Ballymote’s story
Ballymote: 38 buildings on the National Inventory
The record adds 7 archaeological sites.
Homes built before 1919: 5%, against 3% across Irish towns.
- 1810House, Teeling Street, Ballymote
- 1810L. Hayden
- 1815Emlaghfad Church
BallymoteCo. Sligo
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage records 38 buildings here. 1,711 people live in this town in Co. Sligo.
4 places within 19 kmMap →
Photo: Deirge Ó Dhaoinebeaga · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,711
CSO, Census 2022 · Sligo County Council
Median age
40.2
18% are 65+ · Co. Sligo 14%
Degree level
26%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
12%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Ballymote a good place to live?
Ballymote’s best grade is for cost of living — home prices sit at a median €152,000, which is 3.6 years of the town’s median household income. Safety is another plus — 3.9 violent crimes and 2.9 burglaries and acts of criminal damage recorded per 1,000 residents a year. Hazards are a real consideration: an estimated 28% of homes are above the radon reference level. The rest of its grades are middling: B for health, C+ for jobs & income and B− for walkability.
Figures: prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO · crime, CSO recorded crime, 2023 to 2025 · radon, EPA · health, work and commuting, CSO Census 2022. Irish towns get an overall grade from 2,500 residents, so Ballymote has subject grades only.
Health less sure: few enough residents report bad health that the town's figure could be well above or below its true level.
What makes Ballymote stand out
The 3 things Ballymote does most differently from other towns.
Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents
History
38 buildings on the national inventory
4.6 times the median of Irish towns for its size, all of regional importance.
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
Median sale price
Housing
€178,800 median home
52% below the median of Irish towns, €372,600
Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
12% walk, cycle or ride
Against 23% in the median of Irish towns
CSO, Census 2022
How Ballymote grades
Each subject compares Ballymote with Irish towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
Irish towns get an overall grade from 2,500 residents, so Ballymote has subject grades only.
Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesA+Open →Hazard riskAmong the most exposed to natural hazardsC−Open →SafetyAhead of most towns comparedA−Open →HealthNear typical for the towns comparedBOpen →Jobs & income69% of 15-to-64s in work; 11% unemployedC+Open →WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carB−Open →
SchoolsNot graded in Ireland: schools’ exam results aren’t published school by school (Education Act 1998, s.53)–
How TownRatings grades Irish towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Ballymote.
HousingCost of living A+
Rent in Ballymote runs to €1,000 a month, less than in Irish towns
Social housing holds nearly a fifth of households. Owners make up 58% of households, lower than Irish towns (61%).
€152Kmedian sale priceA+Cost of living Grade
Median sale price · Property Price Register, 2023–2025
Ballymote€152K
Irish towns€350K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Second-hand homes | €150,000 | 146 |
| The last 12 months | €162,500 | 50 |
| Housing | Ballymote | Co. Sligo | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | €152K | – | €350K |
| Rent on a new tenancy, a month | €1,000 | – | €1,606 |
| Households in social housing | 19% | – | 13% |
| Households owning their home | 58% | – | 61% |
58%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
€1,000
a month on new tenancies, Ballymote
3
times median household income, County Sligo
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure
Natural hazardsHazard risk C−
Radon is the hazard to know in Ballymote: 100% of homes sit in high-radon areas, more than in Irish towns
Landslides: none of Ballymote lies in a high-susceptibility zone. Its homes mostly stand clear of low ground by water.
100%of homes in high-radon areasC−Hazard risk Grade
Homes exposed · share of the town’s homes
Low-lying beside water0%
In high-radon areas100%
On high landslide susceptibility0%
Low-lying near a river0%
Low-lying near the coast0%
| Share of homes | Ballymote | Co. Sligo | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In high-radon areas | 100% | – | 0% |
| Low-lying near a river | 0% | – | 0.5% |
28%
of homes over the radon level
1,046
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
SafetySafety A−
Ballymote records less crime per resident than 78% of Irish towns
Every year, 25.6 crimes are recorded per 1,000 residents. More of the graded crimes in Ballymote were assaults and harassment than anything else (2023–2025). Thefts came to 2.1 per 1,000 a year (not part of the grade), below Irish towns (15.3).
