Belgooly’s story
Belgooly has 6 buildings on the National Inventory
The record adds 1 archaeological site.
Homes built before 1919: 3%, against 3% across Irish towns.
- 1800Coleman's Bar
- 1830Mill (water), Belgooly
- 1860Belgooly House
BelgoolyCo. Cork
Unemployment stood at 4% of the labour force in 2022. A town of 823 in Co. Cork.
6 places within 19 kmMap →
Photo: David Dixon · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
823
CSO, Census 2022 · Cork County Council
Median age
37.7
7% are 65+ · Co. Cork 15%
Degree level
48%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
4%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Belgooly a good place to live?
Buying the median home, at €463,000, takes 6 times the town’s median household income. Walking, cycling and public transport carry 4% of commuters. Few residents are of retirement age: 7% are 65 or over.
Belgooly is too small to grade: Irish towns get subject grades from 1,000 residents.
What makes Belgooly stand out
The 3 things Belgooly does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
4% walk, cycle or ride
Against 23% in the median of Irish towns
CSO, Census 2022
Unemployment rate, Census 2022
Work
4% unemployment
Of the labour force, Census 2022 (the median of Irish towns: 9%)
65% of residents 15 and over are at work.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
Only 7% are 65 or over
Against 14% in the median of Irish towns
CSO, Census 2022
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Charles Fort Military Fortress and 10 more in and around Belgooly
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Belgooly. Best known first.
Castle · Office of Public WorksCharles Fort Military Fortress4.3 km outside town, to the south
MuseumDesmond Castle Kinsale4 km outside town, to the southwestMuseumMuseumKinsale Museum4.1 km outside town, to the southwestFortFortJames Fort Kinsale4.4 km outside town, to the southChurchChurchSt Multose Church4.2 km outside town, to the southwestAttractionAttractionDon & Barry’s Historic Stroll4.1 km outside town, to the southwestPlaces: 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)
- Charles Fort Military Fortress: The Speckled Bird, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Desmond Castle Kinsale: ME, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Belgooly.
Natural hazards
More homes in Belgooly sit on high-radon ground than in Co. Cork’s towns or Irish towns: 100%
On high landslide susceptibility: 1.4% of homes, above Co. Cork’s towns (0.4%) and Irish towns (0%) alike. An estimated 13% of homes in Belgooly have radon above the reference level. Its nearest bathing water is Garrylucas, White Strand, 12 km away, rated excellent in 2025.
100%of homes in high-radon areas
Homes exposed · share of the town’s homes
Low-lying beside water26%
In high-radon areas100%
On high landslide susceptibility1.4%
Low-lying near a river26%
Low-lying near the coast0%
| Share of homes | Belgooly | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In high-radon areas | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Low-lying near a river | 26% | 2.3% | 0.5% |
| On high landslide susceptibility | 1.4% | 0.4% | 0% |
13%
of homes over the radon level
12 km
to Garrylucas, White Strand bathing water (excellent)
283
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Climate
Winters are mild in Belgooly: January nights hold at 4.2°C, above Co. Cork’s towns and Irish towns
A year brings 1,159 mm of rain, close to Co. Cork’s towns (1,114 mm) and above Irish towns (937 mm). July afternoons in Belgooly average 19.6°C. Day and night, summer and winter, Belgooly averages 11.1°C.
19.6°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter9.9°C
Spring13.4°C
Summer19.1°C
Autumn14.8°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Belgooly | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 4.2°C | 3.5°C | 2.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 11.1°C | 10.8°C | 10.3°C |
| July high | 19.6°C | 20.0°C | 19.9°C |
| Rain a year | 1,159 mm | 1,114 mm | 937 mm |
19.6°C
July high
4.2°C
January low
1,159 mm
Rain a year
133 mm
Wettest month
14
Air frosts
1,461 hrs
Sunshine
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Health
Belgooly has 18 people in bad health for every 100 its ages predict, fewer than Co. Cork’s towns or Irish towns
At the census, 17% of people here had a disability, below Co. Cork’s towns (24%) and Irish towns (22%) alike. Weighed against its ages, disability in Belgooly runs at 91 per 100 expected. Asked at the census, 95% of residents of Belgooly said they were in good or very good health.
