Carrigans’ story
Carrigans: 3 buildings on the National Inventory
The record adds 1 archaeological site.
Homes built before 1919: 14%, against 3% across Irish towns.
- 1763St. Fiach's Church of Ireland Church
- 1810The Lodge
- 1870White House
CarrigansCo. Donegal
With 389 residents, it is a town in Co. Donegal.
6 places within 19 kmMap →
Photo: Kenneth Allen · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
389
CSO, Census 2022 · Donegal County Council
Median age
40.3
12% are 65+ · Co. Donegal 16%
Degree level
29%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
8%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Carrigans a good place to live?
Half the homes sold for more than €165,200, a price of 5.6 times what the median household earns. The car is not the only way to work here: 8% of commuters walk, cycle or use public transport. At the 2022 census, nearly a quarter of the labour force was out of work.
With fewer than 1,000 residents, Carrigans falls below the line for grades among Irish towns.
What makes Carrigans stand out
The 3 things Carrigans does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
8% walk, cycle or ride
Against 23% in the median of Irish towns
CSO, Census 2022
Unemployment rate, Census 2022
Work
23% unemployment
Of the labour force, Census 2022 (the median of Irish towns: 9%)
48% of residents 15 and over are at work.
Median sale price
Housing
56% 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 Carrigans.
Schools
More schools around Carrigans are in DEIS, the support scheme, than in Co. Donegal’s towns or across Irish towns: 100%
Families in Carrigans have 3 schools within 3 km to choose from: 3 primary schools. Pupil numbers changed +6% since 2019/20, below Co. Donegal’s towns (+7%) but above Irish towns (+4%).
3schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| S.N. Naomh Baoithin DEISLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 113 | Catholic |
| S.N. an Leinbh Iosa DEISIn the DEIS schemePrimary | Primary | 84 | Catholic |
Schools by ethos · Schools within 3 km
Catholic2
Other1
| Schools within 3 km | Carrigans | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the DEIS scheme | 100% | 38% | 35% |
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 7% | 8% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +6% | +7% | +4% |
245
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
+6%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
1.1 km
to the nearest primary school
13 km
to the nearest secondary school
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · Without school-level results from Ireland, the cards show no letters.
Natural hazards
Carrigans has low radon and steady ground, but its flood exposure isn’t measured
By estimate, fewer than one home in a hundred in Carrigans has radon above the reference level. No part of Carrigans is mapped as high landslide susceptibility. 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 susceptibility0%
| Share of homes | Carrigans | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| On high landslide susceptibility | 0% | 0.5% | 0% |
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 0% | 0% |
192
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Climate
July afternoons in Carrigans reach 18.9°C (Co. Donegal towns 18.6°C, Irish towns 19.9°C)
A year brings 1,089 mm of rain, below Co. Donegal’s towns (1,316 mm) but above Irish towns (937 mm). Over twelve months, Carrigans averages 9.7°C. On a January night, the temperature in Carrigans falls to about 2.3°C.
18.9°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter8.1°C
Spring12.7°C
Summer18.4°C
Autumn13.5°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Carrigans | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 18.9°C | 18.6°C | 19.9°C |
| Rain a year | 1,089 mm | 1,316 mm | 937 mm |
| January low | 2.3°C | 2.5°C | 2.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 9.7°C | 9.7°C | 10.3°C |
18.9°C
July high
2.3°C
January low
1,089 mm
Rain a year
123 mm
Wettest month
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Health
Bad health runs high in Carrigans for a town of its ages, at 165 per 100 expected, more than in both Co. Donegal’s towns and Irish towns
Allowing for its ages, Carrigans has 122 residents with a disability per 100 expected, above Co. Donegal’s towns (113) and Irish towns (106) alike. 2.9% of residents report bad or very bad health. Also worth knowing: in the HSE West and North West health region, 34% of people hold a medical card. Unpaid caring falls to 8% of Carrigans’ residents.
