Tower’s story
Tower: 1 building on the National Inventory
3% of its homes were built before 1919, against 3% in the median of Irish towns.
- 1840Maranatha House
TowerCo. Cork
Population 3,300: a town in Co. Cork.
6 places within 19 kmMap →
Photo: David Hawgood · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
3,300
CSO, Census 2022 · Cork City Council
Median age
39.4
13% are 65+ · Co. Cork 15%
Degree level
39%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
6%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
TownGrade
A
#38 of 320
Is Tower a good place to live?
Tower’s strongest subject is safety — 1.9 burglaries and acts of criminal damage per 1,000 residents a year, and 1.9 violent crimes. With an A overall, Tower is better than 88% of Irish towns and ranks #38 of 320 Irish towns. Add health to its strengths (A−) — bad health runs at 86 and disability at 96 per 100 expected for its ages. Getting around depends on the car: 6% of commuters walk, cycle or take the bus or train, against 23% in the typical Irish town. Half the homes sold for more than €390,000, a price of 5.3 times what the median household earns. Hazard risk is higher than most (D): an estimated 8% of its homes exceed the radon reference level.
Figures: crime, CSO recorded crime, 2023 to 2025 · health and commuting, CSO Census 2022 · prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO · radon, EPA.
Rents for this town aren't published on their own, so its Cost Grade uses the county's average rent. 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.
What makes Tower stand out
The 3 things Tower does most differently from other towns.
How Tower grades
Each subject compares Tower 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 comparisonA+Open →WalkabilityAmong the weakest of the towns comparedD−Open →Hazard riskBased on how exposed the town is to floods, storms and other hazardsDOpen →Jobs & income69% of 15-to-64s in work; 6% unemployedA−Open →Health96 with a disability per 100 predictedA−Open →Cost of livingHomes are harder to afford than in most townsCOpen →
SchoolsNot graded in Ireland: schools’ exam results aren’t published school by school (Education Act 1998, s.53)–
How TownRatings grades Irish towns →
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Blarney Castle and Gardens and 8 more in and around Tower
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Tower. Best known first.
CastleBlarney Castle and Gardens1 km outside town, to the east
CastleCarrigrohane Castle3.8 km outside town, to the southeast
CastleBallincollig Castle4.6 km outside town, to the south
GardenBlarney House and Gardens1 km outside town, to the eastChurchChurchChurch of the Resurrection Blarney1.1 km outside town, to the eastHistoric houseHistoric houseWaterloo Round Tower2.6 km outside town, to the 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 (4)
- Blarney Castle and Gardens: Gerd Eichmann, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Carrigrohane Castle: Garry Dickinson, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ballincollig Castle: Brendandiamond, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Blarney House and Gardens: Anna Maria 4574, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Tower.
SafetySafety A+
For a town of its size, Tower is quiet: less crime per resident than 98% of the 201 Irish towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people
The graded crime recorded most in Tower was assaults and harassment (2023–2025). Every kind together came to 24.7 per 1,000 residents a year, lower than both Co. Cork’s towns (44.2) and Irish towns (54.3).
1.9violent incidents per 1,000 a yearA+Safety Grade
Compared with towns its sizeFewer incidents against residents per 1,000 than 98% of the 201 Irish towns of 2,500 to 10,000 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
Dangerous acts7.9
Road traffic6.2
Theft4.1
Assault1.6
Damage1.5
Public order1.3
Drugs0.7
Burglary0.5
Against justice0.3
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 | Tower | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burglary & damage | 1.9 | 4.9 | 6.4 |
| Violent crime | 1.9 | 6 | 5.7 |
| All recorded crime | 24.7 | 44.2 | 54.3 |
| Theft | 4.1 | 10.3 | 15.3 |
1.9
violent incidents per 1,000 a year
1.9
burglary and damage per 1,000 a year
411
incidents a year, Blarney Garda area
3.8
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
Natural hazardsHazard risk D
Some of Tower’s homes have high radon: an estimated 8.3%, above the reference level
1.4% of homes stand on ground with high landslide susceptibility, higher than both Co. Cork’s towns (0.4%) and Irish towns (0%). Next to none of its homes lie low beside a river or the sea.
0%of homes in high-radon areasDHazard risk Grade
Homes exposed · share of the town’s homes
In high-radon areas0%
On high landslide susceptibility1.4%
| Share of homes | Tower | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| On high landslide susceptibility | 1.4% | 0.4% | 0% |
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 0% | 0% |
1,133
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Schools
Schools around Tower are filling: pupils +34% since 2019, more than in Co. Cork’s towns or across Irish towns
For secondary school, the closest is Scoil Mhuire gan Smal, 3.2 km from the town. 17% of the schools are in the DEIS scheme, lower than both Co. Cork’s towns (40%) and Irish towns (35%). Families in Tower have 6 schools within 3 km to choose from: 5 primary schools and 1 secondary school.
6schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloghroe Mixed N.S. Special classesLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 537 | Catholic |
| Scoil Mhuire gan SmalLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 1,124 | Catholic |
| Gaelscoil Mhuscraí GaelscoilTeaches through IrishPrimary | Primary | 195 | Catholic |
| Strawberry Hill National School DEISIn the DEIS schemePrimary | Primary | 315 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Tower | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +34% | +1% | +4% |
| Single-sex secondaries | 0% | 44% | 39% |
| Teach through Irish | 17% | 9% | 8% |
| In the DEIS scheme | 17% | 40% | 35% |
2,638
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
+34%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
0.6 km
to the nearest primary school
3.2 km
to the nearest secondary school
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · No letters and no results: Ireland publishes none school by school.
Work & commuteJobs & income A−
Only 6.3% of commuters in Tower go to work without a car, fewer than in Co. Cork’s towns and Irish towns
The car took 83% of commuters, above both Co. Cork’s towns (71%) and Irish towns (66%). Household income averages €74,113 a year before tax. Of those in the labour force, 5.9% are unemployed.
6%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van83%
Bus4%
Walk2%
Bicycle0%
| Census 2022 | Tower | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | €74,113 | €51,591 | €57,760 |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 22% | 33% | 31% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.9% | 8% | 9.2% |
| Average trip | 26.8 min | 24.7 min | 27.6 min |
€74,113
median household income, 2022 · Co. Cork €60,671
11%
worked mainly from home, 2022
4%
trips of an hour or more
19,928
on the Live Register, County Cork, September 2026
D−
Walkability: better than 5% 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.
HealthHealth A−
Bad health in Tower is in line with what its ages predict
1.5% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, below Co. Cork’s towns (2%) and Irish towns (2%) alike. Disability, age-adjusted: 96 for every 100 expected in Tower. Self-reported good health: 91% of the town’s residents.
91%good or very good healthA−Health Grade
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health86
Disability96
Co. Cork107
Expected100
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 91%Fair 7%Bad or very bad 2%
| Census 2022 | Tower | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 91% | 88% | 88% |
| With a disability | 20% | 24% | 22% |
| Bad or very bad health | 1.5% | 2% | 2% |
| Unpaid carers | 6% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
86
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Cork 107
96
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
HousingCost of living C
Tower is a town of owners: 79% of households own their home, above Co. Cork’s towns and Irish towns
Social housing holds 7% of households, below both Co. Cork’s towns (14%) and Irish towns (13%).
€390Kmedian sale priceCCost of living Grade
Median sale price · Property Price Register, 2023–2025
Tower€390K
Co. Cork€340K
Irish towns€350K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| New homes | €392,500 | 53 |
| Housing | Tower | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 79% | 59% | 61% |
| Households in social housing | 7% | 14% | 13% |
| Households renting privately | 13% | 21% | 22% |
| Median sale price | €390K | €340K | €350K |
79%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
13%
rent privately · Irish towns 22%
€1,542
a month on new tenancies, County Cork
6.4
times median household income, County Cork
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure
Climate
Rainfall in Tower tops that of 78% of Irish towns: 1,120 mm a year
A January night in Tower drops to 3.1°C on average, between Co. Cork’s towns (3.5°C) and Irish towns (2.9°C). Day and night, summer and winter, Tower averages 10.6°C. December is the wettest month in the town, with 126 mm of rain on average.
20.0°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter9.5°C
Spring13.6°C
Summer19.5°C
Autumn14.6°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Tower | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average temperature over the year | 10.6°C | 10.8°C | 10.3°C |
| Rain a year | 1,120 mm | 1,114 mm | 937 mm |
| January low | 3.1°C | 3.5°C | 2.9°C |
20.0°C
July high
3.1°C
January low
1,120 mm
Rain a year
126 mm
Wettest month
14
Air frosts
1,461 hrs
Sunshine
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Outdoors
Woodland runs close to Tower: 13% of the land within 1 km, more than Co. Cork’s towns or Irish towns
Its paths and tracks come to 0.7 km per km², below Co. Cork’s towns (1.8 km per km²) and Irish towns (2.1 km per km²) alike. 62% of homes have green space within 400 m. Green space comes to 1.1 ha for every 1,000 people in Tower.
