Sneem’s story
Sneem: 6 buildings on the National Inventory
Homes built before 1919: 9%, against 3% across Irish towns.
- 1790Church of the Transfiguration (Kilcrohane)
- 1800Sneem Bridge
- 1860House, South Square, Sneem
SneemCo. Kerry
The town has 386 residents and lies in Co. Kerry.
Photo: Dr Neil Clifton · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
386
CSO, Census 2022 · Kerry County Council
Median age
45.8
22% are 65+ · Co. Kerry 18%
Degree level
21%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
32%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Sneem a good place to live?
Sneem takes 7.1 years of the median household income to buy the median home, at €245,000. Households here earn a median €34,560 a year, before tax. 21% of adults are graduates. 22% of residents are 65 or over.
Sneem isn’t graded: grades for Irish towns begin at 1,000 residents.
What makes Sneem stand out
The 3 things Sneem 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.
Degree or higher, residents 15+
Education
The median of Irish towns: 36%
CSO, Census 2022
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
22% are 65 or over
The median of Irish towns: 14%
CSO, Census 2022
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Sneem.
Natural hazards
More homes in Sneem stand on ground prone to landslides than in Co. Kerry’s towns or Irish towns: 0.6%
8.5% of homes stand low near a river, lower than Co. Kerry’s towns (9.2%) yet higher than Irish towns (0.5%). By estimate, fewer than one home in a hundred in Sneem has radon above the reference level.
0%of homes in high-radon areas
Homes exposed · share of the town’s homes
Low-lying beside water8.5%
In high-radon areas0%
On high landslide susceptibility0.6%
Low-lying near a river8.5%
Low-lying near the coast0%
| Share of homes | Sneem | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| On high landslide susceptibility | 0.6% | 0% | 0% |
| Low-lying near a river | 8.5% | 9.2% | 0.5% |
328
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Climate
Sneem is wetter than Co. Kerry’s towns or Irish towns: 2,219 mm of rain a year
July afternoons reach 19.4°C here, below both Co. Kerry’s towns (19.6°C) and Irish towns (19.9°C). On a January night, the temperature in Sneem falls to about 4.3°C. Over twelve months, Sneem averages 11.2°C.
19.4°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter10.2°C
Spring13.8°C
Summer18.9°C
Autumn14.9°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Sneem | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rain a year | 2,219 mm | 1,339 mm | 937 mm |
| January low | 4.3°C | 3.7°C | 2.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 11.2°C | 10.9°C | 10.3°C |
| July high | 19.4°C | 19.6°C | 19.9°C |
19.4°C
July high
4.3°C
January low
2,219 mm
Rain a year
259 mm
Wettest month
8
Air frosts
1,327 hrs
Sunshine
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Health
More people in Sneem give unpaid care than in Co. Kerry’s towns or across Irish towns: 8%
Weighed against its ages, disability in Sneem runs at 103 per 100 expected. 25% of residents have a disability, above both Co. Kerry’s towns (24%) and Irish towns (22%). At the census, 2.5% of people here described their health as bad or very bad.
86%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2022 | Sneem | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unpaid carers | 8% | 5.8% | 5.4% |
| With a disability | 25% | 24% | 22% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.5% | 2.3% | 2% |
| Good or very good health | 86% | 86% | 88% |
103
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
Social housing is more common in Sneem than in Co. Kerry’s towns or across Irish towns, at 27% of households
Home ownership stands at 44% of households. 21% of households are private tenants.
€245Kmedian sale price
Median sale price · Property Price Register, 2023–2025
Sneem€245K
Co. Kerry€232K
Irish towns€350K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Second-hand homes | €238,500 | 61 |
| Housing | Sneem | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households in social housing | 27% | 18% | 13% |
| Households owning their home | 44% | 53% | 61% |
| Median sale price | €245K | €232K | €350K |
| Households renting privately | 21% | 27% | 22% |
44%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
21%
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
Outdoors
Protected nature surrounds Sneem: 17% of the land within 5 km, more than in Co. Kerry’s towns and across Irish towns
Among the protected sites near Sneem is Kenmare River SAC. 100% of homes are within 400 m of green space, higher than both Co. Kerry’s towns (77%) and Irish towns (92%). Every 1,000 residents of Sneem share 7.6 ha of green space.
100%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Sneem7.6 ha
Co. Kerry2.9 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Sneem | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected nature within 5 km | 17% | 12% | 1.8% |
| Sea within 5 km | 17% | 0% | 0% |
| Near a park | 100% | 77% | 92% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.4 km per km² | 0.6 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
100%
Near a park
7.6 ha
Green space
3 km
Footpaths
17%
Protected for nature
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
Sneem today: partly cloudy, topping out at 12 degrees
Today stays dry but breezy, with wind up to 25 km/h and a low of 6°C. Plan indoor things for Tuesday, when about 9 mm of rain is forecast. December follows with normal highs of 10°C and lows of 5°C.
