Ballyoulster’s story
Ballyoulster: 2 archaeological sites on the record
The record adds 2 archaeological sites.
Homes built before 1919: 8%, against 3% across Irish towns.
Explore the history →
BallyoulsterCo. Kildare
Home to 523 people, this town lies in Co. Kildare.
6 places within 19 kmMap →
Photo: Ian Paterson · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
523
CSO, Census 2022 · Kildare County Council
Median age
50.7
32% are 65+ · Co. Kildare 10%
Degree level
37%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
19%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Ballyoulster a good place to live?
It skews older: 32% of residents are 65 or over. The 2022 census put unemployment at 5%. Mortgage-free owners make up 44% of households.
Irish towns are graded from 1,000 residents, which leaves Ballyoulster out for now.
What makes Ballyoulster stand out
The 3 things Ballyoulster does most differently from other towns.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
32% are 65 or over
Against 14% in the median of Irish towns
CSO, Census 2022
Unemployment rate, Census 2022
Work
5% unemployment
Of the labour force, Census 2022 (the median of Irish towns: 9%)
41% of residents 15 and over are at work.
Own outright
Housing
44% own outright
Against 32% in the median of Irish towns
CSO, Census 2022
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Ballyoulster.
Schools
None of the 24 schools around Ballyoulster is in DEIS, the extra support for disadvantaged areas
A third of the secondaries are single-sex, between Co. Kildare’s towns (20%) and Irish towns (39%). For secondary school, the closest is St Wolstan's Community School, 3.1 km from the town.
24schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aghards N.S.Largest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 660 | Catholic |
| Adamstown Community CollegeLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · ETB | Post-primary · ETB | 981 | Multi-denominational |
| Scoil C.ui Dhalaigh GaelscoilTeaches through IrishPrimary | Primary | 376 | Catholic |
Schools by ethos · Schools within 3 km
Catholic14
Multi-denominational6
Church of Ireland1
Inter-denominational3
| Schools within 3 km | Ballyoulster | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the DEIS scheme | 0% | 3% | 35% |
| Teach through Irish | 4% | 6% | 8% |
| Single-sex secondaries | 33% | 20% | 39% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +7% | +7% | +4% |
10,718
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
+7%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
1 km
to the nearest primary school
3.1 km
to the nearest secondary school
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · Letters and results are missing here for a reason: Ireland publishes neither school by school.
Natural hazards
Ballyoulster has low radon, steady ground and few homes standing low by a big river or the sea
About 1.9% of homes in Ballyoulster are estimated to pass the radon reference level. Landslides: none of Ballyoulster lies in a high-susceptibility zone. 1.6% of homes stand low near a river, below Co. Kildare’s towns (3.2%) but above Irish towns (0.5%).
0%of homes in high-radon areas
Homes exposed · share of the town’s homes
Low-lying beside water1.6%
In high-radon areas0%
On high landslide susceptibility0%
Low-lying near a river1.6%
Low-lying near the coast0%
| Share of homes | Ballyoulster | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-lying near a river | 1.6% | 3.2% | 0.5% |
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 0% | 0% |
189
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Climate
July in Ballyoulster runs hotter than in 83% of Irish towns
The coldest nights come in January, when Ballyoulster averages a low of 2.2°C. The year’s mean temperature is 10.0°C, about level with Co. Kildare’s towns (9.9°C) and below Irish towns (10.3°C). Midsummer afternoons in Ballyoulster peak at about 20.1°C.
20.1°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter8.5°C
Spring13.2°C
Summer19.5°C
Autumn14.1°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Ballyoulster | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 2.2°C | 2.0°C | 2.9°C |
| Rain a year | 787 mm | 854 mm | 937 mm |
| Average temperature over the year | 10.0°C | 9.9°C | 10.3°C |
| July high | 20.1°C | 20.1°C | 19.9°C |
20.1°C
July high
2.2°C
January low
787 mm
Rain a year
85 mm
Wettest month
36
Air frosts
1,397 hrs
Sunshine
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Health
More people in Ballyoulster have a disability than its ages would predict: 127 per 100 expected, above Co. Kildare’s towns and Irish towns
Weighed against its ages, bad health in Ballyoulster runs at 62 per 100 expected. 85% of the town’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, lower than both Co. Kildare’s towns (91%) and Irish towns (88%). A disability affects 37% of people in the town.
85%good or very good health
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health62
Disability127
Co. Kildare99
Expected100
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 85%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 2%
| Census 2022 | Ballyoulster | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| With a disability | 37% | 20% | 22% |
| Good or very good health | 85% | 91% | 88% |
| Unpaid carers | 4.8% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Bad or very bad health | 1.8% | 1.5% | 2% |
62
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Kildare 99
127
disability per 100 expected · Co. Kildare 102
84 · 80.3
life expectancy, women · men, the Mid-East region, 2016
28%
hold a medical card, HSE Dublin and Midlands
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
Housing
Homes in Ballyoulster sell for about €459,800
9% live in social housing, below Co. Kildare’s towns (10%) and Irish towns (13%) alike. Households that own their home make up 68%. Renting privately is how 21% of households live.
€460Kmedian sale price
Median sale price · Eircode area, 2023–2025
Ballyoulster€460K
Co. Kildare€408K
Irish towns€350K
| Housing | Ballyoulster | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | €460K | €408K | €350K |
| Households in social housing | 9% | 10% | 13% |
| Households owning their home | 68% | 70% | 61% |
68%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
€1,701
a month on new tenancies, County Kildare
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure · The price is for the postcode area W23, not the town alone: too few sales inside the town carry a full address.