86%good or very good health
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health165
Disability122
Co. Donegal128
Expected100
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2022 | Carrigans | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unpaid carers | 8% | 5.8% | 5.4% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.9% | 2.4% | 2% |
| With a disability | 25% | 25% | 22% |
| Good or very good health | 86% | 86% | 88% |
165
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Donegal 128
122
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
More households in Carrigans live in social housing than in Co. Donegal’s towns or Irish towns: 20%
Owners make up 63% of households, above Co. Donegal’s towns (55%) and close to Irish towns (61%). Private tenants account for 16% of households.
€165Kmedian sale price
Median sale price · Eircode area, 2023–2025
Carrigans€165K
Co. Donegal€181K
Irish towns€350K
| Housing | Carrigans | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | €165K | €181K | €350K |
| Households in social housing | 20% | 15% | 13% |
| Households renting privately | 16% | 24% | 22% |
| Households owning their home | 63% | 55% | 61% |
63%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
16%
rent privately · Irish towns 22%
€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 F93, not the town alone: too few sales inside the town carry a full address.
Outdoors
River Finn SAC reaches the edge of Carrigans
Protected nature near Carrigans includes River Finn SAC. Within 1 km, 0.7% of the land is woodland, below both Co. Donegal’s towns (4.5%) and Irish towns (2.7%). A waymarked trail or greenway begins within 5 km.
0%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Carrigans2.6 ha
Co. Donegal2.2 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Carrigans | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near a park | 0% | 54% | 92% |
| Woodland within 1 km | 0.7% | 4.5% | 2.7% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.0 km per km² | 0.4 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
| Sea within 5 km | 0% | 8.7% | 0% |
2.6 ha
Green space
0 km
Footpaths
3.2%
Protected for nature
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
Carrigans today: sunny, topping out at 10 degrees
Over the coming week, 5 of 6 days look dry. For Carrigans, a normal November afternoon peaks at 10°C, and a normal night bottoms out at 4°C. It should be dry and calm today, with wind of 13 km/h at most and a low around 4°C.
10°C / 4°CToday
This month and the next three, normal highs · 1991–2020 averages
November10°C
December8°C
January8°C
February8°C
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 8°C | 2°C | 323 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 5°C | 215 mm |
| Summer | 18°C | 11°C | 256 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 7°C | 294 mm |
10°C / 4°C
Today
None
Rain, next 24 hours
8 km/h
Wind
94%
Humidity
9 h 07 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Fewer trips to work from Carrigans take under 15 minutes than in Co. Donegal’s towns or Irish towns: 24%
The jobless rate is 23%. In work: 57% of residents aged 15 to 64, lower than both Co. Donegal’s towns (63%) and Irish towns (68%). The commute to work averages 26.9 min.
8%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van81%
Walk5%
Bus2%
Bicycle1%
| Census 2022 | Carrigans | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | 23% | 13% | 9.2% |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 24% | 56% | 31% |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 57% | 63% | 68% |
| Median household income | €29,250 | €39,838 | €57,760 |
€29,250
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Donegal €42,497
10%
worked mainly from home, 2022
4%
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
A town of newcomers: 47% of residents in Carrigans were born abroad, above Co. Donegal’s towns and Irish towns
0.6% speak Irish daily outside school, below both Co. Donegal’s towns (1.2%) and Irish towns (1.1%). Over-65s are just over a tenth of the population. Under-15s account for 23% of the population.
40.3median age
CarrigansCo. DonegalIreland
Ages · share of residents
11%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none23%
Lower secondary15%
Leaving Cert31%
Diploma or cert3%
Degree or higher29%
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 49.1% of Carrigans
191 women and 198 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Carrigans | Co. Donegal | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 23% | 21% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 25% | 28% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 23% | 24% |
| 65+ | 12% | 16% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 23% | 14% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 15% | 16% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 31% | 34% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 2.9% | 6.2% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 29% | 29% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Donegal and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
Donegal County Council is one of the most divided councils: the largest party has 10 of 37 seats
Local election turnout came to 52%. There is just one council for Carrigans, Donegal County Council: Ireland has only one tier of local government. With 10 of 37 seats, Fianna Fáil are the largest group on Donegal County Council, short of the 19 a majority needs.
