Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Its architectural heritage runs to 179 buildings on the national inventory. 6,720 people call this town in Co. Cork home.
Plenty in its favour, and one clear drawback. Fermoy’s overall B puts it #133 of 320 Irish towns. Nationally, it does better than 59% of Irish towns. Its best grade is for cost of living: half the homes sold for more than €293,800, a price of 5.9 times what the median household earns. The catch is safety — for every 1,000 residents, gardaí record 7.1 violent crimes and 5.4 burglaries or acts of criminal damage a year. Most journeys need a car: 17% of commuters walk, cycle or take the bus or train, against 23% in the typical Irish town. It also trails on hazard risk — an estimated 10% of homes are above the radon reference level.
Figures: prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO · crime, CSO recorded crime, 2023 to 2025 · commuting, CSO Census 2022 · radon, EPA.
The 2 things Fermoy does most differently from other towns.
Each subject compares Fermoy with Irish towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
How TownRatings grades Irish towns →
The record adds 18 archaeological sites.
Homes built before 1919: 13%, against 3% across Irish towns.
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Fermoy.
Owners make up 53% of households, below both Co. Cork’s towns (60%) and Irish towns (61%). Private tenants account for 28% of households.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| New homes | €388,400 | 81 |
| Second-hand homes | €240,000 | 239 |
| The last 12 months | €385,000 | 141 |
| Housing | Fermoy | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households renting privately | 28% | 21% | 22% |
| Households owning their home | 53% | 60% | 61% |
| Median sale price | €294K | €360K | €350K |
| Rent on a new tenancy, a month | €1,197 | €1,291 | €1,606 |
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure
Low-lying near a river: 5.9% of homes, higher than both Co. Cork’s towns (2.1%) and Irish towns (0.5%). Fermoy is protected by the Fermoy South Flood Relief Scheme.
| Share of homes | Fermoy | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-lying near a river | 5.9% | 2.1% | 0.5% |
| In high-radon areas | 7.7% | 0% | 0% |
| On high landslide susceptibility | 0.1% | 0.4% | 0% |
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Among the graded crimes in Fermoy, the most frequent was assaults and harassment (2023–2025). Thefts came to 7.3 per 1,000 a year (not part of the grade), below both Co. Cork’s towns (10.3) and Irish towns (15.3). Per 1,000 residents, 53.4 crimes of all kinds are recorded a year.
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 | Fermoy | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 7.1 | 5.5 | 5.7 |
| Theft | 7.3 | 10.3 | 15.3 |
| Burglary & damage | 5.4 | 4.8 | 6.4 |
CSO recorded crime by Garda station, 2023–2025, shared to towns by where residents live · Census 2022 populations
17% of the schools are in the DEIS scheme, lower than both Co. Cork’s towns (40%) and Irish towns (35%). 12 schools lie within 3 km of Fermoy: 8 primary schools, 3 secondary schools and 1 special school. The nearest secondary, Coláiste Cholmáin, is 0.2 km away.
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaelscoil de hIde GaelscoilLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 328 | Catholic |
| Coláiste an Chraoibhín DEISLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · ETB | Post-primary · ETB | 918 | Multi-denominational |
| Iosef Naofa DEISIn the DEIS schemePrimary | Primary | 90 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Fermoy | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-sex secondaries | 67% | 44% | 39% |
| In the DEIS scheme | 17% | 40% | 35% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +10% | +1% | +4% |
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · No letters, no results: Irish schools aren’t ranked one by one.
Commutes averaged 24.8 min, near Co. Cork’s towns (24.7 min) and lower than Irish towns (27.6 min). Among people aged 15 to 64, 65% were working at the census. The census counted 6.5% of workers working mainly from home.
| Census 2022 | Fermoy | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trips under 15 minutes | 45% | 33% | 31% |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 65% | 69% | 68% |
| Unemployment rate | 10% | 7.9% | 9.2% |
| Median household income | €49,607 | €54,720 | €57,760 |
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.
