Ireland is a relatively small island with about five million people, so there aren’t many big cities here. However, they all offer excellent conditions for comfortable living and study and excellent job opportunities after training. Thanks to the government’s active investment policy and preferential taxation for businesses, huge technology and pharmaceutical companies have come to Ireland. They create new jobs and contribute to cities and the entire country as a whole. In this article, we’ll look at the five largest cities in Ireland, which are best for study or work.
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Dublin
Population: 1,242,000
Average salary (before taxes): € 40,000 per year
Price per square metre when buying an apartment outside the city centre: € 4,006.69
Average summer temperature: 15 – 20 ° C
Average winter temperature: 3 – 8 ° C
Dublin is the capital of Ireland and the largest city in the country. It is the centre of political, economic and cultural life. Dublin is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in, but average salaries are also high there, covering all the necessary expenses.
Dublin has been known for its brewing since ancient times, thanks to the famous Guinness beer. Today, IT and internet technologies can be considered one of the city’s main industries since many large American companies have located their main European offices there. Among them are Microsoft, Google, Amazon, PayPal, Yahoo!, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Airbnb. Dublin can rightfully be called the “Silicon Valley of Europe”. The pharmaceutical industry is also developing very rapidly, and currently lacks local specialists.
As one of the oldest cities in Europe, Dublin has many cultural and architectural attractions.
Dublin provides students with the widest choice of educational institutions for every interest and budget. Dublin has five universities, including the most prestigious in the country, Trinity College Dublin, and a large number of technical schools and private colleges.
Cork
Population: 190,384
Average salary (before taxes): € 38,000 per year
Price per square metre when buying an apartment outside the city centre: € 2,526.62
Average summer temperature: 11 – 19 ° C
Average winter temperature: 3 – 8 ° C
Ireland’s second-largest city also attracts migrants from all over the world, with excellent career and business prospects. The offices of large companies like Apple, Facebook, AT&T Cybersecurity, Huawei, Logitech, EMC Corporation, Ford and Amazon are located here. Cork is home to Pfizer, which released the coronavirus vaccine, as well as Johnson & Johnson. That said, the city is inferior to Dublin in terms of career opportunities, but the cost of living in Cork is much lower.
Cork is home to University College Cork with the most prestigious Master’s program on the island with 100% graduate employment statistics. Munster Technological University’s main campuses are also in Cork, including the College of Music and the College of Art and Design.
Limerick
Population: 94,132
Average salary (before taxes): € 37,000 per year
Price per square meter when buying an apartment outside the city centre: € 1,562.50
Average summer temperature: 11 – 20 ° C
Average winter temperature: 3 – 9 ° C
Historically, agriculture has always been the main industry in Limerick, as it is surrounded by beautiful meadows and valleys, best suited for pasture and arable land. But now, the city is actively developing thanks to large investments. Such giants as Dell, Analog Devices (ADI), a semiconductor manufacturer, Johnson & Johnson, Stryker, Vistakon, a manufacturer of the well-known Acuvue contact lenses, and others have opened their production facilities here. Limerick is also one of the main commercial ports in the country.
Culturally, Limerick is certainly not as rich in entertainment as Dublin, but you will find beautiful architecture, museums, medieval castles and cathedrals.
The most important educational institutions in the city are the University of Limerick and the Limerick Institute of Technology.
Galway
Population: 71,983
Average salary (before taxes): € 36,000 per year
Price per square meter when buying an apartment outside the city centre: € 3,025
Average summer temperature: 11 – 20 ° C
Average winter temperature: 3 – 9 ° C
Galway has a strong local economy that includes manufacturing, logistics, tourism, education, healthcare, construction and the arts. This city has not been ignored by large American and European companies — Boston Scientific, Medtronic, HP, CISCO, Electronic Arts (EA) and Oracle have offices there. So, the in-demand specialists will have no problems with employment.
Today, Galway is a cultural and tourist city. It attracts tourists with its many events and festivals, the most famous of which is the Galway International Arts Festival.
The city is home to the National University of Ireland, Galway and the Galway Mayo Institute of Technology.
Waterford
Population: 47,904
Average salary (before taxes): € 34,000 per year
Price per square meter when buying an apartment outside the city centre: € 1,510
Average summer temperature: 12 – 20 ° C
Average winter temperature: 3 – 9 ° C
Waterford is a port city in the southeastern part of the country. Founded by the Vikings back in 914, it is the oldest city in Ireland. Not surprisingly, this small town is full of historical and cultural attractions.
The city previously housed the old Waterford Crystal production plant and the most important modern enterprises in pharmaceuticals and healthcare ― GlaxoSmithKline, Bausch & Lomb, Nypro Healthcare, Sanofi, West Pharmaceuticals and Teva Pharmaceuticals, as well as technology companies Honeywell International and Hasbro.
It is also home to The Waterford Institute of Technology.
