Ballygawley’s story
Ballygawley: 1 archaeological site on the record
The record adds 1 archaeological site.
Homes built before 1919: 2%, against 3% across Irish towns.
Explore the history →BallygawleyCo. Sligo
A town in Co. Sligo, home to 285 people. Between 2016 and 2022, its population grew by 16%.
Population
285
CSO, Census 2022 · Sligo County Council
Median age
42.5
15% are 65+ · Co. Sligo 14%
Degree level
39%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
1%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Ballygawley a good place to live?
Set against the median household income, the median home, at €233,300, costs 4.3 times as much. Public transport, bikes and feet take 1% of commuters to work. The 2022 census put unemployment at 5%.
With fewer than 1,000 residents, Ballygawley falls below the line for grades among Irish towns.
What makes Ballygawley stand out
The 3 things Ballygawley does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
1% walk, cycle or ride
Against 23% in the median of Irish towns
CSO, Census 2022
Unemployment rate, Census 2022
Work
5% unemployment
Of the labour force, Census 2022 (the median of Irish towns: 9%)
60% of residents 15 and over are at work.
Median sale price
Housing
37% 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 Ballygawley.
Schools
No secondary school in or near Ballygawley: the nearest is 5.2 km away
Since 2019/20, pupils changed +7%, higher than Irish towns (+4%). Within 3 km of Ballygawley there are 3 schools (3 primary schools).
3schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoil Mhuire agus Iosaf DEISLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 241 | Catholic |
Schools by ethos · Schools within 3 km
Catholic2
Church of Ireland1
| Schools within 3 km | Ballygawley | Co. Sligo | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teach through Irish | 0% | – | 8% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +7% | – | +4% |
358
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
+7%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
1.5 km
to the nearest primary school
5.2 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.
Natural hazards
17% of Ballygawley’s homes stand low beside a lake
About 3.2% of homes in Ballygawley are estimated to pass the radon reference level. No part of Ballygawley is mapped as high landslide susceptibility.
0%of homes in high-radon areas
Homes exposed · share of the town’s homes
Low-lying beside water17%
In high-radon areas0%
On high landslide susceptibility0%
Low-lying near a river17%
Low-lying near the coast0%
| Share of homes | Ballygawley | Co. Sligo | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-lying near a river | 17% | – | 0.5% |
| In high-radon areas | 0% | – | 0% |
143
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Climate
Summers stay cool in Ballygawley: July afternoons reach 18.6°C, below Irish towns
Ballygawley gets 1,253 mm of rain a year. The year’s mean temperature is 9.6°C, lower than Irish towns (10.3°C). The coldest nights come in January, when Ballygawley averages a low of 2.1°C.
18.6°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter8.2°C
Spring12.7°C
Summer18.2°C
Autumn13.4°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Ballygawley | Co. Sligo | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 18.6°C | – | 19.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 9.6°C | – | 10.3°C |
| Rain a year | 1,253 mm | – | 937 mm |
| January low | 2.1°C | – | 2.9°C |
18.6°C
July high
2.1°C
January low
1,253 mm
Rain a year
135 mm
Wettest month
52
Air frosts
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Health
For its ages, fewer people in Ballygawley live with a disability than in Irish towns: 95 per 100 expected
Ages taken into account, Ballygawley counts 131 people in poor health for every 100 predicted. 93% of the town’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, above Irish towns (88%). On top of that, at the census, 2.5% of people here described their health as bad or very bad. In the HSE West and North West health region, just over a third of people hold a medical card.
93%good or very good health
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health131
Disability95
Expected100
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 93%Fair 4%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2022 | Ballygawley | Co. Sligo | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 93% | – | 88% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.5% | – | 2% |
| With a disability | 20% | – | 22% |
131
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Sligo –
95
disability per 100 expected · Co. Sligo –
83.5 · 79.5
life expectancy, women · men, the Border 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
Most households in Ballygawley own their home: 80%, more than in Irish towns
18% rent privately, below Irish towns (22%).
€233Kmedian sale price
Median sale price · Eircode area, 2023–2025
Ballygawley€233K
Irish towns€350K
| Housing | Ballygawley | Co. Sligo | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households in social housing | 0% | – | 13% |
| Households owning their home | 80% | – | 61% |
| Median sale price | €233K | – | €350K |
| Households renting privately | 18% | – | 22% |
80%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
18%
rent privately · Irish towns 22%
€1,156
a month on new tenancies, County Sligo
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure · The price is for the postcode area F91, not the town alone: too few sales inside the town carry a full address.
Outdoors
Woodland runs close to Ballygawley: 12% of the land within 1 km, more than Irish towns
Its paths and tracks come to 0.1 km per km², lower than Irish towns (2.1 km per km²). Protected nature near Ballygawley includes Unshin River SAC. 8 waymarked trails and greenways begin within 5 km.
0%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Ballygawley0.0 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Ballygawley | Co. Sligo | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near a park | 0% | – | 92% |
| Woodland within 1 km | 12% | – | 2.7% |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 7.7% | – | 1.8% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.1 km per km² | – | 2.1 km per km² |
1 km
Footpaths
7.7%
Protected for nature
12%
Woodland
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
Ballygawley, today: cloudy, and the thermometer reaches 11 degrees
In Ballygawley, the November norm is a high of 10°C and a low of 4°C. Expect a dry, calm day today: wind no stronger than 16 km/h, and 8°C at the coldest. Dry weather holds for 5 of the following 6 days.