62%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Tower1.1 ha
Co. Cork4.4 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Tower | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodland within 1 km | 13% | 4% | 2.7% |
| Near a park | 62% | 91% | 92% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.7 km per km² | 1.8 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 0% | 1.6% | 1.8% |
62%
Near a park
1.1 ha
Green space
8 km
Footpaths
13%
Woodland
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
Up to 11 degrees in Tower today, light showers
In November a normal day reaches 11°C and a normal night 5°C; the forecast for Tower below sets each day against them. Today brings about 1 mm of rain and a breeze of up to 25 km/h; the low is 6°C. Plan indoor things for Tuesday, when about 14 mm of rain is forecast.
11°C / 6°CToday
This month and the next three, normal highs · 1991–2020 averages
November11°C
December10°C
January9°C
February10°C
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 10°C | 3°C | 336 mm |
| Spring | 14°C | 6°C | 229 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 11°C | 234 mm |
| Autumn | 15°C | 8°C | 320 mm |
11°C / 6°C
Today
0.5 mm
Rain, next 24 hours
16 km/h
Wind
90%
Humidity
9 h 26 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Who lives here
A young town: 15% of people in Tower are 15 to 24, more than in Co. Cork’s towns or Irish towns
Daily Irish speakers outside school: 0.7%, lower than both Co. Cork’s towns (1.1%) and Irish towns (1.1%). The 65-and-over age group makes up 13% of residents. Graduates make up 39% of adults.
39.4median age
TowerCo. CorkIreland
Ages · share of residents
15%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none6%
Lower secondary14%
Leaving Cert35%
Diploma or cert6%
Degree or higher39%
Women and men · all residents
51.2% of Tower’s residents are women
1,689 women and 1,611 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Tower | Co. Cork | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 20% | 19% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 15% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 24% | 29% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 25% | 24% |
| 65+ | 13% | 15% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 5.7% | 8.3% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 14% | 14% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 35% | 34% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 6.2% | 5.9% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 39% | 38% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Cork and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
The last seat in Cork North-Central was won by 35 votes
Fianna Fáil lead Cork City Council with 9 of 31 seats, but no party has a majority: 16 are needed. Tower is run by Cork City Council, its only council: Ireland has one tier of local government. 42% of voters turned out at the last local elections.
9/31seats held by Fianna Fáil
Seats on Cork City · June 2024
Fianna Fáil9
Fine Gael5
Sinn Féin4
Independent4
Labour Party3
Green Party3
Social Democrats1
Independent Ireland1
| Turnout | Tower | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 42% | 45% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 58% | 58% | 59% |
6
Councillors
9/31
Fianna Fáil seats on Cork City, the largest party
42%
turnout, June 2024
5
TDs elected for Cork North-Central
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
History
One building in Tower is on the national inventory
Scaled to its population, that is 3 inventory buildings for every 10,000 people in Tower. 2.7% of its homes were built before 1919, below both Co. Cork’s towns (7.7%) and Irish towns (3.4%). Tower’s built heritage counts one inventory entry, of regional standing.
1inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional1
Among them
- Maranatha House 1840
0
sites on the Sites and Monuments Record
1840
earliest dated inventory building
3%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
| Heritage | Tower | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 3 | 106 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 2.7% | 7.7% | 3.4% |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 0 | 12 | 11 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Tower
15pages on Tower
Famous people from around Tower
No notable person born in Tower is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
C
Conor McCarthyIrish football player · born in Blarney · born 1998T
Tyreik WrightIrish footballer · born in Killumney · born 2001I
Ian TurnerAssociation football player · born in Bishopstown · born 1989B
Barry CoffeyIrish hurler and Gaelic footballer · born in Bishopstown · born 1965Photo credits
Horace de Vere Cole: Believed to be James Lafayette. For further information, see the talk page., Public domain · Matt Griffin: Robk23oxf, CC BY-SA 4.0
Tower’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
BlarneyBallincolligKillumneyShanakielHollyhill and BallincollyBishopstownTower
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tower | 3,300 | — | A | C | A+ | A− |
| Blarney | 2,779 | 3.1 | A+ | C | A+ | A− |
| Ballincollig | 21,940 | 4.6 | A | C | A | A− |
| Killumney | 1,466 | 6.9 | — | C | A | A+ |
| Shanakiel | 3,804 | 7.2 | C− | C+ | C | C− |
| Hollyhill and Ballincolly | 8,606 | 7.3 | C | C+ | C− | B |
| Bishopstown | 14,529 | 7.5 | B+ | D | A− | B+ |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Tower
Do people in Tower drive to work?
11% mostly work from home, and 22% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
How old are the people of Tower?
The median age in Tower is 39.4, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
About Tower
Urban area in Co. Cork
3,300 people live in Tower, in the area of Cork City 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
- 3,300 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Cork
- Council
- Cork City Council
- Local electoral area
- Cork City North West
- Dáil constituency
- Cork North-Central
- Area
- 0.6 sq mi (1.5 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:17366
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).