Coill Dubh (Blackwood)’s story
1 archaeological site in Coill Dubh (Blackwood)
1 archaeological site are on the record here too.
1% of its homes were built before 1919, against 3% in the median of Irish towns.
Explore the history →Coill Dubh (Blackwood)Co. Kildare
It grew by 11% between the 2016 and 2022 censuses. Some 1,476 people live in this town, in Co. Kildare.
Population
1,476
CSO, Census 2022 · Kildare County Council
Median age
34.7
9% are 65+ · Co. Kildare 10%
Degree level
20%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
7%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Coill Dubh (Blackwood) a good place to live?
On safety it is strong: each year brings 2.8 violent offences and 3.6 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents. The weak point is walkability (D−). 7% of commuters walk, cycle or take the bus or train (the typical Irish town: 23%). Half the homes sold for more than €422,500, a price of 6.7 times what the median household earns.
Figures: crime, CSO recorded crime, 2023 to 2025 · commuting, CSO Census 2022 · prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO. Irish towns get an overall grade from 2,500 residents, so Coill Dubh (Blackwood) has subject grades only.
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.
How Coill Dubh (Blackwood) grades
Each subject compares Coill Dubh (Blackwood) with Irish towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carD−Open →Hazard riskAlmost no homes are above the radon reference levelA+Open →Jobs & income12% unemployedC−Open →SafetyVery little crime by comparisonA−Open →Health110 with a disability per 100 predictedC−Open →Cost of livingNear typical for the towns comparedB−Open →
SchoolsNot graded in Ireland: schools’ exam results aren’t published school by school (Education Act 1998, s.53)–
How TownRatings grades Irish towns →
What makes Coill Dubh (Blackwood) stand out
The 3 things Coill Dubh (Blackwood) does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Coill Dubh (Blackwood).
Natural hazardsHazard risk A+
Coill Dubh (Blackwood) has low radon, steady ground and few homes standing low by a big river or the sea
0%of homes in high-radon areasA+Hazard risk Grade
Under 1% of homes in Coill Dubh (Blackwood) are estimated to have radon above the reference level. The ground under Coill Dubh (Blackwood) carries no high landslide susceptibility. Very few of its homes sit on low ground by water.
Homes exposed · share of the town’s homes
Low-lying beside water0%
In high-radon areas0%
On high landslide susceptibility0%
Low-lying near a river0%
Low-lying near the coast0%
| Share of homes | Coill Dubh (Blackwood) | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-lying near a river | 0% | 3.2% | 0.5% |
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 0% | 0% |
539
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Work & commuteJobs & income C−
Only 6.7% of commuters in Coill Dubh (Blackwood) go to work without a car, fewer than in Co. Kildare’s towns and across Irish towns
7%walk, cycle or take transit
12% of the labour force were unemployed, above both Co. Kildare’s towns (6.4%) and Irish towns (9.2%). Home was the main workplace for 8% of workers at the census. The census found 60% of 15- to 64-year-olds in work.
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van85%
Bus4%
Walk2%
Train, DART or Luas1%
Bicycle1%
| Census 2022 | Coill Dubh (Blackwood) | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In work, 15 to 64 | 60% | 71% | 68% |
| Unemployment rate | 12% | 6.4% | 9.2% |
| Average trip | 32.2 min | 32.6 min | 27.6 min |
| Median household income | €63,400 | €74,553 | €57,760 |
€63,400
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Kildare €72,997
8%
worked mainly from home, 2022
14%
trips of an hour or more
6,663
on the Live Register, County Kildare, September 2026
D−
Walkability: better than 2% 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.
SafetySafety A−
Coill Dubh (Blackwood) records less crime per resident than four in five Irish towns
2.8violent incidents per 1,000 a yearA−Safety Grade
Of the graded crimes in Coill Dubh (Blackwood), assaults and harassment came up most often (2023–2025). Every kind together came to 19 per 1,000 residents a year, below Co. Kildare’s towns (42.7) and Irish towns (54.3) alike. Among the 156 Irish towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, Coill Dubh (Blackwood) has less crime per resident than 64% of them.
Compared with towns its sizeFewer incidents against residents per 1,000 than 64% of the 156 Irish towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Recorded by type · per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025
Road traffic3.4
Theft3.4
Dangerous acts3.2
Assault2.3
Damage2.2
Burglary1.4
Drugs1.2
Against justice0.7
Public order0.6
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 | Coill Dubh (Blackwood) | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime | 19 | 42.7 | 54.3 |
| Theft | 3.4 | 10.9 | 15.3 |
| Burglary & damage | 3.6 | 4.2 | 6.4 |
| Violent crime | 2.8 | 3.9 | 5.7 |
2.8
violent incidents per 1,000 a year
3.6
burglary and damage per 1,000 a year
183
incidents a year, Robertstown Garda area
6.4
against residents per 1,000, as graded
Full pageCoill Dubh (Blackwood)’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report
Safety Grade2.8 violent incidents per 1,000 · Coill Dubh (Blackwood) records less crime per resident than 82% of Irish townsCrime by typeAssaults and harassment is the most common of the graded categoriesVs. the neighboursAhead of 4 of its 6 graded neighboursQuestions“Is Coill Dubh (Blackwood) safe?”
