Woodford’s story
Woodford: 17% of homes built before 1919
11 buildings on the National Inventory inside Woodford.
The record adds 3 archaeological sites.
- 1780Bridge, Woodford
- 1780Prison, Woodford
- 1780Saint Paul's Church (Ballynakill)
WoodfordCo. Galway
242 residents make their home in this town in Co. Galway.
1 place within 19 kmMap →
Photo: P L Chadwick · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
242
CSO, Census 2022 · Galway County Council
Median age
49.7
26% are 65+ · Co. Galway 12%
Degree level
26%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
5%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Woodford a good place to live?
Woodford takes 6.7 years of the median household income to buy the median home, at €283,100. 5% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. 11 of its buildings are on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Over-65s are 26% of the population.
Grades start at 1,000 residents for Irish towns, so Woodford has none.
What makes Woodford stand out
The 3 things Woodford does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
5% walk, cycle or ride
The median of Irish towns: 23%
CSO, Census 2022
Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents
History
11 buildings on the national inventory
9.4 times the median of Irish towns for its size, all of regional importance.
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
26% are 65 or over
The median of Irish towns: 14%
CSO, Census 2022
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Woodford.
Natural hazards
Woodford has low radon and steady ground, but its flood exposure isn’t measured
About 2.4% of homes in Woodford are estimated to pass the radon reference level. The nearest bathing water to Woodford is Bathing Place at Portumna, 14 km away, rated excellent in 2025. The ground under Woodford carries no 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 | Woodford | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 100% | 0% |
| On high landslide susceptibility | 0% | 0% | 0% |
2.4%
of homes over the radon level
14 km
to Bathing Place at Portumna bathing water (excellent)
109
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 Woodford: January lows of 2.2°C, colder than Co. Galway’s towns or Irish towns
Woodford sees July afternoons of 19.6°C on average. A year brings 1,162 mm of rain, lower than Co. Galway’s towns (1,261 mm) yet higher than Irish towns (937 mm). Over twelve months, Woodford averages 10.0°C.
19.6°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter8.6°C
Spring13.3°C
Summer19.1°C
Autumn14.0°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Woodford | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 2.2°C | 3.0°C | 2.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 10.0°C | 10.3°C | 10.3°C |
| July high | 19.6°C | 19.3°C | 19.9°C |
| Rain a year | 1,162 mm | 1,261 mm | 937 mm |
19.6°C
July high
2.2°C
January low
1,162 mm
Rain a year
136 mm
Wettest month
41
Air frosts
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Health
More people in Woodford live with a disability than in Co. Galway’s towns or across Irish towns: 29%
2.5% of residents report bad or very bad health. At the census, 84% of people in Woodford called their health good or very good, below Co. Galway’s towns (88%) and Irish towns (88%) alike. Unpaid caring falls to 6.6% of the town’s residents. In the HSE West and North West health region, 34% of people hold a medical card.
84%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 84%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2022 | Woodford | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| With a disability | 29% | 22% | 22% |
| Unpaid carers | 6.6% | 5% | 5.4% |
| Good or very good health | 84% | 88% | 88% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.5% | 1.9% | 2% |
100
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Galway 110
111
disability per 100 expected · Co. Galway 106
84.5 · 79.7
life expectancy, women · men, the West region, 2016
34%
hold a medical card, HSE West and North West
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
Housing
Private renting is less common in Woodford than in Co. Galway’s towns or across Irish towns: 13%
Social renters account for 20% of households. 63% of households own their home, about level with Irish towns (61%) and above Co. Galway’s towns (52%).
€283Kmedian sale price
Median sale price · Eircode area, 2023–2025
Woodford€283K
Co. Galway€373K
Irish towns€350K
| Housing | Woodford | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households renting privately | 13% | 36% | 22% |
| Households in social housing | 20% | 10% | 13% |
| Median sale price | €283K | €373K | €350K |
| Households owning their home | 63% | 52% | 61% |
63%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
13%
rent privately · Irish towns 22%
€1,637
a month on new tenancies, County Galway
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure · The price is for the postcode area H62, not the town alone: too few sales inside the town carry a full address.
Outdoors
Woodland runs close to Woodford: 21% of the land within 1 km, more than Co. Galway’s towns or Irish towns
Protected sites cover 68% of the land within 5 km, above Co. Galway’s towns (14%) and Irish towns (1.8%) alike. Green space comes to 6.1 ha for every 1,000 people in Woodford.
0%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Woodford6.1 ha
Co. Galway5.5 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Woodford | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near a park | 0% | 80% | 92% |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 68% | 14% | 1.8% |
| Woodland within 1 km | 21% | 1.8% | 2.7% |
| Sea within 5 km | 0% | 21% | 0% |
6.1 ha
Green space
6 km
Footpaths
68%
Protected for nature
21%
Woodland
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
Weather in Woodford: cool for November today, up to 7 degrees
For Woodford, a normal November afternoon peaks at 11°C, and a normal night bottoms out at 4°C. A quiet day is due today: no rain, a light wind peaking at 12 km/h, and 2°C overnight. Tuesday looks like the wettest of the days that follow, with about 14 mm of rain.
7°C / 2°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 | 362 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 5°C | 233 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 11°C | 243 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 7°C | 324 mm |
7°C / 2°C
Today
None
Rain, next 24 hours
6 km/h
Wind
99%
Humidity
9 h 05 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Woodford walk, cycle or take the bus or train than in Co. Galway’s towns or Irish towns: 4.6%
Households had €42,410 a year before tax, lower than both Co. Galway’s towns (€54,305) and Irish towns (€57,760). By car: that was how 86% of commuters travelled at the census. A trip to work takes 35.8 min on average.