95%good or very good health
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health18
Disability91
Co. Cork107
Expected100
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 95%Fair 5%Bad or very bad 0%
| Census 2022 | Belgooly | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bad or very bad health | 0.3% | 2% | 2% |
| Good or very good health | 95% | 88% | 88% |
| With a disability | 17% | 24% | 22% |
| Unpaid carers | 6% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
18
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Cork 107
91
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
Housing
More households own their home in Belgooly than in Co. Cork’s towns or across Irish towns: 81%
Council and housing-body homes hold 6% of households.
€463Kmedian sale price
Median sale price · Eircode area, 2023–2025
Belgooly€463K
Co. Cork€350K
Irish towns€350K
| Housing | Belgooly | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 81% | 60% | 61% |
| Households in social housing | 6% | 14% | 13% |
| Median sale price | €463K | €350K | €350K |
| Households renting privately | 13% | 21% | 22% |
81%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
13%
rent privately · Irish towns 22%
€1,542
a month on new tenancies, County Cork
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure · The price is for the postcode area P17, not the town alone: too few sales inside the town carry a full address.
Outdoors
Belgooly has fewer homes a short walk from green space than Co. Cork’s towns or Irish towns: 33%
Its paths and tracks come to 0.5 km per km², below both Co. Cork’s towns (1.8 km per km²) and Irish towns (2.1 km per km²). Woodland covers 5.8% of the land within 1 km, above Co. Cork’s towns (4.1%) and Irish towns (2.7%) alike. Walkers have one waymarked trail or greenway starting within 5 km.
33%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Belgooly3.0 ha
Co. Cork4.3 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Belgooly | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near a park | 33% | 90% | 92% |
| Woodland within 1 km | 5.8% | 4.1% | 2.7% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.5 km per km² | 1.8 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 0% | 1.5% | 1.8% |
33%
Near a park
3.0 ha
Green space
3 km
Footpaths
5.8%
Woodland
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
Belgooly’s weather today: strong wind and 11 degrees
It stays dry through the wind today, with a low of 10°C (wind up to 41 km/h). Tuesday looks like the wettest of the days that follow, with about 5 mm of rain. In November a normal day reaches 12°C and a normal night 6°C; the forecast for Belgooly below sets each day against them.
11°C / 10°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 | 4°C | 344 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 7°C | 237 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 12°C | 249 mm |
| Autumn | 15°C | 9°C | 329 mm |
11°C / 10°C
Today
2.8 mm
Rain, next 24 hours
38 km/h
Wind
72%
Humidity
9 h 27 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Belgooly has lower unemployment than Co. Cork’s towns or Irish towns: 3.5%
Among people aged 15 to 64, 71% were working at the census. Commutes averaged 25.6 min, near Co. Cork’s towns (24.8 min) and lower than Irish towns (27.6 min). Households take home €76,900 a year before tax, on average.
4%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van83%
Bus2%
Walk1%
Bicycle1%
Train, DART or Luas0%
| Census 2022 | Belgooly | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 8% | 9.2% |
| Median household income | €76,900 | €53,156 | €57,760 |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 71% | 69% | 68% |
| Average trip | 25.6 min | 24.8 min | 27.6 min |
€76,900
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Cork €60,671
13%
worked mainly from home, 2022
3%
trips of an hour or more
19,928
on the Live Register, County Cork, 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
Few people in Belgooly are 65 or over: 6.6%, below Co. Cork’s towns and Irish towns
Graduates make up 48% of adults. 27% are under 15, above Co. Cork’s towns (19%) and Irish towns (20%) alike. Aged 15 to 24: 15% of residents.
37.7median age
BelgoolyCo. CorkIreland
Ages · share of residents
15%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none5%
Lower secondary8%
Leaving Cert31%
Diploma or cert8%
Degree or higher48%
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 53.9% of Belgooly
444 women and 379 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Belgooly | Co. Cork | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 27% | 19% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 15% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 29% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 25% | 24% |
| 65+ | 6.6% | 15% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 5% | 8.1% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 7.5% | 14% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 31% | 34% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 7.7% | 6% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 48% | 38% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Cork and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
More people in Belgooly vote than in Co. Cork’s towns or Irish towns: 54% turnout at the local elections
Belgooly answers to one council, Cork County Council; Ireland has no town tier. At the general election 64% voted, above both Co. Cork’s towns (58%) and Irish towns (59%). No party holds a majority on Cork County Council: Fianna Fáil lead with 19 of 55 seats, short of the 28 needed.
