Smithborough’s story
Smithborough: 1 building on the National Inventory
Homes built before 1919: 5%, against 3% across Irish towns.
- 1855Bridge, Smithborough
SmithboroughCo. Monaghan
A town of 495 in Co. Monaghan.
4 places within 19 kmMap →
Photo: Kenneth Allen · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
495
CSO, Census 2022 · Monaghan County Council
Median age
32.6
10% are 65+ · Co. Monaghan 16%
Degree level
21%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
7%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Smithborough a good place to live?
A typical home sold for €228,600, or 4.9 years of the town’s median household income. 7% of commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. Just over a fifth of residents 15 and over hold a degree.
Irish towns are graded from 1,000 residents, which leaves Smithborough out for now.
What makes Smithborough stand out
The 3 things Smithborough does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
7% 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
Median sale price
Housing
39% below the median of Irish towns, €372,600
Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Smithborough.
Natural hazards
Low radon, steady ground, few homes by big water: Smithborough is light on natural hazards
Under 1% of homes in Smithborough are estimated to have radon above the reference level. The ground under Smithborough carries no high landslide susceptibility. Few of its homes stand low beside water.
0%of homes in high-radon areas
Homes exposed · share of the town’s homes
Low-lying beside water0%
In high-radon areas0%
On high landslide susceptibility0%
Low-lying near a river0%
Low-lying near the coast0%
| Share of homes | Smithborough | Co. Monaghan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-lying near a river | 0% | 1.2% | 0.5% |
| On high landslide susceptibility | 0% | under 0.1% | 0% |
227
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Climate
January nights in Smithborough drop to 1.9°C (Co. Monaghan towns 1.8°C, Irish towns 2.9°C)
Smithborough’s year-round mean comes to 9.6°C. Here July highs average 19.5°C, close to Co. Monaghan’s towns (19.4°C) and below Irish towns (19.9°C). The nearest weather station is Ballyhaise, 23 km away.
19.5°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter8.0°C
Spring12.9°C
Summer18.9°C
Autumn13.5°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Smithborough | Co. Monaghan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average temperature over the year | 9.6°C | 9.5°C | 10.3°C |
| January low | 1.9°C | 1.8°C | 2.9°C |
| July high | 19.5°C | 19.4°C | 19.9°C |
| Rain a year | 1,010 mm | 992 mm | 937 mm |
19.5°C
July high
1.9°C
January low
1,010 mm
Rain a year
106 mm
Wettest month
40
Air frosts
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Health
More people in Smithborough have a disability than its ages would predict: 118 per 100 expected, above Co. Monaghan’s towns and Irish towns
4% of residents in Smithborough care, unpaid, for a relative or friend. At the census, 1.7% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, below both Co. Monaghan’s towns (2.4%) and Irish towns (2%). Self-reported good health: 87% of the town’s residents.
87%good or very good health
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health118
Disability118
Co. Monaghan138
Expected100
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 87%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 2%
| Census 2022 | Smithborough | Co. Monaghan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unpaid carers | 4% | 4.7% | 5.4% |
| Bad or very bad health | 1.7% | 2.4% | 2% |
| Good or very good health | 87% | 87% | 88% |
| With a disability | 22% | 21% | 22% |
118
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Monaghan 138
118
disability per 100 expected · Co. Monaghan 93
83.5 · 79.5
life expectancy, women · men, the Border region, 2016
27%
hold a medical card, HSE Dublin and North East
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
Housing
Social housing is more common in Smithborough than in Co. Monaghan’s towns or across Irish towns, at 22% of households
21% rent privately, below Co. Monaghan’s towns (28%) and close to Irish towns (22%). The owner-occupied share of households is 54%.
€229Kmedian sale price
Median sale price · Eircode area, 2023–2025
Smithborough€229K
Co. Monaghan€230K
Irish towns€350K
| Housing | Smithborough | Co. Monaghan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households in social housing | 22% | 21% | 13% |
| Median sale price | €229K | €230K | €350K |
| Households renting privately | 21% | 28% | 22% |
| Households owning their home | 54% | 51% | 61% |
54%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
21%
rent privately · Irish towns 22%
€1,028
a month on new tenancies, County Monaghan
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure · The price is for the postcode area H18, not the town alone: too few sales inside the town carry a full address.
Outdoors
Green space is close to home in Smithborough: 100% of homes are within 400 m of some, more than Co. Monaghan’s towns or Irish towns
Within 1 km, 0.2% of the land is woodland, below both Co. Monaghan’s towns (5.5%) and Irish towns (2.7%). Walkers have 0.1 km per km² of paths and tracks, below both Co. Monaghan’s towns (1.0 km per km²) and Irish towns (2.1 km per km²).
100%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Smithborough4.0 ha
Co. Monaghan1.4 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Smithborough | Co. Monaghan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near a park | 100% | 67% | 92% |
| Woodland within 1 km | 0.2% | 5.5% | 2.7% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.1 km per km² | 1.0 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 0% | 0% | 1.8% |
100%
Near a park
4.0 ha
Green space
1 km
Footpaths
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
Weather in Smithborough: 11 degrees and partly cloudy today
Over the coming week, 5 of 6 days look dry. Usually, November days warm to 10°C and nights cool to 4°C; Smithborough’s forecast is read against that. No rain is due today, though a breeze picks up to 21 km/h; the low is 6°C.
11°C / 6°CToday
This month and the next three, normal highs · 1991–2020 averages
November10°C
December8°C
January8°C
February8°C
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 8°C | 2°C | 285 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 5°C | 209 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 11°C | 244 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 6°C | 273 mm |
11°C / 6°C
Today
None
Rain, next 24 hours
16 km/h
Wind
96%
Humidity
9 h 12 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Walking, cycling and public transport carry fewer commuters in Smithborough than in Co. Monaghan’s towns or Irish towns: 6.5%
63% of 15 to 64s were in work, below both Co. Monaghan’s towns (66%) and Irish towns (68%). Home was the main workplace for 2.7% of workers at the census. On average, the journey to work lasts 22.6 min.
