Kilkee’s story
Old homes in Kilkee: 16% built before 1919
15 buildings on the National Inventory inside Kilkee.
The record adds 16 archaeological sites.
- 1800House, West End, Kilkee
- 1840Bernadette House
- 1840Clifton House
KilkeeCo. Clare
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage records 15 buildings here. The town, home to 1,214 people, lies in Co. Clare.
2 places within 19 kmMap →
Photo: Joseph Mischyshyn · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,214
CSO, Census 2022 · Clare County Council
Median age
48.5
26% are 65+ · Co. Clare 15%
Degree level
25%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
18%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Kilkee a good place to live?
Where it does best is cost of living (A−): home prices sit at a median €217,500, which is 7.4 years of the town’s median household income. Incomes are on the low side: unemployment is 18%, and 59% of 15 to 64s have a job. Its other grades sit near the middle: B− for safety, B− for health, C+ for walkability and B− for hazard risk. 26% of residents are 65 or over.
Figures: prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO · work, health and commuting, CSO Census 2022 · crime, CSO recorded crime, 2023 to 2025 · radon, EPA. An overall grade comes at 2,500 residents for Irish towns; Kilkee has its subject grades alone.
Rents for this town aren't published on their own, so its Cost Grade uses the county's average rent. Health less sure: few enough residents report bad health that the town's figure could be well above or below its true level.
What makes Kilkee stand out
The 3 things Kilkee 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.
Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents
History
15 buildings on the national inventory
2.6 times the median of Irish towns for its size, all of regional importance.
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
26% are 65 or over
The median of Irish towns: 14%
CSO, Census 2022
How Kilkee grades
Each subject compares Kilkee with Irish towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
Jobs & income18% unemployedD−Open →Cost of livingHomes are very affordable for local incomesA−Open →WalkabilityAbout average among the towns comparedC+Open →Safety4 violent crimes per 1,000 residents; 5.7 burglaries and acts of criminal damage per 1,000 residentsB−Open →Health135 in bad health for every 100 its ages predict; 103 with a disability per 100 predictedB−Open →Hazard riskAlmost no homes are above the radon reference levelB−Open →
SchoolsNot graded in Ireland: schools’ exam results aren’t published school by school (Education Act 1998, s.53)–
How TownRatings grades Irish towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Kilkee.
Work & commuteJobs & income D−
Households in Kilkee earn less than in both Co. Clare’s towns and Irish towns: €29,270 a year
Working mainly from home: 13% of workers, above Co. Clare’s towns (8.9%) and Irish towns (11%) alike. The average trip to work takes 24.3 min. 69% of commuters took the car to work at the census.
18%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van69%
Walk16%
Bus2%
| Census 2022 | Kilkee | Co. Clare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | 18% | 9.1% | 9.2% |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 59% | 68% | 68% |
| Median household income | €29,270 | €53,417 | €57,760 |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 49% | 44% | 31% |
€29,270
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Clare €54,654
13%
worked mainly from home, 2022
10%
trips of an hour or more
3,361
on the Live Register, County Clare, September 2026
C+
Walkability: better than 42% of Irish towns
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.
HousingCost of living A−
Social housing is more common in Kilkee than in Co. Clare’s towns or across Irish towns, at 21% of households
15% of households are private tenants. Prices in Kilkee are up 77% since 2010: the typical sale went from €133K that year to €235K in 2025. Owners make up 61% of households, lower than Co. Clare’s towns (64%) and near Irish towns (61%).
€218Kmedian sale priceA−Cost of living Grade
Median sale price · Property Price Register, 2023–2025
Kilkee€218K
Co. Clare€280K
Irish towns€350K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Second-hand homes | €206,500 | 158 |
| The last 12 months | €239,200 | 46 |
| Housing | Kilkee | Co. Clare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households in social housing | 21% | 13% | 13% |
| Median sale price | €218K | €280K | €350K |
| Households renting privately | 15% | 21% | 22% |
15%
rent privately · Irish towns 22%
€1,170
a month on new tenancies, County Clare
4
times median household income, County Clare
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure
Schools
Pupil numbers around Kilkee grew +25% since 2019, above Co. Clare’s towns and Irish towns
3 schools lie within 3 km of Kilkee: 2 primary schools and 1 secondary school. DEIS, the support scheme, covers two thirds of them, higher than both Co. Clare’s towns (33%) and Irish towns (35%). For secondary school, the closest is St Joseph's Community College, 0.8 km from the town.
3schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoil Realt na Mara DEISLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 134 | Catholic |
| St Joseph's Community College DEISLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · ETB | Post-primary · ETB | 171 | Inter-denominational |
Schools by ethos · Schools within 3 km
Catholic2
Inter-denominational1
| Schools within 3 km | Kilkee | Co. Clare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +25% | +1% | +4% |
| In the DEIS scheme | 67% | 33% | 35% |
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 10% | 8% |
| Single-sex secondaries | 0% | 13% | 39% |
312
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
+25%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
0.3 km
to the nearest primary school
0.8 km
to the nearest secondary school
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · Ireland publishes no school-by-school results, which is why these cards have no letters.
