Ballincollig’s story
Ballincollig: 36 buildings on the National Inventory
The record adds 55 archaeological sites.
Homes built before 1919: 1%, against 3% across Irish towns.
- 1780Oriel House
- 1790Ballincollig Gunpowder Mills
- 1800Beckett House
BallincolligCork
21,940 people call this neighbourhood in Cork home.
6 places within 19 kmMap →
Photo: Ian Paterson · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
21,940
CSO, Census 2022 · Cork City Council
Median age
38.1
14% are 65+ · Co. Cork 15%
Degree level
47%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
11%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
TownGrade
A
#26 of 320
Is Ballincollig a good place to live?
Where it does best is jobs & income: 73% of people aged 15 to 64 are in work, and unemployment is 5%. Taken together, its subjects give Ballincollig an A overall, better than 92% of Irish towns. Its place in the ranking is #7 of 54 in Co. Cork. Recorded crime is low: for every 1,000 residents, gardaí record 2.8 violent crimes and 2.8 burglaries or acts of criminal damage a year. The catch is cost of living (C): at a median €370,000, a home costs 4.9 times the town’s median household income. Hazards are a real consideration (D): an estimated 7% of its homes exceed the radon reference level.
Figures: work, CSO Census 2022 · crime, CSO recorded crime, 2023 to 2025 · prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO · radon, EPA.
This town's Hazard risk Grade uses radon and landslides only: open LiDAR heights don't cover enough of its homes to measure flooding, so flood isn't counted for or against it.
What makes Ballincollig stand out
The 3 things Ballincollig does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
11% walk, cycle or ride
The median of Irish towns: 23%
CSO, Census 2022
Jobs & income
Jobs & income
Better than 99%
of Irish towns on jobs & income
Its jobs & income grade: A+.
Unemployment rate, Census 2022
Work
5% unemployment
Of the labour force, Census 2022 (the median of Irish towns: 9%)
61% of residents 15 and over are at work.
How Ballincollig grades
Each subject compares Ballincollig 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 & income5% unemployedA+Open →Hazard riskAmong the weakest of the towns comparedDOpen →SafetyBased on crimes reported per residentAOpen →HealthResidents are healthier than in most townsA−Open →Cost of livingWeaker than most of the towns comparedCOpen →WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carCOpen →
SchoolsNot graded in Ireland: schools’ exam results aren’t published school by school (Education Act 1998, s.53)–
How TownRatings grades Irish towns →
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Carrigrohane Castle and 26 more in and around Ballincollig
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Ballincollig. Best known first.
CastleCarrigrohane Castlein town
CastleBallincollig Castlein town
CastleBlarney Castle and Gardens2.1 km outside town, to the north
CathedralSt. Fin Barre's Cathedral4.4 km outside town, to the east
CathedralCathedral of St. Mary & St. Anne4.7 km outside town, to the east
MuseumCork Butter Museum4.6 km outside town, to the eastPlaces: 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 (6)
- Carrigrohane Castle: Garry Dickinson, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ballincollig Castle: Brendandiamond, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Blarney Castle and Gardens: Gerd Eichmann, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- St. Fin Barre's Cathedral: Flickr member Charlie cravero, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cathedral of St. Mary & St. Anne: JohnArmagh, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Cork Butter Museum: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Ballincollig.
Work & commuteJobs & income A+
Ballincollig is better off than Co. Cork’s towns or Irish towns: households earn €76,190 a year
At the census, 11% of commuters got to work without a car. Unemployment stood at 5.1%, below Co. Cork’s towns (8%) and Irish towns (9.2%) alike. Add to that, the commute to work averages 22.8 min.
11%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van75%
Walk5%
Bus5%
Bicycle1%
Train, DART or Luas0%
| Census 2022 | Ballincollig | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | €76,190 | €51,591 | €57,760 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 8% | 9.2% |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 73% | 69% | 68% |
| Average trip | 22.8 min | 24.8 min | 27.6 min |
€76,190
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Cork €60,671
14%
worked mainly from home, 2022
3%
trips of an hour or more
6,264
on the Live Register, Cork city, September 2026
C
Walkability: better than 32% 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.
