Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
With 9,616 residents, it is a neighbourhood in Dublin.
The picture is mixed. Cost of living is its weak spot: at a median €415,000, a home costs 7.1 times the town’s median household income. Fewer journeys need a car: 38% of commuters walk, cycle or take the bus or train, against 23% in the typical Irish town. Overall, that makes a C, good for #221 of 320 Irish towns. It comes out better than 31% of Irish towns.
Figures: commuting, CSO Census 2022 · prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO.
The 3 things Donaghmede does most differently from other towns.
Each subject compares Donaghmede with Irish towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
How TownRatings grades Irish towns →
The record adds 3 archaeological sites.
Homes built before 1919: 0%, against 3% across Irish towns.
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Donaghmede. Best known first.
CastleHowth Castle4.9 km outside town, to the east
GardenSaint Anne's Park1 km outside town, to the southwest
MuseumNational Transport Museum of Ireland4.8 km outside town, to the eastHistoric houseHistoric house · Office of Public WorksCasino Marino3.4 km outside town, to the southwestGardenGardenSt Anne's Park and Rose Gardens1.3 km outside town, to the southChurchChurchSt Doulagh's Church2.4 km outside town, to the northPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Donaghmede.
For a swim, the nearest bathing water is Dollymount Strand, 2.8 km from Donaghmede, rated good in 2025. The ground under Donaghmede carries no high landslide susceptibility. Under 1% of homes in the town are estimated to have radon above the reference level.
| Share of homes | Donaghmede | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-lying near a river | 0% | 0% | 0.5% |
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 0% | 0% |
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Private renters make up nearly one in ten households. Social housing holds one in ten households, below Co. Dublin’s towns (10%) and Irish towns (13%) alike.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Second-hand homes | €415,000 | 133 |
| The last 12 months | €445,000 | 37 |
| Housing | Donaghmede | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 81% | 66% | 61% |
| Households renting privately | 9% | 20% | 22% |
| Median sale price | €415K | €454K | €350K |
| Households in social housing | 10% | 10% | 13% |
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure
Pupil numbers changed +2% since 2019/20, below both Co. Dublin’s towns (+4%) and Irish towns (+4%). Árdscoil La Salle is the nearest secondary school, 0.3 km away. 11 of the 73 schools are multi-denominational.
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Fiachras Sen N.S.Largest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 609 | Catholic |
| Pobalscoil NeasáinLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · Community school | Post-primary · Community school | 831 | Inter-denominational |
| Gaelcholáiste Reachrann GaelcholáisteTeaches through IrishPost-primary · ETB | Post-primary · ETB | 453 | Inter-denominational |
| Grange Community College DEISIn the DEIS schemePost-primary · ETB | Post-primary · ETB | 553 | Inter-denominational |
| Schools within 3 km | Donaghmede | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teach through Irish | 6% | 7% | 8% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +2% | +4% | +4% |
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.
Among the graded crimes in Donaghmede, the most frequent was damage to property (2023–2025). Every kind together came to 45.3 per 1,000 residents a year, below Co. Dublin’s towns (59.2) and Irish towns (54.3) alike. Homes see 6.7 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year.
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 | Donaghmede | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime | 45.3 | 59.2 | 54.3 |
| Burglary & damage | 6.7 | 7.5 | 6.4 |
CSO recorded crime by Garda station, 2023–2025, shared to towns by where residents live · Census 2022 populations
Family carers: 6.7% of the people in Donaghmede look after someone without pay. At the census, 85% of people in Donaghmede called their health good or very good, below both Co. Dublin’s towns (89%) and Irish towns (88%). Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 2.8% of the town.
| Census 2022 | Donaghmede | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| With a disability | 28% | 21% | 22% |
| Unpaid carers | 6.7% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Good or very good health | 85% | 89% | 88% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.8% | 1.9% | 2% |
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
A year brings 742 mm of rain to Donaghmede. July afternoons reach 19.7°C here, close to both Co. Dublin’s towns (19.9°C) and Irish towns (19.9°C). Day and night, summer and winter, Donaghmede averages 10.5°C.
