Ballyforan’s story
Ballyforan has 2 buildings on the National Inventory
7% of its homes were built before 1919, against 3% in the median of Irish towns.
- 1855Saint Joseph's Catholic Church
- 1860Water pump, Fair Green, Ballyforan
BallyforanCo. Roscommon
227 people live in this town in Co. Roscommon.
2 places within 19 kmMap →
Photo: Sarah777 · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
227
CSO, Census 2022 · Roscommon County Council
Median age
34.2
10% are 65+ · Co. Roscommon 14%
Degree level
27%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
9%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Ballyforan a good place to live?
Set against the median household income, the median home, at €208,500, costs 4 times as much. The car is not the only way to work here: 9% of commuters walk, cycle or use public transport. At the 2022 census, 14% of the labour force was out of work.
There are no grades for Ballyforan: Irish towns need 1,000 residents for them.
What makes Ballyforan stand out
The 3 things Ballyforan 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
Median sale price
Housing
44% below the median of Irish towns, €372,600
Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025.
Unemployment rate, Census 2022
Work
14% unemployment
Of the labour force, Census 2022 (the median of Irish towns: 9%)
52% of residents 15 and over are at work.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Ballyforan.
Natural hazards
Low radon and steady ground in Ballyforan; flooding isn’t measured here
Radon above the reference level: an estimated 5% of homes in Ballyforan. The ground under Ballyforan 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
In high-radon areas0%
On high landslide susceptibility0%
| Share of homes | Ballyforan | Co. Roscommon | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In high-radon areas | 0% | – | 0% |
| On high landslide susceptibility | 0% | – | 0% |
104
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Climate
Ballyforan has colder winters than Irish towns: January lows of 2.2°C
Ballyforan sees July afternoons of 19.6°C on average. Across the year it averages 9.9°C, lower than Irish towns (10.3°C). A year brings 1,055 mm of rain to Ballyforan.
19.6°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter8.5°C
Spring13.3°C
Summer19.1°C
Autumn13.9°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Ballyforan | Co. Roscommon | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 2.2°C | – | 2.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 9.9°C | – | 10.3°C |
| July high | 19.6°C | – | 19.9°C |
| Rain a year | 1,055 mm | – | 937 mm |
19.6°C
July high
2.2°C
January low
1,055 mm
Rain a year
115 mm
Wettest month
52
Air frosts
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Health
For its ages, more people in Ballyforan live with a disability than in Irish towns: 140 per 100 expected
27% of residents in Ballyforan live with a disability, and on top of that at the census, 4.2% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, higher than Irish towns (2%). Weighed against its ages, bad health in the town runs at 275 per 100 expected. In the HSE West and North West health region, 34% of people hold a medical card.
85%good or very good health
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health275
Disability140
Expected100
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 85%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2022 | Ballyforan | Co. Roscommon | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bad or very bad health | 4.2% | – | 2% |
| Unpaid carers | 9.7% | – | 5.4% |
| With a disability | 27% | – | 22% |
| Good or very good health | 85% | – | 88% |
275
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Roscommon –
140
disability per 100 expected · Co. Roscommon –
84.5 · 79.7
life expectancy, women · men, the West region, 2016
34%
hold a medical card, HSE West and North West
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 in Ballyforan live in social housing than in Irish towns: 27%
Owners make up 55% of households, lower than Irish towns (61%). The private rented sector houses 14% of households.
€209Kmedian sale price
Median sale price · Eircode area, 2023–2025
Ballyforan€209K
Irish towns€350K
| Housing | Ballyforan | Co. Roscommon | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households in social housing | 27% | – | 13% |
| Median sale price | €209K | – | €350K |
| Households renting privately | 14% | – | 22% |
| Households owning their home | 55% | – | 61% |
55%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
14%
rent privately · Irish towns 22%
€1,092
a month on new tenancies, County Roscommon
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure · The price is for the postcode area H53, not the town alone: too few sales inside the town carry a full address.
Outdoors
Protected nature surrounds Ballyforan: 16% of the land within 5 km, more than Irish towns
Ballyforan has 9.8 ha of green space for every 1,000 residents, higher than Irish towns (4.1 ha). Among the protected sites near Ballyforan is Suck River Callows NHA. Within 400 m of green space: 100% of homes.
100%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Ballyforan9.8 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Ballyforan | Co. Roscommon | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected nature within 5 km | 16% | – | 1.8% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.5 km per km² | – | 2.1 km per km² |
| Near a park | 100% | – | 92% |
| Woodland within 1 km | 3.9% | – | 2.7% |
100%
Near a park
9.8 ha
Green space
3 km
Footpaths
16%
Protected for nature
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
Today in Ballyforan: light showers and 11 degrees at best
Showers may brush past today without adding up to much, on a breeze of up to 23 km/h; the coldest it gets is 5°C. Expect highs from 7°C to 10°C over the rest of the week, with Thursday the warmest. A typical November day reaches 11°C and drops to 4°C at night: the forecast for Ballyforan is set against that.
11°C / 5°CToday
This month and the next three, normal highs · 1991–2020 averages
November11°C
December8°C
January8°C
February9°C
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 8°C | 2°C | 308 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 5°C | 214 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 11°C | 244 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 7°C | 290 mm |
11°C / 5°C
Today
0.1 mm
Rain, next 24 hours
13 km/h
Wind
96%
Humidity
9 h 17 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Unemployment in Ballyforan, 14%, runs above Irish towns
9.2% of commuters went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport at the census. In work: 60% of residents aged 15 to 64, lower than Irish towns (68%). Working from home was the norm for 7.9% of workers at the census.
