This is a list of the 60 largest towns and cities on the island of Ireland by population. It therefore includes towns and cities in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The population figures listed are for the urban area around each settlement excluding areas that fall within the boundary of another town or city. The figures for settlements in Northern Ireland are based on the preliminary 2021 Northern Ireland Census, [1] while the figures for the Republic are based on the 2022 Census. [2] Settlements in bold have city status.
Rank | Settlement | Population | Province | County | Jurisdiction | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Dublin | 592,713 | Leinster | County Dublin | Republic | Capital city of the Republic of Ireland. Largest settlement on the island since the Middle Ages, except for a brief period around 1900. The Greater Dublin Area has a population of 2,082,605. |
2 | Belfast | 293,298 | Ulster | County Antrim, County Down | Northern | Capital of Northern Ireland and largest city in all of Ulster. Home to Northern Ireland's devolved government and power-sharing assembly. Belfast received city status in 1888. Briefly Ireland's most populous city around 1900. |
3 | Cork | 222,333 | Munster | County Cork | Republic | Largest city in the province of Munster in the south of Ireland. Cork is one of Ireland's oldest cities, having received city status in the 900s. |
4 | Limerick | 102,287 | Munster | County Limerick , County Clare | Republic | Principal city of Ireland's Mid-West Region and second-largest city in Munster |
5 | Galway | 85,910 | Connacht | County Galway | Republic | Largest city in the province of Connacht |
6 | Derry | 85,279 | Ulster | County Londonderry | Northern | Second largest city in Ulster |
7 | Newtownabbey | 67,599 | Ulster | County Antrim | Northern | Part of the Belfast Metropolitan Area. It was founded in 1958 to encompass many adjacent villages just outside Belfast. |
8 | Bangor | 64,596 | Ulster | County Down | Northern | Granted city status in 2022. Though a city in its own right, it is also part of the wider Belfast Metropolitan Area. |
9 | Waterford | 60,079 | Munster | County Waterford, County Kilkenny | Republic | Third-largest in the province of Munster. It is the island of Ireland's oldest surviving city, having been founded by Vikings in the 9th century AD. |
10 | Lisburn | 51,447 | Ulster | County Antrim, County Down | Northern | Granted city status in 2002. The city lies on the border between County Antrim and County Down, Ulster's two most populated counties. Though a city in its own right, it is also part of the wider Belfast Metropolitan Area. |
11 | Drogheda | 44,135 | Leinster | County Louth, County Meath | Republic | Largest town in the Republic of Ireland, located in County Louth with its southern environs located in County Meath |
12 | Dundalk | 43,112 | Leinster | County Louth | Republic | County town of County Louth |
13 | Swords | 40,776 | Leinster | County Dublin, | Republic | North Dublin suburban town and second-largest settlement in County Dublin after the city itself. Forms part of the Greater Dublin Area. Lies both in the traditional County Dublin and since 1994, Fingal County. |
14 | Navan | 33,886 | Leinster | County Meath | Republic | County town and largest settlement in County Meath. |
15 | Bray | 33,512 | Leinster | County Wicklow, County Dublin [3] | Republic | Most populous town in County Wicklow. An extremely small portion of the town is in County Dublin. Bray is considered part of the Greater Dublin Area. |
16 | Ballymena | 31,119 | Ulster | County Antrim | Northern | |
17 | Newtownards | 29,637 | Ulster | County Down | Northern | |
18 | Lurgan | 28,634 | Ulster | County Armagh | Northern | Largest settlement in County Armagh. |
19 | Carrickfergus | 27,998 | Ulster | County Antrim | Northern | Though a town in its own right, it is also part of the wider Belfast Metropolitan Area. |
20 | Ennis | 27,923 | Munster | County Clare | Republic | County town and largest settlement in County Clare. Largest town in Munster. |
21 | Newry | 27,913 | Ulster | County Down, County Armagh | Northern | Granted city status in 2002, it is Northern Ireland's fifth-largest city |
22 | Carlow | 27,351 | Leinster | County Carlow | Republic | County town and largest settlement in County Carlow. |
