Photo: David Dixon · CC BY-SA 2.0Few Irish towns record more crime per resident than Parnell Square
The graded rate rose 33% from 2016 to 2025. Add to that, its letter for safety is D−, worked out from incidents the Gardaí recorded in the station areas where Parnell Square’s residents live over 2023 to 2025: #109 of 116 in Co. Dublin. Per 1,000 residents a year, 20.4 violent incidents and 18.8 incidents of burglary and damage were recorded, against 5.6 and 6.6 in the typical town its size. The Gardaí recorded 33 cases of weapons and explosives here a year on average from 2023 to 2025, a rate of 3.3 per 1,000 against a typical 0.5.
Incidents per 1,000 residents (Census 2022) a year, 2023–2025 average, in the Garda station areas residents live in. Homicide and sexual offences aren’t published by station, so no figure here includes them.
What stands out about safety in Parnell Square
Weapons and explosives: high for a town its size
Parnell Square records 3.3 incidents of weapons and explosives per 1,000 residents a year, against 0.5 in the typical town among Irish towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people. By type ↓
Above the Irish rate
The station areas Parnell Square’s residents live in record 39.3 incidents of violence, burglary and damage per 1,000 residents a year (2023–2025), against 11.9 across Ireland: 3.3 times the national rate. Safety Grade ↓
More recorded than in 2016
The Gardaí recorded 29.1 incidents of violence, burglary and damage per 1,000 of Parnell Square’s residents in 2016 and 38.7 in 2025. Across Ireland the rate went from 12 to 11.6. Year by year ↓
More crime than many places its size
Among the 40 Irish towns closest in size, Parnell Square ranks 40th, counting from the least graded crime. Towns its size ↓
Written from CSO’s recorded crime by Garda station (CJA11) and Census 2022. Figures are incidents the Gardaí recorded, not convictions.
What’s behind Parnell Square’s grade
How sure: The rate comes from Garda station areas, shared out by where residents live, not from crime inside the town’s own boundary.
The grade counts assaults and harassment, kidnapping, robbery, weapons offences, burglary and damage per resident, averaged over three years, and places the town among every Irish town and city neighbourhood of 1,000 people or more (the five city totals aren’t in it).
Its place: #109 of 116 in Co. Dublin and #313 of 320 Irish towns.
Violent crime, burglary and damage the Gardaí recorded per resident, 2023–2025, against Irish towns of 1,000 people or more.
Parnell Square, year by year
Violent · per 1,000 residents
Burglary & damage · per 1,000 residents
Its highest year was 2024, at 40.6 per 1,000 residents, and its lowest 2016, at 29.1. Across Ireland the same rate went from 12 in 2016 to 11.6 in 2025.
Every year as a table
| Year | Violent | Burglary & damage | Graded | Ireland | All recorded crime |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 21.8 | 16.9 | 38.7 | 11.6 | 201.3 |
| 2024 | 20.7 | 19.8 | 40.6 | 12.1 | 196.8 |
| 2023 | 18.8 | 19.8 | 38.5 | 11.9 | 184.1 |
| 2022 | 17.1 | 18.9 | 36.1 | 11.6 | 177.2 |
| 2021 | 15.7 | 14.5 | 30.2 | 10.2 | 156.3 |
| 2020 | 14.6 | 15.2 | 29.8 | 10.6 | 157.4 |
| 2019 | 16.8 | 15.1 | 31.9 | 12.8 | 183.9 |
| 2018 | 15.2 | 16.9 | 32.1 | 12.4 | 183 |
| 2017 | 13.1 | 18.5 | 31.5 | 12.8 | 186.4 |
| 2016 | 11.8 | 17.3 | 29.1 | 12 | 183.4 |
CSO CJA11, recorded crime incidents by Garda station, 2016–2025, shared to the town by where its residents live. Every year is divided by the residents counted in 2022, so the line moves with recorded crime, not with population. CSO publishes recorded crime “under reservation”, its flag on the quality of Garda recording.
Violence, burglary and damage the Gardaí recorded each year in the station areas where Parnell Square’s residents live, per 1,000 residents, against Ireland as a whole.
What was recorded, by type
Against the typical town its size, Parnell Square runs highest on weapons and explosives (3.3 per 1,000 against 0.5), public order offences (30 per 1,000 against 5.2) and robbery, extortion and hijacking (2.6 per 1,000 against 0.5).
Show as a table
| Category | In the grade | Per 1,000 | Typical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theft | not graded | 66.9 | 17 |
| Public order offences | not graded | 30 | 5.2 |
| Road and traffic offences | not graded | 22.9 | 9.1 |
| Drug offences | not graded | 15.7 | 3 |
| Assaults and harassment | Violent | 14.4 | 4.6 |
| Damage to property | Burglary & damage | 13.7 | 4.7 |
| Offences against justice | not graded | 11.1 | 1.8 |
| Dangerous or negligent acts | not graded | 7.3 | 4.6 |
| Burglary | Burglary & damage | 5.1 | 1.9 |
| Weapons and explosives | Violent | 3.3 | 0.5 |
| Robbery, extortion and hijacking | Violent | 2.6 | 0.5 |
| Other offences | not graded | 1 | 0.3 |
| Kidnapping | Violent | 0.1 | 0 |
The groups are CSO’s. Dangerous or negligent acts, drug offences, road and traffic offences and offences against justice count Garda checks more than victims; they, theft, public order and other offences are shown but not graded. Homicide and sexual offences aren’t published by station; fraud is left out.
