Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Its architectural heritage runs to 84 buildings on the national inventory. This town in Co. Monaghan has a population of 5,745.
Mostly strong, with a single weak spot. It does especially well on cost of living (B+) — home prices sit at a median €250,000, which is 5.4 years of the town’s median household income. Jobs and pay trail most towns: 66% of people aged 15 to 64 are in work, and unemployment is 12%. Put together, the subjects come to a B overall, ranking #128 of 320 Irish towns. Nationally, it does better than three fifths of Irish towns. The rest of its grades are middling: C+ for safety and C+ for walkability.
Figures: prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO · work and commuting, CSO Census 2022 · crime, CSO recorded crime, 2023 to 2025.
The 3 things Carrickmacross does most differently from other towns.
Each subject compares Carrickmacross 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 TownRatings grades Irish towns →
The record adds 17 archaeological sites.
Homes built before 1919: 5%, against 3% across Irish towns.
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Carrickmacross.
Within 3 km of Carrickmacross there are 6 schools (3 primary schools and 3 secondary schools). Single-sex secondaries: 67%, above Irish towns (39%). The nearest secondary, St Louis Secondary School, is 0.2 km away.
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoil Rois GaelscoilLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 260 | Catholic |
| Inver College DEISLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · ETB | Post-primary · ETB | 733 | Multi-denominational |
| Schools within 3 km | Carrickmacross | Co. Monaghan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teach through Irish | 17% | – | 8% |
| Single-sex secondaries | 67% | – | 39% |
| In the DEIS scheme | 17% | – | 35% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +8% | – | +4% |
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · Ireland publishes no results school by school, so these cards carry no letters or results.
Radon is rarely a worry in Carrickmacross: under 1% of homes are estimated above the reference level. On high landslide susceptibility: 0.2% of homes, about level with Irish towns (0%).
| Share of homes | Carrickmacross | Co. Monaghan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| On high landslide susceptibility | 0.2% | – | 0% |
| Low-lying near a river | 0.7% | – | 0.5% |
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Unemployment stood at 12%, higher than Irish towns (9.2%). Home was the main workplace for 6.5% of workers at the census. On foot, by bike or by bus and train: that was how 17% of commuters travelled at the census.
| Census 2022 | Carrickmacross | Co. Monaghan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trips under 15 minutes | 45% | – | 31% |
| Unemployment rate | 12% | – | 9.2% |
| Median household income | €46,294 | – | €57,760 |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 66% | – | 68% |
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.
Owners make up just over half of households, lower than Irish towns (61%). Social renters account for just over a fifth of households. Prices in Carrickmacross have kept pace with Irish towns since 2010: the typical sale is up 78%, to €275K in 2025, against 77%. Private renters make up 26% of households.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| New homes | €324,000 | 54 |
| Second-hand homes | €220,000 | 249 |
| The last 12 months | €300,000 | 101 |
| Housing | Carrickmacross | Co. Monaghan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households in social housing | 21% | – | 13% |
| Rent on a new tenancy, a month | €1,121 | – | €1,606 |
| Median sale price | €250K | – | €350K |
| Households owning their home | 51% | – | 61% |
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure
Ages taken into account, Carrickmacross counts 139 people in poor health for every 100 predicted. At the census, 18% of people here had a disability, below Irish towns (22%). Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 2.4% of the town.
| Census 2022 | Carrickmacross | Co. Monaghan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| With a disability | 18% | – | 22% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.4% | – | 2% |
| Unpaid carers | 5% | – | 5.4% |
| Good or very good health | 87% | – | 88% |
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
Across the year it averages 9.8°C, lower than Irish towns (10.3°C). December is the wettest month in Carrickmacross, with 97 mm of rain on average. The nearest weather station is Ballyhaise, 40 km away.