10/37seats held by Fianna Fáil
Seats on Donegal County · June 2024
Fianna Fáil10
Sinn Féin10
Independent9
100% Redress4
Fine Gael3
Labour Party1
| Turnout | Carrigans | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 52% | 53% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 59% | 59% | 59% |
5
Councillors
10/37
Fianna Fáil seats on Donegal County, the largest party
52%
turnout, June 2024
5
TDs elected for Donegal
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
History
Carrigans keeps more of its old housing than Co. Donegal’s towns or Irish towns: 14.4% built before 1919
There are 1 entries on the national archaeological record here. Carrigans has 77 inventory buildings for every 10,000 residents, below Co. Donegal’s towns (105) but above Irish towns (48). Surveyors for the national inventory recorded 3 buildings in Carrigans, each of regional importance. Archaeologists have recorded one site here.
3inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional3
Among them
- St. Fiach's Church of Ireland Church 1763
- The Lodge 1810
- White House 1870
1
sites on the Sites and Monuments Record
1763
earliest dated inventory building
14%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
| Heritage | Carrigans | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1919 | 14.4% | 4.7% | 3.4% |
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 77 | 105 | 48 |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 1 | 18 | 11 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Dunmore Gardens and 9 more within 40 km
One place to visit is mapped within 5 km of Carrigans; with it, the best known within 40 km.
GardenGardenDunmore Gardens400 m outside town, to the northeast
CastleBurt Castle9.1 km northwest
Castle · Office of Public WorksDoe Castle35 km northwest
CathedralSt Eunan's Cathedral14 km southwest
MuseumFort Dunree Military Museum29 km north
CastleGlenveagh Castle36 km west
CastleBurt Castle9.1 km northwestCastle · Office of Public WorksDoe Castle35 km northwestCathedralSt Eunan's Cathedral14 km southwestMuseumFort Dunree Military Museum29 km northCastleGlenveagh Castle36 km westPlaces: 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)
- Burt Castle: Kenneth Allen, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Doe Castle: Original uploaded by Brendandh (Transfered by Lvova ), CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- St Eunan's Cathedral: Andreas F. Borchert, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Fort Dunree Military Museum: Irishhistoricalgamer, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Glenveagh Castle: Chris Gunns, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Carrigans
15pages on Carrigans
Landmarks
Surveyors for the national inventory recorded 3 buildings in Carrigans, each of regional importance. Archaeologists have recorded one site here.
Famous people from around Carrigans
No notable person born in Carrigans is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
W
William C. CampbellIrish biochemist · born in Ramelton · born 1930S
Shay GivenIrish association football player · born in Lifford · born 1976C
Chloe MageeIrish badminton player · born in Lifford · born 1988D
Dave GallaherNew Zealand rugby union footballer (187… · born in RameltonM
Mickey Joe HarteIrish singer-songwriter · born in Lifford · born 1973S
Sam MageeIrish badminton player · born in Lifford · born 1991Carrigans’ neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
NewtowncunninghamLiffordRaphoeMuffRameltonConvoyCarrigans
Questions about Carrigans
Has Carrigans grown?
Carrigans had 389 people at the 2022 census, up from 387 in 2016: 0.5% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
How old are the people of Carrigans?
The median age in Carrigans is 40.3, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns. 23% of residents are under 15 and 12% are 65 or over.
About Carrigans
Urban area in Co. Donegal
Carrigans has 389 people, 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
- 389 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Donegal
- Council
- Donegal County Council
- Local electoral area
- Buncrana
- Dáil constituency
- Donegal
- Name in Irish
- An Carraigín
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:33074
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).