Climate
Kilkee has cooler summers than Co. Clare’s towns or Irish towns: July highs of 18.6°C
Winter lows in Kilkee average 4.5°C in January. Across the year it averages 11.0°C, above both Co. Clare’s towns (10.5°C) and Irish towns (10.3°C). Also worth knowing: a year brings 1,224 mm of rain to Kilkee.
18.6°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter9.7°C
Spring13.1°C
Summer18.2°C
Autumn14.5°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Kilkee | Co. Clare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 18.6°C | 19.7°C | 19.9°C |
| January low | 4.5°C | 3.0°C | 2.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 11.0°C | 10.5°C | 10.3°C |
| Rain a year | 1,224 mm | 1,199 mm | 937 mm |
18.6°C
July high
4.5°C
January low
1,224 mm
Rain a year
143 mm
Wettest month
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Outdoors
Fewer homes in Kilkee sit near green space: 59% within 400 m, below Co. Clare’s towns and Irish towns
Protected nature near Kilkee includes Kilkee Reefs SAC. The sea makes up just over a third of the area within 5 km, higher than both Co. Clare’s towns (0%) and Irish towns (0%). Within 5 km, 3 waymarked trails and greenways set out.
59%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Kilkee2.8 ha
Co. Clare1.7 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Kilkee | Co. Clare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea within 5 km | 34% | 0% | 0% |
| Near a park | 59% | 69% | 92% |
| Woodland within 1 km | 5.9% | 3.9% | 2.7% |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 6.8% | 9.6% | 1.8% |
59%
Near a park
2.8 ha
Green space
7 km
Footpaths
6.8%
Protected for nature
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
Weather in Kilkee: 11 degrees and sunny today
What counts as normal for Kilkee in November: highs come to 12°C and lows to 7°C. Expect a dry, breezy day today, the wind reaching 26 km/h and the temperature dipping to 7°C. The heaviest rain of the week is due on Tuesday, around 9 mm.
11°C / 7°CToday
This month and the next three, normal highs · 1991–2020 averages
November12°C
December10°C
January10°C
February10°C
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 10°C | 5°C | 369 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 7°C | 224 mm |
| Summer | 18°C | 12°C | 264 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 9°C | 367 mm |
11°C / 7°C
Today
None
Rain, next 24 hours
22 km/h
Wind
90%
Humidity
9 h 22 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Children make up only 15% of Kilkee, fewer than in both Co. Clare’s towns and Irish towns
Aged 15 to 24: 9.4% of residents. 1.4% speak Irish daily outside school, higher than both Co. Clare’s towns (0.6%) and Irish towns (1.1%). Among adults, 25% have a degree.
48.5median age
KilkeeCo. ClareIreland
Ages · share of residents
26%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none17%
Lower secondary17%
Leaving Cert36%
Diploma or cert5%
Degree or higher25%
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 53.7% of Kilkee
652 women and 562 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Kilkee | Co. Clare | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 20% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 9.4% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 22% | 28% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 25% | 24% |
| 65+ | 26% | 15% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 17% | 9.5% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 36% | 40% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 5.3% | 6.8% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 25% | 28% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Clare and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
Kilkee turns out to vote: 58% at the last local elections, above Co. Clare’s towns and Irish towns
At the general election 64% voted, close to Co. Clare’s towns (64%) and above Irish towns (59%). Clare County Council is the one council for Kilkee; Ireland has no town or county councils between it and the government. Fianna Fáil lead Clare County Council with 14 of 28 seats, but no party has a majority: 15 are needed.
14/28seats held by Fianna Fáil
Seats on Clare County · June 2024
Fianna Fáil14
Fine Gael9
Independent3
Sinn Féin2
| Turnout | Kilkee | Co. Clare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 58% | 50% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 64% | 64% | 59% |
5
Councillors
14/28
Fianna Fáil seats on Clare County, the largest party
58%
turnout, June 2024
4
TDs elected for Clare
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
History
Kilkee is dense with heritage: 124 inventory buildings per 10,000 residents, more than in both Co. Clare’s towns and Irish towns
Homes from before 1919 make up 15.9% of the total, above Co. Clare’s towns (1.8%) and Irish towns (3.4%) alike. Surveyors for the national inventory recorded 15 buildings in Kilkee, each of regional importance.
15inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional15
Among them
- House, West End, Kilkee 1800
- Bernadette House 1840
- Clifton House 1840
- House, Merton Square, Kilkee 1840
16
sites on the Sites and Monuments Record
1800
earliest dated inventory building
16%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
1
places pictured on the history page
| Heritage | Kilkee | Co. Clare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 124 | 25 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 15.9% | 1.8% | 3.4% |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 16 | 10 | 11 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
SafetySafety B−
Kilkee sits near the middle of Irish towns for recorded crime
Every kind together came to 23.4 per 1,000 residents a year, below Co. Clare’s towns (45.4) and Irish towns (54.3) alike. Assaults and harassment topped the graded crimes in Kilkee (2023–2025). Among the 156 Irish towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, Kilkee has more crime per resident than 77% of them.
