Shanagolden’s story
Shanagolden: 7 buildings on the National Inventory
The record adds 6 archaeological sites.
Homes built before 1919: 10%, against 3% across Irish towns.
- 1800Bridge, Shanagolden
- 1810Shanagolden Church
- 1850The Old Dispensary
ShanagoldenCo. Limerick
150 people call this town in Co. Limerick home.
Population
150
CSO, Census 2022 · Limerick City and County Council
Median age
51.8
31% are 65+ · Co. Limerick 15%
Degree level
16%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
10%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Shanagolden a good place to live?
At a median €311,900, a home costs 6.2 times the town’s median household income. Residents born outside Ireland: 7%. Of those who commute, 10% go on foot, by bike or by public transport. A degree is held by 16% of adults.
At under 1,000 residents, Shanagolden is too small for the grades Irish towns get.
What makes Shanagolden stand out
The 3 things Shanagolden does most differently from other towns.
Born outside Ireland
Who lives here
Against 22% in the median of Irish towns
CSO, Census 2022
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
10% walk, cycle or ride
Against 23% in the median of Irish towns
CSO, Census 2022
Degree or higher, residents 15+
Education
Against 36% in the median of Irish towns
CSO, Census 2022
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Shanagolden.
Schools
Pupil numbers around Shanagolden moved −21% since 2019, below Co. Limerick’s towns and Irish towns
Within 3 km of Shanagolden there is one school. 92 pupils attend the one school within 3 km of the town.
1schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shanagolden N.S.Largest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 92 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Shanagolden | Co. Limerick | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils since 2019/20 | −21% | +3% | +4% |
| In the DEIS scheme | 0% | 46% | 35% |
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 12% | 8% |
92
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
−21%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
0.8 km
to the nearest primary school
9.3 km
to the nearest secondary school
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · No letters, no results: Irish schools aren’t ranked one by one.
Natural hazards
Radon in Shanagolden: an estimated 8.1% of homes are above the reference level
Landslides: none of Shanagolden lies in a high-susceptibility zone. 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 | Shanagolden | Co. Limerick | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| On high landslide susceptibility | 0% | 0% | 0% |
103
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Climate
Shanagolden has cooler summers than Co. Limerick’s towns or Irish towns: July highs of 19.3°C
A year brings 1,185 mm of rain, above Co. Limerick’s towns (1,034 mm) and Irish towns (937 mm) alike. December is the wettest month in Shanagolden, with 138 mm of rain on average. The nearest weather station is Shannon Airport, 18 km away.
19.3°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter9.2°C
Spring13.3°C
Summer18.9°C
Autumn14.3°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Shanagolden | Co. Limerick | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 19.3°C | 19.9°C | 19.9°C |
| Rain a year | 1,185 mm | 1,034 mm | 937 mm |
| Average temperature over the year | 10.4°C | 10.5°C | 10.3°C |
| January low | 3.0°C | 2.9°C | 2.9°C |
19.3°C
July high
3.0°C
January low
1,185 mm
Rain a year
138 mm
Wettest month
18
Air frosts
1,338 hrs
Sunshine
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Health
For its ages, Shanagolden reports less bad health than Co. Limerick’s towns or Irish towns: 87 per 100 expected
31% of residents have a disability, above both Co. Limerick’s towns (25%) and Irish towns (22%). Weighed against its ages, disability in Shanagolden runs at 126 per 100 expected. Asked at the census, 84% of residents of Shanagolden said they were in good or very good health.
84%good or very good health
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health87
Disability126
Co. Limerick171
Expected100
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 84%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 2%
| Census 2022 | Shanagolden | Co. Limerick | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| With a disability | 31% | 25% | 22% |
| Unpaid carers | 6.7% | 5.5% | 5.4% |
| Good or very good health | 84% | 86% | 88% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.1% | 2.9% | 2% |
87
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Limerick 171
126
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
Few households rent privately in Shanagolden: 11%, fewer than in Co. Limerick’s towns and Irish towns
Home ownership stands at 72% of households. Social housing holds 14% of households, about level with Irish towns (13%) and above Co. Limerick’s towns (13%).
€312Kmedian sale price
Median sale price · Eircode area, 2023–2025
Shanagolden€312K
Co. Limerick€312K
Irish towns€350K
| Housing | Shanagolden | Co. Limerick | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households renting privately | 11% | 27% | 22% |
| Households owning their home | 72% | 59% | 61% |
72%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
11%
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 · The price is for the postcode area V94, not the town alone: too few sales inside the town carry a full address.
Outdoors
More green space per head in Shanagolden than Co. Limerick’s towns or Irish towns: 18.3 ha per 1,000 residents
A short walk to green space: 100% of homes, above Co. Limerick’s towns (91%) and Irish towns (92%) alike. Its paths and tracks come to 0.1 km per km², below Co. Limerick’s towns (2.5 km per km²) and Irish towns (2.1 km per km²) alike.
100%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Shanagolden18.3 ha
Co. Limerick4.7 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Shanagolden | Co. Limerick | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paths per km² of town | 0.1 km per km² | 2.5 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 10% | 9.6% | 1.8% |
| Green space per 1,000 residents | 18.3 ha | 4.7 ha | 4.1 ha |
| Near a park | 100% | 91% | 92% |
100%
Near a park
18.3 ha
Green space
0 km
Footpaths
10%
Protected for nature
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
What today holds for Shanagolden: partly cloudy, up to 11 degrees
Set beside Shanagolden’s forecast, a normal November runs from 5°C at night to 11°C by day. Today stays dry but breezy, with wind up to 20 km/h and a low of 5°C. By December, a normal day reaches 9°C and a normal night 4°C.
