Ongar’s story
Ongar has 3 buildings on the National Inventory
0% of its homes were built before 1919, against 3% in the median of Irish towns.
- 1800Packenham Bridge
- 1840Phibblestown House
- 1890Barnhill Bridge
OngarDublin
It grew by 13% between the 2016 and 2022 censuses. It is a neighbourhood of 13,390 residents in Dublin.
6 places within 19 kmMap →
Photo: Harold Strong · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
13,390
CSO, Census 2022 · Fingal County Council
Median age
31.6
3% are 65+ · Co. Dublin 14%
Degree level
48%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
24%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
TownGrade
A−
#75 of 320
Is Ongar a good place to live?
Health is its strong suit — 93 residents in bad health and 79 with a disability for every 100 its ages predict. Buying the median home, at €325,000, takes 4.1 times the town’s median household income. All told, that adds up to an A− overall, better than 77% of Irish towns. In the ranking it comes #75 of 320 Irish towns. Elsewhere it is close to typical: C+ for safety, B for jobs & income, B for walkability and B− for hazard risk.
Figures: health, work and commuting, CSO Census 2022 · prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO · crime, CSO recorded crime, 2023 to 2025 · radon, EPA.
StrongestAHealth
What makes Ongar stand out
The 3 things Ongar does most differently from other towns.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
Only 3% are 65 or over
The median of Irish towns: 14%
CSO, Census 2022
Born outside Ireland
Who lives here
The median of Irish towns: 22%
CSO, Census 2022
Median gross household income
Income
Gross, a year (the median of Irish towns: €57,760)
CSO household income for the electoral division.
How Ongar grades
Each subject compares Ongar with Irish towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
Health79 with a disability per 100 predictedAOpen →WalkabilityBetter than most of the towns comparedBOpen →Safety6.8 burglaries and acts of criminal damage per 1,000 residentsC+Open →Cost of livingClose to the middle of the towns comparedBOpen →Jobs & income69% of 15-to-64s in work; 9% unemployedBOpen →Hazard risk6% of homes above the radon reference levelB−Open →
SchoolsNot graded in Ireland: schools’ exam results aren’t published school by school (Education Act 1998, s.53)–
How TownRatings grades Irish towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Ongar.
HealthHealth A
For its ages, fewer people in Ongar live with a disability than in Co. Dublin’s towns or Irish towns: 79 per 100 expected
A disability affects 13% of people in Ongar. At the census, 1% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, below Co. Dublin’s towns (1.9%) and Irish towns (2%) alike. Asked at the census, 93% of residents of Ongar said they were in good or very good health.
93%good or very good healthAHealth Grade
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health93
Disability79
Co. Dublin103
Expected100
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 93%Fair 6%Bad or very bad 1%
| Census 2022 | Ongar | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| With a disability | 13% | 22% | 22% |
| Unpaid carers | 4% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Good or very good health | 93% | 89% | 88% |
| Bad or very bad health | 1% | 1.9% | 2% |
93
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Dublin 103
79
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
Schools
Boys and girls share classrooms around Ongar: 8% of secondaries are single-sex, below Co. Dublin’s towns and Irish towns
Just over a fifth of the schools are in the DEIS scheme, below both Co. Dublin’s towns (40%) and Irish towns (35%). Coláiste Pobail Setanta is the nearest secondary school, 0.3 km away. 42 schools lie within 3 km of Ongar: 29 primary schools, 12 secondary schools and 1 special school.
42schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| S.N. Naomh MochtaLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 805 | Catholic |
| Castleknock Community CollegeLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · ETB | Post-primary · ETB | 1,318 | Multi-denominational |
| Gaelscoil Thulach na nÓg GaelscoilTeaches through IrishPrimary | Primary | 360 | Inter-denominational |
| Scoil Choilm Community NS DEISIn the DEIS schemePrimary | Primary | 698 | Multi-denominational |
Schools by ethos · Schools within 3 km
Catholic21
Multi-denominational11
Church of Ireland2
Inter-denominational8
| Schools within 3 km | Ongar | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-sex secondaries | 8% | 40% | 39% |
| In the DEIS scheme | 21% | 40% | 35% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | −2% | +4% | +4% |
22,425
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
−2%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
0.2 km
to the nearest primary school
0.3 km
to the nearest secondary school
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · No letters and no results: Ireland publishes none school by school.
Climate
Ongar has colder winters than Co. Dublin’s towns or Irish towns: January lows of 2.2°C
July afternoons reach 20.0°C here, in line with Co. Dublin’s towns (19.9°C) and Irish towns (19.9°C). The annual mean in Ongar is 10.0°C. A year brings 822 mm of rain to Ongar.