Per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025 average. The tick on each bar is the typical (median) town among Irish towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people.
Among 40 towns its size, Parnell Square ranks 40th for the least graded crime
| # | Town | People | Violent | Burglary & damage | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portmarnock Dublin | 10,750 | 2.4 | 3.6 | A |
| 2 | Skerries Dublin | 10,743 | 3.3 | 3.6 | A− |
| … | |||||
| 4 | Churchtown Dublin | 10,044 | 2.8 | 4.3 | B+ |
| 5 | Terenure Dublin | 10,391 | 2.6 | 5.2 | B+ |
| … | |||||
| 37 | Kilmainham Dublin | 10,240 | 12 | 13 | D− |
| 38 | Ronanstown Dublin | 11,130 | 16.2 | 10.4 | D− |
| 39 | Glasnevin Dublin | 9,299 | 16 | 13.2 | D− |
| 40 | Parnell Square Dublin | 10,117 | 20.4 | 18.8 | D− |
The 40 Irish towns and city neighbourhoods of 2,500+ people closest in population; the city totals are left out. Graded crime: violent crime, burglary and damage.
Graded crime per 1,000 residents a year, 2023 to 2025, counting from the least: towns ranked near Parnell Square, and others in Co. Dublin.
Roughly 20 recorded violent incidents a year per 1,000 people
Violence per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025
Burglary & damage per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025
A crime isn’t a victim: one person can report several, and crimes in a town centre often involve visitors rather than residents.
And about 19 burglaries or acts of criminal damage, plus 67 thefts, a year (2023–2025 average). Each dot is one resident; each coloured dot is one recorded incident.
Crime in the places around Parnell Square
| Town | People | Violent | Burglary & damage | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parnell Square | 10,117 | 20.4 | 18.8 | D− |
| Summerhill | 11,911 | 24 | 20.6 | D− |
| Phibsborough | 11,657 | 17.4 | 14.3 | D− |
| O'Connell Street | 6,749 | 40.7 | 28.6 | D− |
| Ballybough | 8,188 | 11.9 | 14.8 | D− |
| Stoneybatter | 18,644 | 15.4 | 14.8 | D− |
| Temple Bar | 7,276 | 44.7 | 33.9 | D− |
Parnell Square records more graded crime per resident than 3 of its 6 neighbours. Phibsborough, 0.5 km away, records 17.4 recorded violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year (3-year average), against Parnell Square’s 20.4.
Per 1,000 residents a year, the same three-year average. Tap a town for its safety page.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Station areas, not the town’s boundary. Crime is published by Garda station. Each station’s incidents are divided by the people living in its area (Census 2022), and Parnell Square takes the rates of the areas its residents live in, weighted by how many live in each.
- Checks are shown, not graded. Road traffic, dangerous driving, drug and justice offences mostly record Garda activity: one rural station can book thousands of camera detections. The grade leaves them out, with theft and public order, and counts violence, burglary and damage.
- Each year, and one average. CSO publishes crime by station once a year. The chart follows every year since 2016; the grade averages 2023, 2024 and 2025, because a small station area’s count swings from year to year. There are no months.
- No streets. No street- or ward-level crime is published in Ireland: the finest grain is the Garda station area.
Questions about safety in Parnell Square
Is Parnell Square safe?
The Gardaí recorded about 20.4 violent incidents and 18.8 burglaries or acts of criminal damage per 1,000 residents a year in the station areas Parnell Square’s residents live in, averaged over 2023–2025. That earns a D− for safety: more crime per resident than 99% of Irish towns.
What is the most common crime in Parnell Square?
Theft: about 677 a year (2023–2025 average). Next came public order offences (303) and road and traffic offences (232).
Is crime going up in Parnell Square?
The recorded rate in the graded categories rose 33% from 2016 to 2025: 29.1 per 1,000 residents in 2016, 38.7 in 2025. The grade uses the three-year average, so one unusual year moves it less.
How does Parnell Square compare with Ireland as a whole?
The station areas Parnell Square’s residents live in record 39.3 incidents of violence, burglary and damage per 1,000 residents a year (2023–2025). Across Ireland the figure is 11.9.
Is Parnell Square safer than the towns around it?
3 of the 6 neighbouring towns with figures record less violence, burglary and damage per resident than Parnell Square (39.3 per 1,000 a year). The lowest is Ballybough, at 26.7.
How sure is Parnell Square’s Safety Grade?
The rate comes from Garda station areas, shared out by where residents live, not from crime inside the town’s own boundary.
Source: CSO, Recorded crime incidents by Garda station (CJA11), 2023–2025, and Census 2022 (CC BY 4.0); TownRatings calculation.
Sources: CSO, Recorded crime incidents by Garda station (CJA11), 2023–2025 · CSO, Census 2022 Small Areas and the 2011 Garda sub-districts · Safety Grade: TownRatings calculation. 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).