AbbeyleixCo. Laois

This town in Co. Laois has a population of 1,897.

6 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Sarah777 at English Wikipedia · Public domain

Population

1,897

CSO, Census 2022 · Laois County Council

Median age

41.4

18% are 65+ · Co. Laois 10%

Degree level

32%

of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%

Walk, cycle, transit

15%

of working residents · Irish towns 23%

Is Abbeyleix a good place to live?

Abbeyleix’s strongest subject is safety (A+): 2 violent crimes and 2.3 burglaries and acts of criminal damage recorded per 1,000 residents a year. It is strong on cost of living as well — a typical home sold for €255,000, or 5.5 years of the town’s median household income. Incomes are on the low side: 63% of people aged 15 to 64 are in work, and unemployment is 11%. Natural hazards are less of a worry than in most Irish towns (A+). Radon is barely a concern: almost no homes exceed the reference level.

Figures: crime, CSO recorded crime, 2023 to 2025 · prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO · work, CSO Census 2022 · radon, EPA. Abbeyleix has subject grades but no overall grade: Irish towns get one from 2,500 residents.

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. This town's Hazard risk Grade uses radon and landslides only: open LiDAR heights don't cover enough of its homes to measure flooding, so flood isn't counted for or against it.

StrongestA⁺Hazard risk A⁺Safety A⁻Cost of livingWeakestC⁻Jobs & income

What makes Abbeyleix stand out

The 3 things Abbeyleix does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents

History

35 buildings on the national inventory

3.8 times the median of Irish towns for its size, all of regional importance.

National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.

Hazard risk

Better than 97%

of Irish towns on hazard risk

Its hazard risk grade: A+.

Safety

Better than 97%

of Irish towns on safety

Its safety grade: A+.

How Abbeyleix grades

Each subject compares Abbeyleix with Irish towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.

How grading works

Hazard riskRadon is barely a concern: almost no homes exceed the reference levelA⁺Open →Safety2 violent crimes per 1,000 residentsA⁺Open →Cost of livingHomes are very affordable for local incomesA⁻Open →Jobs & income11% unemployedC⁻Open →HealthAbove the middle of the towns comparedB⁺Open →Walkability15% walk, cycle or take a bus or train to workB⁻Open →

SchoolsNot graded in Ireland: schools’ exam results aren’t published school by school (Education Act 1998, s.53)–

How TownRatings grades Irish towns →

35 places on the register, on Abbeyleix’s outline

Abbeyleix’s story

Abbeyleix has 35 buildings on the National Inventory

Homes built before 1919: 14%, against 3% across Irish towns.

1780Building, Main Street, Abbeyleix
1800Preston House
1810Building, Pembroke Terrace, Main Street, Abbeyleix

Explore the history →

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Abbeyleix.

Natural hazardsHazard risk A⁺

Abbeyleix has low radon and steady ground, but its flood exposure isn’t measured

The ground under Abbeyleix carries no high landslide susceptibility. Radon is rarely a worry here: under 1% of homes are estimated above the reference level. Only a handful of its homes, if any, sit low beside water.

0%of homes in high-radon areasA⁺Hazard risk Grade

Homes exposed · share of the town’s homes

In high-radon areas0%

On high landslide susceptibility0%

Share of homes	Abbeyleix	Co. Laois	Ireland
In high-radon areas	0%	0%	0%
On high landslide susceptibility	0%	0%	0%

953

homes mapped for these shares

Full pageAbbeyleix’s flood & hazards pageOpen the page

Low-lying homes0% of homes · Homes low beside water GroundHigh landslide susceptibility · Irish towns 0%Radon0% of homes in high-radon areas Vs. the neighboursAhead of 4 of its 6 graded neighbours

EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.

SafetySafety A⁺

Abbeyleix has less crime per resident than nine in ten of the 156 Irish towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people

In all, 20 crimes per 1,000 residents were recorded a year, below Co. Laois’ towns (41.2) and Irish towns (54.3) alike. Assaults and harassment topped the graded crimes in Abbeyleix (2023–2025). Violent crime comes to 2 per 1,000 residents a year.