5%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van86%
Walk4%
Bicycle1%
| Census 2022 | Woodford | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 35.8 min | 23.8 min | 27.6 min |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 77% | 68% | 68% |
| Median household income | €42,410 | €54,305 | €57,760 |
| Unemployment rate | 6.6% | 9.6% | 9.2% |
€42,410
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Galway €59,641
8%
worked mainly from home, 2022
21%
trips of an hour or more
11,344
on the Live Register, County Galway, 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
Woodford skews older, with 26% of residents 65 or over, more than Co. Galway’s towns or Irish towns
Born abroad: 12% of residents, below both Co. Galway’s towns (26%) and Irish towns (22%). Under 15: 12% of residents. One in ten residents are aged 15 to 24.
49.7median age
WoodfordCo. GalwayIreland
Ages · share of residents
26%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none16%
Lower secondary17%
Leaving Cert38%
Diploma or cert4%
Degree or higher26%
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 47.5% of Woodford
115 women and 127 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Woodford | Co. Galway | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 17% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 9.9% | 14% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 22% | 31% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 22% | 24% |
| 65+ | 26% | 12% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 16% | 7.4% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 17% | 10% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 38% | 29% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 3.8% | 5.5% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 26% | 47% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Galway and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
More people in Woodford vote than in Co. Galway’s towns or Irish towns: 52% turnout at the local elections
With 13 of 39 seats, Fine Gael are the largest group on Galway County Council, short of the 20 a majority needs. General election turnout: 62%, above both Co. Galway’s towns (58%) and Irish towns (59%). One council serves Woodford: Galway County Council.
13/39seats held by Fine Gael
Seats on Galway County · June 2024
Fine Gael13
Fianna Fáil11
Independent7
Independent Ireland6
Sinn Féin2
| Turnout | Woodford | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 52% | 45% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 62% | 58% | 59% |
5
Councillors
13/39
Fine Gael seats on Galway County, the largest party
52%
turnout, June 2024
4
TDs elected for Galway East
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
History
The national inventory counts 455 buildings per 10,000 residents in Woodford, more than Co. Galway’s towns or Irish towns
Homes from before 1919 make up 17.3% of the total, higher than both Co. Galway’s towns (1.7%) and Irish towns (3.4%). Archaeologists have recorded 3 sites here. Surveyors for the national inventory recorded 11 buildings in Woodford, each of regional importance.
11inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional11
Among them
- Bridge, Woodford 1780
- Prison, Woodford 1780
- Saint Paul's Church (Ballynakill) 1780
- Weir, Woodford 1780
3
sites on the Sites and Monuments Record
1780
earliest dated inventory building
17%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
| Heritage | Woodford | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 455 | 33 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 17.3% | 1.7% | 3.4% |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 3 | 19 | 11 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Schools
50% of schools around Woodford get DEIS support, above Co. Galway’s towns and Irish towns
Within 3 km of Woodford there are 2 schools (1 primary school and 1 secondary school). The nearest secondary, Mercy College, is 0.8 km away. Since 2019/20, pupils changed −4%, below both Co. Galway’s towns (+2%) and Irish towns (+4%).
2schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Josephs N.S. DEISLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 53 | Catholic |
| Mercy CollegeLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 157 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Woodford | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 15% | 8% |
| Single-sex secondaries | 0% | 31% | 39% |
| In the DEIS scheme | 50% | 27% | 35% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | −4% | +2% | +4% |
210
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
−4%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
1.1 km
to the nearest primary school
0.8 km
to the nearest secondary school
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · These schools carry no letter or result: Ireland doesn’t release them school by school.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Portumna Castle and Gardens and 11 more within 40 km
Nothing to visit is mapped within 5 km of Woodford; these are the best known within 40 km.
Castle · Office of Public WorksPortumna Castle and Gardens13 km east
CastleBirr Castle33 km east
CastleRedwood Castle22 km northeast
CathedralSt Brendan's Cathedral19 km northwest
CathedralClonfert Cathedral31 km northeast
CastleDunguaire Castle36 km 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 (6)
- Portumna Castle and Gardens: Bogman, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Birr Castle: The original uploader was Tpower at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Redwood Castle: Steve Ford Elliott, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- St Brendan's Cathedral: Vanessa Kennedy, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Clonfert Cathedral: JohnArmagh, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Dunguaire Castle: Boomur, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Woodford
15pages on Woodford
The big questions
Out and about
Landmarks
Surveyors for the national inventory recorded 11 buildings in Woodford, each of regional importance. Archaeologists have recorded 3 sites here.
Famous people from around Woodford
One notable person was born in Woodford; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.
E
Elizabeth Flynn RodgersIrish-American labor leader · 1847–1939P
Peter ClaffeyIrish actor and rugby union player · born in Portumna · born 1996A
Anne RabbitteIrish politician · born in Portumna · born 1970A
Annraoi Ó LiatháinIrish language writer · born in Portumna · 1917–1981G
Gerald Edward O'Kelly de Gallagh et TycoolyIrish diplomat · born in Portumna · 1880–1968M
Mike DenverSinger · born in Portumna · born 1980Woodford’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
Questions about Woodford
Is Woodford a young town or an old one?
The median age in Woodford is 49.7, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
How do people in Woodford get to work?
8% mostly work from home, and 32% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
Is Woodford growing?
Woodford had 242 people at the 2022 census, up from 238 in 2016: 1.7% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
About Woodford
Urban area in Co. Galway
242 people live in Woodford, in the area of Galway 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
- 242 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Galway
- Council
- Galway County Council
- Local electoral area
- Loughrea
- Dáil constituency
- Galway East
- Name in Irish
- An Ghráig
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:27268
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).