Ages taken into account, Fermoy counts 105 people with a disability for every 100 predicted. At the census, 87% of people in Fermoy called their health good or very good, below both Co. Cork’s towns (88%) and Irish towns (88%). 5.3% of residents in Fermoy care, unpaid, for a relative or friend.
| Census 2022 | Fermoy | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unpaid carers | 5.3% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Good or very good health | 87% | 88% | 88% |
| With a disability | 23% | 24% | 22% |
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
A year brings 1,088 mm of rain, near Co. Cork’s towns (1,114 mm) and higher than Irish towns (937 mm). The mean temperature over a year in Fermoy is 10.4°C. Winter lows in Fermoy average 2.8°C in January.
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Fermoy | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 2.8°C | 3.5°C | 2.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 10.4°C | 10.8°C | 10.3°C |
| Rain a year | 1,088 mm | 1,114 mm | 937 mm |
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Walkers have 0.8 km per km² of paths and tracks, lower than both Co. Cork’s towns (1.8 km per km²) and Irish towns (2.1 km per km²). Among the protected sites near Fermoy is Blackwater River (Cork/Waterford) SAC. Also worth knowing: nearly three quarters of homes are within 400 m of green space. The town has a single park, with 12 ha of green space in all.
| Outdoors | Fermoy | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near a park | 74% | 91% | 92% |
| Woodland within 1 km | 6.3% | 4% | 2.7% |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 4.8% | 1.4% | 1.8% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.8 km per km² | 1.8 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
The heaviest rain of the week is due on Tuesday, around 7 mm. A typical November day reaches 11°C and drops to 5°C at night: the forecast for Fermoy is set against that. Only a trace of rain is due today, on a breeze of up to 23 km/h, with a low of 5°C.
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 9°C | 3°C | 321 mm |
| Spring | 14°C | 5°C | 227 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 11°C | 227 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 7°C | 314 mm |
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Degrees are held by 27% of adults. 0.8% speak Irish daily outside school, below both Co. Cork’s towns (1.1%) and Irish towns (1.1%). Under 15: 19% of residents.
Women make up 50.7% of Fermoy
3,407 women and 3,313 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Fermoy | Co. Cork | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 19% | 19% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 12% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 28% | 29% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 26% | 25% | 24% |
| 65+ | 14% | 15% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 12% | 7.9% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 40% | 34% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 6% | 5.9% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 27% | 38% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Cork and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Cork County Council runs Fermoy: Ireland has one tier of local government, with no town council below it. No party holds a majority on Cork County Council: Fianna Fáil lead with 19 of 55 seats, short of the 28 needed. This Co. Cork town sits in the Fermoy local electoral area, which elects 6 councillors.
| Turnout | Fermoy | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 53% | 45% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 58% | 58% | 59% |
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
The pre-1919 share of homes is 12.9%. Relative to its size, Fermoy keeps 266 buildings on the inventory per 10,000 residents, above both Co. Cork’s towns (100) and Irish towns (48). 18 archaeological sites are on the record.
| Heritage | Fermoy | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 266 | 100 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 12.9% | 7.7% | 3.4% |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 18 | 9 | 11 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
One place to visit is mapped within 5 km of Fermoy; with it, the best known within 40 km.
CastleBlarney Castle and Gardens31 km southwest
CathedralSt. Fin Barre's Cathedral30 km southwest
ZooFota Wildlife Park27 km south · 415K visitors a year (2022)
Castle · Office of Public WorksCahir Castle36 km northeast
CathedralCathedral of St. Mary & St. Anne29 km southwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Fermoy has 179 buildings on the national inventory of architectural heritage, 1 of them rated of national or international importance. Archaeologists have recorded 18 sites here.
24 notable people were born in Fermoy.
Michelle O'Neill: Sinn Féin, CC BY 2.0 · George Throssell: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain · Patrick Andrew Collins: Horner, Public domain · Gavin Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane: Leslie Ward, Public domain
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fermoy | 6,720 | — | B | A− | C+ | B |
| Kilworth | 1,179 | 5.1 | — | B | A+ | B+ |
| Rathcormac | 1,957 | 6.9 | — | C+ | A | D |
| Mitchelstown | 3,744 | 14 | A− | A | C+ | B+ |
| Watergrasshill | 1,840 | 15 | — | B− | A+ | B+ |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Fermoy had 6,720 people at the 2022 census, up from 6,336 in 2016: 6.1% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
The median age in Fermoy is 38.9, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
76% of working residents drive to work and 17% walk, cycle or take the bus or train (the median of Irish towns: 23%).
Urban area in Co. Cork
6,720 people live in Fermoy, 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)
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).