9%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van83%
Walk8%
Bus1%
| Census 2022 | Ballyforan | Co. Roscommon | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | 14% | – | 9.2% |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 60% | – | 68% |
| Median household income | €52,280 | – | €57,760 |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 33% | – | 31% |
€52,280
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Roscommon €51,009
8%
worked mainly from home, 2022
7%
trips of an hour or more
1,855
on the Live Register, County Roscommon, 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: 28% of people in Ballyforan are under 15, more than in Irish towns
1.5% speak Irish daily outside school, above Irish towns (1.1%). Over-65s are 10% of the population. Overseas births account for just over a tenth of the people living here.
34.2median age
BallyforanCo. RoscommonIreland
Ages · share of residents
10%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none16%
Lower secondary12%
Leaving Cert41%
Diploma or cert4%
Degree or higher27%
Women and men · all residents
49.3% of Ballyforan’s residents are women
112 women and 115 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Ballyforan | Co. Roscommon | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 28% | – | 20% |
| 15–24 | 10% | – | 12% |
| 25–44 | 29% | – | 29% |
| 45–64 | 23% | – | 24% |
| 65+ | 10% | – | 14% |
| Primary or none | 16% | – | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 12% | – | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 41% | – | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 4.2% | – | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 27% | – | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Roscommon and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
Ballyforan turns out to vote: 62% at the last local elections, above Irish towns
66% voted at the general election. There is no majority on Roscommon County Council; Independent have the most seats, 7 of 18, short of 10. Roscommon County Council runs Ballyforan: Ireland has one tier of local government, with no town council below it.
7/18seats held by Independent
Seats on Roscommon County · June 2024
Independent7
Fianna Fáil5
Fine Gael4
Sinn Féin1
Independent Ireland1
| Turnout | Ballyforan | Co. Roscommon | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 62% | – | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 66% | – | 59% |
6
Councillors
7/18
Independent seats on Roscommon County, the largest party
62%
turnout, June 2024
3
TDs elected for Roscommon-Galway
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
History
Ballyforan is dense with heritage: 88 inventory buildings per 10,000 residents, more than Irish towns
6.9% of its homes were built before 1919, above Irish towns (3.4%). Ballyforan’s built heritage counts 2 inventory entries, each of regional standing.
2inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional2
Among them
0
sites on the Sites and Monuments Record
1855
earliest dated inventory building
7%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
| Heritage | Ballyforan | Co. Roscommon | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 88 | – | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 6.9% | – | 3.4% |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 0 | – | 11 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Schools
100% of schools around Ballyforan get DEIS support, above Irish towns
Within 3 km of Ballyforan there is one school. The one school within 3 km of Ballyforan has 59 pupils.
1schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballyforan Mixed N.S. DEISLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 59 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Ballyforan | Co. Roscommon | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the DEIS scheme | 100% | – | 35% |
| Teach through Irish | 0% | – | 8% |
59
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
0.4 km
to the nearest primary school
6.8 km
to the nearest secondary school
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · There are no letters or results on these cards, because Ireland publishes none school by school.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Clonmacnoise and 11 more within 40 km
Nothing to visit is mapped within 5 km of Ballyforan; these are the best known within 40 km.
Historic house · Office of Public WorksClonmacnoise25 km southeast
CathedralClonfert Cathedral29 km southeast
MuseumAthlone Castle22 km east
CastleRoscommon Castle19 km north
CathedralCathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary39 km west
CastleRedwood Castle37 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)
- Clonmacnoise: JohnArmagh, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Clonfert Cathedral: JohnArmagh, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Athlone Castle: Sgbrito at Portuguese Wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Roscommon Castle: Irishrover1980, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: TuamRCCathedral.jpg : JohnArmagh derivative work: Rabanus Flavus, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Redwood Castle: Steve Ford Elliott, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ballyforan
15pages on Ballyforan
The big questions
Out and about
Landmarks
Ballyforan’s built heritage counts 2 inventory entries, each of regional standing.
Famous people from around Ballyforan
One notable person was born in Ballyforan; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.
J
Jack McQuillanIrish politician · 1920–1998
H
Heather PayneIrish association football player · born in Ballinasloe · born 2000N
Noel TreacyIrish politician · born in Ballinasloe · 1951–2022D
Desmond HoganIrish writer · born in Ballinasloe · born 1950Photo credits
Luke 'Ming' Flanagan: Peter Mooney, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Mary Harney: Department of Health and Human Services, Public domain
Ballyforan’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
BallinasloeRoscommonBallyforan
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballyforan | 227 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ballinasloe Galway | 6,597 | 16 | C | A+ | D | C |
| Roscommon | 6,555 | 18 | A− | B+ | A− | B |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Ballyforan
How do people in Ballyforan get to work?
8% mostly work from home, and 33% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
Is Ballyforan growing?
Ballyforan had 227 people at the 2022 census, up from 218 in 2016: 4.1% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
How old are the people of Ballyforan?
The median age in Ballyforan is 34.2, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns. 28% of residents are under 15 and 10% are 65 or over.
About Ballyforan
Urban area in Co. Roscommon
227 people live in Ballyforan, in the area of Roscommon 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
- 227 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Roscommon
- Council
- Roscommon County Council
- Local electoral area
- Athlone
- Dáil constituency
- Roscommon-Galway
- Name in Irish
- Béal Átha Feorainne
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.1 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:30251
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).