Oldtown’s story
Oldtown: 7 buildings on the National Inventory
The record adds 1 archaeological site.
Homes built before 1919: 7%, against 3% across Irish towns.
- 1840Oldtown House
- 1850P. Archer
- 1860Presbytery, Oldtown
OldtownCo. Dublin
A town of 523 in Co. Dublin.
6 places within 19 kmMap →
Photo: jwd · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
523
CSO, Census 2022 · Fingal County Council
Median age
37.5
10% are 65+ · Co. Dublin 14%
Degree level
30%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
8%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Oldtown a good place to live?
The median sale, €600,000, comes to 7.6 times what the median household here earns. Public transport, bikes and feet take 8% of commuters to work. Unemployment stood at 4% of the labour force in 2022. Born outside Ireland: one in ten residents.
There are no grades for Oldtown: Irish towns need 1,000 residents for them.
What makes Oldtown stand out
The 3 things Oldtown 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
4% unemployment
Of the labour force, Census 2022 (the median of Irish towns: 9%)
58% of residents 15 and over are at work.
Born outside Ireland
Who lives here
Against 22% in the median of Irish towns
CSO, Census 2022
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Oldtown.
Schools
Pupil numbers around Oldtown moved +3% since 2019, below Co. Dublin’s towns and Irish towns
2 schools lie within 3 km of Oldtown: 2 primary schools.
2schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brighde NaofaLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 357 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Oldtown | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the DEIS scheme | 0% | 40% | 35% |
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 7% | 8% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +3% | +4% | +4% |
435
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
+3%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
0.4 km
to the nearest primary school
5.1 km
to the nearest secondary school
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · No letters, no results: Irish schools aren’t ranked one by one.
Natural hazards
Oldtown has low radon and steady ground, but its flood exposure isn’t measured
Balbriggan, Front Strand Beach, 14 km from Oldtown, is the closest bathing water; it was rated sufficient in 2025. Radon is rarely a worry locally: under 1% of homes are estimated above the reference level. No part of Oldtown is mapped as high landslide susceptibility.
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 | Oldtown | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| On high landslide susceptibility | 0% | 0% | 0% |
14 km
to Balbriggan, Front Strand Beach bathing water (sufficient)
175
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Climate
Winter nights bite in Oldtown: January lows of 2.5°C, colder than Co. Dublin’s towns or Irish towns
Oldtown gets 831 mm of rain a year. Here July highs average 19.7°C, close to both Co. Dublin’s towns (19.9°C) and Irish towns (19.9°C). Over twelve months, Oldtown averages 10.0°C.
19.7°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter8.5°C
Spring12.8°C
Summer19.1°C
Autumn13.9°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Oldtown | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average temperature over the year | 10.0°C | 10.3°C | 10.3°C |
| January low | 2.5°C | 2.9°C | 2.9°C |
| July high | 19.7°C | 19.9°C | 19.9°C |
| Rain a year | 831 mm | 770 mm | 937 mm |
19.7°C
July high
2.5°C
January low
831 mm
Rain a year
89 mm
Wettest month
35
Air frosts
1,468 hrs
Sunshine
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Health
Oldtown has 130 people with a disability for every 100 its ages predict, more than in both Co. Dublin’s towns and Irish towns
At the census, 3.3% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, above Co. Dublin’s towns (1.9%) and Irish towns (2%) alike. Weighed against its ages, bad health in Oldtown runs at 206 per 100 expected. Disability touches just over a quarter of the town’s population.
87%good or very good health
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health206
Disability130
Co. Dublin103
Expected100
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 87%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2022 | Oldtown | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bad or very bad health | 3.3% | 1.9% | 2% |
| With a disability | 26% | 21% | 22% |
| Unpaid carers | 6.1% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Good or very good health | 87% | 89% | 88% |
206
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Dublin 103
130
disability per 100 expected · Co. Dublin 99
83.4 · 80.1
life expectancy, women · men, the Dublin region, 2016
27%
hold a medical card, HSE Dublin and North East
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 Oldtown than in Co. Dublin’s towns or across Irish towns, at 21% of households
10% of households rent privately. Owners make up 68% of households, close to Co. Dublin’s towns (66%) and above Irish towns (61%).