12°C / 6°CToday
This month and the next three, normal highs · 1991–2020 averages
November12°C
December10°C
January10°C
February10°C
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 10°C | 5°C | 709 mm |
| Spring | 14°C | 6°C | 433 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 12°C | 440 mm |
| Autumn | 15°C | 9°C | 637 mm |
12°C / 6°C
Today
None
Rain, next 24 hours
18 km/h
Wind
95%
Humidity
9 h 27 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Work & commute
More people in Sneem are out of work than in Co. Kerry’s towns or across Irish towns: 15%
Short trips: 62% under 15 minutes, above both Co. Kerry’s towns (53%) and Irish towns (31%). The average trip to work takes 20.7 min. Walking, cycling and public transport carried nearly a third of commuters at the census.
32%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van60%
Walk25%
Bus4%
Bicycle3%
| Census 2022 | Sneem | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trips under 15 minutes | 62% | 53% | 31% |
| Unemployment rate | 15% | 11% | 9.2% |
| Median household income | €34,560 | €42,580 | €57,760 |
| Average trip | 20.7 min | 21.7 min | 27.6 min |
€34,560
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Kerry €48,320
8%
worked mainly from home, 2022
6%
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
35% of people in Sneem were born abroad, more than in Co. Kerry’s towns and across Irish towns
Daily Irish speakers outside school: 1.7%, above Co. Kerry’s towns (1.1%) and Irish towns (1.1%) alike. Children are 15% of the town. Young adults of 15 to 24 are 12% of the population.
45.8median age
SneemCo. KerryIreland
Ages · share of residents
22%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none15%
Lower secondary13%
Leaving Cert44%
Diploma or cert8%
Degree or higher21%
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 46.1% of Sneem
178 women and 208 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Sneem | Co. Kerry | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 18% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 12% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 22% | 28% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 25% | 24% |
| 65+ | 22% | 18% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 15% | 11% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 13% | 15% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 44% | 37% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 7.8% | 6.5% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 21% | 31% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Kerry and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
Kenmare had one of the highest turnouts at the 2024 local elections
65% voted at the general election. Sneem is run by Kerry County Council, its only council: Ireland has one tier of local government. Local elections drew 63% of voters to the polls last time. Independent lead Kerry County Council with 11 of 33 seats, but no party has a majority: 17 are needed.
11/33seats held by Independent
Seats on Kerry County · June 2024
Independent11
Fianna Fáil9
Fine Gael6
Sinn Féin4
Labour Party2
Kerry Independent Alliance1
| Turnout | Sneem | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 63% | 62% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 65% | 65% | 59% |
6
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
155 inventory buildings per 10,000 residents put Sneem above Co. Kerry’s towns and Irish towns for heritage
9.2% of its homes were built before 1919, higher than both Co. Kerry’s towns (4.5%) and Irish towns (3.4%). Surveyors for the national inventory recorded 6 buildings in Sneem, each of regional importance.
6inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional6
Among them
0
sites on the Sites and Monuments Record
1790
earliest dated inventory building
9%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
2
places pictured on the history page
| Heritage | Sneem | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 155 | 94 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 9.2% | 4.5% | 3.4% |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 0 | 19 | 11 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Schools
100% of schools around Sneem get DEIS support, above Co. Kerry’s towns and Irish towns
One school lies within 3 km of Sneem. Pupils at the school within 3 km of the town: 75.
1schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoil Naomh Micheal DEISLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 75 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Sneem | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the DEIS scheme | 100% | 29% | 35% |
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 11% | 8% |
75
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
0.5 km
to the nearest primary school
21 km
to the nearest secondary school
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · Ireland doesn’t publish results for individual schools, so none of these carries a letter.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →The Way the Fairies Went and 12 more within 40 km
One place to visit is mapped within 5 km of Sneem; with it, the best known within 40 km.
GardenGardenThe Way the Fairies Wentin town
FortCaherdaniel16 km southwest
CathedralSt Mary's Cathedral Killarney36 km northeast
CastleRoss Castle34 km northeast
MuseumMuckross House, Gardens & Traditional Farms34 km northeast
Abbey or prioryMuckross Friary35 km northeast
FortCaherdaniel16 km southwestCathedralSt Mary's Cathedral Killarney36 km northeastCastleRoss Castle34 km northeastMuseumMuckross House, Gardens & Traditional Farms34 km northeastAbbey or prioryMuckross Friary35 km northeastPlaces: 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)
- Caherdaniel: Nigel Cox, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- St Mary's Cathedral Killarney: Romeparis, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ross Castle: Dumphasizer, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Muckross House, Gardens & Traditional Farms: Emmett.Hume, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Muckross Friary: Daviddphotos, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sneem
15pages on Sneem
The big questions
Out and about
Landmarks
Surveyors for the national inventory recorded 6 buildings in Sneem, each of regional importance.
Famous people from Sneem
5 notable people were born in Sneem.
Questions about Sneem
Is Sneem a young town or an old one?
The median age in Sneem is 45.8, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
Has Sneem grown?
Sneem had 386 people at the 2022 census, up from 362 in 2016: 6.6% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
Do people in Sneem drive to work?
8% mostly work from home, and 62% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
About Sneem
Urban area in Co. Kerry
386 people live in Sneem, 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
- 386 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Kerry
- Council
- Kerry County Council
- Local electoral area
- Kenmare
- Dáil constituency
- Kerry
- Name in Irish
- An tSnaidhm
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:19859
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).