Ballintra’s story
Ballintra: 32% of homes built before 1919
The register holds 11 buildings on the National Inventory in Ballintra.
- 1760Ballintra Bridge
- 1780Bridge, Ballintra
- 1790Ballintra Church (Drumhome)
BallintraCo. Donegal
242 people call this town in Co. Donegal home. Between 2016 and 2022, its population grew by 13%.
4 places within 19 kmMap →
Photo: Kenneth Allen · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
242
CSO, Census 2022 · Donegal County Council
Median age
39.1
20% are 65+ · Co. Donegal 16%
Degree level
19%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
2%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Ballintra a good place to live?
The median home sold for €191,400, 4.7 times the town’s median household income. 2% of commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. Its architectural heritage runs to 11 buildings on the national inventory. The median sale price, 2023 to 2025: €191,400.
There are no grades for Ballintra: Irish towns need 1,000 residents for them.
What makes Ballintra stand out
The 3 things Ballintra does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
2% walk, cycle or ride
Against 23% in the median of Irish towns
CSO, Census 2022
Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents
History
11 buildings on the national inventory
9.4 times the median of Irish towns for its size, all of regional importance.
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
Median sale price
Housing
49% below the median of Irish towns, €372,600
Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Ballintra.
Schools
More schools around Ballintra are in DEIS, the support scheme, than in Co. Donegal’s towns or across Irish towns: 100%
Since 2019/20, pupils changed +9%, above Co. Donegal’s towns (+7%) and Irish towns (+4%) alike. 2 schools lie within 3 km of Ballintra: 2 primary schools.
2schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoil Naomh Earnan DEISLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 94 | Catholic |
| Robertson N.S. DEISIn the DEIS schemePrimary | Primary | 67 | Church of Ireland |
Schools by ethos · Schools within 3 km
Catholic1
Church of Ireland1
| Schools within 3 km | Ballintra | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the DEIS scheme | 100% | 38% | 35% |
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 7% | 8% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +9% | +7% | +4% |
161
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
+9%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
0.2 km
to the nearest primary school
7.4 km
to the nearest secondary school
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · Letters and results are missing here for a reason: Ireland publishes neither school by school.
Natural hazards
Ballintra faces few natural hazards: low radon, steady ground and few homes low by big water
An estimated 2.6% of homes in Ballintra have radon above the reference level. The nearest bathing water to Ballintra is Murvagh, 3.7 km away, rated excellent in 2025. Landslides: none of Ballintra lies in a high-susceptibility zone.
0%of homes in high-radon areas
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 | Ballintra | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| On high landslide susceptibility | 0% | 0.5% | 0% |
| Low-lying near a river | 0% | 4.2% | 0.5% |
3.7 km
to Murvagh bathing water (excellent)
226
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Climate
Ballintra has some of the coolest summers among Irish towns
Here July highs average 18.7°C, close to Co. Donegal’s towns (18.6°C) and below Irish towns (19.9°C). The annual mean in Ballintra is 9.8°C. This Co. Donegal town gets 1,358 mm of rain a year.
18.7°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter8.3°C
Spring12.7°C
Summer18.2°C
Autumn13.5°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Ballintra | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 18.7°C | 18.6°C | 19.9°C |
| Rain a year | 1,358 mm | 1,316 mm | 937 mm |
| Average temperature over the year | 9.8°C | 9.7°C | 10.3°C |
| January low | 2.4°C | 2.5°C | 2.9°C |
18.7°C
July high
2.4°C
January low
1,358 mm
Rain a year
147 mm
Wettest month
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Health
More people in Ballintra say their health is bad than in Co. Donegal’s towns or across Irish towns: 2.7%
For its ages, Ballintra has 131 people in bad health for every 100 expected, near Co. Donegal’s towns (128) and higher than Irish towns (113). 85% of people in Ballintra rate their own health good or very good. Disability touches a quarter of the town’s population.
