Living in Birr, Co. Offaly: Schools, Commute & House Prices 2026
Leinster house prices & rents › Offaly › Living in Birr
Birr is a town in Co. Offaly, about 97 minutes from Dublin city centre by car and on the rail line, 3 schools, 91.4% of households own their home. Living here costs a median €240,000 to buy or €1,088 a month to rent (a 5.4% gross yield).
Official CSO, Department of Education, Transport for Ireland, PPR & RTB data · 76 sales · updated July 2026
How Birr compares: at €240,000 it is 14% below the County Offaly median of €278k. Its 5.4% gross yield is above the county average of 5.3%.Recent activity in Birr: latest recorded sale Jun 2026; 18 new homes approved in the last year; prices +18.5% year on year. This page updates as new official data lands.Get Leinster InsiderPlanning grants, sales and rent updates for your county, weekly, from official data. Free.Subscribe
Local to Birr? Estate agents, mortgage brokers and solicitors — reach people researching Birr property right here on this page.
Who lives in Birr — 91.4% own their home, full Census breakdown
Who lives in Birr
223 people live in Birr on Census 2022 night. 91% of households own their home and 9% rent, so Birr leans towards owner occupiers. The most common way to commute is by car (66%). It skews young: 30% are under 15 against 13% aged 65 and over. 37% of those who have finished education hold a third level qualification.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Population (2022) | 223 |
| Owner-occupied households | 91% |
| Rented households | 9% |
| Aged under 15 | 30% |
| Aged 25 to 44 | 18% |
| Aged 65 and over | 13% |
| Third level or higher | 37% |
| At work (aged 15+) | 56% |
| Unemployment rate | 3% |
| Commute by car | 66% |
| Commute by public transport | 22% |
| Commute on foot or bike | 2% |
Source: CSO Census 2022 Small Area Population Statistics, CC-BY 4.0. Figures are for the Knockbarron electoral division around Birr.
Getting around and commuting
Nearest train station: Roscrea (16.3 km away), on the Limerick line
Public transport serving Birr — 1 operators
Getting around Birr
Birr is served by 1 public-transport operator running 1 scheduled route. The operator is TFI Local Link Laois Offaly.
| Operator | Mode |
|---|---|
| TFI Local Link Laois Offaly | Bus / coach |
Scheduled routes
- 823 - Birr - Portlaoise
Source: Transport for Ireland GTFS_All feed (NTA), CC-BY 4.0. Stops matched to the town within a 6 km radius; route list capped.
Schools in Birr
There are 3 primary schools in and around Birr.
| School | Level | Pupils | DEIS |
|---|---|---|---|
| S N Naomh Eoin | Primary | 148 | |
| Ceann Eitigh N S | Primary | 132 | |
| Seir Kierans N S | Primary | 71 |
Source: Department of Education, Data on Individual Schools. CC-BY 4.0.
Things to do in and around Birr
- Heritage nearby: Sierkieran Monastic Site (5 km) · Clonmacnoise (29 km)
- Walking trails in County Offaly: Grand Canal Way · Slieve Bloom Way · Derryounce Bog Lake Walk · Derryounce Bog Oak Walk
- Nature reserves: Clara Bog Nature Reserve · Raheenmore Bog Nature Reserve · Mongan Bog Nature Reserve
Where Birr is
Map © OpenStreetMap contributors
What it costs: house prices and rent in Birr
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median sale price (12 mo) | €240,000 (+18.5% YoY) |
| Average monthly rent | €1,088 |
| Gross rental yield | 5.4% |
| Net yield (est.) | 4.3% |
| Offaly county median | €278k |
| New build / second-hand | — / €240,000 |
Recent sales in Birr
| Date | Address | Type | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Jun 26 | 3 CAMCOR HOUSE, BIRR, OFFALY | Second-hand | €162,500 |
| 17 Jun 26 | 4 COMPTON ROW, NEWBRIDGE ST, BIRR | Second-hand | €239,000 |
| 16 Jun 26 | 10 WOODLANE, HILLSIDE, BIRR | Second-hand | €320,000 |
| 10 Jun 26 | CASTLE STREET, CLOGHAN, BIRR | Second-hand | €395,000 |
| 03 Jun 26 | 18 NEW RD, BIRR, OFFALY | Second-hand | €200,000 |
| 28 May 26 | 1 RIVERSTOWN, BIRR, OFFALY | Second-hand | €240,000 |
| 19 May 26 | EMMET ST, BIRR, OFFALY | Second-hand | €130,000 |
| 01 May 26 | EGLISH, FIVEALLEY, BIRR | Second-hand | €375,000 |
Actual sale prices from the Property Price Register, verifiable at propertypriceregister.ie.
