BallinalackCo. Westmeath

161 residents make their home in this town in Co. Westmeath.

4 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Dylan Moore · CC BY-SA 2.0

Population

161

CSO, Census 2022 · Westmeath County Council

Median age

41.1

14% are 65+ · Co. Westmeath 13%

Degree level

26%

of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%

Walk, cycle, transit

of working residents · Irish towns 23%

Is Ballinalack a good place to live?

The median sale, €289,900, comes to 4.9 times what the median household here earns. Of those who commute, 9% go on foot, by bike or by public transport.

Grades start at 1,000 residents for Irish towns, so Ballinalack has none.

What makes Ballinalack stand out

The one thing Ballinalack does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Walk, cycle or public transport

Getting around

9% walk, cycle or ride

Against 23% in the median of Irish towns

CSO, Census 2022

3 places on the register, on Ballinalack’s outline

Ballinalack’s story

Ballinalack has 3 buildings on the National Inventory

7% of its homes were built before 1919, against 3% in the median of Irish towns.

1740Ballinalack House
1820RIC barracks, Ballinalack
1870Water pump, Ballinalack

Explore the history →

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Ballinalack.

Natural hazards

Natural hazards are few in Ballinalack, with low radon, steady ground and little flood-prone housing

Radon above the reference level: an estimated 4.6% of homes in Ballinalack. For a swim, the nearest bathing water is Portnashangan, Lough Owel, 8.9 km from Ballinalack, rated excellent in 2025. No part of Ballinalack is mapped as high landslide susceptibility.

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	Ballinalack	Co. Westmeath	Ireland
Low-lying near a river	0%	0%	0.5%
In high-radon areas	0%	0%	0%

8.9 km

to Portnashangan, Lough Owel bathing water (excellent)

homes mapped for these shares

Full pageBallinalack’s flood & hazards pageOpen the page

Low-lying homes0% of homes · Homes low beside water GroundHigh landslide susceptibility · Irish towns 0%Radon0% of homes in high-radon areas Be readyFlood warnings, radon tests and insurance

EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.

Climate

Midwinter lows in Ballinalack sink below those of 90% of Irish towns

Winter lows in Ballinalack average 2.0°C in January. Across the year it averages 9.8°C, about level with Co. Westmeath’s towns (9.8°C) and below Irish towns (10.3°C). The nearest weather station is Mullingar, 12 km away.

19.8°CJuly afternoon high

Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages

Winter8.2°C

Spring13.3°C

Summer19.3°C

Autumn13.7°C

Climate, 1991–2020	Ballinalack	Co. Westmeath	Ireland
January low	2.0°C	2.0°C	2.9°C
Average temperature over the year	9.8°C	9.8°C	10.3°C
July high	19.8°C	19.9°C	19.9°C

19.8°C

July high

2.0°C

January low

961 mm

Rain a year

101 mm

Wettest month

Air frosts

Full pageBallinalack’s climate pageOpen the page

At a glanceJuly highs 19.8°C, January lows 2.0°C The yearSummer highs 19.3°C, winter lows 2.0°C Rain961 mm of rain a year · December is the wettest month, 101 mm Weather station12 km to the weather station · Mullingar

Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.

Health

Fewer people in Ballinalack are in bad health than its ages would predict: 33 per 100 expected, under Co. Westmeath’s towns and Irish towns

Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 0.6% of the town. At the census, 91% of people in Ballinalack called their health good or very good, higher than both Co. Westmeath’s towns (88%) and Irish towns (88%). Ages taken into account, Ballinalack counts 105 people with a disability for every 100 predicted.

91%good or very good health

Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised

Bad health33

Disability105

Co. Westmeath119

Expected100

General health, self-reported

Good or very good 91%Fair 8%Bad or very bad 1%

Census 2022	Ballinalack	Co. Westmeath	Ireland
Bad or very bad health	0.6%	2%	2%
Good or very good health	91%	88%	88%
Unpaid carers	5%	5%	5.4%

bad health per 100 expected · Co. Westmeath 119

105

disability per 100 expected · Co. Westmeath 108

83.2 · 80

life expectancy, women · men, the Midland region, 2016

28%

hold a medical card, HSE Dublin and Midlands

Full pageBallinalack’s health pageOpen the page

Health GradeBad health 33, disability 105 per 100 expected Getting care0% within 800 m of a pharmacy Census health91% in good or very good health The wider areaLife expectancy: women 83.2, men 80

CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios

Housing

Ballinalack is a town of owners: 80% of households own their home, above Co. Westmeath’s towns and Irish towns

Council and housing-body homes hold 7% of households. 13% rent privately, lower than both Co. Westmeath’s towns (25%) and Irish towns (22%).