85%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 85%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2022 | Ballintra | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bad or very bad health | 2.7% | 2.4% | 2% |
| Unpaid carers | 5% | 5.8% | 5.4% |
| Good or very good health | 85% | 86% | 88% |
| With a disability | 25% | 25% | 22% |
131
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Donegal 128
111
disability per 100 expected · Co. Donegal 113
83.5 · 79.5
life expectancy, women · men, the Border region, 2016
34%
hold a medical card, HSE West and North West
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
Housing
Social housing is more common in Ballintra than in Co. Donegal’s towns or across Irish towns, at 21% of households
54% of households own their home, near Co. Donegal’s towns (55%) and lower than Irish towns (61%). Renting privately is how 23% of households live.
€191Kmedian sale price
Median sale price · Eircode area, 2023–2025
Ballintra€191K
Co. Donegal€181K
Irish towns€350K
| Housing | Ballintra | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households in social housing | 21% | 15% | 13% |
| Median sale price | €191K | €181K | €350K |
| Households owning their home | 54% | 55% | 61% |
54%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
€977
a month on new tenancies, County Donegal
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure · The price is for the postcode area F94, not the town alone: too few sales inside the town carry a full address.
Outdoors
Protected nature surrounds Ballintra: 6.9% of the land within 5 km, more than in both Co. Donegal’s towns and Irish towns
The sea makes up 14% of the area within 5 km, above Co. Donegal’s towns (8.7%) and Irish towns (0%) alike. Among the protected sites near Ballintra is Ballintra SAC.
0%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Ballintra0.0 ha
Co. Donegal2.2 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Ballintra | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near a park | 0% | 54% | 92% |
| Sea within 5 km | 14% | 8.7% | 0% |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 6.9% | 4.7% | 1.8% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.0 km per km² | 0.4 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
6.9%
Protected for nature
5.1%
Woodland
14%
The sea
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
Ballintra, today: mostly sunny, and the thermometer reaches 10 degrees
The coming days top out somewhere between 6°C and 10°C; Thursday looks warmest. In a typical November, days climb to about 10°C and nights sink to 5°C, the yardstick for Ballintra’s forecast. It should be dry and calm today, with wind of 17 km/h at most and a low around 5°C.
10°C / 5°CToday
This month and the next three, normal highs · 1991–2020 averages
November10°C
December8°C
January8°C
February9°C
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 8°C | 3°C | 389 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 5°C | 263 mm |
| Summer | 18°C | 11°C | 312 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 7°C | 395 mm |
10°C / 5°C
Today
None
Rain, next 24 hours
13 km/h
Wind
97%
Humidity
9 h 09 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Only 2.4% of commuters in Ballintra go to work without a car, fewer than in both Co. Donegal’s towns and Irish towns
Household income averages €41,130 a year before tax. 87% of commuters drove, above both Co. Donegal’s towns (75%) and Irish towns (66%). The jobless rate is 15%.
2%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van87%
Walk1%
Bus1%
| Census 2022 | Ballintra | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | 15% | 13% | 9.2% |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 40% | 56% | 31% |
| Average trip | 23.9 min | 20.9 min | 27.6 min |
| Median household income | €41,130 | €39,838 | €57,760 |
€41,130
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Donegal €42,497
8%
trips of an hour or more
6,785
on the Live Register, County Donegal, 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
Degrees are less common in Ballintra than in Co. Donegal’s towns or across Irish towns: 19% of adults
The 15-to-24 age group: 9.1%, below Co. Donegal’s towns (12%) and Irish towns (12%) alike. 14% of residents were born abroad. Those 65 and older account for a fifth of residents.
39.1median age
BallintraCo. DonegalIreland
Ages · share of residents
20%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none19%
Lower secondary18%
Leaving Cert37%
Diploma or cert7%
Degree or higher19%
Women and men · all residents
50.8% of Ballintra’s residents are women
123 women and 119 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Ballintra | Co. Donegal | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 22% | 21% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 9.1% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 26% | 28% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 24% | 23% | 24% |
| 65+ | 20% | 16% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 19% | 14% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 18% | 16% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 37% | 34% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 7.4% | 6.2% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 19% | 29% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Donegal and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
More people in Ballintra vote than in Co. Donegal’s towns or Irish towns: 57% turnout at the local elections
At the general election 61% voted, higher than both Co. Donegal’s towns (59%) and Irish towns (59%). No party holds a majority on Donegal County Council: Fianna Fáil lead with 10 of 37 seats, short of the 19 needed. Donegal County Council runs Ballintra: Ireland has one tier of local government, with no town council below it.