23 | Kilkenny | 27,184 | Leinster | County Kilkenny | Republic | County town and largest settlement in County Kilkenny, granted city status in 1609 |
24 | Naas | 26,180 | Leinster | County Kildare | Republic | County town and largest settlement in County Kildare. |
25 | Tralee | 26,079 | Munster | County Kerry | Republic | County town and largest settlement in County Kerry. |
26 | Antrim | 25,607 | Ulster | County Antrim | Northern | County town of Country Antrim. |
27 | Coleraine | 24,479 | Ulster | County Londonderry | Northern | |
28 | Newbridge | 24,366 | Leinster | County Kildare | Republic | Second largest town in County Kildare. |
29 | Balbriggan | 24,322 | Leinster | County Dublin | Republic | Forms part of the Greater Dublin Area. |
30 | Portlaoise | 23,494 | Leinster | County Laois | Republic | County town and largest settlement in County Laois. |
31 | Athlone | 22,869 | Leinster | County Westmeath | Republic | Largest settlement in County Westmeath. |
32 | Mullingar | 22,667 | Leinster | County Westmeath | Republic | County town of County Westmeath. |
33 | Letterkenny | 22,549 | Ulster | County Donegal | Republic | Largest settlement in County Donegal |
34 | Greystones-Delgany | 22,009 | Leinster | County Wicklow | Republic | |
35 | Wexford | 21,524 | Leinster | County Wexford | Republic | County town and largest settlement in County Wexford. |
36 | Portadown | 21,097 | Ulster | County Armagh | Northern | |
37 | Sligo | 20,608 | Connacht | County Sligo | Republic | County town of County Sligo, second largest settlement in Connacht and largest town in Connacht |
37 | Celbridge | 20,601 | Leinster | County Kildare | Republic | |
39 | Omagh | 20,458 | Ulster | County Tyrone | Northern | County town and largest settlement in County Tyrone. |
40 | Larne | 18,856 | Ulster | County Antrim | Northern | |
41 | Malahide | 18,608 | Leinster | County Dublin , | Republic | Forms part of the Greater Dublin Area. Households in Malahide have the highest median incomes in Ireland. [4] |
42 | Clonmel | 18,369 | Munster | County Tipperary | Republic | Largest settlement in County Tipperary |
43 | Carrigaline | 18,239 | Munster | County Cork | Republic | Forms part of Metropolitan Cork. |
44 | Banbridge | 17,403 | Ulster | County Down | Northern | |
45 | Maynooth | 17,259 | Leinster | County Kildare | Republic | |
46 | Leixlip | 16,773 | Leinster | County Kildare | Republic | |
47 | Armagh | 16,308 | Ulster | County Armagh | Northern | County town of County Armagh and ecclesiastical capital of Ireland. |
48 | Dungannon | 16,282 | Ulster | County Tyrone | Northern | |
49 | Ashbourne | 15,680 | Leinster | County Meath | Republic | |
50 | Laytown–Bettystown–Mornington–Donacarney | 15,642 | Leinster | County Meath | Republic | |
51 | Tullamore | 15,598 | Leinster | County Offaly | Republic | County town and largest settlement in County Offaly |
52 | Killarney | 14,412 | Munster | County Kerry | Republic | |
53 | Cobh | 14,148 | Munster | County Cork | Republic | |
54 | Enniskillen | 14,082 | Ulster | County Fermanagh | Northern | County town and largest settlement in County Fermanagh |
55 | Midleton | 13,906 | Munster | County Cork | Republic | |
56 | Strabane | 13,506 | Ulster | County Tyrone | Northern | |
57 | Mallow | 13,456 | Munster | County Cork | Republic | |
58 | Arklow | 13,399 | Leinster | County Wicklow | Republic | |
59 | Castlebar | 13,054 | Connacht | County Mayo | Republic | County town and largest settlement in County Mayo |
60 | Wicklow | 12,957 | Leinster | County Wicklow | Republic | County town of County Wicklow |
County Dublin is a county in Ireland, and holds its capital city, Dublin. It is located on the island's east coast, within the province of Leinster. Until 1994, County Dublin was a single local government area; in that year, the county council was divided into three new administrative counties: Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin. The three administrative counties together with Dublin City proper form a NUTS III statistical region of Ireland. County Dublin remains a single administrative unit for the purposes of the courts and Dublin County combined with Dublin City forms the Judicial County of Dublin, including Dublin Circuit Court, the Dublin County Registrar and the Dublin Metropolitan District Court). Dublin also sees law enforcement and fire services administered county-wide.
