Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The town has 528 residents and lies in Co. Donegal. The population grew 13% between 2016 and 2022.
The median home sold for €220,000, 4.7 times the town’s median household income. 26 of its buildings are on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Homes here sold for a median €203,300 over 2023 to 2025. Over-65s are 25% of the population.
There are no grades for Rathmullan: Irish towns need 1,000 residents for them.
The 3 things Rathmullan does most differently from other towns.
26 buildings on the National Inventory inside Rathmullan.
The record adds 6 archaeological sites.
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Rathmullan.
Families in Rathmullan have 2 schools within 3 km to choose from: 2 primary schools. Pupil numbers changed +19% since 2019/20, higher than both Co. Donegal’s towns (+7%) and Irish towns (+4%).
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rathmullen N.S. DEISLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 119 | Catholic |
| St Garvans N.S. DEISIn the DEIS schemePrimary | Primary | 33 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Rathmullan | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the DEIS scheme | 100% | 38% | 35% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +19% | +7% | +4% |
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 7% | 8% |
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · You won’t find letters or results below: Ireland publishes none for single schools.
The closest place to swim from Rathmullan is Rathmullan, 0.9 km away, rated good in 2025. 2.2% of homes stand low near the coast, higher than both Co. Donegal’s towns (0%) and Irish towns (0%). Radon is rarely a worry locally: under 1% of homes are estimated above the reference level.
| Share of homes | Rathmullan | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-lying near the coast | 2.2% | 0% | 0% |
| Low-lying near a river | 12% | 4.2% | 0.5% |
| On high landslide susceptibility | 0.2% | 0.5% | 0% |
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Midwinter nights in Rathmullan bottom out at 2.6°C on average. Here July highs average 18.7°C, near Co. Donegal’s towns (18.6°C) and lower than Irish towns (19.9°C). The annual mean locally is 9.9°C.
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Rathmullan | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 18.7°C | 18.6°C | 19.9°C |
| Rain a year | 1,254 mm | 1,316 mm | 937 mm |
| Average temperature over the year | 9.9°C | 9.7°C | 10.3°C |
| January low | 2.6°C | 2.5°C | 2.9°C |
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
For its ages, Rathmullan has 98 people with a disability for every 100 expected, below Co. Donegal’s towns (113) and Irish towns (106) alike. 6.8% of residents in Rathmullan care, unpaid, for a relative or friend. In the HSE West and North West health region, 34% of people hold a medical card. At the census, 2.7% of people here described their health as bad or very bad.
| Census 2022 | Rathmullan | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unpaid carers | 6.8% | 5.8% | 5.4% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.7% | 2.4% | 2% |
| Good or very good health | 89% | 86% | 88% |
| With a disability | 25% | 25% | 22% |
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
19% live in social housing, above both Co. Donegal’s towns (15%) and Irish towns (13%). Owners make up 64% of households.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Second-hand homes | €220,000 | 38 |
| Housing | Rathmullan | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households renting privately | 12% | 24% | 22% |
| Households in social housing | 19% | 15% | 13% |
| Median sale price | €220K | €181K | €350K |
| Households owning their home | 64% | 55% | 61% |
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure
100% of homes are within 400 m of green space, above Co. Donegal’s towns (54%) and Irish towns (92%) alike. Among the protected sites near Rathmullan is Lough Swilly SAC.
| Outdoors | Rathmullan | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected nature within 5 km | 23% | 4.7% | 1.8% |
| Woodland within 1 km | 11% | 4.5% | 2.7% |
| Sea within 5 km | 44% | 8.7% | 0% |
| Near a park | 100% | 54% | 92% |
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
In a typical November, days climb to about 10°C and nights sink to 5°C, the yardstick for Rathmullan’s forecast. Expect no rain today, only a light breath of wind up to 13 km/h, and a low of 3°C. Thursday should be the warmest of the days ahead, at 10°C, and the coolest reaches only 6°C.
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 8°C | 3°C | 389 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 5°C | 242 mm |
| Summer | 18°C | 11°C | 273 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 7°C | 349 mm |
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
13% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train at the census, near Co. Donegal’s towns (13%) and lower than Irish towns (23%). Workers spend 27.3 min getting to work, on average. The census counted 16% of workers working mainly from home.
| Census 2022 | Rathmullan | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In work, 15 to 64 | 74% | 63% | 68% |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 33% | 56% | 31% |
| Average trip | 27.3 min | 20.9 min | 27.6 min |
| Median household income | €46,980 | €39,838 | €57,760 |
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.
Graduates make up 37% of adults. People aged 15 to 24 make up 8.3% of the town, below Co. Donegal’s towns (12%) and Irish towns (12%) alike. The under-15s are 16% of the population here.
Women make up 55.1% of Rathmullan
291 women and 237 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Rathmullan | Co. Donegal | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 21% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 8.3% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 28% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 23% | 24% |
| 65+ | 25% | 16% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 12% | 14% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 13% | 16% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 31% | 34% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 6.7% | 6.2% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 37% | 29% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Donegal and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Donegal County Council runs Rathmullan: Ireland has one tier of local government, with no town council below it. With 10 of 37 seats, Fianna Fáil are the largest group on Donegal County Council, short of the 19 a majority needs. The town sits in the Milford local electoral area, which elects 3 councillors.
| Turnout | Rathmullan | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 63% | 53% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 59% | 59% | 59% |
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
22.6% of its homes were built before 1919, above Co. Donegal’s towns (4.7%) and Irish towns (3.4%) alike. 6 recorded monuments and archaeological sites lie in and around the town.
| Heritage | Rathmullan | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 492 | 105 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 22.6% | 4.7% | 3.4% |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 6 | 18 | 11 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Rathmullan. Best known first.
FortNeds Point Fort4.7 km outside town, to the northeastCastleCastleInch Island4.2 km outside town, to the southeastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
The national inventory of architectural heritage lists 26 buildings in Rathmullan, each rated of regional importance. 6 archaeological sites are on the record here.
One notable person was born in Rathmullan; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rathmullan | 528 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Buncrana | 6,971 | 6.5 | C+ | A | C− | B− |
| Milford | 1,076 | 11 | — | A | C | B− |
| Ramelton | 1,288 | 11 | — | B− | A− | B |
| Newtowncunningham | 1,192 | 12 | — | A− | A | C− |
| Muff | 1,418 | 17 | — | B+ | A | A− |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Rathmullan had 528 people at the 2022 census, up from 466 in 2016: 13.3% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
The median age in Rathmullan is 50.6, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
Urban area in Co. Donegal
528 people live in Rathmullan, 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)
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).