List of settlements on the island of Ireland by population
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 |
See also
[edit]- List of urban areas in the Republic of Ireland
- List of localities in Northern Ireland by population
- List of places in Northern Ireland
- List of Irish counties by population
- List of towns and cities in England by population
- List of built-up areas in Wales by population
- List of towns and cities in Scotland by population
References
[edit]- ^ "Census 2021" (PDF). Nisra.gov.uk. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- ^ "Census 2022 - F1015 Population". Central Statistics Office Census 2022 Reports. Central Statistics Office Ireland. August 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
- ^ "Bray: Gateway to Wicklow | Wicklow.ie". www.wicklow.ie. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
- ^ Gleeson, Colin. "Households in Malahide enjoy highest incomes in State". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2021-12-29.