2violent incidents per 1,000 a yearA⁺Safety Grade

Compared with towns its sizeFewer incidents against residents per 1,000 than 92% of the 156 Irish towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.

More crimeLess crime

Recorded by type · per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025

Road traffic5

Theft3.8

Dangerous acts3.4

Public order2

Assault1.8

Burglary1.2

Damage1.1

Drugs0.6

Against justice0.6

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	Abbeyleix	Co. Laois	Ireland
Burglary & damage	2.3	5.4	6.4
Violent crime	2	6	5.7
All recorded crime	20	41.2	54.3
Theft	3.8	10.9	15.3

violent incidents per 1,000 a year

2.3

burglary and damage per 1,000 a year

171

incidents a year, Abbeyleix Garda area

4.3

against residents per 1,000, as graded

Full pageAbbeyleix’s safety reportOpen the page

Safety Grade2 violent incidents per 1,000 · Crime per resident in Abbeyleix runs lower than in 97% of Irish towns Crime by typeAssaults and harassment is the most common of the graded categories Vs. the neighboursAhead of all 6 graded neighbours Questions“Is Abbeyleix safe?”

CSO recorded crime by Garda station, 2023–2025, shared to towns by where residents live · Census 2022 populations

HousingCost of living A⁻

Private renting is less common in Abbeyleix than in Co. Laois’ towns or across Irish towns: 12%

Social housing holds 18% of households. Owners make up nearly two thirds of households, about level with Co. Laois’ towns (63%) and above Irish towns (61%).

€255Kmedian sale priceA⁻Cost of living Grade

Median sale price · Property Price Register, 2023–2025

Abbeyleix€255K

Co. Laois€251K

Irish towns€350K

By type	Median	Sales
Second-hand homes	€247,500	71

Housing	Abbeyleix	Co. Laois	Ireland
Households renting privately	12%	19%	22%
Households in social housing	18%	16%	13%
Median sale price	€255K	€251K	€350K
Households owning their home	66%	63%	61%

66%

own their home · Irish towns 61%

12%

rent privately · Irish towns 22%

€1,235

a month on new tenancies, County Laois

4.3

times median household income, County Laois

Full pageAbbeyleix’s cost of living pageOpen the page

Owners and renters66% own their home Cost of livingMedian sale price €255,000 Price trend€178K in 2019, €245K in 2022 Renting€1,235 a month · Average rent on new tenancies

Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure

Work & commuteJobs & income C⁻

A smaller share of people aged 15 to 64 are in work in Abbeyleix than in 79% of Irish towns

Unemployment stood at 11%, below Co. Laois’ towns (12%) but above Irish towns (9.2%). Average household income comes to €46,555 a year before tax. Driving is how 76% of commuters got to work at the census.

15%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2022

Car or van76%

Walk8%

Bus3%

Train, DART or Luas2%

Bicycle2%

Census 2022	Abbeyleix	Co. Laois	Ireland
Median household income	€46,555	€52,817	€57,760
In work, 15 to 64	63%	63%	68%
Unemployment rate	11%	12%	9.2%
Average trip	27.9 min	30.4 min	27.6 min

€46,555

median household income, 2022 · Co. Laois €59,521

worked mainly from home, 2022

11%

trips of an hour or more

3,032

on the Live Register, County Laois, September 2026

B⁻

Walkability: better than 47% of Irish towns

Full pageAbbeyleix’s work & commute pageOpen the page

Unemployment11% unemployed · Irish towns: 9.2%Getting to work15% walk, cycle or take transit Median income€46,555 a year · Median household income, before tax Benefits over time3,032 on the Live Register · −0.2% on a year earlier

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.

HealthHealth B⁺

Abbeyleix has 85 people in bad health for every 100 its ages predict, fewer than in both Co. Laois’ towns and Irish towns

At the census, 1.8% of people here described their health as bad or very bad. Ages taken into account, Abbeyleix counts 109 people with a disability for every 100 predicted. A quarter of residents have a disability, close to Co. Laois’ towns (25%) and above Irish towns (22%).

