The 32 Counties of Ireland

All 32, with the county town and the size

The county town is where the county was administered from, which is not always its biggest place. Areas are the traditional county, not the modern council.

County	In Irish	County town	Province	km²
Antrim	Aontroim	Antrim	Ulster	3,086
Armagh	Ard Mhacha	Armagh	Ulster	1,327
Carlow	Ceatharlach	Carlow	Leinster	897
Cavan	An Cabhán	Cavan	Ulster	1,932
Clare	An Clár	Ennis	Munster	3,450
Cork	Corcaigh	Cork	Munster	7,508
Donegal	Dún na nGall	Lifford	Ulster	4,860
Down	An Dún	Downpatrick	Ulster	2,489
Dublin	Baile Átha Cliath	Dublin	Leinster	922
Fermanagh	Fear Manach	Enniskillen	Ulster	1,691
Galway	Gaillimh	Galway	Connacht	6,151
Kerry	Ciarraí	Tralee	Munster	4,807
Kildare	Cill Dara	Naas	Leinster	1,695
Kilkenny	Cill Chainnigh	Kilkenny	Leinster	2,073
Laois	Laois	Portlaoise	Leinster	1,720
Leitrim	Liatroim	Carrick-on-Shannon	Connacht	1,589
Limerick	Luimneach	Limerick	Munster	2,756
Derry / Londonderry	Doire	Coleraine	Ulster	2,118
Longford	An Longfort	Longford	Leinster	1,091
Louth	Lú	Dundalk	Leinster	826
Mayo	Maigh Eo	Castlebar	Connacht	5,588
Meath	An Mhí	Navan	Leinster	2,342
Monaghan	Muineachán	Monaghan	Ulster	1,295
Offaly	Uíbh Fhailí	Tullamore	Leinster	2,001
Roscommon	Ros Comáin	Roscommon	Connacht	2,548
Sligo	Sligeach	Sligo	Connacht	1,838
Tipperary	Tiobraid Árann	Nenagh	Munster	4,305
Tyrone	Tír Eoghain	Omagh	Ulster	3,266
Waterford	Port Láirge	Waterford	Munster	1,858
Westmeath	An Iarmhí	Mullingar	Leinster	1,840
Wexford	Loch Garman	Wexford	Leinster	2,367
Wicklow	Cill Mhantáin	Wicklow	Leinster	2,027

The biggest and the smallest

Cork is the largest county in Ireland at about 7,508 km² — larger than the six smallest counties put together. Louth is the smallest, which is where the Wee County comes from.

1. Cork 7,508 km² · Munster
2. Galway 6,151 km² · Connacht
3. Mayo 5,588 km² · Connacht
4. Donegal 4,860 km² · Ulster
5. Kerry 4,807 km² · Munster
6. Tipperary 4,305 km² · Munster
7. Clare 3,450 km² · Munster
8. Tyrone 3,266 km² · Ulster
9. Antrim 3,086 km² · Ulster
10. Limerick 2,756 km² · Munster

And the five smallest:

Louth · 826 km² Carlow · 897 km² Dublin · 922 km² Longford · 1,091 km² Monaghan · 1,295 km²

Which counties are in which state

Six counties make up Northern Ireland. The other 26 are in the Republic. The line does not follow the provinces: Ulster has nine counties and three of them — Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal — are in the Republic, so Ulster and Northern Ireland are not two words for the same place, however often they are used that way.

Northern Ireland — 6

Antrim Armagh Down Fermanagh Derry / Londonderry Tyrone

Republic of Ireland — 26

Carlow Cavan Clare Cork Donegal Dublin Galway Kerry Kildare Kilkenny Laois Leitrim Limerick Longford Louth Mayo Meath Monaghan Offaly Roscommon Sligo Tipperary Waterford Westmeath Wexford Wicklow

Quick answers

How many counties are there in Ireland?

32 in all. 26 are in the Republic of Ireland and 6 — Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry and Tyrone — are in Northern Ireland. They are grouped into four provinces: Ulster with 9, Leinster with 12, Munster with 6 and Connacht with 5.

How many counties are in the Republic of Ireland?

26. The other six are in Northern Ireland. Note that Ulster, the province, has nine counties: three of them — Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal — are in the Republic, which is why "Ulster" and "Northern Ireland" are not the same thing.

What is the largest county in Ireland?

Cork, at about 7,508 km². After it come Galway (6,151 km²), Mayo (5,588 km²), Donegal (4,860 km²) and Kerry (4,807 km²).

What is the smallest county in Ireland?

Louth, at about 826 km² — small enough that it is often called the Wee County. Carlow (897 km²) and Dublin (922 km²) are next.

What is a county town?

The town where a county's administration and assizes were historically seated. It is not always the biggest town: County Antrim's county town is Antrim, though Belfast is far larger, and County Londonderry's is Coleraine rather than Derry.

Are the counties still used for local government?

In the Republic most are, though some have been subdivided — Dublin into four and Tipperary formerly into two ridings. In Northern Ireland the six counties were replaced for administrative purposes in 1973 by district councils, so they survive there as traditional and cultural units rather than governing ones.

All 32 county names in Irish — what they mean and how to say them →