Schull’s story
Schull has 30 buildings on the National Inventory
The record adds 8 archaeological sites.
Homes built before 1919: 12%, against 3% across Irish towns.
- 1810House, Colla Road, Skull
- 1820House, Main Street, Skull
- 1840Bank House
SchullCo. Cork
It is a town of 669 residents in Co. Cork.
1 place within 19 kmMap →
Photo: Kondephy · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
669
CSO, Census 2022 · Cork County Council
Median age
50
26% are 65+ · Co. Cork 15%
Degree level
36%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
22%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Schull a good place to live?
Buying the median home, at €406,800, takes 10.9 times the town’s median household income. The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage records 30 buildings here. It skews older: just over a quarter of residents are 65 or over. Households here earn a median €37,480 a year, before tax.
Grades start at 1,000 residents for Irish towns, so Schull has none.
What makes Schull stand out
The 3 things Schull does most differently from other towns.
Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents
History
30 buildings on the national inventory
9.3 times the median of Irish towns for its size, all of regional importance.
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
26% are 65 or over
Against 14% in the median of Irish towns
CSO, Census 2022
Median gross household income
Income
Gross, a year (the median of Irish towns: €57,760)
CSO household income for the electoral division.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Schull.
Natural hazards
The ground is the thing to check in Schull: 3.1% of homes stand on high landslide susceptibility, more than Co. Cork’s towns or Irish towns
Radon is rarely a worry in Schull: under 1% of homes are estimated 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 susceptibility3.1%
| Share of homes | Schull | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| On high landslide susceptibility | 3.1% | 0.4% | 0% |
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 0% | 0% |
289
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Climate
Rain is part of life in Schull: 1,402 mm a year, more than Co. Cork’s towns or Irish towns
Averaged across the seasons, Schull sits at 11.0°C. Here July highs average 18.4°C, below both Co. Cork’s towns (20.0°C) and Irish towns (19.9°C). The town sees January nights of 4.7°C on average.
18.4°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter9.8°C
Spring12.9°C
Summer18.1°C
Autumn14.4°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Schull | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 18.4°C | 20.0°C | 19.9°C |
| January low | 4.7°C | 3.5°C | 2.9°C |
| Rain a year | 1,402 mm | 1,114 mm | 937 mm |
| Average temperature over the year | 11.0°C | 10.8°C | 10.3°C |
18.4°C
July high
4.7°C
January low
1,402 mm
Rain a year
159 mm
Wettest month
4
Air frosts
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Health
Bad health runs low in Schull for a town of its ages, at 78 per 100 expected, less than in Co. Cork’s towns or Irish towns
28% of residents in Schull live with a disability. At the census, 84% of people in Schull called their health good or very good, below Co. Cork’s towns (88%) and Irish towns (88%) alike. Family carers: 7.2% of the people in Schull look after someone without pay.
84%good or very good health
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health78
Disability107
Co. Cork107
Expected100
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 84%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 2%
| Census 2022 | Schull | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unpaid carers | 7.2% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| With a disability | 28% | 24% | 22% |
| Good or very good health | 84% | 88% | 88% |
78
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Cork 107
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
Schull is a renters’ town: 25% of households rent privately, more than in Co. Cork’s towns or across Irish towns
Council and housing-body homes hold just over one in ten households. Just over three in five households own their home, in line with Co. Cork’s towns (60%) and Irish towns (61%).
€407Kmedian sale price
Median sale price · Property Price Register, 2023–2025
Schull€407K
Co. Cork€350K
Irish towns€350K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Second-hand homes | €405,000 | 97 |
| Housing | Schull | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | €407K | €350K | €350K |
| Households in social housing | 11% | 14% | 13% |
| Households renting privately | 25% | 21% | 22% |
25%
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
Outdoors
Schull has fewer homes a short walk from green space than Co. Cork’s towns or Irish towns: 29%
Walkers have 0.3 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 Schull is Roaringwater Bay. Also worth knowing: the town offers 0.9 ha of green space per 1,000 residents.
29%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Schull0.9 ha
Co. Cork4.3 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Schull | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near a park | 29% | 90% | 92% |
| Sea within 5 km | 30% | 0% | 0% |
| Woodland within 1 km | 0.6% | 4.1% | 2.7% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.3 km per km² | 1.8 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
29%
Near a park
0.9 ha
Green space
4 km
Footpaths
4.6%
Protected for nature
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
Schull’s weather today: strong wind and 12 degrees
The wind, up to 41 km/h, brings no rain today; the low reaches 9°C. Plan indoor things for Tuesday, when about 22 mm of rain is forecast. Schull’s November average makes a useful yardstick: afternoons reach 12°C, nights fall to 7°C.
12°C / 9°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 | 426 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 7°C | 270 mm |
| Summer | 18°C | 12°C | 305 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 9°C | 401 mm |
12°C / 9°C
Today
0.4 mm
Rain, next 24 hours
32 km/h
Wind
86%
Humidity
9 h 29 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Short commutes are common in Schull: 61% of trips take under 15 minutes, above Co. Cork’s towns and Irish towns
62% of commuters took the car to work at the census. The average trip to work took 22.3 min, below Co. Cork’s towns (24.8 min) and Irish towns (27.6 min) alike. On top of that, at the census, 66% of people aged 15 to 64 had a job.
