Counties of the Republic of Ireland

Ireland

The Republic of Ireland has 26 counties. They are in essence a part of the system of counties which had been developed across the British Isles by the Middle Ages, and which are the oldest extant national divisions in the world.

Where a distinction has to be made with statutory "counties" so called for administrative purposes, the counties are variously known as historic counties, traditional counties or ancient or geographical counties.

All of the Irish counties have an existence stretching back to the Middle Ages. They have no administrative function, existing as geographical and cultural areas. In this time many activities many activities and much social understanding and local identity has grown up intertwined with the counties, and so they have become a vital part of Irish culture.

From the Middle Ages up to today, administrative functions have been carried on using the counties' boundaries or approximations to them, and so centuries of public records have been organised county by county, for which reason an understanding of the counties is vital for genealogical and historic research.

List of the counties

The following table lists the proper name of each county along with its area (in square miles), population, population density (in persons/square mile), the province in which it is located and a selection of its principal towns. County towns are listed first and cities are shown in bold.

Name	Area	Population	Density	Province	Principal towns in the county
County Carlow	{{#formatnum: 346|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 54612|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 157.83815028902|2,|.|,}}	Leinster	Carlow, Bagenalstown
County Cavan	{{#formatnum: 746|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 73183|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 98.100536193029|2,|.|,}}	Ulster	Cavan, Bailieborough, Virginia
County Clare	{{#formatnum: 1330|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 117196|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 88.117293233083|2,|.|,}}	Munster	Ennis, Kilkee, Kilrush, Shannon
County Cork	{{#formatnum: 2895|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 518128|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 178.97340241796|2,|.|,}}	Munster	Cork, Kinsale, Skibbereen, Youghal
County Donegal	{{#formatnum: 1869|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 161137|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 86.215623327983|2,|.|,}}	Ulster	Ballyshannon, Buncrana, Bundoran, Letterkenny
County Dublin	{{#formatnum: 356|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 1270603|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 3569.1095505618|2,|.|,}}	Leinster	Dublin, Dún Laoghaire, Swords, Tallaght
County Galway	{{#formatnum: 2374|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 250541|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 105.53538331929|2,|.|,}}	Connaught	Galway, Ballinasloe, Loughrea, Tuam, Mountshannon
County Kerry	{{#formatnum: 1832|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 145502|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 79.422489082969|2,|.|,}}	Munster	Killarney, Listowel, Tralee
County Kildare	{{#formatnum: 654|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 210312|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 321.57798165138|2,|.|,}}	Leinster	Athy, Kildare, Leixlip, Naas, Newbridge
County Kilkenny	{{#formatnum: 800|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 95419|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 119.27375|2,|.|,}}	Leinster	Kilkenny, Urlingford
County Laois	{{#formatnum: 660|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 80559|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 122.05909090909|2,|.|,}}	Leinster	Portlaoise, Mountmellick
County Leitrim	{{#formatnum: 613|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 31798|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 51.872756933116|2,|.|,}}	Connaught	Carrick-on-Shannon, Leitrim
County Limerick	{{#formatnum: 1064|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 191809|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 180.27161654135|2,|.|,}}	Munster	Limerick
County Longford	{{#formatnum: 421|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 39000|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 92.636579572447|2,|.|,}}	Leinster	Longford
County Louth	{{#formatnum: 319|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 122897|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 385.25705329154|2,|.|,}}	Leinster	Dundalk, Ardee, Drogheda
County Mayo	{{#formatnum: 2157|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 130638|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 60.564673157163|2,|.|,}}	Connaught	Castlebar, Ballina, Westport, Ballaghaderreen
Meath	{{#formatnum: 904|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 184135|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 203.68915929204|2,|.|,}}	Leinster	Navan, Kells, Trim
County Monaghan	{{#formatnum: 500|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 60483|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 120.966|2,|.|,}}	Ulster	Monaghan, Ballybay, Carrickmacross, Castleblayney, Clones
County Offaly	{{#formatnum: 800|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 76687|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 95.85875|2,|.|,}}	Leinster	Tullamore, Birr, Edenderry
County Roscommon	{{#formatnum: 983|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 64065|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 65.172939979654|2,|.|,}}	Connaught	Roscommon, Athlone, Boyle
County Sligo	{{#formatnum: 709|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 65393|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 92.232722143865|2,|.|,}}	Connaught	Sligo
County Tipperary	{{#formatnum: 1661|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 158754|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 95.577363034317|2,|.|,}}	Munster	Clonmel, Carrick-on-Suir, Cashel, Nenagh, Templemore, Thurles, Tipperary
County Waterford	{{#formatnum: 717|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 113795|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 158.70990237099|2,|.|,}}	Munster	Waterford, Dungarvan, Lismore, Tramore
Westmeath	{{#formatnum: 710|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 86164|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 121.35774647887|2,|.|,}}	Leinster	Mullingar, Athlone
County Wexford	{{#formatnum: 909|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 145320|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 159.86798679868|2,|.|,}}	Leinster	Wexford, Enniscorthy, Gorey, New Ross
County Wicklow	{{#formatnum: 781|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 136448|0	,}}	{{#formatnum: 174.70934699104|2,|.|,}}	Leinster	Arklow, Bray, Greystones

See also

• Counties of the United Kingdom