20.0°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter8.5°C
Spring13.1°C
Summer19.4°C
Autumn14.0°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Ongar | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 2.2°C | 2.9°C | 2.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 10.0°C | 10.3°C | 10.3°C |
| Rain a year | 822 mm | 770 mm | 937 mm |
| July high | 20.0°C | 19.9°C | 19.9°C |
20.0°C
July high
2.2°C
January low
822 mm
Rain a year
88 mm
Wettest month
33
Air frosts
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Outdoors
Ongar is on the National Famine Way
Its 4 parks give Ongar 41 ha of green space between them. Walkers have 4.2 km per km² of paths and tracks, between Co. Dublin’s towns (5.5 km per km²) and Irish towns (2.1 km per km²). Green space in Ongar works out at 3.1 ha per 1,000 people.
96%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Ongar3.1 ha
Co. Dublin7.6 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Ongar | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paths per km² of town | 4.2 km per km² | 5.5 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
| Near a park | 96% | 100% | 92% |
| Green space per 1,000 residents | 3.1 ha | 7.6 ha | 4.1 ha |
96%
Near a park
3.1 ha
Green space
64 km
Footpaths
0.2%
Protected for nature
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
Weather in Ongar: 12 degrees and light showers today
Long-term averages for Ongar put November days at 11°C and November nights at 4°C. Some 1 mm of rain falls today, driven by wind of up to 24 km/h; the low reaches 9°C. Over the coming week, Tuesday looks wettest, with about 7 mm of rain.
12°C / 9°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 | 9°C | 2°C | 203 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 5°C | 170 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 11°C | 208 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 7°C | 240 mm |
12°C / 9°C
Today
0.6 mm
Rain, next 24 hours
15 km/h
Wind
82%
Humidity
9 h 17 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Children make up 28% of Ongar, above Co. Dublin’s towns and Irish towns
14% of the population is aged 15 to 24, higher than both Co. Dublin’s towns (12%) and Irish towns (12%). The 65-and-over age group makes up 2.5% of residents. Foreign-born residents make up 44% of the population.
31.6median age
OngarCo. DublinIreland
Ages · share of residents
14%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none4%
Lower secondary8%
Leaving Cert32%
Diploma or cert8%
Degree or higher48%
Women and men · all residents
50.6% of Ongar’s residents are women
6,778 women and 6,612 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Ongar | Co. Dublin | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 28% | 17% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 14% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 35% | 30% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 21% | 24% | 24% |
| 65+ | 2.5% | 14% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 3.9% | 8.5% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 7.9% | 11% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 32% | 30% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 7.5% | 5.2% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 48% | 44% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Dublin and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
Turnout in Ongar trails Co. Dublin’s towns and Irish towns: 38% at the local elections
One council serves Ongar: Fingal County Council. No party holds a majority on Fingal County Council: Independent lead with 7 of 40 seats, short of the 21 needed. Also worth knowing: in the Dáil, Ongar is part of Dublin West, which elects 5 TDs.
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 | Ongar | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 38% | 42% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 57% | 57% | 59% |
5
Councillors
7/40
Independent seats on Fingal County, the largest party
38%
turnout, June 2024
5
TDs elected for Dublin West
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
History
The national inventory lists 3 buildings in Ongar, each of regional importance
Relative to its size, Ongar keeps 2 buildings on the inventory per 10,000 residents, below both Co. Dublin’s towns (10) and Irish towns (48). The pre-1919 share of homes is 0.3%.
3inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional3
Among them
- Packenham Bridge 1800
- Phibblestown House 1840
- Barnhill Bridge 1890
0
sites on the Sites and Monuments Record
1800
earliest dated inventory building
0%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
1
places pictured on the history page
| Heritage | Ongar | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 2 | 10 | 48 |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 0 | 7 | 11 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 0.3% | 1.2% | 3.4% |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
SafetySafety C+
Ongar sits near the middle of Irish towns for recorded crime
Of the graded crimes in Ongar, damage to property came up most often (2023–2025). Violence came to 4.7 per 1,000 residents a year, lower than both Co. Dublin’s towns (5.3) and Irish towns (5.7). For its size, Ongar records less crime per resident than three fifths of the 118 Irish towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people.
4.7violent incidents per 1,000 a yearC+Safety Grade
Compared with towns its sizeFewer incidents against residents per 1,000 than 60% of the 118 Irish towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Recorded by type · per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025
Theft16.8
Road traffic11.6
Against justice9.6
Damage5.1
Dangerous acts4.9
Assault3.5
Public order2.7
Burglary1.7
Drugs1.5
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 | Ongar | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 4.7 | 5.3 | 5.7 |
| Burglary & damage | 6.8 | 7.5 | 6.4 |
4.7
violent incidents per 1,000 a year
6.8
burglary and damage per 1,000 a year
6,990
incidents a year, Blanchardstown Garda area
11.4
against residents per 1,000, as graded
CSO recorded crime by Garda station, 2023–2025, shared to towns by where residents live · Census 2022 populations
HousingCost of living B
Private renting is more common in Ongar than in Co. Dublin’s towns or Irish towns: 33% of households
8% live in social housing, below Co. Dublin’s towns (10%) and Irish towns (13%) alike. Owners make up nearly three in five households.