€290Kmedian sale price

Median sale price · Eircode area, 2023–2025

Ballinalack€290K

Co. Westmeath€269K

Irish towns€350K

Housing	Ballinalack	Co. Westmeath	Ireland
Households owning their home	80%	60%	61%
Households renting privately	13%	25%	22%
Households in social housing	7%	13%	13%
Median sale price	€290K	€269K	€350K

80%

own their home · Irish towns 61%

13%

rent privately · Irish towns 22%

€1,257

a month on new tenancies, County Westmeath

Full pageBallinalack’s cost of living pageOpen the page

Owners and renters80% own their home Cost of livingMedian sale price €289,900 Renting€1,257 a month · Average rent on new tenancies

Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure · The price is for the postcode area N91, not the town alone: too few sales inside the town carry a full address.

Outdoors

Protected nature surrounds Ballinalack: 18% of the land within 5 km, more than in Co. Westmeath’s towns and across Irish towns

Among the protected sites near Ballinalack is Lough Iron SPA. Its paths and tracks come to 0.1 km per km², below Co. Westmeath’s towns (0.8 km per km²) and Irish towns (2.1 km per km²) alike.

0%of homes near green space

Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents

Ballinalack0.0 ha

Co. Westmeath2.0 ha

Irish towns4.1 ha

Outdoors	Ballinalack	Co. Westmeath	Ireland
Near a park	0%	68%	92%
Protected nature within 5 km	18%	3.9%	1.8%
Paths per km² of town	0.1 km per km²	0.8 km per km²	2.1 km per km²
Woodland within 1 km	5%	5.3%	2.7%

1 km

Footpaths

18%

Protected for nature

Woodland

Full pageBallinalack’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Protected nature18% of the land within 5 km · Lough Iron SPA|Lough Garr NHA Green space nearby0% of homes within 400 m Parks0.0 ha per 1,000 residents · 0 ha of green space, 0 parks Paths and trails1 km of paths · 2 trails and greenways within 5 km

OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.

Work & commute

Only 8.5% of commuters in Ballinalack go to work without a car, fewer than in Co. Westmeath’s towns and across Irish towns

Working mainly from home: 2.8% of workers, below both Co. Westmeath’s towns (8.5%) and Irish towns (11%). At the census, 87% of commuters went by car. The average trip to work takes 31.2 min.

9%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2022

Car or van87%

Walk9%

Census 2022	Ballinalack	Co. Westmeath	Ireland
Average trip	31.2 min	26.8 min	27.6 min
Unemployment rate	7.5%	11%	9.2%
Trips under 15 minutes	32%	41%	31%
In work, 15 to 64	68%	65%	68%

€58,800

household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Westmeath €57,431

worked mainly from home, 2022

18%

trips of an hour or more

3,502

on the Live Register, County Westmeath, September 2026

Full pageBallinalack’s work & commute pageOpen the page

Getting to work9% walk, cycle or take transit Unemployment7.5% unemployed · Irish towns: 9.2%Median income€58,800 a year · Median household income, before tax Benefits over time3,502 on the Live Register · −1.8% on a year earlier

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

Few people in Ballinalack are 15 to 24: 9.3%, fewer than in Co. Westmeath’s towns and across Irish towns

Children under 15 make up 19% of residents. Just over a quarter of adults hold a degree, below Co. Westmeath’s towns (34%) and Irish towns (36%) alike. Foreign-born residents make up 16% of the population.

41.1median age

BallinalackCo. WestmeathIreland

Co. WestmeathIreland

Ages · share of residents

14%

Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education

Primary or none13%

Lower secondary15%

Leaving Cert36%

Diploma or cert10%

Degree or higher26%

Women and men · all residents

55.9% of Ballinalack’s residents are women

90 women and 71 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.

Ages and education in Ballinalack
	Ballinalack	Co. Westmeath	Ireland
Under 15	19%	22%	20%
15–24	9.3%	12%	12%
25–44	27%	30%	29%
45–64	31%	24%	24%
65+	14%	13%	14%
Primary or none	13%	10%	9.7%
Lower secondary	15%	14%	14%
Leaving Cert	36%	35%	35%
Diploma or cert	9.8%	7%	5.8%
Degree or higher	26%	34%	36%

Full pageBallinalack’s Who lives here pageOpen the page

Ages41.1 median age · 14% are 65 or over Households62 households · 2.7 people per household Where born16% born outside Ireland Irish speakers34% can speak Irish · 0% speak Irish daily outside school

CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Westmeath and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+

Town hall

More people in Ballinalack vote than in Co. Westmeath’s towns or Irish towns: 56% turnout at the local elections

Westmeath County Council has no ruling majority: Fianna Fáil hold 9 of its 20 seats, short of the 11 needed. One council serves Ballinalack: Westmeath County Council. This Co. Westmeath town sits in the Moate local electoral area, which elects 4 councillors.

