Nurney’s story
Nurney: 5 buildings on the National Inventory
The record adds 4 archaeological sites.
Homes built before 1919: 2%, against 3% across Irish towns.
- 1820Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart
- 1850O'Brien
- 1850The Presbytery
NurneyCo. Kildare
The town, home to 497 people, lies in Co. Kildare. The population grew 11% between 2016 and 2022.
Population
497
CSO, Census 2022 · Kildare County Council
Median age
35.1
7% are 65+ · Co. Kildare 10%
Degree level
20%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
8%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Nurney a good place to live?
Half the homes sold for more than €405,000, a price of 5.4 times what the median household earns. The car is not the only way to work here: 8% of commuters walk, cycle or use public transport. 20% of adults are graduates. It skews young: 17% of residents are 15 to 24.
Nurney isn’t graded: grades for Irish towns begin at 1,000 residents.
What makes Nurney stand out
The 3 things Nurney does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Nurney.
Schools
Schools around Nurney have lost ground: pupils −15% since 2019, below Co. Kildare’s towns and Irish towns
One school lies within 3 km of Nurney. The one school within 3 km of Nurney has 183 pupils.
1schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoil BhrídeLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 183 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Nurney | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils since 2019/20 | −15% | +7% | +4% |
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 6% | 8% |
| In the DEIS scheme | 0% | 3% | 35% |
183
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
−15%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
0.3 km
to the nearest primary school
8.5 km
to the nearest secondary school
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · Ireland publishes no school-by-school results, which is why these cards have no letters.
Natural hazards
Some of Nurney’s homes have high radon: an estimated 9.9%, above the reference level
The ground under Nurney carries no high landslide susceptibility. Hardly any of its homes sit low beside water.
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 | Nurney | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| On high landslide susceptibility | 0% | 0% | 0% |
187
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Climate
Summer arrives in force in Nurney, hotter than in 91% of Irish towns
January nights bottom out at 2.1°C in Nurney, near Co. Kildare’s towns (2.0°C) and lower than Irish towns (2.9°C). The warmest afternoons come in July, at around 20.2°C in the town. The annual mean in the town is 10.0°C.
20.2°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter8.5°C
Spring13.4°C
Summer19.6°C
Autumn14.1°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Nurney | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 2.1°C | 2.0°C | 2.9°C |
| July high | 20.2°C | 20.1°C | 19.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 10.0°C | 9.9°C | 10.3°C |
| Rain a year | 839 mm | 854 mm | 937 mm |
20.2°C
July high
2.1°C
January low
839 mm
Rain a year
90 mm
Wettest month
35
Air frosts
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Health
Disability runs above what Nurney’s ages predict, at 125 per 100 expected, and above Co. Kildare’s towns and Irish towns
Nearly a quarter of residents have a disability, above Co. Kildare’s towns (20%) and close to Irish towns (22%). Self-reported good health: 87% of Nurney’s residents. Family carers: 5.8% of the people in Nurney look after someone without pay.
87%good or very good health
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health110
Disability125
Co. Kildare99
Expected100
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 87%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 2%
| Census 2022 | Nurney | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 87% | 91% | 88% |
| Unpaid carers | 5.8% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| With a disability | 23% | 20% | 22% |
| Bad or very bad health | 1.5% | 1.5% | 2% |
110
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Kildare 99
125
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
Private renting is less common in Nurney than in Co. Kildare’s towns or across Irish towns: 5%
78% of households own their home, above Co. Kildare’s towns (70%) and Irish towns (61%) alike. Social housing holds 17% of households.
€405Kmedian sale price
Median sale price · Property Price Register, 2023–2025
Nurney€405K
Co. Kildare€408K
Irish towns€350K
| Housing | Nurney | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households renting privately | 5% | 18% | 22% |
| Households owning their home | 78% | 70% | 61% |
| Households in social housing | 17% | 10% | 13% |
| Median sale price | €405K | €408K | €350K |
78%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
5%
rent privately · Irish towns 22%
€1,701
a month on new tenancies, County Kildare
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure
Outdoors
Green space is tight in Nurney: 0.3 ha per 1,000 residents, below Co. Kildare’s towns and Irish towns
Its paths and tracks come to 0.1 km per km², below Co. Kildare’s towns (1.0 km per km²) and Irish towns (2.1 km per km²) alike.
0%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Nurney0.3 ha
Co. Kildare2.2 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Nurney | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near a park | 0% | 79% | 92% |
| Woodland within 1 km | 0.3% | 2.4% | 2.7% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.1 km per km² | 1.0 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
| Green space per 1,000 residents | 0.3 ha | 2.2 ha | 4.1 ha |
0.3 ha
Green space
1 km
Footpaths
0.3%
Protected for nature
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
What today holds for Nurney: partly cloudy, up to 12 degrees
For Nurney, a normal November afternoon peaks at 11°C, and a normal night bottoms out at 4°C. A dry day with a stiff breeze lies ahead today: wind building to 20 km/h, then a low of 5°C. The warmest afternoon ahead comes on Thursday, at 11°C; the coolest tops out at 7°C.