22%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van62%
Walk20%
Bicycle1%
Bus1%
| Census 2022 | Schull | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trips under 15 minutes | 61% | 33% | 31% |
| Median household income | €37,480 | €53,156 | €57,760 |
| Average trip | 22.3 min | 24.8 min | 27.6 min |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 66% | 69% | 68% |
€37,480
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Cork €60,671
15%
worked mainly from home, 2022
9%
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
An older town: 26% of people in Schull are 65 or over, more than in Co. Cork’s towns or Irish towns
Children under 15 make up 13%, lower than both Co. Cork’s towns (19%) and Irish towns (20%). People aged 15 to 24 make up 11% of the town. Overseas births account for a quarter of the people living here.
50median age
SchullCo. CorkIreland
Ages · share of residents
26%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none12%
Lower secondary12%
Leaving Cert35%
Diploma or cert5%
Degree or higher36%
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 52.6% of Schull
352 women and 317 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Schull | Co. Cork | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 19% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 29% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 25% | 24% |
| 65+ | 26% | 15% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 12% | 8.1% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 12% | 14% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 35% | 34% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 5.4% | 6% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 36% | 38% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Cork and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
More people in Schull voted at the general election than in Co. Cork’s towns or Irish towns: 64%
No party holds a majority on Cork County Council: Fianna Fáil lead with 19 of 55 seats, short of the 28 needed. Turnout at the last local elections was 58%, higher than both Co. Cork’s towns (45%) and Irish towns (46%). One council serves Schull: Cork County Council.
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 | Schull | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 58% | 45% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 64% | 58% | 59% |
4
Councillors
19/55
Fianna Fáil seats on Cork County, the largest party
58%
turnout, June 2024
3
TDs elected for Cork South-West
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
History
More buildings in Schull are on the national inventory than in Co. Cork’s towns or Irish towns: 448 per 10,000 residents
Homes from before 1919 make up 12% of the total. The Sites and Monuments Record lists 8 sites here, below both Co. Cork’s towns (11) and Irish towns (11). Surveyors for the national inventory recorded 30 buildings in Schull, each of regional importance.
30inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional30
Among them
- House, Colla Road, Skull 1810
- House, Main Street, Skull 1820
- Bank House 1840
- Barnett 1840
1810
earliest dated inventory building
12%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
2
places pictured on the history page
| Heritage | Schull | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 448 | 103 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 12% | 7.7% | 3.4% |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Schools
Schools around Schull have lost ground: pupils −4% since 2019, below Co. Cork’s towns and Irish towns
Families in Schull have 2 schools within 3 km to choose from: 1 primary school and 1 secondary school. For secondary school, the closest is Schull Community College, 0.8 km from the town.
2schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoil Mhuire N.s.,Largest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 151 | Catholic |
| Schull Community CollegeLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · ETB | Post-primary · ETB | 359 | Inter-denominational |
Schools by ethos · Schools within 3 km
Catholic1
Inter-denominational1
| Schools within 3 km | Schull | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-sex secondaries | 0% | 44% | 39% |
| In the DEIS scheme | 0% | 37% | 35% |
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 9% | 8% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | −4% | +1% | +4% |
510
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
−4%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
0.3 km
to the nearest primary school
0.8 km
to the nearest secondary school
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · Ireland publishes no school-by-school results, which is why these cards have no letters.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Colla Pier and 13 more within 40 km
2 places to visit are mapped within 5 km of Schull; with them, the best known within 40 km.
IslandIslandColla Pier1.7 km outside town, to the south
CastleDunasead Castle13 km southeast
CastleDunlough Castle20 km west
CastleCastle Donovan26 km northeast
CastleDunboy Castle28 km northwest
CastleCarriganass Castle28 km northeast
CastleDunasead Castle13 km southeastCastleDunlough Castle20 km westCastleCastle Donovan26 km northeastCastleDunboy Castle28 km northwestCastleCarriganass Castle28 km northeastPlaces: 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 (5)
- Dunasead Castle: Andrew Wood, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dunlough Castle: Dunlough, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Castle Donovan: Mike Searle, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dunboy Castle: kevin higgins, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Carriganass Castle: Mike Searle, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Schull
15pages on Schull
The big questions
Out and about
Landmarks
Surveyors for the national inventory recorded 30 buildings in Schull, each of regional importance. Archaeologists have recorded 8 sites here.
Famous people from Schull
5 notable people were born in Schull.
Schull’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
Questions about Schull
How old are the people of Schull?
The median age in Schull is 50, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
Has Schull grown?
Schull had 669 people at the 2022 census, up from 629 in 2016: 6.4% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
About Schull
Urban area in Co. Cork
669 people live in Schull, 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
- 669 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Cork
- Council
- Cork County Council
- Local electoral area
- Bantry-West Cork
- Dáil constituency
- Cork South-West
- Name in Irish
- An Scoil
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi (1.2 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:18826
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).