Birr median price, year by year
| Year | Median | Relative | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | €188,500 | 88 sales | |
| 2024 | €200,000 | 100 sales | |
| 2025 | €230,000 | 85 sales | |
| 2026 | €239,000 | 27 sales |
Average rent by size
| 1-bed | 2-bed | 3-bed | 4+ bed |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | €1,001 | €1,124 | — |
Maximum legal rent increase in Birr
Since 1 March 2026 a rent review is capped at the lower of 2% a year (pro rata) or CPI inflation. Enter the current rent and the dates to get the maximum legal rent for Birr, using the official CSO figures.
The full March 2026 rent review rules
Birr compared with County Offaly
| County | Median | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| County Offaly median | 278000 | |
| Birr | 240000 |
Rent or buy in Birr?
At a glance: €240,000 to buy versus €1,088 a month to rent, a 5.4% gross yield. Use the calculator for your own numbers.
Local Property Tax in Birr
The median home (€240,000) falls in LPT Band 1, a base charge of €95 a year before Offaly County Council's local adjustment factor. Use the calculator for your exact valuation.
Renting in Birr: the March 2026 rent rules
Every rent increase is now capped at the lesser of 2% a year (pro rata) or CPI inflation, nationwide since 1 March 2026. A review needs 90 days' notice on the RTB form, no more than one in any 12 months, and the notice must cite three comparable homes from the RTB Rent Register. Check any rent increase against the legal cap, or see average rents for every Leinster town.
More free calculators: what can I afford · stamp duty · budget + commute · rent increase cap · Leinster town finder
Before you move: planning and flood
Recent development in Birr
In the 12 months to July 2026, 25 planning grants were recorded in and around Birr, including 18 new homes approved across those grants.
| Decided | Development | Homes |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-23 | a dwelling house, domestic garage/garden shed/home office, new site entrance, septic tank and percolation area and all associated siteworks | 1 |
| 2025-11-28 | a new dwelling house, domestic garage, new site entrance, treatment system and percolation area and all associated siteworks | 1 |
| 2026-03-06 | Permission for a replacement dwelling house, new domestic garage, upgrades to the existing site entrance, septic tank and percolation area and all... | 1 |
| 2026-04-27 | A new dwelling house, domestic garage, wastewater treatment system, driveway, entrance and all associated site works | 1 |
| 2025-07-25 | Construction of a two storey dwelling, single storey garage, wastewater treatment system, percolation area, new entrance, driveway and all associated... | 1 |
See all recent planning applications in and around Birr →
Source: Irish Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (ArcGIS, CC-BY 4.0). Granted applications keyed to the nearest town within 7 km. Homes column shows residential units in the application where recorded.
What this means: The 18 homes approved here in the last year are about 26% of Birr's roughly 70 households, a supply pipeline that typically eases price pressure.
Flood maps
For the modelled fluvial, coastal and pluvial flood extents around Birr, open the official OPW flood maps, the authoritative source for Birr, Offaly.
View the official OPW flood maps for Birr →
Source: Office of Public Works, floodinfo.ie. No OPW flood-extent values are reproduced here.
County context
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Population (2022 Census) | 83,150 |
| Population change 2016 to 2022 | +6.7% |
| Disposable income per person (index, State = 100) | 76.7 |
| New dwelling permissions (Midland region, 2017) | 168 thousand m² |
Planning permissions are reported at NUTS3 region level; counties in this region share a figure.
Sources: CSO F1001, CIA02, BHQ09. CC-BY 4.0.
Common questions about living in Birr
What's it like to live in Birr?
Birr is a town in Co. Offaly, about 97 minutes from Dublin city centre by car and on the rail line, 3 schools, 91.4% of households own their home (CSO Census 2022, Department of Education, Transport for Ireland).
How much does it cost to live in Birr?
A home in Birr costs a median €240,000 to buy or €1,088 a month to rent, a 5.4% gross yield (Property Price Register, RTB via CSO).
How long is the commute from Birr to Dublin?
About 97 minutes to Dublin city centre by car and on the rail line (OpenStreetMap routing).
What schools are in Birr?
Schools in Birr include S N Naomh Eoin, Ceann Eitigh N S, Seir Kierans N S, among 3 primary and 0 post-primary in total (Department of Education, 2024/25).
Nearby Offaly towns
Tullamore · Edenderry · Banagher · Clara
All Offaly house prices · All Leinster house prices
Sources: CSO Census 2022, Department of Education, Transport for Ireland, Property Price Register (PSRA), CSO RPPI, RTB via CSO. CC-BY. Figures verifiable at the official source.