Fiddown’s story
Fiddown has 10 buildings on the National Inventory
The record adds 11 archaeological sites.
Homes built before 1919: 10%, against 3% across Irish towns.
- 1740Fiddown House
- 1745Fiddown Church
- 1790Monument, Fiddown Church
FiddownCo. Kilkenny
Home to 410 people, this town lies in Co. Kilkenny. Its population rose 10% from 2016 to 2022.
6 places within 19 kmMap →
Photo: Redmond O'Brien · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
410
CSO, Census 2022 · Kilkenny County Council
Median age
36.1
8% are 65+ · Co. Kilkenny 14%
Degree level
25%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
3%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Fiddown a good place to live?
Homes sell for a median €223,300, about 3.6 times what a household here earns in a year. Public transport, bikes and feet take 3% of commuters to work. The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage records 10 buildings here.
With fewer than 1,000 residents, Fiddown falls below the line for grades among Irish towns.
What makes Fiddown stand out
The 3 things Fiddown does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
3% walk, cycle or ride
Against 23% in the median of Irish towns
CSO, Census 2022
Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents
History
10 buildings on the national inventory
5.1 times the median of Irish towns for its size, all of regional importance.
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
Median sale price
Housing
40% below the median of Irish towns, €372,600
Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Fiddown.
Schools
Schools around Fiddown have lost ground: pupils −24% since 2019, below Co. Kilkenny’s towns and Irish towns
Within 3 km of Fiddown there is one school. Pupils at the school within 3 km of the town: 254.
1schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| S.N. Baile an Phiull Special classesLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 254 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Fiddown | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils since 2019/20 | −24% | +4% | +4% |
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 6% | 8% |
| In the DEIS scheme | 0% | 11% | 35% |
254
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
−24%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
2.2 km
to the nearest primary school
5.4 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.
Natural hazards
An estimated 14% of Fiddown’s homes have radon above the reference level
100% of its homes sit in high-radon areas, higher than both Co. Kilkenny’s towns (84%) and Irish towns (0%). Landslides: none of Fiddown lies in a high-susceptibility zone.
100%of homes in high-radon areas
Homes exposed · share of the town’s homes
Low-lying beside water7.3%
In high-radon areas100%
On high landslide susceptibility0%
Low-lying near a river7.3%
Low-lying near the coast0%
| Share of homes | Fiddown | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In high-radon areas | 100% | 84% | 0% |
| Low-lying near a river | 7.3% | 3.1% | 0.5% |
14%
of homes over the radon level
192
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Climate
Fiddown is wetter than Co. Kilkenny’s towns or Irish towns: 1,098 mm of rain a year
The annual mean in Fiddown is 10.5°C. July afternoons reach 20.4°C here, near Co. Kilkenny’s towns (20.2°C) and higher than Irish towns (19.9°C). Midwinter nights in Fiddown bottom out at 2.7°C on average.
20.4°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter9.4°C
Spring13.7°C
Summer19.9°C
Autumn14.7°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Fiddown | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rain a year | 1,098 mm | 906 mm | 937 mm |
| July high | 20.4°C | 20.2°C | 19.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 10.5°C | 10.2°C | 10.3°C |
| January low | 2.7°C | 2.3°C | 2.9°C |
20.4°C
July high
2.7°C
January low
1,098 mm
Rain a year
121 mm
Wettest month
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Health
Bad health runs low in Fiddown for a town of its ages, at 33 per 100 expected, less than in Co. Kilkenny’s towns and across Irish towns
0.5% of residents report bad or very bad health. Allowing for its ages, Fiddown has 97 residents with a disability per 100 expected, lower than both Co. Kilkenny’s towns (107) and Irish towns (106). Disability touches nearly a fifth of the town’s population.