Outdoors
Ballyoulster has room to breathe: 386.5 ha of green space per 1,000 residents, more than in both Co. Kildare’s towns and Irish towns
Within 1 km, 6.9% of the land is woodland, above Co. Kildare’s towns (2.4%) and Irish towns (2.7%) alike. Ballyoulster has a single park, with 202 ha of green space in all. Also worth knowing: 100% of homes are a short walk (400 m) from green space.
100%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Ballyoulster386.5 ha
Co. Kildare2.2 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Ballyoulster | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green space per 1,000 residents | 386.5 ha | 2.2 ha | 4.1 ha |
| Woodland within 1 km | 6.9% | 2.4% | 2.7% |
| Near a park | 100% | 79% | 92% |
| Paths per km² of town | 2.8 km per km² | 1.0 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
100%
Near a park
386.5 ha
Green space
31 km
Footpaths
0.5%
Protected for nature
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Work & commute
Households in Ballyoulster earn more than in both Co. Kildare’s towns and Irish towns: €84,750 a year
65% of 15 to 64s were in work, lower than both Co. Kildare’s towns (71%) and Irish towns (68%). The unemployment rate comes to 4.5%. On average, the journey to work lasts 31.4 min.
19%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van70%
Bus10%
Walk6%
Bicycle2%
Train, DART or Luas2%
| Census 2022 | Ballyoulster | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | €84,750 | €74,553 | €57,760 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 6.4% | 9.2% |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 65% | 71% | 68% |
| Average trip | 31.4 min | 32.6 min | 27.6 min |
€84,750
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Kildare €72,997
11%
trips of an hour or more
6,663
on the Live Register, County Kildare, 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
Children make up only 13% of Ballyoulster, fewer than in both Co. Kildare’s towns and Irish towns
People 65 and over make up nearly a third of the town, higher than both Co. Kildare’s towns (10%) and Irish towns (14%). Just over one in ten residents have a birthplace overseas. Degrees are held by 37% of adults.
50.7median age
BallyoulsterCo. KildareIreland
Ages · share of residents
32%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none14%
Lower secondary11%
Leaving Cert33%
Diploma or cert5%
Degree or higher37%
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 52.6% of Ballyoulster
275 women and 248 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Ballyoulster | Co. Kildare | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 23% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 30% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 25% | 24% | 24% |
| 65+ | 32% | 10% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 14% | 7.4% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 11% | 12% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 33% | 34% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 4.5% | 6.4% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 37% | 39% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Kildare and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
Turnout in Ballyoulster trails Co. Kildare’s towns and Irish towns: 42% at the local elections
Local government for Ballyoulster is Kildare County Council alone; Ireland has a single tier. Fianna Fáil lead Kildare County Council with 12 of 40 seats, but no party has a majority: 21 are needed. This Co. Kildare town sits in the Celbridge local electoral area, which elects 4 councillors.
12/40seats held by Fianna Fáil
Seats on Kildare County · June 2024
Fianna Fáil12
Fine Gael11
Social Democrats7
Labour Party5
Independent3
Sinn Féin1
Independent Ireland1
| Turnout | Ballyoulster | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 42% | 45% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 60% | 60% | 59% |
4
Councillors
12/40
Fianna Fáil seats on Kildare County, the largest party
42%
turnout, June 2024
5
TDs elected for Kildare North
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Castletown House and 5 more in and around Ballyoulster
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Ballyoulster. Best known first.
Historic house · Office of Public WorksCastletown House800 m outside town, to the westCastleCastleLeixlip Castle1.6 km outside town, to the northeastChurchChurchSt Mary's Church Leixlip1.7 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumBerkeley Costume and Toy Collection900 m outside town, to the northwestHistoric siteHistoric siteConolly's Folly3.8 km outside town, to the northwestHistoric siteHistoric siteThe Wonderful Barn1.2 km outside town, to the northPlaces: 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)
- Castletown House: LoriStrang, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ballyoulster
15pages on Ballyoulster
Famous people from around Ballyoulster
No notable person born in Ballyoulster is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
W
William Francis Patrick NapierIrish soldier in the British Army and m… · born in Celbridge
Photo credits
Arthur Guinness: User Morrison1917 on en.wikipedia, Public domain · Nathan Collins: Bex Walton, CC BY 2.0 · Andrew Omobamidele: Irish Football Fan TV, CC BY 3.0 · Emma Byrne: joshjdss, CC BY 2.0 · Aidan Higgins: Rub117, CC BY-SA 3.0
Ballyoulster’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
CelbridgeLeixlipLucanNewcastleEskerDeansrathBallyoulster
Questions about Ballyoulster
How old are the people of Ballyoulster?
The median age in Ballyoulster is 50.7, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
Is Ballyoulster growing?
Ballyoulster had 523 people at the 2022 census, up from 492 in 2016: 6.3% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
How do people in Ballyoulster get to work?
70% of working residents drive to work and 19% walk, cycle or take the bus or train (the median of Irish towns: 23%). 11% mostly work from home, and 28% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
About Ballyoulster
Urban area in Co. Kildare
Ballyoulster has 523 people, in the area of Kildare 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
- 523 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Kildare
- Council
- Kildare County Council
- Local electoral area
- Celbridge
- Dáil constituency
- Kildare North
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi (0.9 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:06434
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).