Brosna’s story
Old homes in Brosna: 32% built before 1919
1 building on the National Inventory inside Brosna.
The record adds 1 archaeological site.
- 1860Saint Carthage's Catholic Church
BrosnaCo. Kerry
Home to 174 people, this town lies in Co. Kerry.
Population
174
CSO, Census 2022 · Kerry County Council
Median age
52.9
30% are 65+ · Co. Kerry 18%
Degree level
26%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
2%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Brosna a good place to live?
The median sale, €241,500, comes to 5.4 times what the median household here earns. 2% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. People aged 65 and over make up 30% of residents.
Brosna isn’t graded: grades for Irish towns begin at 1,000 residents.
What makes Brosna stand out
The 3 things Brosna does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
2% walk, cycle or ride
The median of Irish towns: 23%
CSO, Census 2022
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
30% are 65 or over
The median of Irish towns: 14%
CSO, Census 2022
Median sale price
Housing
35% below the median of Irish towns, €372,600
Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Brosna.
Natural hazards
Brosna has low radon and steady ground, but its flood exposure isn’t measured
Radon above the reference level: an estimated 4.2% of homes in Brosna. Landslides: none of Brosna lies in a high-susceptibility zone. Low ground by water holds almost none of its homes.
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 | Brosna | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| On high landslide susceptibility | 0% | 0% | 0% |
171
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 Brosna: January lows of 2.3°C, colder than Co. Kerry’s towns or Irish towns
Taken over the whole year, the average temperature in Brosna is 9.8°C. Here July highs average 18.9°C, lower than both Co. Kerry’s towns (19.6°C) and Irish towns (19.9°C). The town gets 1,453 mm of rain a year.
18.9°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter8.7°C
Spring13.0°C
Summer18.5°C
Autumn13.8°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Brosna | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 18.9°C | 19.6°C | 19.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 9.8°C | 10.9°C | 10.3°C |
| January low | 2.3°C | 3.7°C | 2.9°C |
| Rain a year | 1,453 mm | 1,339 mm | 937 mm |
18.9°C
July high
2.3°C
January low
1,453 mm
Rain a year
171 mm
Wettest month
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Health
Bad health runs low in Brosna for a town of its ages, at 43 per 100 expected, less than in Co. Kerry’s towns and across Irish towns
Allowing for its ages, Brosna has 120 residents with a disability per 100 expected, above Co. Kerry’s towns (105) and Irish towns (106) alike. A disability affects 32% of people in the town. 1.2% of residents report bad or very bad health.
88%good or very good health
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health43
Disability120
Co. Kerry106
Expected100
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 88%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 1%
| Census 2022 | Brosna | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| With a disability | 32% | 24% | 22% |
| Bad or very bad health | 1.2% | 2.3% | 2% |
| Unpaid carers | 6.3% | 5.8% | 5.4% |
| Good or very good health | 88% | 86% | 88% |
43
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Kerry 106
120
disability per 100 expected · Co. Kerry 105
83.2 · 79.1
life expectancy, women · men, the South-West region, 2016
28%
hold a medical card, HSE South 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 Brosna than in Co. Kerry’s towns or across Irish towns: 15%
Home ownership stands at 67% of households. Social housing holds 13% of households, below both Co. Kerry’s towns (18%) and Irish towns (13%).
€242Kmedian sale price
Median sale price · Eircode area, 2023–2025
Brosna€242K
Co. Kerry€232K
Irish towns€350K
| Housing | Brosna | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households renting privately | 15% | 27% | 22% |
| Households owning their home | 67% | 53% | 61% |
| Households in social housing | 13% | 18% | 13% |
| Median sale price | €242K | €232K | €350K |
67%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
15%
rent privately · Irish towns 22%
€1,182
a month on new tenancies, County Kerry
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure · The price is for the postcode area V92, not the town alone: too few sales inside the town carry a full address.
Outdoors
More protected nature lies near Brosna than Co. Kerry’s towns or Irish towns: 33% of the land within 5 km
Among the protected sites near Brosna is Lower River Shannon SAC. Woodland covers 1.4% of the land within 1 km, lower than both Co. Kerry’s towns (2.4%) and Irish towns (2.7%). 100% of homes are within 400 m of green space.
100%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Brosna7.0 ha
Co. Kerry2.9 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Brosna | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected nature within 5 km | 33% | 12% | 1.8% |
| Near a park | 100% | 77% | 92% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.0 km per km² | 0.6 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
| Woodland within 1 km | 1.4% | 2.4% | 2.7% |
100%
Near a park
7.0 ha
Green space
0 km
Footpaths
33%
Protected for nature
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
Brosna’s weather today: partly cloudy, with a high of 10 degrees
Over the coming week, Monday looks wettest, with about 6 mm of rain. Set beside Brosna’s forecast, a normal November runs from 4°C at night to 11°C by day. No rain is due today, though a breeze picks up to 20 km/h; the low is 6°C.
10°C / 6°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 | 463 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 5°C | 283 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 10°C | 286 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 7°C | 421 mm |
10°C / 6°C
Today
None
Rain, next 24 hours
20 km/h
Wind
79%
Humidity
9 h 24 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Trips to work from Brosna take longer than from Co. Kerry’s towns or Irish towns: 33.4 min on average
61% of 15 to 64s were in work, lower than both Co. Kerry’s towns (67%) and Irish towns (68%). Unemployment runs at 12%. At the census, 1.7% of commuters got to work without a car.
