Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
With 593 residents, it is a town in Co. Kilkenny.
Prices run to a median €322,900, 6.8 times local household income. The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage records 31 buildings here. 17% of adults are graduates. 9% of residents were born outside Ireland.
At under 1,000 residents, Freshford is too small for the grades Irish towns get.
The 3 things Freshford does most differently from other towns.
14 archaeological sites are on the record here too.
12% of its homes were built before 1919, against 3% in the median of Irish towns.
Surveyors for the national inventory recorded 31 buildings in Freshford, 1 of national or international importance. 14 recorded monuments and archaeological sites lie here.
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Freshford.
Radon: 4.8% of homes are in high-radon areas, below Co. Kilkenny’s towns (84%) but above Irish towns (0%). About 1.2% of homes in Freshford are estimated to pass the radon reference level. The ground under Freshford carries no high landslide susceptibility.
| Share of homes | Freshford | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In high-radon areas | 4.8% | 84% | 0% |
| Low-lying near a river | 0% | 3.1% | 0.5% |
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
January nights in Freshford drop to 2.2°C on average. The year’s mean temperature is 10.0°C, about level with Co. Kilkenny’s towns (10.2°C) and below Irish towns (10.3°C). In July, daytime highs in Freshford average 20.1°C.
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Freshford | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 2.2°C | 2.3°C | 2.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 10.0°C | 10.2°C | 10.3°C |
| July high | 20.1°C | 20.2°C | 19.9°C |
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Disability touches 31% of Freshford’s population. Allowing for its ages, Freshford has 93 residents in bad health per 100 expected, about level with Co. Kilkenny’s towns (98) and below Irish towns (113). Asked at the census, 84% of residents of Freshford said they were in good or very good health.
| Census 2022 | Freshford | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| With a disability | 31% | 23% | 22% |
| Good or very good health | 84% | 88% | 88% |
| Unpaid carers | 5.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.3% | 1.8% | 2% |
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
Owners make up two thirds of households. 18% of households rent from a council or housing body.
| Housing | Freshford | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households renting privately | 12% | 19% | 22% |
| Households owning their home | 67% | 60% | 61% |
| Households in social housing | 18% | 19% | 13% |
| Median sale price | €323K | €289K | €350K |
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure · The price is for the postcode area R95, not the town alone: too few sales inside the town carry a full address.
A short walk to green space: 100% of homes, about level with Co. Kilkenny’s towns (96%) and above Irish towns (92%). Green space in Freshford adds up to 6 ha, in one park. 2 waymarked trails and greenways begin within 5 km.
| Outdoors | Freshford | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paths per km² of town | 0.5 km per km² | 0.8 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
| Near a park | 100% | 96% | 92% |
| Green space per 1,000 residents | 10.0 ha | 3.5 ha | 4.1 ha |
| Woodland within 1 km | 4.3% | 3.8% | 2.7% |
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
The forecast for Freshford beside its normal weather: a typical November day reaches 11°C and drops to 4°C at night. A dry day with a stiff breeze lies ahead today: wind building to 24 km/h, then a low of 6°C. Rain peaks later in the week on Tuesday, at about 15 mm for the day.
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 9°C | 2°C | 267 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 5°C | 195 mm |
| Summer | 20°C | 11°C | 204 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 7°C | 272 mm |
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
31% of trips took under 15 minutes, below Co. Kilkenny’s towns (39%) and close to Irish towns (31%). Employment among 15- to 64-year-olds stood at 60% at the census. At the census, 14% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train.
| Census 2022 | Freshford | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | 15% | 10% | 9.2% |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 60% | 68% | 68% |
| Average trip | 28.1 min | 23.8 min | 27.6 min |
| Median household income | €47,230 | €53,954 | €57,760 |
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.
9.2% were born abroad, below both Co. Kilkenny’s towns (22%) and Irish towns (22%). Under 15: 14% of residents. Young adults of 15 to 24 are 11% of the population.
48.2% of Freshford’s residents are women
286 women and 307 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Freshford | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 24% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 22% | 29% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 24% | 24% |
| 65+ | 25% | 14% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 17% | 9.4% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 24% | 14% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 39% | 37% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 3.5% | 6.1% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 17% | 31% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Kilkenny and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Turnout at the last local elections was 53%, above both Co. Kilkenny’s towns (50%) and Irish towns (46%). Kilkenny County Council has no ruling majority: Fianna Fáil hold 11 of its 24 seats, short of the 13 needed. Freshford sits in the Castlecomer local electoral area, which elects 6 councillors.
| Turnout | Freshford | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| General election, November 2024 | 66% | 58% | 59% |
| Local elections, June 2024 | 53% | 50% | 46% |
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
The Sites and Monuments Record lists 14 sites here, between Co. Kilkenny’s towns (84) and Irish towns (11). Before 1919: that is when 11.9% of homes were built. Surveyors for the national inventory recorded 31 buildings in Freshford, 1 of national or international importance.
| Heritage | Freshford | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 523 | 216 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 11.9% | 4.5% | 3.4% |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 14 | 84 | 11 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Pupil numbers changed −1% since 2019/20, below both Co. Kilkenny’s towns (+4%) and Irish towns (+4%). Within 3 km of Freshford there are 2 schools (2 primary schools).
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoil Lachtain DEISLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 201 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Freshford | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the DEIS scheme | 50% | 11% | 35% |
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 6% | 8% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | −1% | +4% | +4% |
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.
2 places to visit are mapped within 5 km of Freshford; with them, the best known within 40 km.
CastleKilkenny Castle14 km southeast
CathedralSaint Marys Cathedral13 km southeast
MuseumDunmore Cave11 km east
CathedralSt Canice's Cathedral and Round Tower13 km southeast
CastleFoulksrath Castle6.4 km eastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
15 notable people were born in Freshford.
Urban area in Co. Kilkenny
Freshford has 593 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)
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freshford | 593 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ballyragget | 1,116 | 8.1 | — | A− | A | C |
| Urlingford | 1,196 | 12 | — | A | A− | C+ |
| Kilkenny | 27,184 | 14 | B+ | B+ | C | B |
| Castlecomer | 1,496 | 15 | — | A | A | D |
| Rathdowney Laois | 1,368 | 19 | — | A | B− | C− |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Freshford had 593 people at the 2022 census, down from 600 in 2016: 1.2% fewer, while the median of Irish towns grew 7.6%.
The median age in Freshford is 47, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
7% mostly work from home, and 31% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
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).