Leap’s story
Leap: 18% of homes built before 1919
The register holds 7 buildings on the National Inventory in Leap.
1 archaeological site are on the record here too.
- 1790Leap Church of Ireland Church
- 1830Leap Inn/Sheahan
- 1850House, Leap
LeapCo. Cork
Population 167: a town in Co. Cork.
3 places within 19 kmMap →
Photo: N Chadwick · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
167
CSO, Census 2022 · Cork County Council
Median age
55.2
32% are 65+ · Co. Cork 15%
Degree level
33%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
3%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Leap a good place to live?
The median home sold for €328,600, 6.1 times the town’s median household income. Of those who commute, 3% go on foot, by bike or by public transport. 32% of residents are 65 or over. 56% of households have paid off their home.
At under 1,000 residents, Leap is too small for the grades Irish towns get.
What makes Leap stand out
The 3 things Leap does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Leap.
Natural hazards
Landslide-prone ground carries 64% of Leap’s homes
The closest place to swim from Leap is Warren, Cregane Strand, 9.4 km away, rated good in 2025. Under 1% of homes locally are estimated to have radon above the reference level. Next to none of its homes lie low beside a river or the sea.
0%of homes in high-radon areas
Homes exposed · share of the town’s homes
In high-radon areas0%
On high landslide susceptibility64%
| Share of homes | Leap | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| On high landslide susceptibility | 64% | 0.4% | 0% |
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 0% | 0% |
9.4 km
to Warren, Cregane Strand bathing water (good)
22
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 Leap: January nights hold at 4.4°C, above Co. Cork’s towns and Irish towns
Leap sees July afternoons of 19.2°C on average. Across the year it averages 11.0°C, close to Co. Cork’s towns (10.8°C) and above Irish towns (10.3°C). A year brings 1,480 mm of rain to Leap.
19.2°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter9.9°C
Spring13.3°C
Summer18.8°C
Autumn14.7°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Leap | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 4.4°C | 3.5°C | 2.9°C |
| Rain a year | 1,480 mm | 1,114 mm | 937 mm |
| July high | 19.2°C | 20.0°C | 19.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 11.0°C | 10.8°C | 10.3°C |
19.2°C
July high
4.4°C
January low
1,480 mm
Rain a year
172 mm
Wettest month
4
Air frosts
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Health
Bad health runs low in Leap for a town of its ages, at 23 per 100 expected, less than in both Co. Cork’s towns and Irish towns
Nearly a fifth of residents have a disability, lower than both Co. Cork’s towns (24%) and Irish towns (22%). Disability, age-adjusted: 69 for every 100 expected in Leap. Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 0.7% of the town.
88%good or very good health
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health23
Disability69
Co. Cork107
Expected100
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 88%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 1%
| Census 2022 | Leap | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unpaid carers | 3.6% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Bad or very bad health | 0.7% | 2% | 2% |
| With a disability | 19% | 24% | 22% |
23
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Cork 107
69
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
Leap is a town of owners: 70% of households own their home, above Co. Cork’s towns and Irish towns
4% of households live in social housing. Private renters make up just over a fifth of households, close to both Co. Cork’s towns (21%) and Irish towns (22%).
€329Kmedian sale price
Median sale price · Eircode area, 2023–2025
Leap€329K
Co. Cork€350K
Irish towns€350K
| Housing | Leap | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households in social housing | 4% | 14% | 13% |
| Households owning their home | 70% | 60% | 61% |
| Median sale price | €329K | €350K | €350K |
70%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
€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 P81, not the town alone: too few sales inside the town carry a full address.
Outdoors
More woodland lies at the edge of Leap than Co. Cork’s towns or Irish towns: 14% of the land within 1 km
Within 5 km, 0.2% of the land is protected nature, below both Co. Cork’s towns (1.5%) and Irish towns (1.8%). Among the protected sites near Leap is Myross Wood SAC. For 100% of homes, green space is under 400 m away.
100%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Leap8.6 ha
Co. Cork4.3 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Leap | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodland within 1 km | 14% | 4.1% | 2.7% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.1 km per km² | 1.8 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
| Near a park | 100% | 90% | 92% |
| Sea within 5 km | 4.1% | 0% | 0% |
100%
Near a park
8.6 ha
Green space
1 km
Footpaths
0.2%
Protected for nature
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
Leap, today: cloudy, and the thermometer reaches 11 degrees
Around 1 mm of rain is due today, on a breeze of up to 39 km/h, with a low of 8°C. Of the days after that, Tuesday brings the most rain: about 24 mm. What counts as normal for Leap in November: highs come to 12°C and lows to 6°C.
11°C / 8°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 | 461 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 6°C | 284 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 12°C | 308 mm |
| Autumn | 15°C | 9°C | 427 mm |
11°C / 8°C
Today
1.2 mm
Rain, next 24 hours
30 km/h
Wind
82%
Humidity
9 h 28 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Work & commute
More people in Leap worked from home than in Co. Cork’s towns or Irish towns: 21%
At the census, 2.8% went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport, below both Co. Cork’s towns (19%) and Irish towns (23%). The jobless rate is 7.1%. Employment among 15- to 64-year-olds stood at 76% at the census.
