Rathcormac’s story
Rathcormac has 10 buildings on the National Inventory
The record adds 5 archaeological sites.
Homes built before 1919: 3%, against 3% across Irish towns.
- 1770Christ Church
- 1780House, Rathcormack
- 1800Green Hall
RathcormacCo. Cork
A town of 1,957 in Co. Cork. Only 5% of residents are 65 or over.
6 places within 19 kmMap →
Photo: Seighean · Public domain
Population
1,957
CSO, Census 2022 · Cork County Council
Median age
34.7
5% are 65+ · Co. Cork 15%
Degree level
31%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
7%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Rathcormac a good place to live?
Rathcormac’s strongest is safety (A): per 1,000 residents a year, gardaí record 2.2 violent crimes and 3.2 burglaries and acts of criminal damage. Jobs & income is another plus: the unemployment rate is 6%, with 70% of 15 to 64s in work. Health outcomes fall short of most towns: 163 residents in bad health and 120 with a disability for every 100 its ages predict. Cost of living is weaker too (C+) — a median €365,000 buys a home here, 5.9 years of what the median household earns.
Figures: crime, CSO recorded crime, 2023 to 2025 · work and health, CSO Census 2022 · prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO. Irish towns get an overall grade from 2,500 residents, so Rathcormac has subject grades only.
Rents for this town aren't published on their own, so its Cost Grade uses the county's average rent. Health less sure: few enough residents report bad health that the town's figure could be well above or below its true level.
What makes Rathcormac stand out
The 3 things Rathcormac does most differently from other towns.
How Rathcormac grades
Each subject compares Rathcormac with Irish towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
SafetyVery little crime by comparisonAOpen →Health120 with a disability per 100 predictedDOpen →Jobs & income6% unemployedB+Open →Hazard risk9% of homes above the radon reference levelC+Open →Cost of livingBehind most towns comparedC+Open →Walkability7% walk, cycle or take a bus or train to workB−Open →
SchoolsNot graded in Ireland: schools’ exam results aren’t published school by school (Education Act 1998, s.53)–
How TownRatings grades Irish towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Rathcormac.
SafetySafety A
Crime per resident in Rathcormac runs lower than in 91% of Irish towns
Every kind together came to 22.2 per 1,000 residents a year, lower than both Co. Cork’s towns (43.8) and Irish towns (54.3). For its size, Rathcormac records less crime per resident than nearly four fifths of the 156 Irish towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people. Damage to property topped the graded crimes in Rathcormac (2023–2025).
2.2violent incidents per 1,000 a yearASafety Grade
Compared with towns its sizeFewer incidents against residents per 1,000 than 79% of the 156 Irish towns of 1,000 to 2,500 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
Road traffic6
Theft4.3
Dangerous acts3.2
Damage2.6
Assault2
Drugs1.4
Public order1.2
Burglary0.6
Other0.5
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 | Rathcormac | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 2.2 | 5.8 | 5.7 |
| Burglary & damage | 3.2 | 4.8 | 6.4 |
| All recorded crime | 22.2 | 43.8 | 54.3 |
| Theft | 4.3 | 10.2 | 15.3 |
2.2
violent incidents per 1,000 a year
3.2
burglary and damage per 1,000 a year
133
incidents a year, Rathcormack Garda area
5.5
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 D
Disability runs above what Rathcormac’s ages predict, at 120 per 100 expected, and above Co. Cork’s towns and Irish towns
Family carers: 4.8% of the people in Rathcormac look after someone without pay. At the census, 91% of people in Rathcormac called their health good or very good, above both Co. Cork’s towns (88%) and Irish towns (88%). A disability affects just over a fifth of people here.
91%good or very good healthDHealth Grade
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health163
Disability120
Co. Cork107
Expected100
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 91%Fair 7%Bad or very bad 2%
| Census 2022 | Rathcormac | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unpaid carers | 4.8% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Good or very good health | 91% | 88% | 88% |
| With a disability | 21% | 24% | 22% |
163
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Cork 107
120
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
Work & commuteJobs & income B+
Only 7.3% of commuters in Rathcormac go to work without a car, fewer than in Co. Cork’s towns and Irish towns
8.1% of workers worked mainly from home at the census. Household income came to €61,431 a year before tax, higher than both Co. Cork’s towns (€53,156) and Irish towns (€57,760). Getting to work takes 28.5 min on average.