11°C / 8°CToday
This month and the next three, normal highs · 1991–2020 averages
November10°C
December8°C
January8°C
February9°C
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 8°C | 2°C | 364 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 5°C | 248 mm |
| Summer | 18°C | 11°C | 290 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 7°C | 350 mm |
11°C / 8°C
Today
None
Rain, next 24 hours
16 km/h
Wind
75%
Humidity
9 h 08 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Only 0.8% of commuters in Ballygawley go to work without a car, fewer than in Irish towns
Among people aged 15 to 64, 74% were working at the census. Nine in ten commuters drove, higher than Irish towns (66%). Home was the main workplace for 9.2% of workers at the census.
1%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van90%
Bus1%
| Census 2022 | Ballygawley | Co. Sligo | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | 5% | – | 9.2% |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 74% | – | 68% |
| Average trip | 23.6 min | – | 27.6 min |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 27% | – | 31% |
€54,260
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Sligo €50,438
9%
worked mainly from home, 2022
4%
trips of an hour or more
2,120
on the Live Register, County Sligo, 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
Most of Ballygawley was born here: only 15% come from abroad, fewer than in Irish towns
3.3% speak Irish daily outside school, higher than Irish towns (1.1%). The 65-and-over age group makes up 15% of residents. Children are just over a fifth of the town.
42.5median age
BallygawleyCo. SligoIreland
Ages · share of residents
15%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none8%
Lower secondary14%
Leaving Cert31%
Diploma or cert8%
Degree or higher39%
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 55.4% of Ballygawley
158 women and 127 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Ballygawley | Co. Sligo | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 21% | – | 20% |
| 15–24 | 11% | – | 12% |
| 25–44 | 23% | – | 29% |
| 45–64 | 30% | – | 24% |
| 65+ | 15% | – | 14% |
| Primary or none | 7.9% | – | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 14% | – | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 31% | – | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 8.4% | – | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 39% | – | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Sligo and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
More people in Ballygawley vote than in Irish towns: 55% turnout at the local elections
General election turnout: 61%, above Irish towns (59%). There is no majority on Sligo County Council; Fianna Fáil have the most seats, 6 of 18, short of 10. Ballygawley sits in the Sligo-Drumcliff local electoral area, which elects 5 councillors.
6/18seats held by Fianna Fáil
Seats on Sligo County · June 2024
Fianna Fáil6
Fine Gael4
Independent4
Sinn Féin2
People Before Profit–Solidarity1
Labour Party1
| Turnout | Ballygawley | Co. Sligo | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 55% | – | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 61% | – | 59% |
5
Councillors
6/18
Fianna Fáil seats on Sligo County, the largest party
55%
turnout, June 2024
4
TDs elected for Sligo-Leitrim
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Sligo and 11 more within 40 km
Nothing to visit is mapped within 5 km of Ballygawley; these are the best known within 40 km.
CathedralCathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Sligo8.9 km north
Abbey or priory · Office of Public WorksSligo Abbey8.8 km north
Castle · Office of Public WorksParke's Castle10 km northeast
CastleBallymote Castle13 km southwest
Abbey or priory · Office of Public WorksBoyle Abbey26 km south
GardenLissadell House & Gardens19 km northwestPlaces: 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)
- Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Sligo: JohnArmagh, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Sligo Abbey: Andreas F. Borchert, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Parke's Castle: John Darcy, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ballymote Castle: Willie Duffin, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Boyle Abbey: Digital Eye, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Lissadell House & Gardens: Aspdin, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ballygawley
15pages on Ballygawley
Famous people from around Ballygawley
No notable person born in Ballygawley is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
N
Neil JordanIrish filmmaker and fiction writer · born in Sligo · born 1950
D
Dave KennedyIrish racing driver · born in Sligo · born 1953
Photo credits
Shane Filan: Harrywad, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mark Feehily: Can't stop shooting film from Nha Trang, Vietnam, CC BY 2.0 · Kian Egan: Harrywad, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Michael J. Ryan: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, CC BY 2.0
Ballygawley’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
CollooneyBallysadareSligoCoolaneyBallymoteStrandhillBallygawley
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballygawley | 285 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Collooney | 1,797 | 4 | — | B+ | A− | C+ |
| Ballysadare | 1,747 | 5.4 | — | B+ | A− | B+ |
| Sligo | 20,608 | 8.8 | C | B+ | C− | C− |
| Coolaney | 1,155 | 11 | — | A− | A+ | B |
| Ballymote | 1,711 | 13 | — | A+ | A− | B |
| Strandhill | 1,982 | 13 | — | C− | C− | A+ |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Ballygawley
Is Ballygawley growing?
Ballygawley had 285 people at the 2022 census, up from 245 in 2016: 16.3% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
How do people in Ballygawley get to work?
9% mostly work from home, and 27% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
How old are the people of Ballygawley?
The median age in Ballygawley is 42.5, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
About Ballygawley
Urban area in Co. Sligo
Ballygawley has 285 people, in the area of Sligo 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
- 285 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Sligo
- Council
- Sligo County Council
- Local electoral area
- Sligo-Drumcliff
- Dáil constituency
- Sligo-Leitrim
- Name in Irish
- Baile Uí Dhálaigh
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:31140
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).