€325Kmedian sale priceBCost of living Grade
Median sale price · Property Price Register, 2023–2025
Ongar€325K
Co. Dublin€454K
Irish towns€350K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Second-hand homes | €325,000 | 159 |
| The last 12 months | €368,500 | 48 |
| Housing | Ongar | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households renting privately | 33% | 19% | 22% |
| Median sale price | €325K | €454K | €350K |
| Households in social housing | 8% | 10% | 13% |
| Households owning their home | 59% | 66% | 61% |
59%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
33%
rent privately · Irish towns 22%
€1,877
a month on new tenancies, Ongar
4.6
times median household income, County Dublin
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure
Work & commuteJobs & income B
Trips to work from Ongar take longer than from Co. Dublin’s towns or Irish towns: 34.3 min on average
28% of trips took under 15 minutes, above Co. Dublin’s towns (23%) but below Irish towns (31%). Households take home €79,380 a year before tax, on average. The census found 24% of commuters going to work on foot, by bike or by public transport.
24%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van63%
Bus13%
Train, DART or Luas7%
Walk3%
Bicycle2%
| Census 2022 | Ongar | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 34.3 min | 31.1 min | 27.6 min |
| Median household income | €79,380 | €72,400 | €57,760 |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 28% | 23% | 31% |
| Unemployment rate | 8.5% | 7.3% | 9.2% |
€79,380
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Dublin €71,123
12%
worked mainly from home, 2022
17%
trips of an hour or more
48,940
on the Live Register, County Dublin, September 2026
B
Walkability: better than 62% of Irish towns
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.
Natural hazardsHazard risk B−
Some of Ongar’s homes have high radon: an estimated 5.8%, above the reference level
Landslides: none of Ongar lies in a high-susceptibility zone. Very few of its homes sit on low ground by water.
0%of homes in high-radon areasB−Hazard risk Grade
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 | Ongar | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-lying near a river | 0% | 0% | 0.5% |
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 0% | 0% |
3,179
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Aquazone and 5 more in and around Ongar
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Ongar. Best known first.
Water parkWater parkAquazone3.6 km outside town, to the eastChurchChurchSt Mary's Church Leixlip3.1 km outside town, to the southwestCastleCastleLeixlip Castle3.3 km outside town, to the southwestGardenGardenHamwood House and Gardens4.3 km outside town, to the westCastleCastleLuttrellstown Castle1.2 km outside town, to the southHistoric siteHistoric siteThe Wonderful Barn4.3 km outside town, to the southwest
Places: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0) · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ongar
15pages on Ongar
Landmarks
3 of Ongar’s buildings made the national inventory of architectural heritage, all at regional importance.
Famous people from around Ongar
No notable person born in Ongar is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
A
Alex O'HanlonIrish association football player · born in Blanchardstown · born 1996E
Eva Henrietta HamiltonIrish artist (1876-1960) · born in DunboynePhoto credits
John Bruton: Friends of Europe, CC BY 2.0 · Graham Carey: Biser Todorov, CC BY 4.0 · Roderic O'Gorman: Roderic O'Gorman, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Niall Quinn: TheChrisD, CC BY-SA 3.0
Ongar’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
ClonsillaCloneeMulhuddartDunboyneBlanchardstownCarpenterstownOngar
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ongar | 13,390 | — | A− | B | C+ | A |
| Clonsilla | 22,510 | 1 | B− | C− | C+ | A− |
| Clonee Meath | 1,205 | 1.4 | — | C+ | B+ | B− |
| Mulhuddart | 19,252 | 3.1 | B− | B | C+ | C |
| Dunboyne Meath | 7,155 | 3.2 | A+ | C | B+ | A+ |
| Blanchardstown | 24,613 | 3.7 | B | B− | C+ | B+ |
| Carpenterstown | 20,967 | 4.3 | A | B− | C+ | A+ |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Ongar
Has Ongar grown?
Ongar had 13,390 people at the 2022 census, up from 11,875 in 2016: 12.8% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
Is Ongar a young town or an old one?
The median age in Ongar is 31.6, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
Do people in Ongar drive to work?
12% mostly work from home, and 28% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
About Ongar
Neighbourhood in Dublin
13,390 people live in Ongar, in the area of Fingal County 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)
- Population
- 13,390 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Dublin
- Council
- Fingal County Council
- Local electoral area
- Ongar
- Dáil constituency
- Dublin West
- Area
- 1.2 sq mi (3 km²)
- CSO code
- ED:FL:BLANCHARDSTOWN-BLAKESTOWN#castaheany
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).