4violent incidents per 1,000 a yearB−Safety Grade
Compared with towns its sizeFewer incidents against residents per 1,000 than 23% of the 156 Irish towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Recorded by type · per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025
Road traffic4
Assault3.2
Damage2.9
Burglary2.8
Public order2.7
Theft2.5
Dangerous acts2.4
Drugs1.3
Against justice0.7
Not in the gradeTheft, public order and offences found by Garda checks (drugs, road traffic, dangerous acts) are shown but left out of the Safety Grade, which counts violence, burglary and damage.
| Per 1,000 a year | Kilkee | Co. Clare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime | 23.4 | 45.4 | 54.3 |
| Theft | 2.5 | 7.2 | 15.3 |
| Violent crime | 4 | 4.4 | 5.7 |
| Burglary & damage | 5.7 | 6.2 | 6.4 |
4
violent incidents per 1,000 a year
5.7
burglary and damage per 1,000 a year
120
incidents a year, Kilkee Garda area
9.7
against residents per 1,000, as graded
CSO recorded crime by Garda station, 2023–2025, shared to towns by where residents live · Census 2022 populations
Natural hazardsHazard risk B−
More homes in Kilkee stand on ground prone to landslides than in Co. Clare’s towns or Irish towns: 4.1%
The closest place to swim from Kilkee is Kilkee, 0.6 km away, rated excellent in 2025. Under 1% of homes here are estimated to have radon above the reference level. Hardly any of its homes sit low beside water.
0%of homes in high-radon areasB−Hazard risk Grade
Homes exposed · share of the town’s homes
Low-lying beside water0%
In high-radon areas0%
On high landslide susceptibility4.1%
Low-lying near a river0%
Low-lying near the coast0%
| Share of homes | Kilkee | Co. Clare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| On high landslide susceptibility | 4.1% | 0% | 0% |
| Low-lying near a river | 0% | 44% | 0.5% |
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 73% | 0% |
under 0.1%
of homes over the radon level
0.6 km
to Kilkee bathing water (excellent)
1,182
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
HealthHealth B−
Fewer people in Kilkee say their health is good than in Co. Clare’s towns or across Irish towns: 78%
Unpaid caring falls to 6.3% of Kilkee’s residents. 3.4% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, higher than both Co. Clare’s towns (2.5%) and Irish towns (2%). Disability touches just over a quarter of the town’s population.
78%good or very good healthB−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 78%Fair 18%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2022 | Kilkee | Co. Clare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 78% | 87% | 88% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.4% | 2.5% | 2% |
| Unpaid carers | 6.3% | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| With a disability | 26% | 23% | 22% |
135
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Clare 141
103
disability per 100 expected · Co. Clare 110
82.5 · 79
life expectancy, women · men, the Mid-West region, 2016
31%
hold a medical card, HSE Midwest
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Waterworld and 10 more within 40 km
2 places to visit are mapped within 5 km of Kilkee; with them, the best known within 40 km.
Water parkWater parkWaterworldin town
Castle · Office of Public WorksCarrigafoyle Castle16 km southeast
Castle · Office of Public WorksListowel Castle28 km south
CastleCarrigaholt Bay9.6 km southwest
CastleDoonagore Castle40 km northeast
CastleGlin Castle26 km southeast
Castle · Office of Public WorksCarrigafoyle Castle16 km southeastCastle · Office of Public WorksListowel Castle28 km southCastleCarrigaholt Bay9.6 km southwestCastleDoonagore Castle40 km northeastCastleGlin Castle26 km southeastPlaces: 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)
- Carrigafoyle Castle: Arcaist, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Listowel Castle: Larsoner~commonswiki, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Carrigaholt Bay: Warren Buckley, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Doonagore Castle: Valfex, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Glin Castle: Garry Dickinson, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Kilkee
15pages on Kilkee
The big questions
Out and about
Landmarks
Surveyors for the national inventory recorded 15 buildings in Kilkee, each of regional importance. Archaeologists have recorded 16 sites here.
Famous people from Kilkee
4 notable people were born in Kilkee.
Kilkee’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
KilrushBallybunionKilkee
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kilkee | 1,214 | — | — | A− | B− | B− |
| Kilrush | 2,649 | 11 | C+ | A+ | C | D |
| Ballybunion Kerry | 1,618 | 19 | — | C+ | B | C− |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Kilkee
Has Kilkee grown?
Kilkee had 1,214 people at the 2022 census, up from 917 in 2016: 32.4% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
Is Kilkee a young town or an old one?
The median age in Kilkee is 48.5, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
About Kilkee
Urban area in Co. Clare
Kilkee has 1,214 people, in the area of Clare 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
- 1,214 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Clare
- Council
- Clare County Council
- Local electoral area
- Kilrush
- Dáil constituency
- Clare
- Name in Irish
- Cill Chaoi
- Area
- 2 sq mi (5.2 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:16580
Sources: CSO, Census 2022 Small Area Population Statistics (CC BY 4.0) · Tailte Éireann, Urban Areas and Electoral Divisions 2022 (CC BY 4.0) · TownRatings grades, run #544 (Irish towns only). 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).