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Carrickmacross | Co. Monaghan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 2.0°C | – | 2.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 9.8°C | – | 10.3°C |
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Green space in Carrickmacross adds up to 6 ha, across 2 parks. Woodland covers 5.5% of the land within 1 km, above Irish towns (2.7%).
| Outdoors | Carrickmacross | Co. Monaghan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near a park | 64% | – | 92% |
| Woodland within 1 km | 5.5% | – | 2.7% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.3 km per km² | – | 2.1 km per km² |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 0% | – | 1.8% |
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
What counts as normal for Carrickmacross in November: highs come to 10°C and lows to 4°C. There may be a drop or two today, little to measure, with wind freshening to 22 km/h and a low of 6°C. The coming days top out somewhere between 7°C and 11°C; Thursday looks warmest.
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 8°C | 2°C | 257 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 5°C | 192 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 11°C | 223 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 7°C | 260 mm |
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Daily Irish speakers outside school: 1.3%, above Irish towns (1.1%). Among adults, 28% have a degree. Under-15s account for just over a fifth of the population.
Women make up 52.3% of Carrickmacross
3,005 women and 2,740 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Carrickmacross | Co. Monaghan | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 22% | – | 20% |
| 15–24 | 12% | – | 12% |
| 25–44 | 30% | – | 29% |
| 45–64 | 23% | – | 24% |
| 65+ | 13% | – | 14% |
| Primary or none | 13% | – | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 16% | – | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 36% | – | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 6.3% | – | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 28% | – | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Monaghan and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
55% of voters turned out at the last local elections. Monaghan County Council is the council for Carrickmacross, and the only one: Ireland has a single tier of local government. No party holds a majority on Monaghan County Council: Sinn Féin lead with 8 of 18 seats, short of the 10 needed.
| Turnout | Carrickmacross | Co. Monaghan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| General election, November 2024 | 64% | – | 59% |
| Local elections, June 2024 | 55% | – | 46% |
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
17 archaeological sites are on the record, higher than Irish towns (11). 5.2% of homes were built before 1919. Surveyors for the national inventory recorded 84 buildings in Carrickmacross, 1 of national or international importance.
| Heritage | Carrickmacross | Co. Monaghan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 146 | – | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 5.2% | – | 3.4% |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
The graded crime recorded most in Carrickmacross was assaults and harassment (2023–2025). Thefts came to 4 per 1,000 a year (not part of the grade), below Irish towns (15.3). Also worth knowing: the overall crime rate is 40.8 per 1,000 residents a year.
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 | Carrickmacross | Co. Monaghan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theft | 4 | – | 15.3 |
| All recorded crime | 40.8 | – | 54.3 |
CSO recorded crime by Garda station, 2023–2025, shared to towns by where residents live · Census 2022 populations
2 places to visit are mapped within 5 km of Carrickmacross; with them, the best known within 40 km.
Historic houseKells High Crosses30 km south
CastleSlane Castle31 km south
CastleCabra Castle7.7 km southwest
Abbey or priory · Office of Public WorksOld Mellifont Abbey31 km southeast
Historic houseMonasterboice High Cross and Round Tower29 km southeastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Surveyors for the national inventory recorded 84 buildings in Carrickmacross, 1 of national or international importance. 17 archaeological sites are on the record here.
11 notable people were born in Carrickmacross.
Ardal O'Hanlon: Conor, CC BY 3.0 · Thomas Henry FitzGerald: Williamson,_Fitzgerald,_Brandon.jpg : not stated derivative work: Schwede66, Public domain · Elizabeth A. Johnson: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrickmacross | 5,745 | — | B | B+ | C+ | B+ |
| Kingscourt Cavan | 2,955 | 10 | B+ | B+ | B− | B+ |
| Castleblayney | 3,926 | 16 | C+ | A− | C+ | C+ |
| Ardee Louth | 5,478 | 18 | C | B− | C | B− |
| Bailieborough Cavan | 2,974 | 18 | B+ | A | C | A− |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Carrickmacross had 5,745 people at the 2022 census, up from 5,199 in 2016: 10.5% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
The median age in Carrickmacross is 36.9, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns. 22% of residents are under 15 and 13% are 65 or over.
Urban area in Co. Monaghan
Carrickmacross has 5,745 people, in the area of Monaghan 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)
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).