Ireland Travel Podcast with Saoirse Byrne

Location

Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain

Terrain

Mostly flat to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast

Climate

Temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time

Elevation

Highest point

Carrauntoohil 1,041 m

Lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Mean elevation

118 m

Area

Total

70,273 sq km

Land

68,883 sq km

Water

1,390 sq km

Size comparison

Slightly larger than West Virginia

Coastline

1,448 km

Land borders

Total

490 km

Border countries

UK 499 km

Natural resources

Natural gas, peat, copper, lead, zinc, silver, barite, gypsum, limestone, dolomite

Land use

Agricultural land

60.8% (2023 est.)

Arable land

6.4% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops

0% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture

54.4% (2023 est.)

Forest

11.9% (2023 est.)

Other

27.3% (2023 est.)

Natural hazards

Rare extreme weather events

Note

Strategic location on major air and sea routes between North America and northern Europe; over 40% of the population resides within 100 km of Dublin

Population

Total

5,233,461 (2024 est.)

Male

2,590,542

Female

2,642,919

Nationality

Noun

Irishman(men), Irishwoman(women), Irish (collective plural)

Adjective

Irish

Ethnic groups

Irish 76.6%, Irish travelers 0.6%, other White 9.9%, Asian 3.3%, Black 1.5%, other (includes Arab, Roma, and persons of mixed backgrounds) 2%, unspecified 2.6% (2022 est.)

Languages

English (official, the language generally used), Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official, spoken by approximately 37.7% of the population)

Religions

Roman Catholic 69.2% (includes lapsed), Protestant 3.7% (Church of Ireland/England/Anglican/Episcopalian 2.5%, other Protestant 1.2%), Orthodox 2%, other Christian 0.9%, Muslim 1.6%, other 1.4%, agnostic/atheist 0.1%, none 14.5%, unspecified 6.7% (2022 est.)

Median age

Total

40.5 years (2025 est.)

Male

39.7 years

Female

40.6 years

Life expectancy

Total population

82 years (2024 est.)

Male

80.3 years

Female

83.9 years

Urbanisation

Urban population

64.5% of total population (2023)

Rate of urbanization

1.15% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Where people live

Population distribution is weighted to the eastern side of the island, with the largest concentration in and around Dublin; populations in the west are small due to mountainous land, poorer soil, and lack of transport routes

Largest cities

1.270 million DUBLIN (capital) (2023)

Background

Celtic tribes arrived in Ireland between 600 and 150 B.C. Norse invasions that began in the late 8th century finally ended when King Brian BORU defeated the Danes in 1014. Norman invasions began in the 12th century and set off more than seven centuries of Anglo-Irish struggle marked by fierce rebellions and harsh repressions. The Irish famine of the mid-19th century caused an almost 25-percent decline in the island's population through starvation, disease, and emigration. The population of the island continued to fall until the 1960s, but over the last 50 years, Ireland's high birthrate has made it demographically one of the youngest populations in the EU.

The modern Irish state traces its origins to the failed 1916 Easter Monday Uprising that galvanized nationalist sentiment. The ensuing guerrilla war led to independence from the UK in 1921 with the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the creation of the Irish Free State. The treaty was deeply controversial in Ireland, in part because it helped solidify the country's partition, with six of the 32 counties remaining in the UK as Northern Ireland. The split between pro-Treaty and anti-Treaty partisans led to the Irish Civil War (1922-23). The traditionally dominant political parties in Ireland, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, are de facto descendants of the opposing sides of the treaty debate. Ireland declared itself a republic in 1949 and formally left the British Dominion.

Beginning in the 1960s, deep sectarian divides between the Catholic and Protestant populations and systemic discrimination in Northern Ireland erupted into years of violence known as the Troubles. In 1998, the governments of Ireland and the UK, along with most political parties in Northern Ireland, reached the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement with the support of the US. This agreement helped end the Troubles and initiated a new phase of cooperation between the Irish and British Governments.

Ireland was neutral in World War II and continues its policy of military neutrality. Ireland joined the European Community in 1973 and the euro-zone currency union in 1999. The economic boom years of the Celtic Tiger (1995-2007) saw rapid economic growth that came to an abrupt end in 2008 with the meltdown of the Irish banking system. As a small, open economy, Ireland has excelled at courting foreign direct investment, especially from US multi-nationals, which has helped the economy recover from the financial crisis and insulated it somewhat from the economic shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Government

Parliamentary republic

Capital

Dublin

Time zone

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Local name

None

Independence

6 December 1921 (from the UK); 6 December 1922 (Irish Free State established); 18 April 1949 (Republic of Ireland Act enabled)

National day

Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March

Overview

High-income, export-oriented EU economy; large multinational business sector contributes to growth and tax revenues but poses volatility risks; high living standards; strong labor market challenged by skill shortages and aging workforce

GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024

$115,300 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$115,500 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$124,500 (2022 est.)

Inflation

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

2.1% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

6.3% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

7.8% (2022 est.)

Unemployment

Unemployment rate 2024

4.4% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

4.3% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

4.6% (2022 est.)

Exchange rate

Currency

Euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

0.924 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

0.925 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

0.95 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.845 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

0.876 (2020 est.)

Main industries

Pharmaceuticals, chemicals, computer hardware and software, food products, beverages and brewing; medical devices

Agriculture

Milk, barley, beef, wheat, potatoes, pork, oats, chicken, rapeseed, beans (2023)

Airports

100 (2025)

Railways

Total 1,688 km (2020) 53 km electrified

Ports

Total ports

21 (2024)

Large

1

Medium

3

Small

3

Very small

14

Ports with oil terminals

8

Key ports

Cobh, Cork, Dublin, Foynes

Internet domain

.ie

Internet users

Percent of population 97% (2023 est.)

Mobile subscriptions

Total subscriptions

5.76 million (2023 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

113 (2022 est.)

Environmental issues

Water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff; deforestation, including problems with acid rain

Fresh water

52 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

UNESCO Global Geoparks

Total global geoparks and regional networks

3

Global geoparks and regional networks

Burren & Cliffs of Moher; Copper Coast; Marble Arch Caves (includes United Kingdom) (2023)