Natural hazardsHazard risk D
Radon in Ballincollig: an estimated 6.5% of homes are above the reference level
1.6% of homes stand on ground with high landslide susceptibility, above Co. Cork’s towns (0.4%) and Irish towns (0%) alike. Its homes mostly stand clear of low ground by water.
0%of homes in high-radon areasDHazard risk Grade
Homes exposed · share of the town’s homes
In high-radon areas0%
On high landslide susceptibility1.6%
| Share of homes | Ballincollig | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| On high landslide susceptibility | 1.6% | 0.4% | 0% |
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 0% | 0% |
7,890
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
SafetySafety A
Ballincollig has less crime per resident than 98% of the 118 Irish towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people
Town centres with shops, stations and nightlife record more incidents per resident: they are counted where they happen, not where victims live.
Among the graded crimes in Ballincollig, the most frequent was assaults and harassment (2023–2025). Every kind together came to 24.4 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Co. Cork’s towns (44.2) and Irish towns (54.3).
2.8violent incidents per 1,000 a yearASafety Grade
Compared with towns its sizeFewer incidents against residents per 1,000 than 98% of the 118 Irish towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Recorded by type · per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025
Theft8
Road traffic4.2
Dangerous acts2.7
Public order2.5
Assault2.4
Damage2.3
Drugs0.7
Against justice0.7
Burglary0.4
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 | Ballincollig | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burglary & damage | 2.8 | 4.9 | 6.4 |
| Violent crime | 2.8 | 6 | 5.7 |
| All recorded crime | 24.4 | 44.2 | 54.3 |
| Theft | 8 | 10.3 | 15.3 |
2.8
violent incidents per 1,000 a year
2.8
burglary and damage per 1,000 a year
655
incidents a year, Ballincollig Garda area
5.6
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
HealthHealth A−
For its ages, Ballincollig reports less bad health than Co. Cork’s towns or Irish towns: 81 per 100 expected
91% of people in Ballincollig rate their own health good or very good. Allowing for its ages, Ballincollig has 101 residents with a disability per 100 expected, below both Co. Cork’s towns (110) and Irish towns (106). Disability touches just over a fifth of the town’s population.
91%good or very good healthA−Health Grade
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health81
Disability101
Co. Cork107
Expected100
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 91%Fair 8%Bad or very bad 1%
| Census 2022 | Ballincollig | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 91% | 88% | 88% |
| Bad or very bad health | 1.4% | 2% | 2% |
| With a disability | 21% | 24% | 22% |
| Unpaid carers | 6.2% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
81
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Cork 107
101
disability per 100 expected · Co. Cork 110
83.2 · 79.1
life expectancy, women · men, the South-West region, 2016
28%
hold a medical card, HSE South West
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
Schools
DEIS support reaches 14% of schools around Ballincollig, below Co. Cork’s towns and Irish towns
Within 3 km of Ballincollig there are 28 schools (17 primary schools, 8 secondary schools and 3 special schools). Single-sex secondaries: 25%, below both Co. Cork’s towns (44%) and Irish towns (39%). Ballincollig Community School is the nearest secondary school, 0.6 km away.
28schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gael Scoil Ui Riordain GaelscoilLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 724 | Catholic |
| Coláiste Choilm Irish streamLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · ETB | Post-primary · ETB | 1,357 | Inter-denominational |
| Gaelscoil Ui Riada GaelscoilTeaches through IrishPrimary | Primary | 254 | Catholic |
| Strawberry Hill National School DEISIn the DEIS schemePrimary | Primary | 315 | Catholic |
Schools by ethos · Schools within 3 km
Catholic22
Multi-denominational2
Inter-denominational4
| Schools within 3 km | Ballincollig | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the DEIS scheme | 14% | 40% | 35% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +10% | +1% | +4% |
| Teach through Irish | 14% | 9% | 8% |
| Single-sex secondaries | 25% | 44% | 39% |
11,989
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
+10%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
0.3 km
to the nearest primary school
0.6 km
to the nearest secondary school
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · You won’t find letters or results below: Ireland publishes none for single schools.