7%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van90%
Walk5%
Bus2%
| Census 2022 | Smithborough | Co. Monaghan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 22.6 min | 24.6 min | 27.6 min |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 63% | 66% | 68% |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 41% | 47% | 31% |
| Median household income | €46,400 | €44,888 | €57,760 |
€46,400
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Monaghan €50,617
3%
worked mainly from home, 2022
5%
trips of an hour or more
1,635
on the Live Register, County Monaghan, 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
A town of families: 30% of people in Smithborough are under 15, more than in Co. Monaghan’s towns or Irish towns
People 65 and over make up 10% of the town, lower than both Co. Monaghan’s towns (16%) and Irish towns (14%). Young adults of 15 to 24 are 14% of the population.
32.6median age
SmithboroughCo. MonaghanIreland
Ages · share of residents
14%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none18%
Lower secondary18%
Leaving Cert38%
Diploma or cert5%
Degree or higher21%
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 50.5% of Smithborough
250 women and 245 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Smithborough | Co. Monaghan | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 30% | 22% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 28% | 29% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 18% | 23% | 24% |
| 65+ | 10% | 16% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 18% | 14% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 18% | 16% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 38% | 38% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 5.1% | 5.8% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 21% | 25% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Monaghan and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
Turnout in Cavan-Monaghan was among the highest at the 2024 general election
Local government for Smithborough is Monaghan County Council alone; Ireland has a single tier. Turnout at the last local elections was 56%. With 8 of 18 seats, Sinn Féin are the largest group on Monaghan County Council, short of the 10 a majority needs.
8/18seats held by Sinn Féin
Seats on Monaghan County · June 2024
Sinn Féin8
Fine Gael6
Fianna Fáil3
Independent1
| Turnout | Smithborough | Co. Monaghan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 56% | 55% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 64% | 64% | 59% |
5
Councillors
8/18
Sinn Féin seats on Monaghan County, the largest party
56%
turnout, June 2024
5
TDs elected for Cavan-Monaghan
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
History
Smithborough counts one building on the architectural inventory
Relative to its size, Smithborough keeps 20 buildings on the inventory per 10,000 residents. The pre-1919 share of homes is 4.7%. Surveyors for the national inventory recorded one building in Smithborough, of regional importance.
1inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional1
Among them
- Bridge, Smithborough 1855
0
sites on the Sites and Monuments Record
1855
earliest dated inventory building
| Heritage | Smithborough | Co. Monaghan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 20 | 191 | 48 |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 0 | 17 | 11 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Schools
Pupil numbers around Smithborough moved −1% since 2019, below Co. Monaghan’s towns and Irish towns
Within 3 km of Smithborough there are 2 schools (2 primary schools).
2schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Threemilehouse N.S. Special classesLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 141 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Smithborough | Co. Monaghan | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 17% | 8% |
| In the DEIS scheme | 0% | 36% | 35% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | −1% | +8% | +4% |
240
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
−1%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
0.9 km
to the nearest primary school
8.7 km
to the nearest secondary school
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.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →St Macartan's Cathedral, Monaghan and 5 more within 40 km
Nothing to visit is mapped within 5 km of Smithborough; these are the best known within 40 km.
CathedralSt Macartan's Cathedral, Monaghan9.6 km east
CastleCastle Leslie18 km northeast
CathedralThe Cathedral of Saint Patrick and Saint Felim30 km southwest
CastleCloughoughter Castle33 km southwest
CathedralSt. Fethlimidh’s Cathedral34 km southwest
MuseumCavan County Museum40 km southPlaces: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0) · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (6)
- St Macartan's Cathedral, Monaghan: JohnArmagh, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Castle Leslie: Lukiebaggs at English Wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- The Cathedral of Saint Patrick and Saint Felim: JohnArmagh, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Cloughoughter Castle: Oliver Dixon, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- St. Fethlimidh’s Cathedral: Sarah777 at English Wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Cavan County Museum: Ian Rob, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Smithborough
15pages on Smithborough
Famous people from around Smithborough
No notable person born in Smithborough is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
J
James Cecil ParkeIrish tennis player (1881-1946) · born in ClonesP
Patrick McCabeIrish writer (born 1955) · born in ClonesK
Kevin McBrideIrish boxer · born in Clones · born 1973
Photo credits
Charles Gavan Duffy: not stated, Public domain · Jonathan Douglas: currybet, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Mary Lee: State Library of South Australia, CC BY 2.0
Smithborough’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
MonaghanClonesBallybayCootehillSmithborough
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smithborough | 495 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Monaghan | 7,894 | 9 | A− | A | C+ | B+ |
| Clones | 1,885 | 9.7 | — | A+ | A− | C− |
| Ballybay | 1,329 | 17 | — | A+ | B | B− |
| Cootehill Cavan | 1,856 | 17 | — | A+ | B− | D |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Smithborough
How do people in Smithborough get to work?
3% mostly work from home, and 41% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
Is Smithborough growing?
Smithborough had 495 people at the 2022 census, up from 462 in 2016: 7.1% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
How old are the people of Smithborough?
The median age in Smithborough is 32.6, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns. 30% of residents are under 15 and 10% are 65 or over.
About Smithborough
Urban area in Co. Monaghan
Smithborough has 495 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)
- Population
- 495 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Monaghan
- Council
- Monaghan County Council
- Local electoral area
- Ballybay-Clones
- Dáil constituency
- Cavan-Monaghan
- Name in Irish
- Na Mullaí
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:34037
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).