€600Kmedian sale price
Median sale price · Property Price Register, 2023–2025
Oldtown€600K
Co. Dublin€452K
Irish towns€350K
| Housing | Oldtown | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | €600K | €452K | €350K |
| Households in social housing | 21% | 10% | 13% |
| Households renting privately | 10% | 20% | 22% |
| Households owning their home | 68% | 66% | 61% |
68%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
10%
rent privately · Irish towns 22%
€2,159
a month on new tenancies, County Dublin
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure
Outdoors
Almost everyone in Oldtown lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
Woodland covers 0.3% of the land within 1 km, lower than both Co. Dublin’s towns (2.3%) and Irish towns (2.7%). 100% of homes have green space within 400 m. Also worth knowing: there are 3.2 ha of green space for every 1,000 people in Oldtown.
100%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Oldtown3.2 ha
Co. Dublin7.6 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Oldtown | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paths per km² of town | 0.2 km per km² | 5.4 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
| Woodland within 1 km | 0.3% | 2.3% | 2.7% |
| Near a park | 100% | 100% | 92% |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 0% | 0.2% | 1.8% |
100%
Near a park
3.2 ha
Green space
1 km
Footpaths
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
Up to 12 degrees in Oldtown today, light showers
Over the coming week, Tuesday looks wettest, with about 6 mm of rain. In Oldtown, the November norm is a high of 11°C and a low of 5°C. Some 1 mm of rain falls today, driven by wind of up to 28 km/h; the low reaches 10°C.
12°C / 10°CToday
This month and the next three, normal highs · 1991–2020 averages
November11°C
December9°C
January8°C
February9°C
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 8°C | 3°C | 206 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 5°C | 175 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 11°C | 209 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 7°C | 240 mm |
12°C / 10°C
Today
0.8 mm
Rain, next 24 hours
21 km/h
Wind
75%
Humidity
9 h 16 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Only 7.8% of commuters in Oldtown go to work without a car, fewer than in both Co. Dublin’s towns and Irish towns
Employment among 15- to 64-year-olds stood at 67% at the census. 78% of commuters drove, higher than both Co. Dublin’s towns (52%) and Irish towns (66%). The jobless rate is 3.8%.
8%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van78%
Walk4%
Bus3%
Bicycle1%
Train, DART or Luas1%
| Census 2022 | Oldtown | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 7.4% | 9.2% |
| Median household income | €78,720 | €72,590 | €57,760 |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 67% | 71% | 68% |
| Average trip | 30.8 min | 31.1 min | 27.6 min |
€78,720
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Dublin €71,123
13%
worked mainly from home, 2022
12%
trips of an hour or more
48,940
on the Live Register, County Dublin, 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 families: 26% of people in Oldtown are under 15, more than in both Co. Dublin’s towns and Irish towns
30% of adults hold a degree, lower than both Co. Dublin’s towns (44%) and Irish towns (36%).
37.5median age
OldtownCo. DublinIreland
Ages · share of residents
12%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none13%
Lower secondary18%
Leaving Cert34%
Diploma or cert5%
Degree or higher30%
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 47.4% of Oldtown
248 women and 275 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Oldtown | Co. Dublin | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 26% | 17% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 12% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 26% | 30% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 26% | 24% | 24% |
| 65+ | 10% | 14% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 13% | 8.5% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 18% | 11% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 34% | 30% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 5.4% | 5.2% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 30% | 44% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Dublin and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
No party comes near a majority on Fingal County Council: the largest holds 7 of 40
47% of voters turned out at the last local elections. Fingal County Council runs Oldtown: Ireland has one tier of local government, with no town council below it. There is no majority on Fingal County Council; Independent have the most seats, 7 of 40, short of 21.