3%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van75%
Walk1%
Bus1%
| Census 2022 | Leap | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In work, 15 to 64 | 76% | 69% | 68% |
| Average trip | 28.2 min | 24.8 min | 27.6 min |
| Unemployment rate | 7.1% | 8% | 9.2% |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 30% | 33% | 31% |
€54,180
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Cork €60,671
21%
worked mainly from home, 2022
8%
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
Fewer children live in Leap than in Co. Cork’s towns or Irish towns: 6% are under 15
The 15-to-24 age group: 7.8%, below Co. Cork’s towns (12%) and Irish towns (12%) alike. Graduates make up 33% of adults.
55.2median age
LeapCo. CorkIreland
Ages · share of residents
32%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none9%
Lower secondary12%
Leaving Cert41%
Diploma or cert6%
Degree or higher33%
Women and men · all residents
50.9% of Leap’s residents are women
85 women and 82 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Leap | Co. Cork | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 6% | 19% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 7.8% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 24% | 29% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 25% | 24% |
| 65+ | 32% | 15% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 8.5% | 8.1% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 12% | 14% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 41% | 34% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 6.2% | 6% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 33% | 38% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Cork and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
Leap votes in numbers: 64% turned out at the general election, above Co. Cork’s towns and Irish towns
No party holds a majority on Cork County Council: Fianna Fáil lead with 19 of 55 seats, short of the 28 needed. 56% of voters turned out at the last local elections, above Co. Cork’s towns (45%) and Irish towns (46%) alike. Cork County Council is the one council for Leap; Ireland has no town or county councils between it and the government.
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 | Leap | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 56% | 45% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 64% | 58% | 59% |
5
Councillors
19/55
Fianna Fáil seats on Cork County, the largest party
56%
turnout, June 2024
3
TDs elected for Cork South-West
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
History
For its size, Leap has more listed heritage than Co. Cork’s towns or Irish towns: 419 inventory buildings per 10,000 residents
17.7% of its homes were built before 1919, higher than both Co. Cork’s towns (7.7%) and Irish towns (3.4%). Archaeologists have recorded 1 sites here. 7 of Leap’s buildings made the national inventory of architectural heritage, all at regional importance. The national record lists one archaeological site in and around the town.
7inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional7
Among them
- Leap Church of Ireland Church 1790
- Leap Inn/Sheahan 1830
- House, Leap 1850
- House, Leap 1860
1
sites on the Sites and Monuments Record
1790
earliest dated inventory building
18%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
| Heritage | Leap | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 419 | 103 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 17.7% | 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 Leap have lost ground: pupils −8% since 2019, below Co. Cork’s towns and Irish towns
Families in Leap have 3 schools within 3 km to choose from: 3 primary schools.
3schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| S.N. Chuan Doir Special classesLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 71 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Leap | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the DEIS scheme | 0% | 37% | 35% |
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 9% | 8% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | −8% | +1% | +4% |
178
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
−8%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
0.5 km
to the nearest primary school
8.3 km
to the nearest secondary school
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · These schools carry no letter or result: Ireland doesn’t release them school by school.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Coppinger's Court and 2 more in and around Leap
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Leap. Best known first.
Historic houseCoppinger's Court4.3 km outside town, to the east
CastleCastle Salem4.8 km outside town, to the eastChurchChurchChrist Church - Glandore2 km outside town, to the 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 (2)
- Coppinger's Court: Mike Searle, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Castle Salem: Mike Searle, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Leap
15pages on Leap
The big questions
Out and about
Landmarks
7 of Leap’s buildings made the national inventory of architectural heritage, all at regional importance. The national record lists one archaeological site in and around the town.
Famous people from around Leap
One notable person was born in Leap; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.
J
Johnny SullivanBritish wrestler · 1920–2008
W
William HarnettAmerican artist (1848-1892) · born in ClonakiltyC
Con O'KellyOlympic wrestler (1886-1947) · born in Dunmanway
Photo credits
Michael Collins: Agence de presse Meurisse, Public domain · Agnes Mary Clerke: Hayman Selig Mendelssohn (1847–1908), Public domain · Emily Hegarty: Diplomatic Security Service from Washington, D.C., United States of America, Public domain
Leap’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
SkibbereenDunmanwayClonakiltyLeap
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leap | 167 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Skibbereen | 2,903 | 9.1 | A | A− | B+ | C |
| Dunmanway | 1,964 | 16 | — | A+ | A | A− |
| Clonakilty | 5,112 | 18 | A− | B | A− | C− |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Leap
Is Leap a young town or an old one?
The median age in Leap is 55.2, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
Is Leap growing?
Leap had 167 people at the 2022 census, up from 164 in 2016: 1.8% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
About Leap
Urban area in Co. Cork
Leap has 167 people, 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
- 167 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Cork
- Council
- Cork County Council
- Local electoral area
- Skibbereen-West Cork
- Dáil constituency
- Cork South-West
- Name in Irish
- An Léim
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:18813
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).