11°C / 5°CToday
This month and the next three, normal highs · 1991–2020 averages
November11°C
December9°C
January9°C
February9°C
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 9°C | 3°C | 370 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 5°C | 228 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 11°C | 254 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 7°C | 333 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 Shanagolden walk, cycle or take the bus or train than in Co. Limerick’s towns or Irish towns: 9.6%
Unemployment stood at 7%, below Co. Limerick’s towns (11%) and Irish towns (9.2%) alike. By car: that was how 84% of commuters travelled at the census. Employment among 15- to 64-year-olds stood at 70% at the census.
10%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van84%
Walk5%
Bus3%
Bicycle2%
| Census 2022 | Shanagolden | Co. Limerick | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In work, 15 to 64 | 70% | 61% | 68% |
| Unemployment rate | 7% | 11% | 9.2% |
| Average trip | 29.2 min | 23 min | 27.6 min |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 26% | 37% | 31% |
€50,100
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Limerick €55,952
6%
worked mainly from home, 2022
10%
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
Fewer children live in Shanagolden than in Co. Limerick’s towns or Irish towns: 6.7% are under 15
Just over a tenth of the population is aged 15 to 24, lower than both Co. Limerick’s towns (13%) and Irish towns (12%). One measure of its mix: 7.3% of residents were born abroad.
51.8median age
ShanagoldenCo. LimerickIreland
Ages · share of residents
31%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none17%
Lower secondary23%
Leaving Cert43%
Diploma or cert2%
Degree or higher16%
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 50.7% of Shanagolden
76 women and 74 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Shanagolden | Co. Limerick | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 6.7% | 17% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 13% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 24% | 31% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 23% | 24% |
| 65+ | 31% | 15% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 17% | 11% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 23% | 16% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 43% | 35% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 1.8% | 5.6% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 16% | 31% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Limerick and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
More people in Shanagolden voted at the general election than in Co. Limerick’s towns or Irish towns: 61%
52% of voters turned out at the last local elections. Limerick City and County Council is led by a mayor its voters elect: John Moran (Independent), elected on 7 June 2024. Fine Gael lead Limerick City and County Council with 13 of 40 seats, but no party has a majority: 21 are needed.
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 | Shanagolden | 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
Shanagolden is dense with heritage: 467 inventory buildings per 10,000 residents, more than Co. Limerick’s towns or Irish towns
9.7% of homes were built before 1919. 6 archaeological sites are on the record, lower than both Co. Limerick’s towns (10) and Irish towns (11). The national inventory of architectural heritage lists 7 buildings in Shanagolden, each rated of regional importance.
7inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional7
Among them
- Bridge, Shanagolden 1800
- Shanagolden Church 1810
- The Old Dispensary 1850
- Water pump, Shanagolden 1870
1800
earliest dated inventory building
10%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
| Heritage | Shanagolden | Co. Limerick | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 467 | 15 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 9.7% | 3.8% | 3.4% |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Nearby attractions
All attractions →St. Katherine's Abbey, Monisternagalliaghduff and 3 more in and around Shanagolden
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Shanagolden. Best known first.
Abbey or prioryAbbey or priorySt. Katherine's Abbey, Monisternagalliaghduff2.2 km outside town, to the eastMuseumMuseumFoynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum3.7 km outside town, to the northGardenGardenKnockpatrick Gardens1.5 km outside town, to the northMuseumMuseumFoynes Island Viewpoint4 km outside town, to the north
Places: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0) · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Shanagolden
15pages on Shanagolden
Landmarks
The national inventory of architectural heritage lists 7 buildings in Shanagolden, each rated of regional importance. 6 archaeological sites are on the record here.
Famous people from around Shanagolden
No notable person born in Shanagolden 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 · 1901–1980B
Bill MulcahyIrish rugby union player · born in Rathkeale · 1935–2025G
Gilbert HewsonIrish politician · born in Askeaton · ?–1951Photo credits
William Travers: Photographer unidentified, Public domain
Shanagolden’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
AskeatonRathkealeNewcastle WestShanagolden
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shanagolden | 150 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Askeaton | 1,236 | 8.9 | — | B | B− | D |
| Rathkeale | 1,231 | 13 | — | B− | B− | D− |
| Newcastle West | 7,209 | 14 | A− | A | B+ | C |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Shanagolden
How do people in Shanagolden get to work?
6% mostly work from home, and 26% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
Is Shanagolden growing?
Shanagolden had 150 people at the 2022 census, down from 151 in 2016: 0.7% fewer, while the median of Irish towns grew 7.6%.
How old are the people of Shanagolden?
The median age in Shanagolden is 51.8, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
About Shanagolden
Urban area in Co. Limerick
Shanagolden has 150 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
- 150 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Limerick
- Council
- Limerick City and County Council
- Local electoral area
- Adare-Rathkeale
- Dáil constituency
- Limerick County
- Name in Irish
- Seanghualainn
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:21533
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).