Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Population 10,117: a neighbourhood in Dublin. It grew by 20% between the 2016 and 2022 censuses.
The data are hard on it. Its lowest grade is for safety: 18.8 burglaries and acts of criminal damage per 1,000 residents a year, and 20.4 violent crimes. With a C− overall, Parnell Square is better than 16% of Irish towns and ranks #98 of 116 in Co. Dublin. Home prices sit at a median €343,200, which is 7.5 years of the town’s median household income. Getting around on foot or by bus is easy: just over three quarters of commuters walk, cycle or take the bus or train, against 23% in the typical Irish town.
Figures: commuting and work, CSO Census 2022 · crime, CSO recorded crime, 2023 to 2025 · prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO.
This town's house price is the median for its whole Eircode routing key, town and countryside together: fewer than 30 sales in the town itself were recorded on the Property Price Register in 2023 to 2025, so its Cost Grade is less sure. Health less sure: few enough residents report bad health that the town's figure could be well above or below its true level.
The 3 things Parnell Square does most differently from other towns.
Each subject compares Parnell Square 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 7 archaeological sites.
Homes built before 1919: 23%, against 3% across Irish towns.
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Parnell Square. Best known first.
Art galleryHugh Lane Galleryin town
MuseumDublin Writers Museumin town
MuseumThe James Joyce Centrein town
Art galleryOlivier Cornet Galleryin town
Big drawMuseumNational Museum of Ireland1.4 km outside town, to the south · 783K visitors a year
CathedralSt Patrick's Cathedral1.1 km outside town, to the southPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Parnell Square.
Theft, shown but not graded, ran at 66.9 per 1,000 a year, higher than both Co. Dublin’s towns (18.5) and Irish towns (15.3). Among the 118 Irish towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people, Parnell Square has more crime per resident than 98% of them.
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 | Parnell Square | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 20.4 | 5.3 | 5.7 |
| Burglary & damage | 18.8 | 7.5 | 6.4 |
| All recorded crime | 194.1 | 59.2 | 54.3 |
| Theft | 66.9 | 18.5 | 15.3 |
CSO recorded crime by Garda station, 2023–2025, shared to towns by where residents live · Census 2022 populations
At the census, 76% went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport, above Co. Dublin’s towns (36%) and Irish towns (23%) alike. 12% of the labour force are out of work. Before tax, the average household brings in €45,540 a year.
| Census 2022 | Parnell Square | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | €45,540 | €72,780 | €57,760 |
| Unemployment rate | 12% | 7.3% | 9.2% |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 20% | 23% | 31% |
| Average trip | 31.8 min | 31.1 min | 27.6 min |
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.
For secondary school, the closest is Belvedere College S.J, 0.1 km from the town. Families in Parnell Square have 124 schools within 3 km to choose from: 76 primary schools, 35 secondary schools and 13 special schools. Pupil numbers changed +10% since 2019/20, above both Co. Dublin’s towns (+4%) and Irish towns (+4%).
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Christopher's NS DEISLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 598 | Catholic |
| Belvedere College S.J BoysLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 1,011 | Catholic |
| Scoil Chaitriona GaelcholáisteTeaches through IrishPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 523 | Catholic |
| St Mary's Secondary School DEISIn the DEIS schemePost-primary · Voluntary secondary | Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 830 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Parnell Square | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +10% | +4% | +4% |
| In the DEIS scheme | 52% | 40% | 35% |
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.
Parnell Square’s nearest bathing water is Sandymount Strand, 4.9 km away, rated sufficient in 2025. Radon tests would find about 3.8% of the town’s homes above the reference level, by estimate. Landslides: none of Parnell Square lies in a high-susceptibility zone.
| Share of homes | Parnell Square | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-lying near a river | 23% | 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.
Social housing holds 26% of households, above both Co. Dublin’s towns (10%) and Irish towns (13%). 64% of households are private tenants.
| Housing | Parnell Square | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 9% | 66% | 61% |
| Households renting privately | 64% | 19% | 22% |
| Households in social housing | 26% | 10% | 13% |
| Median sale price | €343K | €454K | €350K |
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure · The price is for the postcode area D01, not the town alone: too few sales inside the town carry a full address.
July afternoons reach 20.1°C here, above both Co. Dublin’s towns (19.9°C) and Irish towns (19.9°C). The annual mean in Parnell Square is 10.6°C. A year brings 747 mm of rain to Parnell Square.