CSO recorded crime by Garda station, 2023–2025, shared to towns by where residents live · Census 2022 populations
HealthHealth C−
Coill Dubh (Blackwood) has 158 people in bad health for every 100 its ages predict, more than in Co. Kildare’s towns and across Irish towns
88%good or very good healthC−Health Grade
88% of Coill Dubh (Blackwood)’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, lower than Co. Kildare’s towns (91%) and near Irish towns (88%). Disability, age-adjusted: 110 for every 100 expected in the town. Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 2.3% of the town.
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health158
Disability110
Co. Kildare99
Expected100
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 88%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 2%
| Census 2022 | Coill Dubh (Blackwood) | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bad or very bad health | 2.3% | 1.5% | 2% |
| Good or very good health | 88% | 91% | 88% |
| With a disability | 21% | 20% | 22% |
| Unpaid carers | 5.4% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
158
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Kildare 99
110
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
Climate
Winter nights bite in Coill Dubh (Blackwood): January lows of 1.9°C, colder than Co. Kildare’s towns or Irish towns
20.0°CJuly afternoon high
Averaged across the seasons, Coill Dubh (Blackwood) sits at 9.8°C. November is the wettest month in the town, with 90 mm of rain on average. The nearest weather station is Casement, 26 km away.
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter8.3°C
Spring13.1°C
Summer19.3°C
Autumn13.9°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Coill Dubh (Blackwood) | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 1.9°C | 2.0°C | 2.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 9.8°C | 9.9°C | 10.3°C |
| Rain a year | 870 mm | 854 mm | 937 mm |
| July high | 20.0°C | 20.1°C | 19.9°C |
20.0°C
July high
1.9°C
January low
870 mm
Rain a year
90 mm
Wettest month
36
Air frosts
1,397 hrs
Sunshine
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Outdoors
Fewer homes in Coill Dubh (Blackwood) sit near green space: 29% within 400 m, below Co. Kildare’s towns and Irish towns
29%of homes near green space
Within 5 km, 3% of the land is protected nature, higher than both Co. Kildare’s towns (0.5%) and Irish towns (1.8%). Among the protected sites near Coill Dubh (Blackwood) is Ballynafagh Lake SAC. This Co. Kildare town has 1.0 ha of green space for every 1,000 residents.
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Coill Dubh (Blackwood)1.0 ha
Co. Kildare2.2 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Coill Dubh (Blackwood) | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near a park | 29% | 79% | 92% |
| Woodland within 1 km | 18% | 2.4% | 2.7% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.0 km per km² | 1.0 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 3% | 0.5% | 1.8% |
29%
Near a park
1.0 ha
Green space
0 km
Footpaths
3%
Protected for nature
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
Weather in Coill Dubh (Blackwood): 6 degrees today, cool for November
6°C / 1°CToday
Usually, November days warm to 10°C and nights cool to 4°C; Coill Dubh (Blackwood)’s forecast is read against that. It should stay dry today, with a fresh breeze of up to 26 km/h and a low near 1°C. Plan indoor things for Tuesday, when about 7 mm of rain is forecast.
This month and the next three, normal highs · 1991–2020 averages
November10°C
December8°C
January8°C
February9°C
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 8°C | 2°C | 224 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 5°C | 178 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 11°C | 219 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 6°C | 250 mm |
6°C / 1°C
Today
0.1 mm
Rain, next 24 hours
26 km/h
Wind
65%
Humidity
8 h 39 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Degrees are less common in Coill Dubh (Blackwood) than in Co. Kildare’s towns or across Irish towns: 20% of adults
34.7median age
26% are under 15, above both Co. Kildare’s towns (23%) and Irish towns (20%). Young adults of 15 to 24 account for 14% of the town. Those 65 and older account for 9.1% of residents.
Coill Dubh (Blackwood)Co. KildareIreland
Ages · share of residents
14%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none13%
Lower secondary19%
Leaving Cert41%
Diploma or cert6%
Degree or higher20%
Women and men · all residents
51.1% of Coill Dubh (Blackwood)’s residents are women
754 women and 722 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Coill Dubh (Blackwood) | Co. Kildare | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 26% | 23% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 14% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 27% | 30% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 24% | 24% | 24% |
| 65+ | 9.1% | 10% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 13% | 7.4% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 19% | 12% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 41% | 34% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 6.2% | 6.4% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 20% | 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
12/40seats held by Fianna Fáil
At the general election, 58% of voters took part. Kildare County Council is the one council for Coill Dubh (Blackwood); Ireland has no town or county councils between it and the government. No party holds a majority on Kildare County Council: Fianna Fáil lead with 12 of 40 seats, short of the 21 needed.
