Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
In Cork, this neighbourhood has 8,606 residents.
Most journeys need a car: on the way to work, 11% walk, cycle or take the bus or train, where the typical Irish town has 23%. Hollyhill and Ballincolly ranks #42 of 54 in Co. Cork, with a C overall. Set against the rest, it does better than 28% of Irish towns. At a median €307,900, a home costs 4.4 times the town’s median household income. Households here earn well: the unemployment rate is 8%, with 66% of 15 to 64s in work.
Figures: work and commuting, CSO Census 2022 · prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO.
This town's house price is the median for its whole Eircode routing key, town and countryside together: fewer than 30 sales in the town itself were recorded on the Property Price Register in 2023 to 2025, so its Cost Grade is less sure. 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.
The 3 things Hollyhill and Ballincolly does most differently from other towns.
Each subject compares Hollyhill and Ballincolly 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 →
68 archaeological sites are on the record here too.
7% of its homes were built before 1919, against 3% in the median of Irish towns.
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Hollyhill and Ballincolly. Best known first.
CastleBlarney Castle and Gardens500 m outside town, to the west
CathedralSt. Fin Barre's Cathedral2 km outside town, to the southeast
CathedralCathedral of St. Mary & St. Anne800 m outside town, to the southeast
CastleMTU Blackrock Castle Observatory3.8 km outside town, to the east
MuseumCork Butter Museum1 km outside town, to the southeast
Abbey or prioryRed Abbey1.9 km outside town, to the southeastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Hollyhill and Ballincolly.
Some 4% of homes in Hollyhill and Ballincolly are estimated to exceed the radon reference level. Next to none of its homes lie low beside a river or the sea.
| Share of homes | Hollyhill and Ballincolly | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| On high landslide susceptibility | 5.8% | 0.4% | 0% |
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 0% | 0% |
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Of the graded crimes in Hollyhill and Ballincolly, assaults and harassment came up most often (2023–2025). Burglary and damage came to 7 per 1,000 residents a year, above both Co. Cork’s towns (4.8) and Irish towns (6.4). Among the 201 Irish towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people, Hollyhill and Ballincolly has more crime per resident than 68% of them.
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 | Hollyhill and Ballincolly | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 8.6 | 5.5 | 5.7 |
| Burglary & damage | 7 | 4.8 | 6.4 |
CSO recorded crime by Garda station, 2023–2025, shared to towns by where residents live · Census 2022 populations
Families in Hollyhill and Ballincolly have 84 schools within 3 km to choose from: 47 primary schools, 26 secondary schools and 11 special schools. 43% of the schools are in the DEIS scheme, above Co. Cork’s towns (35%) and Irish towns (35%) alike. The nearest secondary, Nano Nagle College, is 1.1 km away.
| 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 |
| Gaelcholáiste Mhuire GaelcholáisteTeaches through IrishPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 690 | Catholic |
| Coláiste Éamann Rís DEISIn the DEIS schemePost-primary · Voluntary secondary | Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 811 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Hollyhill and Ballincolly | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the DEIS scheme | 43% | 35% | 35% |
| Single-sex secondaries | 35% | 44% | 39% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +4% | +1% | +4% |
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · There are no letters or results on these cards, because Ireland publishes none school by school.
The car took nearly four in five commuters, higher than both Co. Cork’s towns (71%) and Irish towns (66%). Employment among 15- to 64-year-olds stood at 66% at the census. The average trip to work takes 24.7 min.
| Census 2022 | Hollyhill and Ballincolly | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | €69,760 | €51,591 | €57,760 |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 66% | 69% | 68% |
| Average trip | 24.7 min | 24.8 min | 27.6 min |
| Unemployment rate | 7.9% | 8% | 9.2% |
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.
1.5% of residents report bad or very bad health. Asked at the census, 89% of residents of Hollyhill and Ballincolly said they were in good or very good health. Disability touches just over a fifth of the town’s population.
| Census 2022 | Hollyhill and Ballincolly | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bad or very bad health | 1.5% | 2% | 2% |
| Good or very good health | 89% | 88% | 88% |
| With a disability | 22% | 24% | 22% |
| Unpaid carers | 5.9% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
Owners make up 70% of households, higher than both Co. Cork’s towns (59%) and Irish towns (61%). Social renters account for 17% of households.
| Housing | Hollyhill and Ballincolly | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households renting privately | 12% | 21% | 22% |
| Households owning their home | 70% | 59% | 61% |
| Households in social housing | 17% | 14% | 13% |
| Median sale price | €308K | €360K | €350K |
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure · The price is for the postcode area T23, not the town alone: too few sales inside the town carry a full address.