7%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van84%
Walk3%
Bus3%
Bicycle1%
Train, DART or Luas0%
| Census 2022 | Rathcormac | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | 6.4% | 8% | 9.2% |
| Average trip | 28.5 min | 24.8 min | 27.6 min |
| Median household income | €61,431 | €53,156 | €57,760 |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 70% | 69% | 68% |
€61,431
median household income, 2022 · Co. Cork €60,671
8%
worked mainly from home, 2022
7%
trips of an hour or more
19,928
on the Live Register, County Cork, September 2026
B−
Walkability: better than 53% 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 C+
Some of Rathcormac’s homes have high radon: an estimated 9.4%, above the reference level
Landslides: none of Rathcormac lies in a high-susceptibility zone. Next to none of its homes lie low beside a river or the sea.
0%of homes in high-radon areasC+Hazard risk Grade
Homes exposed · share of the town’s homes
Low-lying beside water0%
In high-radon areas0%
On high landslide susceptibility0%
Low-lying near a river0%
Low-lying near the coast0%
| Share of homes | Rathcormac | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| On high landslide susceptibility | 0% | 0.4% | 0% |
| Low-lying near a river | 0% | 2.3% | 0.5% |
453
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
HousingCost of living C+
Rathcormac is a town of owners: 68% of households own their home, above Co. Cork’s towns and Irish towns
Social housing holds 11% of households, lower than both Co. Cork’s towns (14%) and Irish towns (13%). Private renters make up 21% of households, near both Co. Cork’s towns (21%) and Irish towns (22%).
€365Kmedian sale priceC+Cost of living Grade
Median sale price · Property Price Register, 2023–2025
Rathcormac€365K
Co. Cork€350K
Irish towns€350K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| New homes | €375,000 | 143 |
| Second-hand homes | €243,200 | 56 |
| The last 12 months | €425,000 | 56 |
| Housing | Rathcormac | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 68% | 60% | 61% |
| Households in social housing | 11% | 14% | 13% |
68%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
€1,542
a month on new tenancies, County Cork
6
times median household income, County Cork
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure
Climate
Wet weather: 1,155 mm a year falls on Rathcormac, more than on 83% of Irish towns
In January, overnight lows in Rathcormac settle at 2.9°C. Across the year it averages 10.5°C, below Co. Cork’s towns (10.8°C) and close to Irish towns (10.3°C). December is the wettest month here, with 127 mm of rain on average.
20.0°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter9.3°C
Spring13.5°C
Summer19.5°C
Autumn14.6°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Rathcormac | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rain a year | 1,155 mm | 1,114 mm | 937 mm |
| Average temperature over the year | 10.5°C | 10.8°C | 10.3°C |
| January low | 2.9°C | 3.5°C | 2.9°C |
20.0°C
July high
2.9°C
January low
1,155 mm
Rain a year
127 mm
Wettest month
43
Air frosts
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Outdoors
Rathcormac has room to breathe: 44.4 ha of green space per 1,000 residents, more than Co. Cork’s towns or Irish towns
A short walk to green space: 100% of homes, above both Co. Cork’s towns (90%) and Irish towns (92%). Rathcormac has a single park, with 87 ha of green space in all. Protected nature near Rathcormac includes Blackwater River (Cork/Waterford) SAC.
100%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Rathcormac44.4 ha
Co. Cork4.3 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Rathcormac | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green space per 1,000 residents | 44.4 ha | 4.3 ha | 4.1 ha |
| Woodland within 1 km | 0.9% | 4.1% | 2.7% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.2 km per km² | 1.8 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
| Near a park | 100% | 90% | 92% |
100%
Near a park
44.4 ha
Green space
2 km
Footpaths
1.5%
Protected for nature
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
Weather in Rathcormac: light showers today, up to 11 degrees
The heaviest rain of the week is due on Tuesday, around 7 mm. For Rathcormac, a normal November afternoon peaks at 11°C, and a normal night bottoms out at 5°C. Expect little more than a sprinkle today, wind picking up to 23 km/h, and a low of 6°C.
11°C / 6°CToday
This month and the next three, normal highs · 1991–2020 averages
November11°C
December9°C
January9°C
February10°C
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 9°C | 3°C | 345 mm |
| Spring | 14°C | 5°C | 244 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 11°C | 234 mm |
| Autumn | 15°C | 7°C | 332 mm |
11°C / 6°C
Today
0.3 mm
Rain, next 24 hours
14 km/h
Wind
93%
Humidity
9 h 25 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Who lives here
A town of families: 29% of people in Rathcormac are under 15, more than in Co. Cork’s towns or Irish towns
5.2% of residents are 65 or over, below both Co. Cork’s towns (15%) and Irish towns (14%). Young adults of 15 to 24 are a tenth of the population. Among adults, 31% have a degree.