90%good or very good health
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health33
Disability97
Co. Kilkenny98
Expected100
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 90%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 1%
| Census 2022 | Fiddown | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bad or very bad health | 0.5% | 1.8% | 2% |
| Unpaid carers | 6.8% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| With a disability | 19% | 23% | 22% |
| Good or very good health | 90% | 88% | 88% |
33
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Kilkenny 98
97
disability per 100 expected · Co. Kilkenny 107
83.1 · 79.3
life expectancy, women · men, the South-East region, 2016
27%
hold a medical card, HSE Dublin and South East
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
Housing
Fiddown is a town of owners: 73% of households own their home, above Co. Kilkenny’s towns and Irish towns
Social housing holds 8% of households. 17% rent privately, below both Co. Kilkenny’s towns (19%) and Irish towns (22%).
€223Kmedian sale price
Median sale price · Eircode area, 2023–2025
Fiddown€223K
Co. Kilkenny€289K
Irish towns€350K
| Housing | Fiddown | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households in social housing | 8% | 19% | 13% |
| Households owning their home | 73% | 60% | 61% |
| Median sale price | €223K | €289K | €350K |
| Households renting privately | 17% | 19% | 22% |
73%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
17%
rent privately · Irish towns 22%
€1,207
a month on new tenancies, County Kilkenny
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure · The price is for the postcode area E32, not the town alone: too few sales inside the town carry a full address.
Outdoors
Woodland runs close to Fiddown: 14% of the land within 1 km, more than in Co. Kilkenny’s towns and across Irish towns
Protected nature near Fiddown includes Lower River Suir SAC. Within 5 km, 7.4% of the land is protected nature, above Co. Kilkenny’s towns (2.4%) and Irish towns (1.8%) alike. 7 waymarked trails and greenways begin within 5 km.
0%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Fiddown0.0 ha
Co. Kilkenny3.5 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Fiddown | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near a park | 0% | 96% | 92% |
| Woodland within 1 km | 14% | 3.8% | 2.7% |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 7.4% | 2.4% | 1.8% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.0 km per km² | 0.8 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
0.0 ha
Green space
0 km
Footpaths
7.4%
Protected for nature
14%
Woodland
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Work & commute
Only 3.2% of commuters in Fiddown go to work without a car, fewer than in Co. Kilkenny’s towns and across Irish towns
Household income came to €62,300 a year before tax, above both Co. Kilkenny’s towns (€53,954) and Irish towns (€57,760). Driving is how 92% of commuters got to work at the census. At the census, 4.8% of workers worked mainly from home.
3%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van92%
Walk2%
Bus2%
| Census 2022 | Fiddown | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | €62,300 | €53,954 | €57,760 |
| Unemployment rate | 8.5% | 10% | 9.2% |
| Average trip | 24.7 min | 23.8 min | 27.6 min |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 39% | 39% | 31% |
€62,300
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Kilkenny €58,186
5%
worked mainly from home, 2022
6%
trips of an hour or more
2,100
on the Live Register, County Kilkenny, 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
Few people in Fiddown are 65 or over: 8.3%, below Co. Kilkenny’s towns and Irish towns
Degrees are held by a quarter of adults, lower than both Co. Kilkenny’s towns (31%) and Irish towns (36%). Nearly a quarter of residents are children under 15. Born abroad: 13% of residents.
36.1median age
FiddownCo. KilkennyIreland
Ages · share of residents
12%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none8%
Lower secondary16%
Leaving Cert43%
Diploma or cert8%
Degree or higher25%
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 48.3% of Fiddown
198 women and 212 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Fiddown | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 23% | 24% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 12% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 32% | 29% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 25% | 24% | 24% |
| 65+ | 8.3% | 14% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 8% | 9.4% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 43% | 37% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 7.6% | 6.1% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 25% | 31% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Kilkenny and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
Fianna Fáil holds 11 of Kilkenny County Council’s 24 seats, one of the largest groups on any council
With 11 of 24 seats, Fianna Fáil are the largest group on Kilkenny County Council, short of the 13 a majority needs. There is just one council for Fiddown, Kilkenny County Council: Ireland has only one tier of local government. 50% of voters turned out at the last local elections, about level with Co. Kilkenny’s towns (50%) and above Irish towns (46%).
