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 (for example, city including suburbs), excluding areas that fall within the boundary of another city or town. The figures for settlements in Northern Ireland are based on the preliminary 2021 Northern Ireland Census, while the figures for the Republic are based on the 2022 census. Settlements in bold have city status.

RankSettlementPopulationProvinceCountyJurisdictionDescription1Dublin1,263,219LeinsterCounty DublinRepublicCapital city of the Republic of Ireland. Largest settlement on the island since the Middle Ages, except for a brief period around 1900. The figure here is for city including contiguous suburbs; the Greater Dublin Area has a population of 2,082,605. 2Belfast348,005UlsterCounty Antrim, County DownNorthernCapital 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 1900.3Cork222,333MunsterCounty CorkRepublicLargest 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.4Limerick102,287Munster, County ClareRepublicPrincipal city of Ireland's Mid-West Region and second-largest city in Munster5Galway85,910ConnachtCounty GalwayRepublicLargest city in the province of Connacht6Derry85,279UlsterCounty LondonderryNorthernSecond largest city in Northern Ireland and in Ulster7Newtownabbey67,599UlsterCounty AntrimNorthernPart of the Belfast Metropolitan Area. It was founded in 1958 to encompass many adjacent villages just outside Belfast.8Bangor64,596UlsterCounty DownNorthernGranted city status in 2022. Though a city in its own right, it is also part of the wider Belfast Metropolitan Area.9Waterford60,079MunsterCounty Waterford, County KilkennyRepublicThird-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.10Lisburn51,447UlsterCounty Antrim, County DownNorthernGranted 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.11Drogheda44,135LeinsterCounty Louth, County MeathRepublicLargest town in the Republic of Ireland, located in County Louth with its southern environs located in County Meath12Dundalk43,112LeinsterCounty LouthRepublicCounty town of County Louth13Swords40,776LeinsterCounty Dublin, FingalRepublicNorth Dublin suburban town and second-largest settlement in County Dublin. Forms part of the Greater Dublin Area. Lies both in the traditional County Dublin and since 1994, Fingal.14Navan33,886LeinsterCounty MeathRepublicCounty town and largest settlement in County Meath15Bray33,512LeinsterCounty Wicklow, County DublinRepublicMost 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.16Ballymena31,119UlsterCounty AntrimNorthernCounty town of Country Antrim17Newtownards29,637UlsterCounty DownNorthern18Lurgan28,634UlsterCounty ArmaghNorthernLargest settlement in County Armagh19Carrickfergus27,998UlsterCounty AntrimNorthernThough a town in its own right, it is also part of the wider Belfast Metropolitan Area20Ennis27,923MunsterCounty ClareRepublicCounty town and largest settlement in County Clare. Largest town in Munster.21Newry27,913UlsterCounty Down, County ArmaghNorthernGranted city status in 2002, it is Northern Ireland's fifth-largest settlement22Carlow27,351LeinsterCounty CarlowRepublicCounty town and largest settlement in County Carlow23Kilkenny27,184LeinsterCounty KilkennyRepublicCounty town and largest settlement in County Kilkenny, granted city status (now ceremonial) in 160924Naas26,180LeinsterRepublicCounty town and largest settlement in County Kildare25Tralee26,079MunsterCounty KerryRepublicCounty town and largest settlement in County Kerry26Antrim25,607UlsterNorthernFormer county town of County Antrim27Coleraine24,479UlsterCounty LondonderryNorthern28Newbridge24,366LeinsterRepublicSecond largest town in County Kildare29Balbriggan24,322LeinsterRepublicIn the far north of County Dublin; forms part of the Greater Dublin Area30Portlaoise23,494LeinsterRepublicCounty town and largest settlement in County Laois31Athlone22,869LeinsterRepublicLargest settlement in County Westmeath32Mullingar22,667LeinsterRepublicCounty town of County Westmeath33Letterkenny22,549UlsterRepublicLargest settlement in County Donegal34Greystones-Delgany22,009LeinsterRepublicTwo adjacent settlements forming a single population cluster35Wexford21,524LeinsterRepublicCounty town and largest settlement in County Wexford36Portadown21,097UlsterNorthern37Sligo20,608ConnachtRepublicCounty town of County Sligo, second largest settlement and largest town in Connacht38Celbridge20,601LeinsterRepublicPart of the Greater Dublin Area39Omagh20,458UlsterNorthernCounty town and largest settlement in County Tyrone40Larne18,856UlsterNorthern41Malahide18,608Leinster, FingalRepublicOften considered a suburb of Dublin; forms part of the Greater Dublin Area. Households in Malahide have the highest median incomes of any measured population area in Ireland.42Clonmel18,369MunsterRepublicLargest settlement in County Tipperary43Carrigaline18,239MunsterCounty CorkRepublicForms part of Metropolitan Cork44Banbridge17,403UlsterNorthern45Maynooth17,259LeinsterRepublicConsidered part of the Greater Dublin Area46Leixlip16,773LeinsterRepublicSometimes considered a remote suburb of Dublin. Part of the Greater Dublin Area.47Armagh16,308UlsterNorthernCounty town of County Armagh and ecclesiastical capital of Ireland in the Catholic and Church of Ireland.48Dungannon16,282UlsterNorthern49Ashbourne15,680LeinsterRepublicDespite much commuting to Dublin, not officially part of the Greater Dublin Area50Laytown–Bettystown–Mornington–Donacarney15,642LeinsterRepublicA set of semi-adjacent rural settlements; Mornington is sometimes considered a suburb of Drogheda.51Tullamore15,598LeinsterRepublicCounty town of, and largest settlement in, County Offaly52Killarney14,412MunsterRepublic53Cobh14,148MunsterCounty CorkRepublicPart of Metropolitan Cork54Enniskillen14,082UlsterNorthernCounty town and largest settlement in County Fermanagh55Midleton13,906MunsterRepublic56Strabane13,506UlsterNorthern57Mallow13,456MunsterRepublic58Arklow13,399LeinsterRepublic59Castlebar13,054ConnachtRepublicCounty town and largest settlement in County Mayo60Wicklow12,957LeinsterRepublicCounty town of County Wicklow

See also 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