87%good or very good healthB⁺Health Grade

Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised

Bad health85

Disability109

Co. Laois154

Expected100

General health, self-reported

Good or very good 87%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 2%

Census 2022	Abbeyleix	Co. Laois	Ireland
Bad or very bad health	1.8%	2.4%	2%
With a disability	25%	25%	22%
Unpaid carers	5%	5.2%	5.4%
Good or very good health	87%	87%	88%

bad health per 100 expected · Co. Laois 154

109

disability per 100 expected · Co. Laois 126

83.2 · 80

life expectancy, women · men, the Midland region, 2016

28%

hold a medical card, HSE Dublin and Midlands

Full pageAbbeyleix’s health pageOpen the page

Health GradeBad health 85, disability 109 per 100 expected Getting care65% within 800 m of a pharmacy, 65% of a GP surgery Census health87% in good or very good health The wider areaLife expectancy: women 83.2, men 80 Vs. the neighboursAhead of all 6 graded neighbours

CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios

Schools

Pupil numbers around Abbeyleix moved −16% since 2019, below Co. Laois’ towns and Irish towns

2 schools lie within 3 km of Abbeyleix: 2 primary schools.

2schools within 3 km

School	Level	Pupils	Ethos
Scoil Mhuire Special classesLargest primary schoolPrimary	Primary	269	Catholic

See all 2 schools →

Schools by ethos · Schools within 3 km

Catholic1

Church of Ireland1

Schools within 3 km	Abbeyleix	Co. Laois	Ireland
Pupils since 2019/20	−16%	+10%	+4%
In the DEIS scheme	0%	15%	35%
Teach through Irish	0%	0%	8%

353

pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26

−16%

pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%

0.4 km

to the nearest primary school

4.5 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageAbbeyleix’s schools pageOpen the page

Pupils over time353 pupils · −16% since 2019/20 Who runs them2 schools within 3 km Language0% teach through Irish · 0 schools teach through Irish Questions“What schools are there in Abbeyleix?”

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.

Climate

Abbeyleix has colder winters than Co. Laois’ towns or Irish towns: January lows of 1.9°C

Across the year, Abbeyleix averages 9.8°C. July afternoons reach 19.9°C here, about level with Irish towns (19.9°C) and below Co. Laois’ towns (20.1°C). The nearest weather station is Oak Park, 30 km away.

19.9°CJuly afternoon high

Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages

Winter8.3°C

Spring13.2°C

Summer19.3°C

Autumn13.8°C

Climate, 1991–2020	Abbeyleix	Co. Laois	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
July high	19.9°C	20.1°C	19.9°C

19.9°C

July high

1.9°C

January low

914 mm

Rain a year

98 mm

Wettest month

Air frosts

Full pageAbbeyleix’s climate pageOpen the page

The yearSummer highs 19.3°C, winter lows 1.9°C At a glanceJuly highs 19.9°C, January lows 1.9°C Rain914 mm of rain a year · October is the wettest month, 98 mm Weather station30 km to the weather station · Oak Park

Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.

Outdoors

Woodland runs close to Abbeyleix: 13% of the land within 1 km, more than in both Co. Laois’ towns and Irish towns

Within 5 km, 4.9% of the land is protected nature, above both Co. Laois’ towns (1.6%) and Irish towns (1.8%). 3 parks, 7 ha of green space: that is the measure of Abbeyleix’s parkland.

68%of homes near green space

Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents

Abbeyleix3.8 ha

Co. Laois1.4 ha

Irish towns4.1 ha

Outdoors	Abbeyleix	Co. Laois	Ireland
Woodland within 1 km	13%	2.5%	2.7%
Near a park	68%	71%	92%
Protected nature within 5 km	4.9%	1.6%	1.8%
Paths per km² of town	0.5 km per km²	0.6 km per km²	2.1 km per km²

68%

Near a park

3.8 ha

Green space

7 km

Footpaths

4.9%

Protected for nature

Full pageAbbeyleix’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Protected nature4.9% of the land within 5 km · No protected site within 5 km Green space nearby68% of homes within 400 m Parks3.8 ha per 1,000 residents · 7 ha of green space, 3 parks Paths and trails7 km of paths · 4 trails and greenways within 5 km

OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.