11/24seats held by Fianna Fáil
Seats on Kilkenny County · June 2024
Fianna Fáil11
Fine Gael7
Independent2
Labour Party2
Sinn Féin1
Green Party1
| Turnout | Fiddown | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 50% | 50% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 58% | 58% | 59% |
5
Councillors
11/24
Fianna Fáil seats on Kilkenny County, the largest party
50%
turnout, June 2024
5
TDs elected for Carlow-Kilkenny
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
History
244 inventory buildings per 10,000 residents put Fiddown above Co. Kilkenny’s towns and Irish towns for heritage
Its archaeology runs to 11 recorded sites. 10.3% of its homes were built before 1919, above Co. Kilkenny’s towns (4.5%) and Irish towns (3.4%) alike.
10inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional10
Among them
- Fiddown House 1740
- Fiddown Church 1745
- Monument, Fiddown Church 1790
- House, Fiddown 1815
11
sites on the Sites and Monuments Record
1740
earliest dated inventory building
10%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
| Heritage | Fiddown | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 244 | 216 | 48 |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 11 | 84 | 11 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 10.3% | 4.5% | 3.4% |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Curraghmore House & Gardens and 13 more within 40 km
2 places to visit are mapped within 5 km of Fiddown; with them, the best known within 40 km.
GardenGardenCurraghmore House & Gardens4.1 km outside town, to the south
Castle · Office of Public WorksOrmond Castle6.3 km west
CathedralCathedral of the Most Holy Trinity, Waterford16 km southeast
MuseumReginald's Tower16 km southeast
CastleKilkenny Castle36 km north
Abbey or priory · Office of Public WorksJerpoint Abbey23 km northeast
Castle · Office of Public WorksOrmond Castle6.3 km westCathedralCathedral of the Most Holy Trinity, Waterford16 km southeastMuseumReginald's Tower16 km southeastCastleKilkenny Castle36 km northAbbey or priory · Office of Public WorksJerpoint Abbey23 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)
- Ormond Castle: Humphrey Bolton, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity, Waterford: Merlante, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Reginald's Tower: Nmwalsh, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kilkenny Castle: Tolivero~commonswiki, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Jerpoint Abbey: Andreas F. Borchert, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Fiddown
15pages on Fiddown
The big questions
Out and about
Landmarks
The national inventory of architectural heritage lists 10 buildings in Fiddown, each rated of regional importance. 11 archaeological sites are on the record here.
Famous people from around Fiddown
One notable person was born in Fiddown; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.
M
Mark McDonaldHurler · 1890–1952R
Richard GarrickAmerican actor and director (1878-1962) · born in Portlaw
M
Martin DrennanIrish Roman-Catholic bishop (1944–2022) · born in PiltownA
Alan McCormackIrish cyclist · born in Carrick-on-Suir · born 1956G
Gertrude KellyIrish-American surgeon and social activ… · born in Carrick-on-Suir · 1862–1934Photo credits
Liam Clancy: Junction Festival, CC BY-SA 3.0
Fiddown’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
PiltownPortlawMooncoinCarrick-on-SuirCleaboyBallybegFiddown
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiddown | 410 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Piltown | 1,275 | 2.5 | — | A− | B+ | B |
| Portlaw Waterford | 1,881 | 5.2 | — | B+ | B+ | C |
| Mooncoin | 1,184 | 6.2 | — | A | A+ | C |
| Carrick-on-Suir Tipperary | 5,752 | 6.5 | C− | A | C− | D− |
| Cleaboy Waterford | 3,454 | 15 | C | C+ | D | C+ |
| Ballybeg Waterford | 5,226 | 15 | D− | C+ | D | C− |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Fiddown
How do people in Fiddown get to work?
5% mostly work from home, and 39% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
Is Fiddown growing?
Fiddown had 410 people at the 2022 census, up from 374 in 2016: 9.6% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
How old are the people of Fiddown?
The median age in Fiddown is 36.1, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
About Fiddown
Urban area in Co. Kilkenny
Fiddown has 410 people, in the area of Kilkenny 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
- 410 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Kilkenny
- Council
- Kilkenny County Council
- Local electoral area
- Piltown
- Dáil constituency
- Carlow-Kilkenny
- Name in Irish
- Fiodh Dúin
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:07663
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).