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Donaghmede | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 3.3°C | 2.9°C | 2.9°C |
| Rain a year | 742 mm | 770 mm | 937 mm |
| July high | 19.7°C | 19.9°C | 19.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 10.5°C | 10.3°C | 10.3°C |
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Its paths and tracks come to 3.5 km per km², lower than Co. Dublin’s towns (5.5 km per km²) yet higher than Irish towns (2.1 km per km²). Among the protected sites near Donaghmede is North Bull Island SPA. Also worth knowing: there are 3 parks in the town; together its green space comes to 68 ha.
| Outdoors | Donaghmede | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea within 5 km | 31% | 3.7% | 0% |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 6.2% | 0.2% | 1.8% |
| Paths per km² of town | 3.5 km per km² | 5.5 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
| Near a park | 100% | 100% | 92% |
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Over the coming week, Tuesday looks wettest, with about 6 mm of rain. Donaghmede’s November pattern is steady: afternoons average 11°C, nights 5°C. Some 1 mm of rain falls today, driven by wind of up to 31 km/h; the low reaches 10°C.
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 9°C | 3°C | 177 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 6°C | 155 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 12°C | 191 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 8°C | 219 mm |
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Overseas births account for 12% of the people living here. 15% are under 15, below both Co. Dublin’s towns (17%) and Irish towns (20%). Degrees are held by a quarter of adults.
Women make up 51.5% of Donaghmede
4,950 women and 4,666 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Donaghmede | Co. Dublin | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 17% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 25% | 30% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 25% | 24% | 24% |
| 65+ | 23% | 14% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 18% | 8.4% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 19% | 11% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 34% | 30% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 4.6% | 5.2% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 25% | 44% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Dublin and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
45% voted at the last local elections. One council serves Donaghmede: Dublin City Council. General election turnout was 60%. There is no majority on Dublin City Council; Fine Gael have the most seats, 11 of 63, short of 32.
| Turnout | Donaghmede | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| General election, November 2024 | 60% | 57% | 59% |
| Local elections, June 2024 | 45% | 42% | 46% |
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
Before 1919: that is when 0.3% of homes were built.
| Heritage | Donaghmede | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 3 | 10 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 0.3% | 1.2% | 3.4% |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 3 | 7 | 11 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Unemployment stood at 9.6%, about level with Irish towns (9.2%) and above Co. Dublin’s towns (7.3%). Just over half of commuters drove to work at the census. Before tax, the average household brings in €58,260 a year.
| Census 2022 | Donaghmede | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 31.3 min | 31.1 min | 27.6 min |
| Unemployment rate | 9.6% | 7.3% | 9.2% |
| Median household income | €58,260 | €72,780 | €57,760 |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 24% | 23% | 31% |
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.
The national inventory of architectural heritage lists 3 buildings in Donaghmede, each rated of regional importance. 3 archaeological sites are on the record here.
4 notable people were born in Donaghmede.
Keith Duffy: Eva Rinaldi, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Lee Desmond: Seaninryan, CC BY-SA 4.0
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donaghmede | 9,616 | — | C | C− | C+ | C+ |
| Raheny | 8,734 | 0.8 | B+ | D | B | A− |
| Ayrfield | 5,863 | 1.3 | B− | B− | C | B− |
| Edenmore | 2,831 | 1.3 | D | D | C | D |
| Belmayne | 15,047 | 1.5 | B | C | C | B+ |
| Clongriffin | 7,438 | 1.6 | B− | C+ | C | C+ |
| Sutton | 5,789 | 2 | B+ | D− | B | A |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
The median age in Donaghmede is 43.8, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
Donaghmede had 9,616 people at the 2022 census, down from 9,767 in 2016: 1.5% fewer, while the median of Irish towns grew 7.6%.
Neighbourhood in Dublin
9,616 people live in Donaghmede, in the area of Dublin City Council. TownRatings splits Dublin into neighbourhoods made from the CSO’s Electoral Divisions, named from Tailte Éireann’s gazetteer, so each has figures of its own.
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) · 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).