19/55seats held by Fianna Fáil
Seats on Cork County · June 2024
Fianna Fáil19
Fine Gael18
Independent8
Independent Ireland4
Social Democrats3
Labour Party2
Sinn Féin1
| Turnout | Belgooly | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| General election, November 2024 | 64% | 58% | 59% |
| Local elections, June 2024 | 54% | 45% | 46% |
6
Councillors
19/55
Fianna Fáil seats on Cork County, the largest party
54%
turnout, June 2024
3
TDs elected for Cork South-West
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
History
Inventory buildings in Belgooly: 73 per 10,000 residents, against 103 in Co. Cork’s towns and 48 in Irish towns
1 archaeological sites are on the record, below both Co. Cork’s towns (11) and Irish towns (11). 3.1% of homes were built before 1919. The national inventory of architectural heritage lists 6 buildings in Belgooly, each rated of regional importance. One archaeological site is on the record here.
6inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional6
Among them
- Coleman's Bar 1800
- Mill (water), Belgooly 1830
- Belgooly House 1860
- School, Belgooly 1865
1
sites on the Sites and Monuments Record
1800
earliest dated inventory building
3%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
1
places pictured on the history page
| Heritage | Belgooly | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 73 | 103 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 3.1% | 7.7% | 3.4% |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 1 | 11 | 11 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Schools
Schools around Belgooly have lost ground: pupils −5% since 2019, below Co. Cork’s towns and Irish towns
Families in Belgooly have one school within 3 km. Pupils at the school within 3 km of the town: 363.
1schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoil Mhuire na nGrast Special classesLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 363 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Belgooly | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the DEIS scheme | 0% | 37% | 35% |
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 9% | 8% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | −5% | +1% | +4% |
363
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
−5%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
0.7 km
to the nearest primary school
4.9 km
to the nearest secondary school
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · No letters and no results: Ireland publishes none school by school.
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Belgooly
15pages on Belgooly
The big questions
Out and about
Landmarks
The national inventory of architectural heritage lists 6 buildings in Belgooly, each rated of regional importance. One archaeological site is on the record here.
Famous people from around Belgooly
One notable person was born in Belgooly; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.
P
Peter McDermottGaelic footballer (1918–2007)
E
Eileen DesmondIrish politician (1932-2005) · born in Kinsale
J
Jack CrowleyIrish rugby union player · born in Inishannon · born 2000J
John William FentonBritish composer (1828–1890) · born in KinsalePhoto credits
Timothy McCarthy: DeFacto, CC BY-SA 4.0 · William Napier, 9th Lord Napier: "courtesy of Lord Napier and Ettrick", Public domain
Belgooly’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
KinsaleCarrigalineInishannonLehenaghFrankfield and GrangeInishkennyBelgooly
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgooly | 823 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kinsale | 5,991 | 4.4 | A | D | A+ | A− |
| Carrigaline | 18,239 | 11 | A+ | C | A | A− |
| Inishannon | 1,043 | 12 | — | C+ | A+ | A |
| Lehenagh | 4,154 | 14 | B+ | C− | B+ | A |
| Frankfield and Grange | 7,687 | 14 | A | C− | A | A |
| Inishkenny | 5,552 | 15 | A− | C− | A− | A− |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Belgooly
How old are the people of Belgooly?
The median age in Belgooly is 37.7, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
Has Belgooly grown?
Belgooly had 823 people at the 2022 census, up from 818 in 2016: 0.6% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
About Belgooly
Urban area in Co. Cork
823 people live in Belgooly, in the area of Cork 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
- 823 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Cork
- Council
- Cork County Council
- Local electoral area
- Bandon-Kinsale
- Dáil constituency
- Cork South-West
- Name in Irish
- Béal Guala
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:18761
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).