Midwinter nights in Hollyhill and Ballincolly bottom out at 3.0°C on average. Across the year it averages 10.5°C, about level with Irish towns (10.3°C) and below Co. Cork’s towns (10.8°C). The warmest afternoons come in July, at around 19.8°C here.
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Hollyhill and Ballincolly | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average temperature over the year | 10.5°C | 10.8°C | 10.3°C |
| Rain a year | 1,121 mm | 1,114 mm | 937 mm |
| January low | 3.0°C | 3.5°C | 2.9°C |
| July high | 19.8°C | 20.0°C | 19.9°C |
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Hollyhill and Ballincolly has 12.3 ha of green space for every 1,000 residents, higher than both Co. Cork’s towns (4.2 ha) and Irish towns (4.1 ha). For 72% of homes, green space is under 400 m away. It has 6 parks, with 106 ha of green space in all.
| Outdoors | Hollyhill and Ballincolly | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near a park | 72% | 91% | 92% |
| Woodland within 1 km | 7.2% | 4% | 2.7% |
| Green space per 1,000 residents | 12.3 ha | 4.2 ha | 4.1 ha |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 0.5% | 1.6% | 1.8% |
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
What counts as normal for Hollyhill and Ballincolly in November: highs come to 11°C and lows to 5°C. Around 4 mm of rain is due today, on a breeze of up to 28 km/h, with a low of 9°C. December follows with normal highs of 9°C and lows of 3°C.
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 9°C | 3°C | 333 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 6°C | 232 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 11°C | 237 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 7°C | 319 mm |
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Degrees are held by 31% of adults, below Co. Cork’s towns (38%) and Irish towns (36%) alike. Those 65 and older account for just over one in ten residents. Aged 15 to 24: 14% of residents.
52.3% of Hollyhill and Ballincolly’s residents are women
4,504 women and 4,102 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Hollyhill and Ballincolly | Co. Cork | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 22% | 19% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 14% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 29% | 29% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 24% | 25% | 24% |
| 65+ | 11% | 15% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 8.4% | 7.9% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 37% | 34% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 6.2% | 5.9% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 31% | 38% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Cork and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Cork City Council has no ruling majority: Fianna Fáil hold 9 of its 31 seats, short of the 16 needed. Hollyhill and Ballincolly is split between local electoral areas: nearly three quarters of its residents are in Cork City North West, most of the rest in Cork City North East. It sits in the Cork City North West local electoral area, which elects 6 councillors.
| Turnout | Hollyhill and Ballincolly | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 42% | 45% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 58% | 58% | 59% |
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
Per 10,000 residents, Hollyhill and Ballincolly counts 35 inventory buildings, below Co. Cork’s towns (106) and Irish towns (48) alike. The pre-1919 share of homes is 6.9%. 30 of Hollyhill and Ballincolly’s buildings made the national inventory of architectural heritage, all at regional importance.
| Heritage | Hollyhill and Ballincolly | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archaeological sites on the record | 68 | 9 | 11 |
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 35 | 106 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 6.9% | 7.7% | 3.4% |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
30 of Hollyhill and Ballincolly’s buildings made the national inventory of architectural heritage, all at regional importance. The national record lists 68 archaeological sites in and around the town.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollyhill and Ballincolly | 8,606 | — | C | C+ | C− | B |
| Fair Hill | 4,910 | 0.8 | D− | C+ | C− | D− |
| Knocknaheeny | 5,592 | 1.1 | D | C+ | C | D− |
| Farranree | 3,824 | 1.5 | D | B | D | D− |
| Gurranebraher | 4,502 | 1.8 | D | C+ | C | D |
| Shanakiel | 3,804 | 2.1 | C− | C+ | C | C− |
| Sunday's Well | 2,807 | 2.2 | C | C | C− | B |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
10% mostly work from home, and 31% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
The median age in Hollyhill and Ballincolly is 35.7, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
Neighbourhood in Cork
8,606 people live in Hollyhill and Ballincolly, 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)
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).