3.9violent incidents per 1,000 a yearA−Safety Grade
Compared with towns its sizeFewer incidents against residents per 1,000 than 60% of the 156 Irish towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Recorded by type · per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025
Dangerous acts8.9
Assault3.7
Road traffic3.6
Public order2.8
Theft2.1
Damage2
Burglary0.9
Drugs0.9
Against justice0.4
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 | Ballymote | Co. Sligo | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burglary & damage | 2.9 | – | 6.4 |
| Theft | 2.1 | – | 15.3 |
| All recorded crime | 25.6 | – | 54.3 |
| Violent crime | 3.9 | – | 5.7 |
3.9
violent incidents per 1,000 a year
2.9
burglary and damage per 1,000 a year
117
incidents a year, Ballymote Garda area
6.7
against residents per 1,000, as graded
CSO recorded crime by Garda station, 2023–2025, shared to towns by where residents live · Census 2022 populations
Schools
Schools around Ballymote are filling: pupils +15% since 2019, more than in Irish towns
Families in Ballymote have 3 schools within 3 km to choose from: 1 primary school and 2 secondary schools. DEIS, the support scheme, covers two thirds of them, higher than Irish towns (35%). The nearest secondary, Corran College, is 0.5 km away.
3schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal DEISLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 215 | Catholic |
| Coláiste MuireLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 325 | Catholic |
| Corran College DEISIn the DEIS schemePost-primary · ETB | Post-primary · ETB | 154 | Multi-denominational |
Schools by ethos · Schools within 3 km
Catholic2
Multi-denominational1
| Schools within 3 km | Ballymote | Co. Sligo | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-sex secondaries | 0% | – | 39% |
| In the DEIS scheme | 67% | – | 35% |
| Teach through Irish | 0% | – | 8% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +15% | – | +4% |
694
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
+15%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
0.5 km
to the nearest primary school
0.5 km
to the nearest secondary school
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.
Climate
Summers stay cool in Ballymote: July afternoons reach 18.8°C, below Irish towns
A year brings 1,232 mm of rain to Ballymote. Across the year it averages 9.6°C, lower than Irish towns (10.3°C). In January, overnight lows in Ballymote settle at 2.0°C.
18.8°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter8.2°C
Spring12.8°C
Summer18.3°C
Autumn13.4°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Ballymote | Co. Sligo | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 18.8°C | – | 19.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 9.6°C | – | 10.3°C |
| January low | 2.0°C | – | 2.9°C |
| Rain a year | 1,232 mm | – | 937 mm |
18.8°C
July high
2.0°C
January low
1,232 mm
Rain a year
136 mm
Wettest month
52
Air frosts
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Outdoors
85% of Ballymote’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
Within 5 km, 4.1% of the land is protected nature, higher than Irish towns (1.8%). A park or green space is within 400 m for 85% of homes.
85%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Ballymote4.0 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Ballymote | Co. Sligo | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paths per km² of town | 0.3 km per km² | – | 2.1 km per km² |
| Near a park | 85% | – | 92% |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 4.1% | – | 1.8% |
| Woodland within 1 km | 3.7% | – | 2.7% |
85%
Near a park
4.0 ha
Green space
3 km
Footpaths
4.1%
Protected for nature
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Who lives here
An older town: 18% of people in Ballymote are 65 or over, more than in Irish towns
People aged 15 to 24 make up 9.4% of the town, below Irish towns (12%). The under-15s are 22% of the population here. Just over a quarter of adults hold a degree.
40.2median age
BallymoteCo. SligoIreland
Ages · share of residents
18%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none9%
Lower secondary15%
Leaving Cert42%
Diploma or cert8%
Degree or higher26%
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 51.7% of Ballymote
885 women and 826 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Ballymote | Co. Sligo | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 22% | – | 20% |
| 15–24 | 9.4% | – | 12% |
| 25–44 | 26% | – | 29% |
| 45–64 | 24% | – | 24% |
| 65+ | 18% | – | 14% |
| Primary or none | 9.3% | – | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 15% | – | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 42% | – | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 7.5% | – | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 26% | – | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Sligo and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
Ballymote turns out to vote: 63% at the last local elections, above Irish towns
General election turnout: 61%, above Irish towns (59%). With 6 of 18 seats, Fianna Fáil are the largest group on Sligo County Council, short of the 10 a majority needs. Sligo County Council runs Ballymote: Ireland has one tier of local government, with no town council below it.
