Foynes’ story
Foynes: 19% of homes built before 1919
29 buildings on the National Inventory inside Foynes.
The record adds 1 archaeological site.
- 1840Harbour, Foynes
- 1850Áras Íde
- 1850Brentwood House
FoynesCo. Limerick
The town, home to 512 people, lies in Co. Limerick.
4 places within 19 kmMap →
Photo: Sean an Scuab · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
512
CSO, Census 2022 · Limerick City and County Council
Median age
46.1
23% are 65+ · Co. Limerick 15%
Degree level
23%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
9%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Foynes a good place to live?
Homes sell for a median €176,000, about 3.5 times what a household here earns in a year. 9% of commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. 29 of its buildings are on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Over-65s are nearly a quarter of the population.
Foynes has no grades yet: Irish towns are graded from 1,000 residents up.
What makes Foynes stand out
The 3 things Foynes does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
9% walk, cycle or ride
Against 23% in the median of Irish towns
CSO, Census 2022
Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents
History
29 buildings on the national inventory
11.8 times the median of Irish towns for its size, all of regional importance.
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
23% are 65 or over
Against 14% in the median of Irish towns
CSO, Census 2022
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Foynes.
Natural hazards
82% of Foynes’s homes stand low beside the Foynes Harbour, more than in 97% of Irish towns
The EPA’s radon map puts 5% of homes in Foynes above the reference level. 4.9% of homes stand on ground with high landslide susceptibility, above Co. Limerick’s towns (0%) and Irish towns (0%) alike.
0%of homes in high-radon areas
Homes exposed · share of the town’s homes
Low-lying beside water82%
In high-radon areas0%
On high landslide susceptibility4.9%
Low-lying near a river82%
Low-lying near the coast0%
| Share of homes | Foynes | Co. Limerick | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| On high landslide susceptibility | 4.9% | 0% | 0% |
| Low-lying near a river | 82% | 9.3% | 0.5% |
319
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Climate
Foynes is wetter than Co. Limerick’s towns or Irish towns: 1,144 mm of rain a year
In July, daytime highs in Foynes average 19.7°C. A January night in Foynes drops to 3.3°C on average, above Co. Limerick’s towns (2.9°C) and Irish towns (2.9°C) alike. Across the year, Foynes averages 10.7°C.
19.7°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter9.5°C
Spring13.7°C
Summer19.2°C
Autumn14.7°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Foynes | Co. Limerick | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rain a year | 1,144 mm | 1,034 mm | 937 mm |
| Average temperature over the year | 10.7°C | 10.5°C | 10.3°C |
| January low | 3.3°C | 2.9°C | 2.9°C |
| July high | 19.7°C | 19.9°C | 19.9°C |
19.7°C
July high
3.3°C
January low
1,144 mm
Rain a year
132 mm
Wettest month
18
Air frosts
1,338 hrs
Sunshine
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Health
More people in Foynes have a disability than its ages would predict: 123 per 100 expected, above Co. Limerick’s towns and Irish towns
At the census, 2.8% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, near Co. Limerick’s towns (2.9%) and higher than Irish towns (2%). Ages taken into account, Foynes counts 121 people in poor health for every 100 predicted. Unpaid caring falls to 8.8% of Foynes’ residents.
84%good or very good health
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health121
Disability123
Co. Limerick171
Expected100
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 84%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2022 | Foynes | Co. Limerick | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unpaid carers | 8.8% | 5.5% | 5.4% |
| With a disability | 30% | 25% | 22% |
| Good or very good health | 84% | 86% | 88% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.8% | 2.9% | 2% |
121
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Limerick 171
123
disability per 100 expected · Co. Limerick 115
82.5 · 79
life expectancy, women · men, the Mid-West region, 2016
31%
hold a medical card, HSE Midwest
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
Housing
More households own their home in Foynes than in Co. Limerick’s towns or across Irish towns: 74%
10% of households live in social housing. Private renters make up 15% of households, below both Co. Limerick’s towns (27%) and Irish towns (22%).
€176Kmedian sale price
Median sale price · Property Price Register, 2023–2025
Foynes€176K
Co. Limerick€312K
Irish towns€350K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Second-hand homes | €176,000 | 33 |
| Housing | Foynes | Co. Limerick | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | €176K | €312K | €350K |
| Households owning their home | 74% | 59% | 61% |
| Households renting privately | 15% | 27% | 22% |
| Households in social housing | 10% | 13% | 13% |
74%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
15%
rent privately · Irish towns 22%
€1,619
a month on new tenancies, County Limerick
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure
Outdoors
More woodland lies at the edge of Foynes than Co. Limerick’s towns or Irish towns: 13% of the land within 1 km
A park or green space is within 400 m for 100% of homes. Among the protected sites near Foynes is Lower River Shannon SAC. Protected sites cover 37% of the land within 5 km, above both Co. Limerick’s towns (9.6%) and Irish towns (1.8%).
100%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Foynes4.4 ha
Co. Limerick4.7 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Foynes | Co. Limerick | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected nature within 5 km | 37% | 9.6% | 1.8% |
| Woodland within 1 km | 13% | 1.5% | 2.7% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.2 km per km² | 2.5 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
| Near a park | 100% | 91% | 92% |
100%
Near a park
4.4 ha
Green space
1 km
Footpaths
37%
Protected for nature
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
Up to 11 degrees in Foynes today, partly cloudy
Plan indoor things for Tuesday, when about 5 mm of rain is forecast. In November a normal day reaches 12°C and a normal night 5°C; the forecast for Foynes below sets each day against them. Today stays dry but breezy, with wind up to 20 km/h and a low of 5°C.