34.7median age
RathcormacCo. CorkIreland
Ages · share of residents
10%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none6%
Lower secondary13%
Leaving Cert43%
Diploma or cert8%
Degree or higher31%
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 50.5% of Rathcormac
989 women and 968 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Rathcormac | Co. Cork | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 29% | 19% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 32% | 29% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 23% | 25% | 24% |
| 65+ | 5.2% | 15% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 5.6% | 8.1% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 13% | 14% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 43% | 34% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 7.9% | 6% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 31% | 38% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Cork and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
Rathcormac turns out to vote: 53% at the last local elections, above Co. Cork’s towns and Irish towns
There is no majority on Cork County Council; Fianna Fáil have the most seats, 19 of 55, short of 28. One council serves Rathcormac: Cork County Council. The town sits in the Fermoy local electoral area, which elects 6 councillors.
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 | Rathcormac | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 53% | 45% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 58% | 58% | 59% |
6
Councillors
19/55
Fianna Fáil seats on Cork County, the largest party
53%
turnout, June 2024
4
TDs elected for Cork East
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
History
Rathcormac has 10 buildings on the national inventory, each of regional importance
Rathcormac has 51 inventory buildings for every 10,000 residents. Homes from before 1919 make up 2.6% of the total, lower than both Co. Cork’s towns (7.7%) and Irish towns (3.4%). Also worth knowing: 5 recorded monuments and archaeological sites lie in and around the town.
10inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional10
Among them
- Christ Church 1770
- House, Rathcormack 1780
- Green Hall 1800
- Church of the Immaculate Conception 1815
5
sites on the Sites and Monuments Record
1770
earliest dated inventory building
3%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
1
places pictured on the history page
| Heritage | Rathcormac | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 51 | 103 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 2.6% | 7.7% | 3.4% |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 5 | 11 | 11 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Schools
Schools around Rathcormac have lost ground: pupils −5% since 2019, below Co. Cork’s towns and Irish towns
Within 3 km of Rathcormac there are 3 schools (3 primary schools).
3schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rathcormac N.S.Largest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 432 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Rathcormac | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the DEIS scheme | 0% | 37% | 35% |
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 9% | 8% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | −5% | +1% | +4% |
715
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
−5%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
0.3 km
to the nearest primary school
6.6 km
to the nearest secondary school
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.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Castlelyons Dominican Friary and 12 more within 40 km
One place to visit is mapped within 5 km of Rathcormac; with it, the best known within 40 km.
Abbey or prioryCastlelyons Dominican Friary2.7 km outside town, to the northeast
CastleBlarney Castle and Gardens26 km southwest
CathedralSt. Fin Barre's Cathedral24 km southwest
ZooFota Wildlife Park20 km south · 415K visitors a year (2022)
CathedralSaint Colman's Cathedral25 km south
CathedralCathedral of St. Mary & St. Anne23 km 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 (6)
- Castlelyons Dominican Friary: Andreas F. Borchert, CC BY-SA 4.0, 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
- Fota Wildlife Park: Hywel Williams, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Saint Colman's Cathedral: DeFacto, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cathedral of St. Mary & St. Anne: JohnArmagh, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Rathcormac
15pages on Rathcormac
The big questions
Out and about
Landmarks
Surveyors for the national inventory recorded 10 buildings in Rathcormac, each of regional importance. Archaeologists have recorded 5 sites here.
Famous people from Rathcormac
8 notable people were born in Rathcormac.
Rathcormac’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
FermoyWatergrasshillKilworthRiverstownCarrigtwohillGlanmireRathcormac
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rathcormac | 1,957 | — | — | C+ | A | D |
| Fermoy | 6,720 | 6.9 | B | A− | C+ | B |
| Watergrasshill | 1,840 | 8.5 | — | B− | A+ | B+ |
| Kilworth | 1,179 | 11 | — | B | A+ | B+ |
| Riverstown | 3,664 | 17 | A | C− | A | A |
| Carrigtwohill | 5,568 | 18 | A+ | B− | A | A− |
| Glanmire | 4,454 | 19 | A− | C | A | A |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Rathcormac
Is Rathcormac growing?
Rathcormac had 1,957 people at the 2022 census, up from 1,767 in 2016: 10.8% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
Is Rathcormac a young town or an old one?
The median age in Rathcormac is 34.7, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
How do people in Rathcormac get to work?
8% mostly work from home, and 32% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
About Rathcormac
Urban area in Co. Cork
1,957 people live in Rathcormac, 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
- 1,957 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Cork
- Council
- Cork County Council
- Local electoral area
- Fermoy
- Dáil constituency
- Cork East
- Name in Irish
- Ráth Chormaic
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:18743
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).