Swanlinbar’s story
Swanlinbar: 17% of homes built before 1919
The register holds 10 buildings on the National Inventory in Swanlinbar.
- 1780Church, Swanlinbar
- 1800House, Main Street, Swanlinbar
- 1830House, Mill Street, Swanlinbar
SwanlinbarCo. Cavan
222 people live in this town in Co. Cavan.
2 places within 19 kmMap →
Photo: Kenneth Allen · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
222
CSO, Census 2022 · Cavan County Council
Median age
45.7
23% are 65+ · Co. Cavan 12%
Degree level
19%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
36%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Swanlinbar a good place to live?
The median home here went for €178,100, 6 times the median household income. 10 of its buildings are on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. The median household takes in €29,930 a year before tax. The median home sold for €178,100 from 2023 to 2025.
Irish towns are graded from 1,000 residents, which leaves Swanlinbar out for now.
What makes Swanlinbar stand out
The 3 things Swanlinbar does most differently from other towns.
Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents
History
10 buildings on the national inventory
9.4 times the median of Irish towns for its size, all of regional importance.
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
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
52% below the median of Irish towns, €372,600
Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Swanlinbar.
Natural hazards
Low radon and steady ground in Swanlinbar; flooding isn’t measured here
By estimate, fewer than one home in a hundred in Swanlinbar has radon above the reference level. The ground under Swanlinbar carries no high landslide susceptibility. Low ground by water holds almost none of its homes.
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 | Swanlinbar | Co. Cavan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| On high landslide susceptibility | 0% | 0.2% | 0% |
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 0% | 0% |
202
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Climate
Rain is part of life in Swanlinbar: 1,569 mm a year, more than in both Co. Cavan’s towns and Irish towns
July afternoons reach 19.2°C here, near Co. Cavan’s towns (19.4°C) and lower than Irish towns (19.9°C). Swanlinbar’s year-round mean comes to 9.5°C. The coldest nights come in January, when Swanlinbar averages a low of 1.9°C.
19.2°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter8.0°C
Spring12.9°C
Summer18.7°C
Autumn13.4°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Swanlinbar | Co. Cavan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rain a year | 1,569 mm | 1,049 mm | 937 mm |
| July high | 19.2°C | 19.4°C | 19.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 9.5°C | 9.4°C | 10.3°C |
| January low | 1.9°C | 1.7°C | 2.9°C |
19.2°C
July high
1.9°C
January low
1,569 mm
Rain a year
182 mm
Wettest month
40
Air frosts
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Health
More people in Swanlinbar say their health is bad than in Co. Cavan’s towns or across Irish towns: 3.3%
Allowing for its ages, Swanlinbar has 111 residents with a disability per 100 expected, above both Co. Cavan’s towns (100) and Irish towns (106). Asked at the census, 83% of residents of Swanlinbar said they were in good or very good health. 27% of residents in Swanlinbar live with a disability.
83%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 83%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 3%
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health140
Disability111
Co. Cavan114
Expected100
| Census 2022 | Swanlinbar | Co. Cavan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bad or very bad health | 3.3% | 1.9% | 2% |
| Good or very good health | 83% | 88% | 88% |
| With a disability | 27% | 21% | 22% |
| Unpaid carers | 5% | 4.4% | 5.4% |
140
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Cavan 114
111
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
Social housing is more common in Swanlinbar than in Co. Cavan’s towns or across Irish towns, at 23% of households
20% of households are private tenants. Owners make up 54% of households, below both Co. Cavan’s towns (57%) and Irish towns (61%).
€178Kmedian sale price
Median sale price · Eircode area, 2023–2025
Swanlinbar€178K
Co. Cavan€215K
Irish towns€350K
| Housing | Swanlinbar | Co. Cavan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households in social housing | 23% | 14% | 13% |
| Median sale price | €178K | €215K | €350K |
| Households renting privately | 20% | 28% | 22% |
| Households owning their home | 54% | 57% | 61% |
54%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
20%
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 H14, not the town alone: too few sales inside the town carry a full address.
Outdoors
More protected nature lies near Swanlinbar than Co. Cavan’s towns or Irish towns: 12% of the land within 5 km
100% of homes are within 400 m of green space. Within 1 km, just over a fifth of the land is woodland, above both Co. Cavan’s towns (10%) and Irish towns (2.7%). Green space in Swanlinbar adds up to 2 ha, in one park. There are 8.2 ha of green space for every 1,000 people in the town.
100%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Swanlinbar8.2 ha
Co. Cavan2.2 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Swanlinbar | Co. Cavan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodland within 1 km | 21% | 10% | 2.7% |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 12% | 0% | 1.8% |
| Near a park | 100% | 80% | 92% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.1 km per km² | 0.6 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
100%
Near a park
8.2 ha
Green space
1 km
Footpaths
12%
Protected for nature
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
Weather in Swanlinbar: partly cloudy today, up to 10 degrees
Judged by the averages, Swanlinbar sees November days reach 10°C and nights fall to 4°C. Expect a dry, calm day today: wind no stronger than 19 km/h, and 5°C at the coldest. Over the coming week, highs run from 6°C to 9°C, with Thursday the warmest.
10°C / 5°CToday
This month and the next three, normal highs · 1991–2020 averages
November10°C
December8°C
January8°C
February8°C
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 8°C | 2°C | 499 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 5°C | 323 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 11°C | 318 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 6°C | 429 mm |
10°C / 5°C
Today
None
Rain, next 24 hours
13 km/h
Wind
98%
Humidity
9 h 12 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Swanlinbar gets to work on foot, by bike and by public transport more than in both Co. Cavan’s towns and Irish towns: 36% of commuters
Of those in the labour force, 14% are unemployed. The car took 55% of commuters, below Co. Cavan’s towns (78%) and Irish towns (66%) alike. At the census, nearly two thirds of people aged 15 to 64 had a job.
