Monaghan is one of the border counties in Ireland, one of the three Ulster counties which are not in Northern Ireland, with a population of 65,288 people.
One of the smallest counties in the country, Monaghan has the fourth smallest population in Ireland and is the fifth smallest by land area.
A very famous figure to come from Monaghan is the renowned poet and novelist Patrick Kavanagh, who has inspired many other literary figures in Ireland and beyond.
Our vetted installers are the best choice for homeowners and businesses in Monaghan thinking about having solar panels installed, whether they live in the county’s towns or more rural areas.
Monaghan Solar Panels Adoption
Monaghan has among the lowest uptake of residential solar panels in Ireland, with only Leitrim & Longford installing fewer solar panels to date.
The SEAI has recorded just 681 homes in Monaghan having solar panels installed with the aid of grant funding since 2015. This means that there are tens of thousands of homes in the county which are still suitable for retrofitting with solar PV.
That figure is starting to grow rapidly, as nearly two-thirds of those solar installations were carried out in 2023 and the first 8 months of this year.
In 2024 alone some 164 homes received the solar PV grant up to the end of August. These figures show that solar is starting to take root in the county, and further explosive growth can be expected.
Monaghan Climate
Climate plays a significant role in the performance of solar panels, with factors such as temperature, hours of sunshine, and precipitation such as rain and snow all contributing to their performance.
Monaghan Sunshine Hours
Sunshine is the most crucial element of solar power, as solar panels convert sunlight into electricity. It’s in the name.
Fortunately for Ireland, direct sunshine is not necessary for solar panels to work, and they will still generate power on overcast days. That said, there is a direct link between how much power they produce and the amount of sunshine solar panels receive.
Monaghan sits in the northern end of Ireland, and doesn’t get as much sunshine as the sunny southeast, but there is still plenty of sunshine to be had in the summer months. Winters, however, have less sunshine than many parts of the country.
Homeowners in Monghan can still expect to save several hundred euro on their electricity bills each year with solar panels installed.
Monaghan Towns
Co. Monaghan has a total population of 65,288 people as of the 2022 census. Monaghan town is the largest in the county with a population of 7,894, situated on the route leading from Dublin to Derry and on to Letterkenny.
Other substantial towns in the county include Carrickmacross and Castleblayney, the only other towns with populations greater than 2,000 people.
Monaghan is quite a rural county, with less than a third of the population living in the five largest towns. The rest of the population is in towns and villages with less than 1,000 people or more rural areas.
| Towns & Villages | Population |
| Monaghan Town | 7,894 |
| Carrickmacross | 5,745 |
| Castleblayney | 3,926 |
| Clones | 1,885 |
| Ballybay | 1,329 |
Monaghan Housing
Monaghan has among the smallest number of dwellings in the BER database at 11,486 homes. However, considering the low population of the county, this still makes up a significant portion of the homes in Monaghan.
Looking at the BER rating of different homes can give an indication of how energy efficient the housing stock in the county is.
The average age of homes recorded in Monghan is higher than average at 36 years old. Despite this, a significant proportion of those homes have an A rating in their BER, 12 percent. However, another 12 percent of homes still have an F or G BER.
| Area | Energy Rating | Total Housing Stock | Average Age | ||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | |||
| Monaghan County | 1,378 | 1,839 | 3,561 | 2,182 | 1,034 | 459 | 919 | 11,486 | 36 |
Data accurate as of Q2, 2024. Source: CSO.ie
