Portrane’s story
Portrane has 2 buildings on the National Inventory
The record adds 9 archaeological sites.
Homes built before 1919: 7%, against 3% across Irish towns.
- 1880Saint Ita's Hospital
- 1890Nurses' home, Saint Ita's Hospital
PortraneCo. Dublin
The population grew 25% between 2016 and 2022. 1,262 residents make their home in this town in Co. Dublin.
6 places within 19 kmMap →
Photo: Maj Adev · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,262
CSO, Census 2022 · Fingal County Council
Median age
46
21% are 65+ · Co. Dublin 14%
Degree level
28%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
21%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Portrane a good place to live?
Natural hazards are few: almost no homes are above the radon reference level. Prices are high against local incomes (D): homes sell for a median €547,700, about 6.2 times what a household here earns in a year. It also trails on health: bad health runs at 126 and disability at 139 per 100 expected for its ages. Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B− for safety and B− for jobs & income.
Figures: radon, EPA · prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO · health and work, CSO Census 2022 · crime, CSO recorded crime, 2023 to 2025. An overall grade comes at 2,500 residents for Irish towns; Portrane has its subject grades alone.
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. Rents for this town aren't published on their own, so its Cost Grade uses the county's average rent. Health less sure: few enough residents report bad health that the town's figure could be well above or below its true level. This town's Hazard risk Grade uses radon and landslides only: open LiDAR heights don't cover enough of its homes to measure flooding, so flood isn't counted for or against it.
What makes Portrane stand out
The 3 things Portrane does most differently from other towns.
Median gross household income
Income
Gross, a year (the median of Irish towns: €57,760)
CSO household income for the electoral division.
Population growth, 2016 to 2022
Growth
+25% more people than in 2016
Against 8% in the median of Irish towns
CSO, Census 2016 and 2022, on the 2022 boundaries.
Hazard risk
Hazard risk
Better than 93%
of Irish towns on hazard risk
Its hazard risk grade: A.
How Portrane grades
Each subject compares Portrane with Irish towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
Hazard riskAlmost no homes are above the radon reference levelAOpen →Cost of livingHomes are among the least affordable for local incomesDOpen →Health139 with a disability per 100 predictedDOpen →Walkability21% walk, cycle or take a bus or train to workCOpen →Safety4.5 violent crimes per 1,000 residentsB−Open →Jobs & income8% unemployedB−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 Portrane.
Schools
More schools around Portrane teach through Irish than around Co. Dublin’s towns or Irish towns: 18%
Since 2019/20, pupils changed +9%, higher than both Co. Dublin’s towns (+4%) and Irish towns (+4%). Donabate Community College is the nearest secondary school, 2.2 km away. Within 3 km of Portrane there are 11 schools (7 primary schools, 3 secondary schools and 1 special school).
11schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rush N.S.Largest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 698 | Catholic |
| Lusk Community CollegeLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · ETB | Post-primary · ETB | 1,104 | Multi-denominational |
| Gaelscoil Ros Eo GaelscoilTeaches through IrishPrimary | Primary | 167 | Multi-denominational |
| St Joseph's Secondary School DEISIn the DEIS schemePost-primary · Voluntary secondary | Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 945 | Catholic |
Schools by ethos · Schools within 3 km
Catholic4
Multi-denominational6
Other1
| Schools within 3 km | Portrane | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-sex secondaries | 0% | 40% | 39% |
| Teach through Irish | 18% | 7% | 8% |
| In the DEIS scheme | 9% | 40% | 35% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +9% | +4% | +4% |
5,394
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
+9%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
1.5 km
to the nearest primary school
2.2 km
to the nearest secondary school
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · There are no letters or results on these cards, because Ireland publishes none school by school.
Natural hazardsHazard risk A
Portrane has low radon and steady ground, but its flood exposure isn’t measured
For a swim, the nearest bathing water is Portrane, the Brook Beach, 0.6 km from Portrane, rated good in 2025. Landslides: none of Portrane lies in a high-susceptibility zone. Also worth knowing: by estimate, fewer than one home in a hundred here has radon above the reference level.
0%of homes in high-radon areasAHazard risk Grade
Homes exposed · share of the town’s homes
In high-radon areas0%
On high landslide susceptibility0%
| Share of homes | Portrane | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| On high landslide susceptibility | 0% | 0% | 0% |
0.6 km
to Portrane, the Brook Beach bathing water (good)
604
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
HousingCost of living D
Private renting is less common in Portrane than in Co. Dublin’s towns or across Irish towns: 8%
80% of households own their home. Social housing holds 10% of households, below both Co. Dublin’s towns (10%) and Irish towns (13%).
€548Kmedian sale priceDCost of living Grade
Median sale price · Eircode area, 2023–2025
Portrane€548K
Co. Dublin€452K
Irish towns€350K
| Housing | Portrane | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | €548K | €452K | €350K |
| Households owning their home | 80% | 66% | 61% |
| Households renting privately | 8% | 20% | 22% |
| Households in social housing | 10% | 10% | 13% |
80%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
8%
rent privately · Irish towns 22%
€2,159
a month on new tenancies, County Dublin
7.7
times median household income, County Dublin
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure · The price is for the postcode area K36, not the town alone: too few sales inside the town carry a full address.