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 | Ballymote | Co. Sligo | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 63% | – | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 61% | – | 59% |
7
Councillors
6/18
Fianna Fáil seats on Sligo County, the largest party
63%
turnout, June 2024
4
TDs elected for Sligo-Leitrim
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
History
For its size, Ballymote has more listed heritage than Irish towns: 222 inventory buildings per 10,000 residents
5% of its homes were built before 1919, higher than Irish towns (3.4%). 7 archaeological sites are on the record. Surveyors for the national inventory recorded 38 buildings in Ballymote, each of regional importance.
38inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional38
Among them
1810
earliest dated inventory building
5%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
4
places pictured on the history page
| Heritage | Ballymote | Co. Sligo | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 222 | – | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 5% | – | 3.4% |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
HealthHealth B
For its ages, Ballymote has about as much bad health as expected
Self-reported good health: 86% of Ballymote’s residents. In the HSE West and North West health region, 34% of people hold a medical card. 2.3% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, higher than Irish towns (2%).
86%good or very good healthBHealth Grade
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health111
Disability104
Expected100
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 2%
| Census 2022 | Ballymote | Co. Sligo | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | – | 88% |
| Unpaid carers | 6% | – | 5.4% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.3% | – | 2% |
| With a disability | 24% | – | 22% |
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
Work & commuteJobs & income C+
Households in Ballymote earn less than in Irish towns: €42,617 a year
Working mainly from home: nearly one in ten workers, below Irish towns (11%). Just over one in ten commuters left the car at home at the census, walking, cycling or taking public transport. The commute to work averages 24.1 min.
12%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van79%
Walk9%
Bus2%
Bicycle1%
Train, DART or Luas1%
| Census 2022 | Ballymote | Co. Sligo | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | €42,617 | – | €57,760 |
| Average trip | 24.1 min | – | 27.6 min |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 40% | – | 31% |
| Unemployment rate | 11% | – | 9.2% |
€42,617
median household income, 2022 · Co. Sligo €50,438
9%
worked mainly from home, 2022
6%
trips of an hour or more
2,120
on the Live Register, County Sligo, September 2026
B−
Walkability: better than 46% of Irish towns
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.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Ballymote Castle and 13 more within 40 km
2 places to visit are mapped within 5 km of Ballymote; with them, the best known within 40 km.
CastleBallymote Castlein town
Abbey or priory · Office of Public WorksBoyle Abbey19 km southeast
CathedralCathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Sligo20 km north
Abbey or priory · Office of Public WorksSligo Abbey21 km north
Castle · Office of Public WorksParke's Castle23 km northeast
CastleBallinafad Castle14 km southeastPlaces: 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)
- Ballymote Castle: Willie Duffin, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Boyle Abbey: Digital Eye, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- 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
- Ballinafad Castle: Daniel Waters, Co. Sligo, Ireland from Ireland, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ballymote
15pages on Ballymote
The big questions
Out and about
Landmarks
Surveyors for the national inventory recorded 38 buildings in Ballymote, each of regional importance. Archaeologists have recorded 7 sites here.
Famous people from Ballymote
7 notable people were born in Ballymote.
Ballymote’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
CollooneyCoolaneyBallysadareTubbercurryBallymote
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballymote | 1,711 | — | — | A+ | A− | B |
| Collooney | 1,797 | 11 | — | B+ | A− | C+ |
| Coolaney | 1,155 | 11 | — | A− | A+ | B |
| Ballysadare | 1,747 | 14 | — | B+ | A− | B+ |
| Tubbercurry | 2,307 | 15 | — | A− | B+ | C |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Ballymote
Is Ballymote growing?
Ballymote had 1,711 people at the 2022 census, up from 1,556 in 2016: 10% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
How do people in Ballymote get to work?
9% mostly work from home, and 40% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
How old are the people of Ballymote?
The median age in Ballymote is 40.2, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
About Ballymote
Urban area in Co. Sligo
1,711 people live in Ballymote, 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
- 1,711 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Sligo
- Council
- Sligo County Council
- Local electoral area
- Ballymote-Tobercurry
- Dáil constituency
- Sligo-Leitrim
- Name in Irish
- Baile an Mhóta
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi (1 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:31148
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).