Carragh’s story
Carragh has 2 buildings on the National Inventory
The record adds 2 archaeological sites.
Homes built before 1919: 3%, against 3% across Irish towns.
- 1830Liffey Lodge
- 1955Catholic Church of Our Lady and Saint Joseph
CarraghCo. Kildare
15- to 24-year-olds are 20% of the population. With 1,006 residents, it is a town in Co. Kildare.
6 places within 19 kmMap →
Photo: Robert Ashby · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,006
CSO, Census 2022 · Kildare County Council
Median age
35
5% are 65+ · Co. Kildare 10%
Degree level
49%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
9%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Carragh a good place to live?
Carragh’s strongest subject is health (A) — for every 100 its ages would predict, 58 residents are in bad health and 96 have a disability. Few people walk, cycle or take the bus to work (D): nearly one in ten commuters walk, cycle or take the bus or train, against 23% in the typical Irish town. Home prices sit at a median €422,500, which is 4.2 years of the town’s median household income. The rest of its grades are middling: B for safety and B− for hazard risk.
Figures: health and commuting, CSO Census 2022 · prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO · crime, CSO recorded crime, 2023 to 2025 · radon, EPA. Carragh is graded subject by subject, but Irish towns need 2,500 residents for an overall grade.
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.
What makes Carragh stand out
The 3 things Carragh does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
9% walk, cycle or ride
The median of Irish towns: 23%
CSO, Census 2022
Unemployment rate, Census 2022
Work
3% unemployment
Of the labour force, Census 2022 (the median of Irish towns: 9%)
62% of residents 15 and over are at work.
Residents aged 15 to 24
Who lives here
20% are 15 to 24
The median of Irish towns: 12%
CSO, Census 2022
How Carragh grades
Each subject compares Carragh with Irish towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
Health96 with a disability per 100 predictedAOpen →Walkability9% walk, cycle or take a bus or train to workDOpen →Jobs & income3% unemployedB+Open →Safety4.2 violent crimes per 1,000 residents; 5 burglaries and acts of criminal damage per 1,000 residentsBOpen →Hazard riskClose to the middle of the towns comparedB−Open →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnB−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 Carragh.
HealthHealth A
Is Carragh a healthy place? 95% of its people say their health is good, above Co. Kildare’s towns and Irish towns
18% of residents have a disability, below both Co. Kildare’s towns (20%) and Irish towns (22%). At the census, 0.8% of people here described their health as bad or very bad. Ages taken into account, Carragh counts 96 people with a disability for every 100 predicted.
95%good or very good healthAHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 95%Fair 5%Bad or very bad 1%
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health58
Disability96
Co. Kildare99
Expected100
| Census 2022 | Carragh | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 95% | 91% | 88% |
| Bad or very bad health | 0.8% | 1.5% | 2% |
| With a disability | 18% | 20% | 22% |
| Unpaid carers | 5.2% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
58
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Kildare 99
96
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
Schools
Schools around Carragh are filling: pupils +43% since 2019, more than in Co. Kildare’s towns and across Irish towns
The nearest secondary, Naas Community College, is 3.5 km away. Within 3 km of Carragh there are 2 schools (1 primary school and 1 secondary school).
2schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caragh N.S.Largest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 455 | Catholic |
| Naas Community CollegeLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · ETB | Post-primary · ETB | 928 | Multi-denominational |
Schools by ethos · Schools within 3 km
Catholic1
Multi-denominational1
| Schools within 3 km | Carragh | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +43% | +7% | +4% |
| Single-sex secondaries | 0% | 20% | 39% |
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 6% | 8% |
| In the DEIS scheme | 0% | 3% | 35% |
1,383
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
+43%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
0.2 km
to the nearest primary school
3.5 km
to the nearest secondary school
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · Results by school aren’t published in Ireland, so the cards carry none.
Work & commuteJobs & income B+
Households in Carragh earn more than in Co. Kildare’s towns and across Irish towns: €101,680 a year
17% of workers worked mainly from home, higher than both Co. Kildare’s towns (11%) and Irish towns (11%). The jobless rate is 3.4%. The census found 66% of 15- to 64-year-olds in work.