7/40seats held by Independent
Seats on Fingal County · June 2024
Independent7
Fine Gael7
Labour Party7
Fianna Fáil6
Sinn Féin4
Social Democrats2
Aontú2
People Before Profit–Solidarity2
| Turnout | Oldtown | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 47% | 42% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 59% | 57% | 59% |
5
Councillors
7/40
Independent seats on Fingal County, the largest party
47%
turnout, June 2024
3
TDs elected for Dublin Fingal West
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
History
134 inventory buildings per 10,000 residents put Oldtown above Co. Dublin’s towns and Irish towns for heritage
6.6% of homes date from before 1919. 1 archaeological sites are on the record, lower than both Co. Dublin’s towns (7) and Irish towns (11). Archaeologists have recorded one site here.
7inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional7
Among them
- Oldtown House 1840
- P. Archer 1850
- Presbytery, Oldtown 1860
- Oldtown Hall 1870
1
sites on the Sites and Monuments Record
1840
earliest dated inventory building
7%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
3
places pictured on the history page
| Heritage | Oldtown | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 134 | 10 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 6.6% | 1.2% | 3.4% |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 1 | 7 | 11 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Wooly Ward's Farm and 12 more within 40 km
One place to visit is mapped within 5 km of Oldtown; with it, the best known within 40 km.
AttractionAttractionWooly Ward's Farm2 km outside town, to the southwest
Big drawMuseumNational Museum of Ireland21 km south · 783K visitors a year
CathedralSt Patrick's Cathedral20 km south
MuseumNational Library of Ireland20 km south
Big drawZooDublin Zoo18 km south · 1.3M visitors a year (2022)
Historic houseLeinster House21 km south
Big drawMuseumNational Museum of Ireland21 km south · 783K visitors a yearCathedralSt Patrick's Cathedral20 km southMuseumNational Library of Ireland20 km southBig drawZooDublin Zoo18 km south · 1.3M visitors a year (2022)Historic houseLeinster House21 km southPlaces: 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)
- National Museum of Ireland: Photograph by Mike Peel ( www.mikepeel.net )., CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- St Patrick's Cathedral: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- National Library of Ireland: YvonneM, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dublin Zoo: Harold Strong, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Leinster House: Jean Housen, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Oldtown
15pages on Oldtown
The big questions
Out and about
Landmarks
Surveyors for the national inventory recorded 7 buildings in Oldtown, each of regional importance. Archaeologists have recorded one site here.
Famous people from around Oldtown
2 notable people were born in Oldtown; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.
P
Patrick ConnollyIrish Attorney General · 1926–2016L
Lainey KeoghIrish fashion designer · born 1957
C
Colm CondonIrish Attorney General · born in Ashbourne · 1921–2008D
Dawson DevoyIrish footballer · born in Ashbourne · born 2001Photo credits
Derek Landy: Hpschaefer www.reserv-art.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 · James Reilly: Department of Health, CC BY 2.0
Oldtown’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
AshbourneSwordsRatoathLuskBalrotheryKinsealy-DrinanOldtown
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oldtown | 523 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ashbourne Meath | 15,680 | 5.6 | A+ | B− | B+ | A− |
| Swords | 40,776 | 8.9 | A− | C | B− | A− |
| Ratoath Meath | 10,077 | 9.8 | A+ | C+ | B+ | A+ |
| Lusk | 8,806 | 9.8 | B+ | C− | B | B+ |
| Balrothery | 2,282 | 11 | — | C+ | C− | A |
| Kinsealy-Drinan | 7,526 | 11 | A | D | A− | A− |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Oldtown
Is Oldtown growing?
Oldtown had 523 people at the 2022 census, up from 469 in 2016: 11.5% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
How do people in Oldtown get to work?
13% mostly work from home, and 26% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
How old are the people of Oldtown?
The median age in Oldtown is 37.5, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
About Oldtown
Urban area in Co. Dublin
523 people live in Oldtown, in the area of Fingal 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
- 523 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Dublin
- Council
- Fingal County Council
- Local electoral area
- Rush-Lusk
- Dáil constituency
- Dublin Fingal West
- Name in Irish
- An Seanbhaile
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:04358
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).