10/37seats held by Fianna Fáil
Seats on Donegal County · June 2024
Fianna Fáil10
Sinn Féin10
Independent9
100% Redress4
Fine Gael3
Labour Party1
| Turnout | Ballintra | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 57% | 53% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 61% | 59% | 59% |
6
Councillors
10/37
Fianna Fáil seats on Donegal County, the largest party
57%
turnout, June 2024
4
TDs elected for Sligo-Leitrim
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
History
More buildings in Ballintra are on the national inventory than in Co. Donegal’s towns or Irish towns: 455 per 10,000 residents
32.3% of homes date from before 1919.
11inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional11
Among them
- Ballintra Bridge 1760
- Bridge, Ballintra 1780
- Ballintra Church (Drumhome) 1790
- Carrick House 1790
0
sites on the Sites and Monuments Record
1760
earliest dated inventory building
32%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
| Heritage | Ballintra | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 455 | 105 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 32.3% | 4.7% | 3.4% |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 0 | 18 | 11 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Drumhome Monastic Site and 6 more within 40 km
One place to visit is mapped within 5 km of Ballintra; with it, the best known within 40 km.
Abbey or prioryAbbey or prioryDrumhome Monastic Sitein town
Castle · Office of Public WorksDonegal Castle8.1 km north
MuseumBallyshannon and District Museum10 km southwest
MuseumDonegal Railway Heritage Centre8.3 km north
Castle · Office of Public WorksParke's Castle38 km south
CastleClassiebawn Castle27 km southwest
Castle · Office of Public WorksDonegal Castle8.1 km northMuseumBallyshannon and District Museum10 km southwestMuseumDonegal Railway Heritage Centre8.3 km northCastle · Office of Public WorksParke's Castle38 km southCastleClassiebawn Castle27 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 (5)
- Donegal Castle: Benson Wills, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ballyshannon and District Museum: Gavigan 01 at English Wikipedia, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Donegal Railway Heritage Centre: louise price, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Parke's Castle: John Darcy, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Classiebawn Castle: Gerd Eichmann, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ballintra
15pages on Ballintra
The big questions
Out and about
Landmarks
11 of Ballintra’s buildings made the national inventory of architectural heritage, all at regional importance.
Famous people from around Ballintra
2 notable people were born in Ballintra; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.
M
Megan DormanAustralian actress · born 1977L
Leonard BoyleIrish and Canadian priest and scholar · 1923–1999R
Rory GallagherIrish guitarist (1948–1995) · born in BallyshannonC
Charlie McGettiganIrish singer · born in Ballyshannon · born 1950W
William AllinghamIrish man of letters and poet (1824-188… · born in Ballyshannon
Photo credits
Mark Farren: Johnfullerton at English Wikipedia, Public domain
Ballintra’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
DonegalBallyshannonBundoranKinloughBallintra
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballintra | 242 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Donegal | 2,749 | 8 | A− | B+ | B− | B |
| Ballyshannon | 2,246 | 9.7 | — | A− | C | C− |
| Bundoran | 2,599 | 16 | C | A− | C− | C− |
| Kinlough Leitrim | 1,196 | 19 | — | A− | B+ | C− |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Ballintra
Is Ballintra growing?
Ballintra had 242 people at the 2022 census, up from 214 in 2016: 13.1% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
How do people in Ballintra get to work?
11% mostly work from home, and 40% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
How old are the people of Ballintra?
The median age in Ballintra is 39.1, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
About Ballintra
Urban area in Co. Donegal
242 people live in Ballintra, in the area of Donegal 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
- 242 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Donegal
- Council
- Donegal County Council
- Local electoral area
- Donegal
- Dáil constituency
- Sligo-Leitrim
- Name in Irish
- Baile an tSratha
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:33103
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).