inventory entries, each of regional standing. One recorded monument or archaeological site lies here.
2inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional2
Among them
- The Market House 1820
- Olive Grove 1860
1
sites on the Sites and Monuments Record
1820
earliest dated inventory building
6%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
| Heritage | Blacklion | Co. Cavan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 114 | 64 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 5.9% | 4% | 3.4% |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 1 | 5 | 11 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Schools
More schools around Blacklion are in DEIS, the support scheme, than in Co. Cavan’s towns or across Irish towns: 100%
One school lies within 3 km of Blacklion. 60 pupils attend the one school within 3 km of the town.
1schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Patricks N.S. DEISLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 60 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Blacklion | Co. Cavan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the DEIS scheme | 100% | 20% | 35% |
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 0% | 8% |
60
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
2.8 km
to the nearest primary school
20 km
to the nearest secondary school
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · These schools carry no letter or result: Ireland doesn’t release them school by school.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Cuilcagh Lakelands Geopark and 9 more within 40 km
One place to visit is mapped within 5 km of Blacklion; with it, the best known within 40 km.
Natural landscapeNatural landscapeCuilcagh Lakelands Geoparkin town
Castle · Office of Public WorksParke's Castle30 km west
CathedralCathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Sligo39 km west
Abbey or priory · Office of Public WorksSligo Abbey39 km west
Abbey or prioryCreevelea Abbey29 km west
MuseumBallyshannon and District Museum31 km northwest
Castle · Office of Public WorksParke's Castle30 km westCathedralCathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Sligo39 km westAbbey or priory · Office of Public WorksSligo Abbey39 km westAbbey or prioryCreevelea Abbey29 km westMuseumBallyshannon and District Museum31 km northwestPlaces: 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 (5)
- Parke's Castle: John Darcy, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Sligo: JohnArmagh, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Sligo Abbey: Andreas F. Borchert, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Creevelea Abbey: Andreas F. Borchert, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ballyshannon and District Museum: Gavigan 01 at English Wikipedia, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Blacklion
15pages on Blacklion
The big questions
Out and about
Landmarks
Blacklion’s built heritage counts 2 inventory entries, each of regional standing. One recorded monument or archaeological site lies here.
Famous people from Blacklion
3 notable people were born in Blacklion.
Questions about Blacklion
How old are the people of Blacklion?
The median age in Blacklion is 42.3, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
Is Blacklion growing?
Blacklion had 175 people at the 2022 census, up from 167 in 2016: 4.8% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
How do people in Blacklion get to work?
77% of working residents drive to work and 17% walk, cycle or take the bus or train (the median of Irish towns: 23%). 6% mostly work from home, and 37% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
About Blacklion
Urban area in Co. Cavan
Blacklion has 175 people, in the area of Cavan 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
- 175 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Cavan
- Council
- Cavan County Council
- Local electoral area
- Cavan-Belturbet
- Dáil constituency
- Cavan-Monaghan
- Name in Irish
- An Blaic
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:32059
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).