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. The last of the traditional 32 counties, having been formed as late as 1606, it is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the east and the counties of Wexford to the south, Carlow to the southwest, Kildare to the west, and South Dublin and Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown to the north.
County Waterford is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and is part of the Southern Region. It is named after the city of Waterford. Waterford City and County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county at large, including the city, was 127,363 according to the 2022 census. The county is based on the historic Gaelic territory of the Déise. There is an Irish-speaking area, Gaeltacht na nDéise, in the southwest of the county.
Leinster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland.
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county, which had a population of 246,977 at the 2022 census.
Arklow is a town in County Wicklow on the southeast coast of Ireland. The town is overlooked by Ballymoyle Hill. It was founded by the Vikings in the ninth century. Arklow was the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the 1798 rebellion. Its proximity to Dublin led to it becoming a commuter town with a population of 13,163 as of the 2016 census. The 2022 census recorded a population of 13,399. The town is in a townland and civil parish of the same name.
Wicklow is the county town of County Wicklow in Ireland. It is located on the east of Ireland, south of Dublin. According to the 2022 census, it had a population of 12,957 people. The town is to the east of the M11 route between Dublin and Wexford. It also has railway links to Dublin, Wexford, Arklow, and Rosslare Europort. There is also a commercial port for timber and textile imports. The River Vartry is the main river flowing through the town.
Blessington, historically known as Ballycomeen, is a town on the River Liffey in County Wicklow, Ireland, near the border with County Kildare. It is around 25 km south-west of Dublin, and is situated on the N81 road, which connects Dublin to Tullow. The town is in a townland and civil parish of the same name.
Ratoath is a commuter town in County Meath, Ireland. A branch of the Broad Meadow Water flows through the town. The R125 and R155 roads meet in the village. At the 2022 census, there were 10,007 people living in Ratoath, making it the fourth largest urban area in Meath. The town is around 25 kilometres (16 mi) northwest of Dublin city centre.
The Greater Dublin Area, or simply Greater Dublin, is an informal term that is taken to include the city of Dublin and its hinterland, with varying definitions as to its extent. At the expansive end, it has been defined as including all of the traditional County Dublin and three neighbouring counties, while more commonly it is taken as the contiguous metropolitan area of Dublin plus suburban and commuter towns. The area is defined for strategic planning, and, for example, transport, and it is not a formal administrative or political unit.
Kilcoole is a town in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is 3 kilometres (2 mi) south of Greystones, 14 km (9 mi) north of Wicklow, and about 28 km (17 mi) south of Dublin. The town is in a townland and civil parish of the same name. Kilcoole was used as a filming location for the Irish television series Glenroe, which ran through the 1980s and 1990s.
In geography, statistics and archaeology, a settlement, locality or populated place is a community of people living in a particular place. The complexity of a settlement can range from a minuscule number of dwellings grouped together to the largest of cities with surrounding urbanized areas. Settlements include hamlets, villages, towns and cities. A settlement may have known historical properties such as the date or era in which it was first settled, or first settled by particular people. The process of settlement involves human migration.
Glenealy is a village in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is 8 km (5 mi) west of Wicklow Town, on the R752 road. The Dublin–Rosslare railway line also passes through the village. The village is in a civil parish of the same name.
The Mid-East Region is a NUTS Level III statistical region of Ireland. It consists of the territory of the counties of Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wicklow. The Mid-East spans 6,891 km2, 9.8% of the total area of the state and, according to the 2022 census, had a population of 764,154, roughly 14.84% of the national population.