2%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van88%
Walk2%
| Census 2022 | Brosna | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 33.4 min | 21.7 min | 27.6 min |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 24% | 53% | 31% |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 61% | 67% | 68% |
| Unemployment rate | 12% | 11% | 9.2% |
€44,980
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Kerry €48,320
10%
worked mainly from home, 2022
11%
trips of an hour or more
4,870
on the Live Register, County Kerry, 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
Fewer children live in Brosna than in Co. Kerry’s towns or Irish towns: 13% are under 15
Graduates make up just over a quarter of adults. People 65 and over make up 30% of the town, above Co. Kerry’s towns (18%) and Irish towns (14%) alike. The share aged 15 to 24 is 6.9%.
52.9median age
BrosnaCo. KerryIreland
Ages · share of residents
30%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none20%
Lower secondary20%
Leaving Cert33%
Diploma or cert2%
Degree or higher26%
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 50.0% of Brosna
87 women and 87 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Brosna | Co. Kerry | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 18% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 6.9% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 22% | 28% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 25% | 24% |
| 65+ | 30% | 18% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 20% | 11% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 33% | 37% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 1.6% | 6.5% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 26% | 31% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Kerry and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
Castleisland had one of the highest turnouts at the 2024 local elections
Turnout at the general election came to 65%. Brosna is run by Kerry County Council, its only council: Ireland has one tier of local government. 63% of voters turned out at the last local elections, near Co. Kerry’s towns (62%) and higher than Irish towns (46%). There is no majority on Kerry County Council; Independent have the most seats, 11 of 33, short of 17.
11/33seats held by Independent
Seats on Kerry County · June 2024
Independent11
Fianna Fáil9
Fine Gael6
Sinn Féin4
Labour Party2
Kerry Independent Alliance1
| Turnout | Brosna | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 63% | 62% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 65% | 65% | 59% |
4
Councillors
11/33
Independent seats on Kerry County, the largest party
63%
turnout, June 2024
5
TDs elected for Kerry
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
History
Brosna keeps more of its old housing than Co. Kerry’s towns or Irish towns: 31.5% built before 1919
Relative to its size, Brosna keeps 57 buildings on the inventory per 10,000 residents, below Co. Kerry’s towns (94) but above Irish towns (48). The archaeological record lists 1 sites here. Brosna has one building on the national inventory of architectural heritage, rated of regional importance. One archaeological site is on the record here.
1inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional1
Among them
1
sites on the Sites and Monuments Record
1860
earliest dated inventory building
32%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
| Heritage | Brosna | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1919 | 31.5% | 4.5% | 3.4% |
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 57 | 94 | 48 |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 1 | 19 | 11 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Schools
Schools around Brosna have lost ground: pupils −4% since 2019, below Co. Kerry’s towns and Irish towns
Within 3 km of Brosna there are 2 schools (2 primary schools). 50% of the schools are in the DEIS scheme, above Co. Kerry’s towns (29%) and Irish towns (35%) alike.
2schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meenkilly N.S.Largest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 101 | Catholic |
| Scoil Mhuire DEISIn the DEIS schemePrimary | Primary | 31 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Brosna | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 11% | 8% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | −4% | +9% | +4% |
| In the DEIS scheme | 50% | 29% | 35% |
132
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
−4%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
0.6 km
to the nearest primary school
8.6 km
to the nearest secondary school
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · Without school-level results from Ireland, the cards show no letters.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Killarney National Park and 11 more within 40 km
Nothing to visit is mapped within 5 km of Brosna; these are the best known within 40 km.
National parkNational park · National Parks and Wildlife ServiceKillarney National Park36 km southwest
CathedralSt Mary's Cathedral Killarney33 km southwest
Castle · Office of Public WorksListowel Castle21 km northwest
CastleRoss Castle35 km southwest
Cathedral · Office of Public WorksArdfert Cathedral35 km west
MuseumMuckross House, Gardens & Traditional Farms37 km southwest
CathedralSt Mary's Cathedral Killarney33 km southwestCastle · Office of Public WorksListowel Castle21 km northwestCastleRoss Castle35 km southwestCathedral · Office of Public WorksArdfert Cathedral35 km westMuseumMuckross House, Gardens & Traditional Farms37 km southwestPlaces: 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 (5)
- St Mary's Cathedral Killarney: Romeparis, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Listowel Castle: Larsoner~commonswiki, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Ross Castle: Dumphasizer, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ardfert Cathedral: JohnArmagh, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Muckross House, Gardens & Traditional Farms: Emmett.Hume, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Brosna
15pages on Brosna
The big questions
Out and about
Famous people from around Brosna
One notable person was born in Brosna; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.
S
Sister ConsilioIrish nurse · born 1937G
Gerry CollinsIrish politician · born in Abbeyfeale · born 1938
M
Michael LenihanIrish Roman Catholic bishop, Roman Cath… · born in Abbeyfeale · born 1951C
Con HoulihanIrish sportswriter · born in Castleisland · 1925–2012M
Michael J. O'KellyIrish archaeologist · born in Abbeyfeale · 1915–1982Photo credits
Denis Mary Bradley: w:John Gilmary Shea is the author of the book., Public domain
Brosna’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
AbbeyfealeCastleislandBrosna
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brosna | 174 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Abbeyfeale Limerick | 2,206 | 8 | — | A+ | A+ | A− |
| Castleisland | 2,536 | 16 | A+ | A− | A− | B |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Brosna
Is Brosna a young town or an old one?
The median age in Brosna is 52.9, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
Do people in Brosna drive to work?
10% mostly work from home, and 24% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
Has Brosna grown?
Brosna had 174 people at the 2022 census, up from 165 in 2016: 5.5% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
About Brosna
Urban area in Co. Kerry
174 people live in Brosna, in the area of Kerry 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
- 174 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Kerry
- Council
- Kerry County Council
- Local electoral area
- Castleisland
- Dáil constituency
- Kerry
- Name in Irish
- Brosnach
- Area
- 0 sq mi (0.1 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:19830
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).