Seats on Kildare County · June 2024
Fianna Fáil12
Fine Gael11
Social Democrats7
Labour Party5
Independent3
Sinn Féin1
Independent Ireland1
| Turnout | Coill Dubh (Blackwood) | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| General election, November 2024 | 58% | 60% | 59% |
| Local elections, June 2024 | 45% | 45% | 46% |
5
Councillors
12/40
Fianna Fáil seats on Kildare County, the largest party
45%
turnout, June 2024
4
TDs elected for Kildare South
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
HousingCost of living B−
Most households in Coill Dubh (Blackwood) own their home: 74%, more than in Co. Kildare’s towns and across Irish towns
€423Kmedian sale priceB−Cost of living Grade
Private renters make up 12% of households, below Co. Kildare’s towns (18%) and Irish towns (22%) alike.
Median sale price · Eircode area, 2023–2025
Coill Dubh (Blackwood)€423K
Co. Kildare€408K
Irish towns€350K
| Housing | Coill Dubh (Blackwood) | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households renting privately | 12% | 18% | 22% |
| Households owning their home | 74% | 70% | 61% |
| Median sale price | €423K | €408K | €350K |
| Households in social housing | 12% | 10% | 13% |
74%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
12%
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.
Schools
Pupil numbers around Coill Dubh (Blackwood) moved −3% since 2019, below Co. Kildare’s towns and Irish towns
4schools within 3 km
4 schools lie within 3 km of Coill Dubh (Blackwood): 4 primary schools.
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoil Mhuire Allenwood National School Special classesLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 263 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Coill Dubh (Blackwood) | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 6% | 8% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | −3% | +7% | +4% |
| In the DEIS scheme | 0% | 3% | 35% |
708
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
−3%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
0.1 km
to the nearest primary school
4.7 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.
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Coill Dubh (Blackwood)
15pages on Coill Dubh (Blackwood)
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Coolcarrigan House and 13 more within 40 km
2 places to visit are mapped within 5 km of Coill Dubh (Blackwood); with them, the best known within 40 km.
CastleCastleCoolcarrigan House2.3 km outside town, to the northwest
CathedralSt Patrick's Cathedral37 km east
Big drawMuseumNational Museum of Ireland38 km east · 783K visitors a year
MuseumNational Library of Ireland38 km east
Big drawZooDublin Zoo35 km east · 1.3M visitors a year (2022)
Historic houseLeinster House38 km east
CathedralSt Patrick's Cathedral37 km eastBig drawMuseumNational Museum of Ireland38 km east · 783K visitors a yearMuseumNational Library of Ireland38 km eastBig drawZooDublin Zoo35 km east · 1.3M visitors a year (2022)Historic houseLeinster House38 km 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 (5)
- St Patrick's Cathedral: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- National Museum of Ireland: Photograph by Mike Peel ( www.mikepeel.net )., CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- National Library of Ireland: YvonneM, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dublin Zoo: Harold Strong, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Leinster House: Jean Housen, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from around Coill Dubh (Blackwood)
No notable person born in Coill Dubh (Blackwood) is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
K
Kristine O'BrienAmerican rower · born in Clane · born 1991P
Patrick HarringtonIrish bishop · born in Kilmeage · born 1939S
Seán PowerIrish politician · born in Carragh · born 1960A
Andrew RynneIrish surgeon, medical practitioner (bo… · born in ProsperousJ
Joe McTeagueIrish Gaelic footballer · born in Kilmeage · born 1946Photo credits
Charles Handy: einalem, CC BY-SA 2.0
About Coill Dubh (Blackwood)
Urban area in Co. Kildare
Coill Dubh (Blackwood) has 1,476 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
- 1,476 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Kildare
- Council
- Kildare County Council
- Local electoral area
- Clane
- Dáil constituency
- Kildare South
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:06457
Coill Dubh (Blackwood)’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
AllenwoodProsperousKilmeageCarraghClaneDerrinturnCoill Dubh (Blackwood)
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coill Dubh (Blackwood) | 1,476 | — | — | B− | A− | C− |
| Allenwood | 1,685 | 2.7 | — | B− | A− | C+ |
| Prosperous | 2,413 | 4.3 | — | B− | B+ | C+ |
| Kilmeage | 1,054 | 4.7 | — | B− | A− | D |
| Carragh | 1,006 | 8.8 | — | B− | B | A |
| Clane | 8,152 | 8.8 | A | B− | B+ | A− |
| Derrinturn | 1,837 | 9.4 | — | B− | B− | C |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Coill Dubh (Blackwood)
Is Coill Dubh (Blackwood) growing?
Coill Dubh (Blackwood) had 1,476 people at the 2022 census, up from 1,334 in 2016: 10.6% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
Is Coill Dubh (Blackwood) a young town or an old one?
The median age in Coill Dubh (Blackwood) is 34.7, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns. 26% of residents are under 15 and 9% are 65 or over.
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).