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Parnell Square | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average temperature over the year | 10.6°C | 10.3°C | 10.3°C |
| January low | 3.3°C | 2.9°C | 2.9°C |
| Rain a year | 747 mm | 770 mm | 937 mm |
| July high | 20.1°C | 19.9°C | 19.9°C |
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Green space comes to 1.0 ha per 1,000 people in Parnell Square, lower than both Co. Dublin’s towns (7.6 ha) and Irish towns (4.1 ha). Across its 13 parks, Parnell Square has 10 ha of green space. 100% of homes have green space within 400 m.
| Outdoors | Parnell Square | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paths per km² of town | 6.6 km per km² | 5.4 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
| Woodland within 1 km | 0.2% | 2.3% | 2.7% |
| Sea within 5 km | 5.6% | 3.7% | 0% |
| Green space per 1,000 residents | 1.0 ha | 7.6 ha | 4.1 ha |
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
The heaviest rain of the week is due on Tuesday, around 8 mm. A typical November day reaches 11°C and drops to 5°C at night: the forecast for Parnell Square is set against that. Some 1 mm of rain falls today, driven by wind of up to 25 km/h; the low reaches 10°C.
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 9°C | 3°C | 183 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 6°C | 156 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 12°C | 189 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 8°C | 220 mm |
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
People 65 and over make up 6.4% of the town, lower than both Co. Dublin’s towns (14%) and Irish towns (14%). Graduates make up 44% of adults. The 15-to-24 age group makes up 12% of residents.
Women make up 48.1% of Parnell Square
4,869 women and 5,248 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Parnell Square | Co. Dublin | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 17% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 12% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 47% | 30% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 21% | 24% | 24% |
| 65+ | 6.4% | 14% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 11% | 8.4% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 10% | 11% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 28% | 30% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 6.4% | 5.2% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 44% | 44% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Dublin and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Dublin City Council is the council for Parnell Square, and the only one: Ireland has a single tier of local government. At the general election 52% voted, below both Co. Dublin’s towns (57%) and Irish towns (59%). There is no majority on Dublin City Council; Fine Gael have the most seats, 11 of 63, short of 32.
| Turnout | Parnell Square | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 34% | 42% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 52% | 57% | 59% |
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
Scaled to its population, that is 326 inventory buildings for every 10,000 people in Parnell Square. The Sites and Monuments Record lists 7 sites here, higher than Co. Dublin’s towns (6) yet lower than Irish towns (11). Parnell Square’s built heritage counts 330 inventory entries; 21 carry national or international standing.
| Heritage | Parnell Square | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 326 | 9 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 22.7% | 1.2% | 3.4% |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 2.6% of the town. Allowing for its ages, Parnell Square has 73 residents with a disability per 100 expected, below Co. Dublin’s towns (99) and Irish towns (106) alike. 14% of residents in Parnell Square live with a disability.
| Census 2022 | Parnell Square | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| With a disability | 14% | 22% | 22% |
| Unpaid carers | 2.3% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.6% | 1.9% | 2% |
| Good or very good health | 87% | 89% | 88% |
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
Parnell Square’s built heritage counts 330 inventory entries; 21 carry national or international standing. Archaeologists have recorded 7 sites here.
No notable person born in Parnell Square is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence: Lucas Cornelisz de Kock (1495-1552), Public domain · Harry Boland: Topical Press Agency / Stringer (Life time: Unknown), Public domain · William Henry Gregory: James Tissot, Public domain
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parnell Square | 10,117 | — | C− | C+ | D− | B− |
| Summerhill | 11,911 | 0.4 | C− | B | D− | B− |
| Phibsborough | 11,657 | 0.5 | D | C− | D− | B− |
| O'Connell Street | 6,749 | 0.7 | C | C+ | D− | B |
| Ballybough | 8,188 | 1.1 | D | B− | D− | C− |
| Stoneybatter | 18,644 | 1.3 | C− | C | D− | C+ |
| Temple Bar | 7,276 | 1.3 | D | C− | D− | B− |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Parnell Square had 10,117 people at the 2022 census, up from 8,423 in 2016: 20.1% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
11% mostly work from home, and 20% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
The median age in Parnell Square is 34.2, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
Neighbourhood in Dublin
Parnell Square has 10,117 people, 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).