9%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van75%
Train, DART or Luas7%
Walk1%
Bicycle1%
Bus0%
| Census 2022 | Carragh | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | €101,680 | €74,553 | €57,760 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 6.4% | 9.2% |
| Average trip | 33.1 min | 32.6 min | 27.6 min |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 66% | 71% | 68% |
€101,680
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Kildare €72,997
17%
worked mainly from home, 2022
16%
trips of an hour or more
6,663
on the Live Register, County Kildare, September 2026
D
Walkability: better than 11% 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.
Climate
Midwinter lows in Carragh sink below those of 90% of Irish towns
January nights bottom out at 2.0°C in Carragh, near Co. Kildare’s towns (2.0°C) and lower than Irish towns (2.9°C). Summer highs in Carragh reach 20.1°C in July. Taken over the whole year, the average temperature in the town is 9.9°C.
20.1°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter8.4°C
Spring13.2°C
Summer19.4°C
Autumn14.0°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Carragh | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 2.0°C | 2.0°C | 2.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 9.9°C | 9.9°C | 10.3°C |
| July high | 20.1°C | 20.1°C | 19.9°C |
| Rain a year | 857 mm | 854 mm | 937 mm |
20.1°C
July high
2.0°C
January low
857 mm
Rain a year
90 mm
Wettest month
36
Air frosts
1,397 hrs
Sunshine
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Outdoors
Green space is close to home in Carragh: 100% of homes are within 400 m of some, more than in Co. Kildare’s towns and across Irish towns
Within 1 km, 2.1% of the land is woodland, lower than both Co. Kildare’s towns (2.4%) and Irish towns (2.7%). Protected sites cover 1.3% of the land within 5 km, between Co. Kildare’s towns (0.5%) and Irish towns (1.8%).
100%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Carragh3.7 ha
Co. Kildare2.2 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Carragh | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near a park | 100% | 79% | 92% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.0 km per km² | 1.0 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
| Woodland within 1 km | 2.1% | 2.4% | 2.7% |
100%
Near a park
3.7 ha
Green space
0 km
Footpaths
1.3%
Protected for nature
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
Carragh’s outlook today: mostly sunny, peaking at 11 degrees
Between 7°C and 11°C: that is the range of daytime highs from here to the end of the week, with Thursday on top. Carragh’s November pattern is steady: afternoons average 11°C, nights 4°C. No rain is due today, though a breeze picks up to 23 km/h; the low is 7°C.
11°C / 7°CToday
This month and the next three, normal highs · 1991–2020 averages
November11°C
December8°C
January8°C
February9°C
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 8°C | 2°C | 220 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 5°C | 175 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 11°C | 211 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 7°C | 251 mm |
11°C / 7°C
Today
None
Rain, next 24 hours
12 km/h
Wind
88%
Humidity
9 h 18 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Students and young workers shape Carragh: 20% are 15 to 24, above Co. Kildare’s towns and Irish towns
Those 65 and older account for 5% of residents. Children under 15 make up 23%, near Co. Kildare’s towns (23%) and higher than Irish towns (20%). Born abroad: just over one in ten residents.
35median age
CarraghCo. KildareIreland
Ages · share of residents
20%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none4%
Lower secondary12%
Leaving Cert28%
Diploma or cert7%
Degree or higher49%
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 48.8% of Carragh
491 women and 515 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Carragh | Co. Kildare | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 23% | 23% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 20% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 30% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 33% | 24% | 24% |
| 65+ | 5% | 10% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 4.1% | 7.4% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 12% | 12% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 28% | 34% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 6.8% | 6.4% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 49% | 39% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Kildare and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
Kildare County Council runs on one of the smallest budgets per resident of any council
Kildare County Council has no ruling majority: Fianna Fáil hold 12 of its 40 seats, short of the 21 needed. Carragh sits in the Newbridge local electoral area, which elects 6 councillors. General election turnout: 60%, about level with Co. Kildare’s towns (60%) and above Irish towns (59%).
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 | Carragh | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| General election, November 2024 | 60% | 60% | 59% |
| Local elections, June 2024 | 47% | 45% | 46% |
6
Councillors
12/40
Fianna Fáil seats on Kildare County, the largest party
47%
turnout, June 2024
5
TDs elected for Kildare North
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
History
2 inventory buildings stand in Carragh, each of regional importance
Relative to its size, Carragh keeps 20 buildings on the inventory per 10,000 residents, lower than both Co. Kildare’s towns (50) and Irish towns (48). Homes built before 1919 account for 2.5% of the housing.
2inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional2
Among them
2
sites on the Sites and Monuments Record
1830
earliest dated inventory building
1
places pictured on the history page
| Heritage | Carragh | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 20 | 50 | 48 |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 2 | 13 | 11 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
SafetySafety B
Carragh stands out for theft: 3.2 times the rate of a typical town its size
All told, 73.4 crimes per 1,000 residents are recorded each year. Assaults and harassment topped the graded crimes in Carragh (2023–2025). Also worth knowing: for its size, Carragh records more crime per resident than 72% of the 156 Irish towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people.
4.2violent incidents per 1,000 a yearBSafety Grade
Compared with towns its sizeFewer incidents against residents per 1,000 than 28% 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
Dangerous acts18.1
Road traffic15.8
Theft12.2
Drugs7.3
Public order5.2
Against justice5.2
Assault3.6
Damage3
Burglary2
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 | Carragh | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime | 73.4 | 42.7 | 54.3 |
| Burglary & damage | 5 | 4.2 | 6.4 |
4.2
violent incidents per 1,000 a year
5
burglary and damage per 1,000 a year
3,331
incidents a year, Naas Garda area
9.2
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
Natural hazardsHazard risk B−
Beside the River Liffey, 12% of Carragh’s homes stand on low ground
In Carragh, an estimated 2% of homes exceed the radon reference level. No part of Carragh is mapped as high landslide susceptibility.
0%of homes in high-radon areasB−Hazard risk Grade
Homes exposed · share of the town’s homes
Low-lying beside water12%
In high-radon areas0%
On high landslide susceptibility0%
Low-lying near a river12%
Low-lying near the coast0%
| Share of homes | Carragh | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-lying near a river | 12% | 3.2% | 0.5% |
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 0% | 0% |
309
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
HousingCost of living B−
Carragh is a town of owners: 83% of households own their home, above Co. Kildare’s towns and Irish towns
Renting privately is how nearly one in ten households live. 7% live in social housing, below both Co. Kildare’s towns (10%) and Irish towns (13%).
€423Kmedian sale priceB−Cost of living Grade
Median sale price · Eircode area, 2023–2025
Carragh€423K
Co. Kildare€408K
Irish towns€350K
| Housing | Carragh | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 83% | 70% | 61% |
| Households renting privately | 9% | 18% | 22% |
| Households in social housing | 7% | 10% | 13% |
| Median sale price | €423K | €408K | €350K |
83%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
9%
rent privately · Irish towns 22%
€1,701
a month on new tenancies, County Kildare
5.8
times median household income, County Kildare
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure · The price is for the postcode area W91, not the town alone: too few sales inside the town carry a full address.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Jigginstown Castle and 4 more in and around Carragh
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Carragh. Best known first.
Historic houseJigginstown Castle3.2 km outside town, to the southeastMuseumMuseumMondello Park Racing Circuit2.2 km outside town, to the northwestHistoric houseHistoric houseBodenstown Graveyard5 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumMuseum of Motorsport2 km outside town, to the northwestArt galleryArt galleryTuckmill Gallery4.1 km outside town, to the eastPlaces: 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)
- Jigginstown Castle: Wanfried-Dublin, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Carragh
15pages on Carragh
The big questions
Out and about
Landmarks
Surveyors for the national inventory recorded 2 buildings in Carragh, each of regional importance. Archaeologists have recorded 2 sites here.
Famous people from around Carragh
One notable person was born in Carragh; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.
S
Seán PowerIrish politician · born 1960
C
Charlie McCreevyIrish politician · born in Sallins · born 1949G
Gormflaith ingen MurchadaIrish queen (960–1030 CE) · born in NaasPhoto credits
Charles Handy: einalem, CC BY-SA 2.0 · John de Robeck: Unknown photographer, Public domain · Fionnuala Sherry: paddynapper, CC BY-SA 2.0
Carragh’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
SallinsNaasProsperousClaneJohnstownKilmeageCarragh
Questions about Carragh
Is Carragh a young town or an old one?
The median age in Carragh is 35, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
Is Carragh growing?
Carragh had 1,006 people at the 2022 census, up from 989 in 2016: 1.7% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
About Carragh
Urban area in Co. Kildare
Carragh has 1,006 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
- 1,006 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Kildare
- Council
- Kildare County Council
- Local electoral area
- Newbridge
- Dáil constituency
- Kildare North
- Name in Irish
- Ceárach
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:06449
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).