HealthHealth D
For its ages, more people in Portrane live with a disability than in Co. Dublin’s towns or Irish towns: 139 per 100 expected
Asked at the census, 85% of residents of Portrane said they were in good or very good health. At the census, 33% of people here had a disability, above both Co. Dublin’s towns (21%) and Irish towns (22%). Family carers: nearly a tenth of the people in Portrane look after someone without pay.
85%good or very good healthDHealth Grade
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health126
Disability139
Co. Dublin103
Expected100
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 85%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2022 | Portrane | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| With a disability | 33% | 21% | 22% |
| Unpaid carers | 8.1% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Good or very good health | 85% | 89% | 88% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.8% | 1.9% | 2% |
126
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Dublin 103
139
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
Climate
Portrane has milder winters than Co. Dublin’s towns or Irish towns: January lows of 3.6°C
Portrane gets 714 mm of rain a year. Here July highs average 19.6°C, below Co. Dublin’s towns (19.9°C) and Irish towns (19.9°C) alike. The mean temperature over a year here is 10.6°C.
19.6°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter9.0°C
Spring12.8°C
Summer18.9°C
Autumn14.3°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Portrane | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 3.6°C | 2.9°C | 2.9°C |
| July high | 19.6°C | 19.9°C | 19.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 10.6°C | 10.3°C | 10.3°C |
| Rain a year | 714 mm | 770 mm | 937 mm |
19.6°C
July high
3.6°C
January low
714 mm
Rain a year
79 mm
Wettest month
35
Air frosts
1,468 hrs
Sunshine
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Outdoors
Portrane has fewer homes a short walk from green space than Co. Dublin’s towns or Irish towns: 31%
Protected sites cover 4.6% of the land within 5 km, above Co. Dublin’s towns (0.2%) and Irish towns (1.8%) alike. Portrane has one park, with 10 ha of green space in all. Among the protected sites near Portrane is North-West Irish Sea cSPA.
31%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Portrane7.8 ha
Co. Dublin7.6 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Portrane | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near a park | 31% | 100% | 92% |
| Sea within 5 km | 49% | 3.9% | 0% |
| Paths per km² of town | 1.4 km per km² | 5.4 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 4.6% | 0.2% | 1.8% |
31%
Near a park
7.8 ha
Green space
20 km
Footpaths
4.6%
Protected for nature
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
Portrane, today: light showers, and the thermometer reaches 12 degrees
The forecast for Portrane beside its normal weather: a typical November day reaches 11°C and drops to 6°C at night. Around 1 mm of rain is due today, on a breeze of up to 34 km/h, with a low of 10°C. In December, the normal shifts to highs of 9°C and lows of 4°C.
12°C / 10°CToday
This month and the next three, normal highs · 1991–2020 averages
November11°C
December9°C
January9°C
February9°C
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 9°C | 4°C | 171 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 6°C | 149 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 12°C | 182 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 8°C | 213 mm |
12°C / 10°C
Today
0.9 mm
Rain, next 24 hours
27 km/h
Wind
80%
Humidity
9 h 17 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Portrane skews older, with 21% of residents 65 or over, more than Co. Dublin’s towns or Irish towns
The share of residents under 15 is 15%. The 15-to-24 age group: 13%, above both Co. Dublin’s towns (12%) and Irish towns (12%). Degrees are held by 28% of adults.
46median age
PortraneCo. DublinIreland
Ages · share of residents
21%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none15%
Lower secondary18%
Leaving Cert33%
Diploma or cert7%
Degree or higher28%
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 49.9% of Portrane
630 women and 632 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Portrane | Co. Dublin | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 17% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 13% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 30% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 24% | 24% |
| 65+ | 21% | 14% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 15% | 8.5% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 18% | 11% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 33% | 30% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 6.7% | 5.2% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 28% | 44% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Dublin and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
Fingal County Council is one of the most divided councils: the largest party has 7 of 40 seats
No party holds a majority on Fingal County Council: Independent lead with 7 of 40 seats, short of the 21 needed. Fingal County Council is the one council for Portrane; Ireland has no town or county councils between it and the government. The general election drew a turnout of 61%. Turnout at the last local elections was 47%, higher than Co. Dublin’s towns (42%) and near Irish towns (46%).
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 | Portrane | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| General election, November 2024 | 61% | 57% | 59% |
| Local elections, June 2024 | 47% | 42% | 46% |
5
Councillors
7/40
Independent seats on Fingal County, the largest party
47%
turnout, June 2024
3
TDs elected for Dublin Fingal East
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
History
Inventory buildings in Portrane: 16 per 10,000 residents, against 10 in Co. Dublin’s towns and 48 in Irish towns
Homes from before 1919 make up 7% of the total. The Sites and Monuments Record lists 9 sites here, between Co. Dublin’s towns (7) and Irish towns (11). The national inventory of architectural heritage lists 2 buildings in Portrane, each rated of regional importance.
2inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional2
Among them
1880
earliest dated inventory building
7%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
| Heritage | Portrane | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 16 | 10 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 7% | 1.2% | 3.4% |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
SafetySafety B−
Portrane records theft at 4.4 times the rate of a typical town its size
Per 1,000 residents, 4.9 burglaries and acts of damage are recorded a year. For its size, Portrane records more crime per resident than just over three quarters of the 156 Irish towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people. The commonest graded crime here was damage to property (2023–2025).
4.5violent incidents per 1,000 a yearB−Safety Grade
Compared with towns its sizeFewer incidents against residents per 1,000 than 24% of the 156 Irish towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Recorded by type · per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025
Theft16.8
Road traffic9.6
Public order4.3
Dangerous acts3.8
Damage3.7
Assault3.6
Against justice3.5
Drugs1.8
Burglary1.2
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 | Portrane | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burglary & damage | 4.9 | 7.5 | 6.4 |
| Violent crime | 4.5 | 5.3 | 5.7 |
4.5
violent incidents per 1,000 a year
4.9
burglary and damage per 1,000 a year
2,879
incidents a year, Swords Garda area
9.4
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
Work & commuteJobs & income B−
Portrane is better off than Co. Dublin’s towns or Irish towns: households earn €89,010 a year
71% of commuters drove, above Co. Dublin’s towns (52%) and Irish towns (66%) alike. The census found 64% of 15- to 64-year-olds in work.
21%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van71%
Bus8%
Train, DART or Luas8%
Walk4%
Bicycle2%
| Census 2022 | Portrane | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | €89,010 | €72,590 | €57,760 |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 64% | 71% | 68% |
| Average trip | 33 min | 31.1 min | 27.6 min |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 34% | 23% | 31% |
€89,010
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Dublin €71,123
8%
worked mainly from home, 2022
17%
trips of an hour or more
48,940
on the Live Register, County Dublin, September 2026
C
Walkability: better than 25% 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.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Newbridge House & Farm and 5 more in and around Portrane
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Portrane. Best known first.
Historic houseHistoric houseNewbridge House & Farm2.9 km outside town, to the west
MuseumCasino Model Railway Museum4.7 km outside town, to the southwestWater parkWater parkBlast Windsurfing and Windfoiling4.1 km outside town, to the southwestHistoric siteHistoric siteSaint Sylvester's Well4.5 km outside town, to the southwestHistoric siteHistoric siteLusk Round Tower3 km outside town, to the northwestZooZooNewbridge Traditional Farm2.9 km outside town, to the west
MuseumCasino Model Railway Museum4.7 km outside town, to the southwestWater parkWater parkBlast Windsurfing and Windfoiling4.1 km outside town, to the southwestHistoric siteHistoric siteSaint Sylvester's Well4.5 km outside town, to the southwestHistoric siteHistoric siteLusk Round Tower3 km outside town, to the northwestZooZooNewbridge Traditional Farm2.9 km outside town, to the westPlaces: 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 (1)
- Casino Model Railway Museum: William Murphy from Dublin, Ireland, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Portrane
15pages on Portrane
Landmarks
The national inventory of architectural heritage lists 2 buildings in Portrane, each rated of regional importance. 9 archaeological sites are on the record here.
Famous people from around Portrane
No notable person born in Portrane is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
D
David WilkinsIrish sports sailor · born in Malahide · born 1950
M
Marie KeanIrish actress (1918–1993) · born in RushPhoto credits
Derek Landy: Hpschaefer www.reserv-art.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Isibeal Atkinson: Ryan Asman, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Con Martin: Wim van Rossem for Anefo, CC BY-SA 3.0 · James Reilly: Department of Health, CC BY 2.0
Portrane’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
DonabateRushLuskMalahidePortmarnockKinsealy-DrinanPortrane
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrane | 1,262 | — | — | D | B− | D |
| Donabate | 9,669 | 2.5 | A− | C− | B− | A |
| Rush | 10,875 | 3.3 | B | C | B | B |
| Lusk | 8,806 | 4.6 | B+ | C− | B | B+ |
| Malahide | 18,608 | 6.8 | A | D− | A | A+ |
| Portmarnock | 10,750 | 8 | A+ | D− | A | A+ |
| Kinsealy-Drinan | 7,526 | 8.5 | A | D | A− | A− |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Portrane
Is Portrane growing?
Portrane had 1,262 people at the 2022 census, up from 1,007 in 2016: 25.3% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
Is Portrane a young town or an old one?
The median age in Portrane is 46, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
About Portrane
Urban area in Co. Dublin
Portrane has 1,262 people, 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
- 1,262 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Dublin
- Council
- Fingal County Council
- Local electoral area
- Rush-Lusk
- Dáil constituency
- Dublin Fingal East
- Name in Irish
- Port Reachrann
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi (2.2 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:04344
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).