11°C / 5°CToday
This month and the next three, normal highs · 1991–2020 averages
November12°C
December10°C
January9°C
February10°C
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 10°C | 3°C | 354 mm |
| Spring | 14°C | 6°C | 220 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 12°C | 248 mm |
| Autumn | 15°C | 8°C | 323 mm |
11°C / 5°C
Today
None
Rain, next 24 hours
12 km/h
Wind
94%
Humidity
9 h 22 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Foynes walk, cycle or take the bus or train than in Co. Limerick’s towns or Irish towns: 8.5%
In work: 66% of residents aged 15 to 64, above Co. Limerick’s towns (61%) but below Irish towns (68%). The car carried 85% of commuters at the census. Working from home was the norm for 6.5% of workers at the census.
9%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van85%
Walk7%
Bicycle1%
Bus1%
| Census 2022 | Foynes | Co. Limerick | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trips under 15 minutes | 46% | 37% | 31% |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 66% | 61% | 68% |
| Unemployment rate | 8.7% | 11% | 9.2% |
| Average trip | 26.6 min | 23 min | 27.6 min |
€50,100
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Limerick €55,952
7%
worked mainly from home, 2022
8%
trips of an hour or more
11,541
on the Live Register, County Limerick, 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
Foynes skews older, with 23% of residents 65 or over, more than Co. Limerick’s towns or Irish towns
11% were born abroad, lower than both Co. Limerick’s towns (19%) and Irish towns (22%). One measure of family life: 15% of residents are under 15. People aged 15 to 24 make up 12% of the town.
46.1median age
FoynesCo. LimerickIreland
Ages · share of residents
23%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none13%
Lower secondary16%
Leaving Cert42%
Diploma or cert6%
Degree or higher23%
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 49.8% of Foynes
255 women and 257 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Foynes | Co. Limerick | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 17% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 12% | 13% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 23% | 31% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 23% | 24% |
| 65+ | 23% | 15% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 13% | 11% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 16% | 16% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 42% | 35% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 5.7% | 5.6% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 23% | 31% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Limerick and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
More people in Foynes voted at the general election than in Co. Limerick’s towns or Irish towns: 61%
Local elections drew 52% of voters to the polls last time. With 13 of 40 seats, Fine Gael are the largest group on Limerick City and County Council, short of the 21 a majority needs. Limerick City and County Council is led by a mayor its voters elect: John Moran (Independent), elected on 7 June 2024.
13/40seats held by Fine Gael
Seats on Limerick City and County · June 2024
Fine Gael13
Fianna Fáil10
Independent5
Sinn Féin3
Labour Party3
Independent Ireland2
Social Democrats2
Aontú1
| Turnout | Foynes | Co. Limerick | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| General election, November 2024 | 61% | 55% | 59% |
| Local elections, June 2024 | 52% | 48% | 46% |
6
Councillors
13/40
Fine Gael seats on Limerick City and County, the largest party
52%
turnout, June 2024
3
TDs elected for Limerick County
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
History
Foynes is dense with heritage: 566 inventory buildings per 10,000 residents, more than Co. Limerick’s towns or Irish towns
Homes from before 1919 make up nearly a fifth of the total, higher than both Co. Limerick’s towns (3.8%) and Irish towns (3.4%). 1 archaeological sites are on the record. One archaeological site is on the record here.
29inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional29
Among them
- Harbour, Foynes 1840
- Áras Íde 1850
- Brentwood House 1850
- Foynes Railway Station 1850
1
sites on the Sites and Monuments Record
1840
earliest dated inventory building
19%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
| Heritage | Foynes | Co. Limerick | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 566 | 15 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 19.2% | 3.8% | 3.4% |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 1 | 10 | 11 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum and 3 more in and around Foynes
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Foynes. Best known first.
MuseumMuseumFoynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museumin townAbbey or prioryAbbey or priorySt. Katherine's Abbey, Monisternagalliaghduff4.4 km outside town, to the southeastGardenGardenKnockpatrick Gardens1.5 km outside town, to the southMuseumMuseumFoynes Island Viewpoint100 m outside town, to the west
Places: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0) · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Foynes
15pages on Foynes
Landmarks
The national inventory of architectural heritage lists 29 buildings in Foynes, each rated of regional importance. One archaeological site is on the record here.
Famous people from around Foynes
No notable person born in Foynes is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
A
Alexander CarteIrish paleozoologist (1805-1881) · born in Newcastle WestC
Cliodhna CussenIrish sculptor · born in Newcastle West · 1932–2022D
Denis CussenRugby union player · born in Newcastle West · 1901–1980A
Aisling O'LoughlinTV journalist · born in Shannon · born 1978B
Bill MulcahyIrish rugby union player · born in Rathkeale · 1935–2025Photo credits
William Travers: Photographer unidentified, Public domain
Foynes’ neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
AskeatonRathkealeNewcastle WestShannonFoynes
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foynes | 512 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Askeaton | 1,236 | 8.5 | — | B | B− | D |
| Rathkeale | 1,231 | 15 | — | B− | B− | D− |
| Newcastle West | 7,209 | 18 | A− | A | B+ | C |
| Shannon Clare | 10,256 | 19 | B | B+ | B− | C |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Foynes
How old are the people of Foynes?
The median age in Foynes is 46.1, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
How do people in Foynes get to work?
7% mostly work from home, and 46% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
Is Foynes growing?
Foynes had 512 people at the 2022 census, down from 515 in 2016: 0.6% fewer, while the median of Irish towns grew 7.6%.
About Foynes
Urban area in Co. Limerick
Foynes has 512 people, in the area of Limerick City and 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
- 512 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Limerick
- Council
- Limerick City and County Council
- Local electoral area
- Adare-Rathkeale
- Dáil constituency
- Limerick County
- Name in Irish
- Faing
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi (1 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:21532
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).