9/20seats held by Fianna Fáil

Seats on Westmeath County · June 2024

Fianna Fáil9

Fine Gael4

Independent2

Labour Party2

Sinn Féin2

Independent Ireland1

Turnout	Ballinalack	Co. Westmeath	Ireland
Local elections, June 2024	56%	51%	46%
General election, November 2024	58%	58%	59%

Councillors

9/20

Fianna Fáil seats on Westmeath County, the largest party

56%

turnout, June 2024

TDs elected for Longford-Westmeath

Full pageBallinalack’s town hall & politics pageOpen the page

How Ballinalack voted56% turned out · Local elections, June 2024 · Co. Westmeath towns 51%Who’s in chargeNo majority: Fianna Fáil lead with 9 of 20 (11 needed)Councillors4 councillors · Moate TDs5 TDs · Longford-Westmeath

Department of Housing count sheets, 2024

History

For its size, Ballinalack has more listed heritage than Co. Westmeath’s towns or Irish towns: 186 inventory buildings per 10,000 residents

Before 1919: that is when 6.7% of homes were built. Ballinalack’s built heritage counts 3 inventory entries, each of regional standing.

3inventory buildings

Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH

International0

National0

Regional3

Among them

sites on the Sites and Monuments Record

1740

earliest dated inventory building

homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%

Heritage	Ballinalack	Co. Westmeath	Ireland
Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents	186	89	48
Archaeological sites on the record	0	26	11
Homes built before 1919	6.7%	3.5%	3.4%

Full pageBallinalack’s history pageOpen the page

NIAH buildings3 buildings on the inventory Older homes7% built before 1919 · Irish towns: 3%Monuments0 sites · On the Sites and Monuments Record Questions“How many historic buildings are there in Ballinalack?”

NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built

Nearby attractions

Tristernagh Abbey and 12 more within 40 km

One place to visit is mapped within 5 km of Ballinalack; with it, the best known within 40 km.

All attractions →

Abbey or prioryTristernagh Abbey2.9 km outside town, to the south

CathedralCathedral of Christ the King14 km southeast

Abbey or priory · Office of Public WorksFore Abbey17 km east

CathedralSt. Mel's Cathedral24 km northwest

CastleTullynally Castle11 km northeast

CastleClonyn Castle24 km east

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (6)

Tristernagh Abbey: JohnArmagh, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Cathedral of Christ the King: Mullingar, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
Fore Abbey: JohnArmagh, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
St. Mel's Cathedral: 瑞丽江的河水, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Tullynally Castle: Peter Gavigan, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Clonyn Castle: Gavigan, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Ballinalack

15pages on Ballinalack

The big questions

SafetyHousing & costProperty pricesSchoolsHealthWork & commuteNatural hazards4.6% of homes in high-radon areas

Out and about

OutdoorsAttractionsClimateWeather

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 41.1 History3 buildings on the National Inventory Town hallFamous people

Landmarks

Ballinalack’s built heritage counts 3 inventory entries, each of regional standing.

All historic buildings →

NIAH: Regional

Ballinalack HouseHouse · 1740

NIAH: Regional

RIC barracks, BallinalackRIC barracks · 1820

Famous people from around Ballinalack

No notable person born in Ballinalack is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.

How we find them →

Niall HoranIrish singer-songwriter · born in Mullingar · born 1993

Francis Ysidro EdgeworthIrish economist (1845–1926) · born in Edgeworthstown

John Joe NevinIrish boxer · born in Mullingar · born 1989

George Edward DobsonIrish zoologist (1848-1895) · born in Edgeworthstown

Joe DolanIrish entertainer, recording artist, an… · born in Mullingar

Michael Pakenham EdgeworthIrish botanist and photographer in Indi… · born in Edgeworthstown

Photo credits

Niall Horan: Office of the President of the United States, Public domain · Joe Dolan: Unknown photographer, CC BY-SA 3.0

Ballinalack’s neighbours

The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.

EdgeworthstownCastlepollardMullingarGranardBallinalack

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Ballinalack	161	—	—	—	—	—
Edgeworthstown Longford	2,199	12	—	A⁻	C⁺	C⁻
Castlepollard	1,349	13	—	A	A	D
Mullingar	22,667	14	C⁺	B⁺	C⁻	B
Granard Longford	1,058	17	—	A⁻	B	B⁻

People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.

Questions about Ballinalack

Do people in Ballinalack drive to work?

3% mostly work from home, and 32% of journeys take under 15 minutes.

How old are the people of Ballinalack?

The median age in Ballinalack is 41.1, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.

About Ballinalack

Urban area in Co. Westmeath

161 people live in Ballinalack, in the area of Westmeath 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: 161 (CSO, Census 2022)
County: Westmeath
Council: Westmeath County Council
Local electoral area: Moate
Dáil constituency: Longford-Westmeath
Name in Irish: Béal Átha na Leac
Area: 0.1 sq mi (0.1 km²)
CSO code: UA:13191

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).