HousingCost of living C
More households own their home in Ballincollig than in Co. Cork’s towns or across Irish towns: 74%
Social housing holds 9% of households, below both Co. Cork’s towns (14%) and Irish towns (13%). Private tenants account for 17% of households. Prices in Ballincollig are up 76% since 2010: the typical sale went from €240K that year to €422K in 2025.
€370Kmedian sale priceCCost of living Grade
Median sale price · Property Price Register, 2023–2025
Ballincollig€370K
Co. Cork€340K
Irish towns€350K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| New homes | €490,000 | 49 |
| Second-hand homes | €360,000 | 397 |
| The last 12 months | €441,500 | 186 |
| Housing | Ballincollig | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 74% | 59% | 61% |
| Households in social housing | 9% | 14% | 13% |
| Rent on a new tenancy, a month | €1,656 | €1,255 | €1,606 |
| Households renting privately | 17% | 21% | 22% |
74%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
17%
rent privately · Irish towns 22%
€1,656
a month on new tenancies, Ballincollig
6.1
times median household income, County Cork
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure
Climate
July in Ballincollig runs hotter than in 91% of Irish towns
A year brings 1,070 mm of rain, close to Co. Cork’s towns (1,114 mm) and above Irish towns (937 mm). Ballincollig’s year-round mean comes to 10.9°C. Midsummer afternoons in Ballincollig peak at about 20.2°C.
20.2°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter9.7°C
Spring13.8°C
Summer19.7°C
Autumn14.8°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Ballincollig | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average temperature over the year | 10.9°C | 10.8°C | 10.3°C |
| July high | 20.2°C | 20.0°C | 19.9°C |
| January low | 3.4°C | 3.5°C | 2.9°C |
| Rain a year | 1,070 mm | 1,114 mm | 937 mm |
20.2°C
July high
3.4°C
January low
1,070 mm
Rain a year
121 mm
Wettest month
14
Air frosts
1,461 hrs
Sunshine
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Outdoors
Fewer homes in Ballincollig sit near green space: 59% within 400 m, below Co. Cork’s towns and Irish towns
3 parks and 96 ha of green space in all: that is Ballincollig’s share. Woodland covers nearly a tenth of the land within 1 km, above Co. Cork’s towns (4%) and Irish towns (2.7%) alike. Within 5 km, 4 waymarked trails and greenways set out.
59%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Ballincollig4.4 ha
Co. Cork4.2 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Ballincollig | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near a park | 59% | 91% | 92% |
| Woodland within 1 km | 8.4% | 4% | 2.7% |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 0% | 1.6% | 1.8% |
| Paths per km² of town | 1.3 km per km² | 1.8 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
59%
Near a park
4.4 ha
Green space
62 km
Footpaths
8.4%
Woodland
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
Ballincollig’s weather today: light showers, with a high of 11 degrees
Judged by the averages, Ballincollig sees November days reach 12°C and nights fall to 5°C. Around 1 mm of rain is due today, on a breeze of up to 25 km/h, with a low of 6°C. Over the coming week, Tuesday looks wettest, with about 14 mm of rain.
11°C / 6°CToday
This month and the next three, normal highs · 1991–2020 averages
November12°C
December10°C
January9°C
February10°C
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 10°C | 4°C | 323 mm |
| Spring | 14°C | 6°C | 220 mm |
| Summer | 20°C | 12°C | 221 mm |
| Autumn | 15°C | 8°C | 306 mm |
11°C / 6°C
Today
0.5 mm
Rain, next 24 hours
17 km/h
Wind
90%
Humidity
9 h 26 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Irish is an everyday language in Ballincollig: 2.1% speak it daily, above Co. Cork
22% are under 15, above Co. Cork’s towns (19%) and Irish towns (20%) alike. Degrees are held by 47% of adults. Young adults of 15 to 24 account for 11% of the town.