Weather

Weather in Abbeyleix: partly cloudy today, up to 11 degrees

Today stays dry but breezy, with wind up to 22 km/h and a low of 4°C. Tuesday stands out as the wet day ahead, with roughly 3 mm. For Abbeyleix, a normal November afternoon peaks at 10°C, and a normal night bottoms out at 4°C.

11°C / 4°CToday

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	246 mm
Spring	13°C	5°C	182 mm
Summer	19°C	11°C	218 mm
Autumn	14°C	6°C	268 mm

11°C / 4°C

Today

None

Rain, next 24 hours

13 km/h

Wind

95%

Humidity

9 h 20 min

Daylight

Full pageAbbeyleix’s weather pageOpen the page

Next 24 hoursNone Rain, next 24 hours · Staying mostly dry The week ahead11°C / 4°C Today · A normal 4 November: 12°C / 5°C Warnings & more9 h 20 min Daylight · 07:32 to 16:53

Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020

Who lives here

An older town: 18% of people in Abbeyleix are 65 or over, more than in both Co. Laois’ towns and Irish towns

Nearly a third of adults hold a degree. Children under 15 make up 19%, below Co. Laois’ towns (23%) and close to Irish towns (20%). People aged 15 to 24 make up 11% of the town.

41.4median age

AbbeyleixCo. LaoisIreland

Co. LaoisIreland

Ages · share of residents

18%

Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education

Primary or none11%

Lower secondary15%

Leaving Cert36%

Diploma or cert6%

Degree or higher32%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 51.2% of Abbeyleix

972 women and 925 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.

Ages and education in Abbeyleix
	Abbeyleix	Co. Laois	Ireland
Under 15	19%	23%	20%
15–24	11%	13%	12%
25–44	25%	29%	29%
45–64	26%	24%	24%
65+	18%	10%	14%
Primary or none	11%	11%	9.7%
Lower secondary	15%	17%	14%
Leaving Cert	36%	41%	35%
Diploma or cert	5.6%	6.3%	5.8%
Degree or higher	32%	23%	36%

Full pageAbbeyleix’s Who lives here pageOpen the page

Ages41.4 median age · 18% are 65 or over Households754 households · 2.5 people per household Where born15% born outside Ireland Irish speakers41% can speak Irish · 1.4% speak Irish daily outside school

CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Laois and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+

Town hall

Portlaoise drew one of the most crowded ballots at the 2024 local elections: 20 candidates for 7 seats

Fianna Fáil lead Laois County Council with 6 of 19 seats, but no party has a majority: 10 are needed. Laois County Council runs Abbeyleix: Ireland has one tier of local government, with no town council below it. 48% of voters turned out at the last local elections, between Co. Laois’ towns (51%) and Irish towns (46%).

6/19seats held by Fianna Fáil

Seats on Laois County · June 2024

Fianna Fáil6

Fine Gael5

Independent5

Sinn Féin2

Labour Party1

Turnout	Abbeyleix	Co. Laois	Ireland
Local elections, June 2024	48%	51%	46%
General election, November 2024	58%	58%	59%

Councillors

6/19

Fianna Fáil seats on Laois County, the largest party

48%

turnout, June 2024

TDs elected for Laois

Full pageAbbeyleix’s town hall & politics pageOpen the page

Who’s in chargeNo majority: Fianna Fáil lead with 6 of 19 (10 needed)Councillors7 councillors · Portlaoise How Abbeyleix voted48% turned out · Local elections, June 2024 · Co. Laois towns 51%TDs3 TDs · Laois

Department of Housing count sheets, 2024

History

For its size, Abbeyleix has more listed heritage than Co. Laois’ towns or Irish towns: 185 inventory buildings per 10,000 residents

14% of homes were built before 1919. The national inventory of architectural heritage lists 35 buildings in Abbeyleix, each rated of regional importance.