36%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van55%
Walk35%
Bicycle1%
| Census 2022 | Swanlinbar | Co. Cavan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | €29,930 | €50,360 | €57,760 |
| Unemployment rate | 14% | 11% | 9.2% |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 45% | 50% | 31% |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 65% | 66% | 68% |
€29,930
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Cavan €52,321
5%
worked mainly from home, 2022
13%
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
Swanlinbar skews older, with 23% of residents 65 or over, more than in both Co. Cavan’s towns and Irish towns
Young adults of 15 to 24 account for nearly a tenth of the town. Children under 15 make up 18%, below both Co. Cavan’s towns (23%) and Irish towns (20%). One measure of its mix: 39% of residents were born abroad.
45.7median age
SwanlinbarCo. CavanIreland
Ages · share of residents
23%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none20%
Lower secondary16%
Leaving Cert39%
Diploma or cert6%
Degree or higher19%
Women and men · all residents
52.7% of Swanlinbar’s residents are women
117 women and 105 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Swanlinbar | Co. Cavan | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 23% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 9.5% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 22% | 30% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 23% | 24% |
| 65+ | 23% | 12% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 20% | 13% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 16% | 18% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 39% | 39% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 6.2% | 7% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 19% | 24% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Cavan and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
53% of Swanlinbar’s voters turned out at the local elections (Co. Cavan towns 57%, Irish towns 46%)
General election turnout: 64%, about level with Co. Cavan’s towns (64%) and above Irish towns (59%). No party holds a majority on Cavan County Council: Fine Gael lead with 6 of 18 seats, short of the 10 needed. Local government for Swanlinbar is Cavan County Council alone; Ireland has a single tier.
6/18seats held by Fine Gael
Seats on Cavan County · June 2024
Fine Gael6
Fianna Fáil6
Sinn Féin3
Aontú1
Independent1
Independent Ireland1
| Turnout | Swanlinbar | 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
Swanlinbar is dense with heritage: 450 inventory buildings per 10,000 residents, more than in both Co. Cavan’s towns and Irish towns
Homes from before 1919 make up 17.4% of the total, higher than both Co. Cavan’s towns (4%) and Irish towns (3.4%).
10inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional10
Among them
0
sites on the Sites and Monuments Record
1780
earliest dated inventory building
17%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
| Heritage | Swanlinbar | Co. Cavan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 450 | 64 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 17.4% | 4% | 3.4% |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 0 | 5 | 11 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Schools
100% of schools around Swanlinbar get DEIS support, above Co. Cavan’s towns and Irish towns
Families in Swanlinbar have one school within 3 km. 57 pupils attend the one school within 3 km of the town.
1schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| S.N. Mhuire DEISLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 57 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Swanlinbar | Co. Cavan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the DEIS scheme | 100% | 20% | 35% |
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 0% | 8% |
57
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
0.2 km
to the nearest primary school
8 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 →The Cathedral of Saint Patrick and Saint Felim and 4 more within 40 km
Nothing to visit is mapped within 5 km of Swanlinbar; these are the best known within 40 km.
CathedralThe Cathedral of Saint Patrick and Saint Felim31 km southeast
CastleCloughoughter Castle25 km southeast
CathedralSt. Fethlimidh’s Cathedral30 km southeast
MuseumArigna Mining Experience30 km southwest
Abbey or prioryCreevelea Abbey40 km westPlaces: 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)
- The Cathedral of Saint Patrick and Saint Felim: JohnArmagh, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Cloughoughter Castle: Oliver Dixon, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- St. Fethlimidh’s Cathedral: Sarah777 at English Wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Arigna Mining Experience: RTG, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Creevelea Abbey: Andreas F. Borchert, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Swanlinbar
15pages on Swanlinbar
The big questions
Out and about
Landmarks
Swanlinbar’s built heritage counts 10 inventory entries, each of regional standing.
Famous people from around Swanlinbar
One notable person was born in Swanlinbar; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.
T
Thomas McGovernCatholic bishop (1832-1898)J
Joe McCartinIrish politician · born in Ballinamore · born 1939C
Colin GriffinIrish race walker · born in Ballinamore · born 1982A
Augustine MartinIrish academic, Anglo-Irish scholar, te… · born in Ballinamore · 1935–1995G
Gerry ReynoldsIrish politician (born 1961) · born in BallinamoreM
Mary FreehillIrish mayor · born in Ballyconnell · born 1946Swanlinbar’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
BallyconnellBallinamoreSwanlinbar
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swanlinbar | 222 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ballyconnell | 1,422 | 12 | — | A+ | B | C+ |
| Ballinamore Leitrim | 1,112 | 17 | — | A | B− | B |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Swanlinbar
Is Swanlinbar growing?
Swanlinbar had 222 people at the 2022 census, up from 219 in 2016: 1.4% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
How old are the people of Swanlinbar?
The median age in Swanlinbar is 45.7, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
How do people in Swanlinbar get to work?
5% mostly work from home, and 45% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
About Swanlinbar
Urban area in Co. Cavan
Swanlinbar has 222 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
- 222 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Cavan
- Council
- Cavan County Council
- Local electoral area
- Cavan-Belturbet
- Dáil constituency
- Cavan-Monaghan
- Name in Irish
- An Muileann Iarainn
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:32058
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).