12°C / 5°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 | 217 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 5°C | 170 mm |
| Summer | 20°C | 11°C | 207 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 7°C | 245 mm |
12°C / 5°C
Today
None
Rain, next 24 hours
10 km/h
Wind
92%
Humidity
9 h 19 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Only 62% of people aged 15 to 64 in Nurney were in work, fewer than in both Co. Kildare’s towns and Irish towns
11% of the labour force were unemployed, above both Co. Kildare’s towns (6.4%) and Irish towns (9.2%). On average, the journey to work lasts 33.1 min. By car: that was how just over four in five commuters travelled at the census.
8%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van81%
Walk4%
Train, DART or Luas3%
Bus2%
| Census 2022 | Nurney | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In work, 15 to 64 | 62% | 71% | 68% |
| Unemployment rate | 11% | 6.4% | 9.2% |
| Average trip | 33.1 min | 32.6 min | 27.6 min |
| Median household income | €74,690 | €74,553 | €57,760 |
€74,690
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Kildare €72,997
15%
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
A young town: 17% of people in Nurney are 15 to 24, more than in both Co. Kildare’s towns and Irish towns
Born abroad: 13% of residents. People 65 and over make up 6.8% of the town, below Co. Kildare’s towns (10%) and Irish towns (14%) alike.
35.1median age
NurneyCo. KildareIreland
Ages · share of residents
17%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none11%
Lower secondary18%
Leaving Cert46%
Diploma or cert4%
Degree or higher20%
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 50.3% of Nurney
250 women and 247 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Nurney | Co. Kildare | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 24% | 23% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 17% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 26% | 30% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 24% | 24% |
| 65+ | 6.8% | 10% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 11% | 7.4% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 18% | 12% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 46% | 34% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 4.3% | 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 spends less per resident than most councils
There is no majority on Kildare County Council; Fianna Fáil have the most seats, 12 of 40, short of 21. Nurney is run by Kildare County Council, its only council: Ireland has one tier of local government. General election turnout: 58%, about level with Irish towns (59%) and below Co. Kildare’s towns (60%).
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 | Nurney | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| General election, November 2024 | 58% | 60% | 59% |
| Local elections, June 2024 | 47% | 45% | 46% |
5
Councillors
12/40
Fianna Fáil seats on Kildare County, the largest party
47%
turnout, June 2024
4
TDs elected for Kildare South
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
History
Nurney is dense with heritage: 101 inventory buildings per 10,000 residents, more than in both Co. Kildare’s towns and Irish towns
The archaeological record lists 4 sites here. 2% of homes date from before 1919. The national inventory of architectural heritage lists 5 buildings in Nurney, each rated of regional importance.
5inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional5
Among them
- Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart 1820
- O'Brien 1850
- The Presbytery 1850
- Nurney Bridge 1875
4
sites on the Sites and Monuments Record
1820
earliest dated inventory building
1
places pictured on the history page
| Heritage | Nurney | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 101 | 50 | 48 |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 4 | 13 | 11 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Wicklow Mountains National Park and 11 more within 40 km
Nothing to visit is mapped within 5 km of Nurney; these are the best known within 40 km.
National parkWicklow Mountains National Park38 km east
Museum · Office of Public WorksEmo Court17 km west
CastleCarlow Castle29 km south
Historic houseRussborough House and Parklands26 km east
CastleBallyloughan Castle31 km southeast
FortDún Ailinne12 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 (6)
- Wicklow Mountains National Park: Joe King, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Emo Court: AnTuisealGinideach, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Carlow Castle: Age Bosma, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Russborough House and Parklands: Ramón, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ballyloughan Castle: VisionsofthePast, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dún Ailinne: Frankysandwich, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Nurney
15pages on Nurney
The big questions
Out and about
Landmarks
The national inventory of architectural heritage lists 5 buildings in Nurney, each rated of regional importance. 4 archaeological sites are on the record here.
Famous people from around Nurney
One notable person was born in Nurney; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.
C
Charles Harvey BagotAustralian politician, businessperson and farmer · 1788–1880K
Kathleen LonsdaleIrish crystallographer (1903-1971) · born in NewbridgeA
Aisling BeaIrish comedian, actress, and writer · born in Kildare · born 1984
Photo credits
Clare Daly: The Left, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Christy Moore: cybernoelie, CC BY 2.0 · Willoughby James Hamilton: Robinson (Photographer), Public domain
Nurney’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
KildareCurragh CampMonasterevinAthyAthgarvanNewbridgeNurney
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nurney | 497 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kildare | 10,302 | 8 | B | B+ | C+ | B− |
| Curragh Camp | 1,076 | 8.5 | — | B | C | D |
| Monasterevin | 5,307 | 9.1 | B+ | A− | B | C |
| Athy | 11,035 | 12 | C− | A | C | D |
| Athgarvan | 1,193 | 13 | — | C+ | C | A |
| Newbridge | 24,366 | 13 | B− | B+ | C | B− |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Nurney
Has Nurney grown?
Nurney had 497 people at the 2022 census, up from 449 in 2016: 10.7% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
Is Nurney a young town or an old one?
The median age in Nurney is 35.1, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns. 24% of residents are under 15 and 7% are 65 or over.
Do people in Nurney drive to work?
11% mostly work from home, and 25% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
About Nurney
Urban area in Co. Kildare
497 people live in Nurney, 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
- 497 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Kildare
- Council
- Kildare County Council
- Local electoral area
- Athy
- Dáil constituency
- Kildare South
- Name in Irish
- An Urnaí
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:06471
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).