35inventory buildings

Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH

International0

National0

Regional35

Among them

sites on the Sites and Monuments Record

1780

earliest dated inventory building

14%

homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%

places pictured on the history page

Heritage	Abbeyleix	Co. Laois	Ireland
Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents	185	79	48
Homes built before 1919	14%	5.1%	3.4%
Archaeological sites on the record	0	14	11

Full pageAbbeyleix’s history pageOpen the page

NIAH buildings35 buildings on the inventory Older homes14% built before 1919 · Irish towns: 3%Monuments0 sites · On the Sites and Monuments Record Questions“How many historic buildings are there in Abbeyleix?”

NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built

Nearby attractions

Abbeyleix Heritage House and 4 more in and around Abbeyleix

Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Abbeyleix. Best known first.

All attractions →

MuseumMuseumAbbeyleix Heritage Housein town

Garden · Office of Public WorksHeywood House Gardens3.2 km outside town, to the southeast Art galleryArt galleryBramleyin town GardenGardenHeywood Gardens2.6 km outside town, to the southeast GardenGardenFruitlawn Garden2.5 km outside town, to the west

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (1)

Heywood House Gardens: Liam Hughes from Milwaukee, WI, USA, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Abbeyleix

15pages on Abbeyleix

The big questions

SafetyA⁺Housing & costA⁻Property pricesSchoolsHealthB⁺Work & commuteC⁻Natural hazardsA⁺0% of homes in high-radon areas

Out and about

OutdoorsAttractionsClimateWeather

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 41.4 History35 buildings on the National Inventory Town hallFamous people8 notable people born here

Landmarks

The national inventory of architectural heritage lists 35 buildings in Abbeyleix, each rated of regional importance.

All historic buildings →

NIAH: Regional

Building, Main Street, Abbeyleix1780

NIAH: Regional

Preston HouseAssembly rooms · 1800

NIAH: Regional

Building, Pembroke Terrace, Main Street, Abbeyleix1810

NIAH: Regional

Post office, Pembroke Terrace, Main Street, AbbeyleixPost office · 1810

Famous people from Abbeyleix

8 notable people were born in Abbeyleix.

See all 8 →

Jonah BarringtonIrish lawyer, judge and politician · 1760–1834

William S. O'BrienAmerican banker, Mining millionaire (1825 –1878)

Sarah Venie BarrIrish political activist and philanthropist (1875-1947)

Joseph Ferguson PeacockeIrish bishop (1835–1916)

Tim BerginIrish rugby league footballer · born 1985

Enda RowlandIrish hurler · born 1995

Abbeyleix’s neighbours

The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.

MountrathBallyraggetPortlaoiseCastlecomerStradballyRathdowneyAbbeyleix

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Abbeyleix	1,897	—	—	A⁻	A⁺	B⁺
Mountrath	2,070	13	—	A	B⁻	C⁻
Ballyragget Kilkenny	1,116	14	—	A⁻	A	C
Portlaoise	23,494	14	C⁻	B⁺	D	C⁻
Castlecomer Kilkenny	1,496	16	—	A	A	D
Stradbally	1,404	18	—	A⁻	B⁻	D
Rathdowney	1,368	18	—	A	B⁻	C⁻

People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.

Questions about Abbeyleix

Is Abbeyleix growing?

Abbeyleix had 1,897 people at the 2022 census, up from 1,770 in 2016: 7.2% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.

How old are the people of Abbeyleix?

The median age in Abbeyleix is 41.4, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.

How do people in Abbeyleix get to work?

8% mostly work from home, and 37% of journeys take under 15 minutes.

About Abbeyleix

Urban area in Co. Laois

1,897 people live in Abbeyleix, in the area of Laois 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: 1,897 (CSO, Census 2022)
County: Laois
Council: Laois County Council
Local electoral area: Portlaoise
Dáil constituency: Laois
Name in Irish: Mainistir Laoise
Area: 0.7 sq mi (1.8 km²)
CSO code: UA:08171

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).