38.1median age
BallincolligCo. CorkIreland
Ages · share of residents
11%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none5%
Lower secondary11%
Leaving Cert31%
Diploma or cert6%
Degree or higher47%
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 51.4% of Ballincollig
11,269 women and 10,671 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Ballincollig | Co. Cork | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 22% | 19% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 30% | 29% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 24% | 25% | 24% |
| 65+ | 14% | 15% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 5% | 8.3% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 11% | 14% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 31% | 34% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 5.9% | 6% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 47% | 38% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Cork and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
35 votes decided the last seat in Cork North-Central
There is no majority on Cork City Council; Fianna Fáil have the most seats, 9 of 31, short of 16. Ballincollig sits in the Cork City South West local electoral area, which elects 7 councillors. Turnout at the last local elections was 45%, in line with Co. Cork’s towns (45%) and Irish towns (46%).
9/31seats held by Fianna Fáil
Seats on Cork City · June 2024
Fianna Fáil9
Fine Gael5
Sinn Féin4
Independent4
Labour Party3
Green Party3
Social Democrats1
Independent Ireland1
| Turnout | Ballincollig | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| General election, November 2024 | 58% | 58% | 59% |
| Local elections, June 2024 | 45% | 45% | 46% |
7
Councillors
9/31
Fianna Fáil seats on Cork City, the largest party
45%
turnout, June 2024
5
TDs elected for Cork North-Central
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
History
Archaeology runs deep around Ballincollig: 55 sites on the record, more than Co. Cork’s towns or Irish towns
Before 1919: that is when 1.4% of homes were built. Per 10,000 residents, Ballincollig counts 16 inventory buildings, below both Co. Cork’s towns (106) and Irish towns (48). The national inventory of architectural heritage lists 36 buildings in Ballincollig, each rated of regional importance.
36inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional36
Among them
- Oriel House 1780
- Ballincollig Gunpowder Mills 1790
- Beckett House 1800
- Emmet House 1800
55
sites on the Sites and Monuments Record
1780
earliest dated inventory building
1%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
4
places pictured on the history page
| Heritage | Ballincollig | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 16 | 106 | 48 |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 55 | 9 | 11 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 1.4% | 7.7% | 3.4% |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ballincollig
15pages on Ballincollig
The big questions
Out and about
Landmarks
The national inventory of architectural heritage lists 36 buildings in Ballincollig, each rated of regional importance. 55 archaeological sites are on the record here.
Famous people from Ballincollig
12 notable people were born in Ballincollig.
D
Dan McCarthyIrish hurler · born 1918D
Dan MurphyIrish hurler · born 1977D
Denis O'RiordanIrish hurler · born 1940G
Goodwin YoungCricketer (1850-1915)Photo credits
Horace de Vere Cole: Believed to be James Lafayette. For further information, see the talk page., Public domain · Patrick Cronin: Seaninryan, CC BY-SA 4.0
Ballincollig’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
KillumneyTowerBishopstownBlarneyInishkennyShanakielBallincollig
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballincollig | 21,940 | — | A | C | A | A− |
| Killumney | 1,466 | 4.1 | — | C | A | A+ |
| Tower | 3,300 | 4.6 | A | C | A+ | A− |
| Bishopstown | 14,529 | 5.2 | B+ | D | A− | B+ |
| Blarney | 2,779 | 6.2 | A+ | C | A+ | A− |
| Inishkenny | 5,552 | 6.2 | A− | C− | A− | A− |
| Shanakiel | 3,804 | 6.2 | C− | C+ | C | C− |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Ballincollig
Do people in Ballincollig drive to work?
14% mostly work from home, and 34% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
Is Ballincollig a young town or an old one?
The median age in Ballincollig is 38.1, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns. 22% of residents are under 15 and 14% are 65 or over.
About Ballincollig
Neighbourhood in Cork
Ballincollig has 21,940 people, in the area of Cork City Council. TownRatings splits Cork into neighbourhoods made from the CSO’s Electoral Divisions, named from Tailte Éireann’s gazetteer, so each has figures of its own.
Built from Tailte Éireann’s boundaries and the CSO’s Census 2022 (CC BY 4.0)
- Population
- 21,940 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Cork
- Council
- Cork City Council
- Local electoral area
- Cork City South West
- Dáil constituency
- Cork North-Central
- Name in Irish
- Baile an Chollaigh
- Area
- 6.6 sq mi (17.2 km²)
- CSO code
- ED:CC:BALLINCOLLIG
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).