Counties of Ireland

Counties of Ireland
Contaetha na hÉireann (Irish)
A map of Ireland showing traditional county borders and names with Northern Ireland counties colored tan, all other counties colored greenCounty KerryCounty AntrimCounty LondonderryCounty DownCounty ArmaghCounty LouthCounty TyroneCounty WexfordCounty DublinCounty WicklowCounty MonaghanCounty DonegalCounty FermanaghCounty WaterfordCounty CorkCounty LimerickCounty ClareCounty CarlowCounty KilkennyCounty LaoisCounty TipperaryCounty MeathCounty KildareCounty CavanCounty LeitrimCounty SligoCounty RoscommonCounty GalwayCounty LongfordCounty WestmeathCounty OffalyCounty MayoCounty Mayo
The 32 traditional counties of Ireland
LocationIreland (Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland)
Found inProvinces
Government
  • County councils (Republic of Ireland)

The counties of Ireland (Irish: Contaetha na hÉireann) are historic administrative divisions of the island. They began as Norman structures, and as the powers exercised by the Cambro-Norman barons and the Old English nobility waned over time, new offices of political control came to be established at a county level. The number of counties varied depending on the time period, however thirty-two is the traditionally accepted and used number.

Upon the partition of Ireland in 1921, six of the traditional counties became part of Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland, counties ceased to be used for local government in 1973; districts are instead used. In the Republic of Ireland, some counties have been split resulting in the creation of new counties: there are currently 26 counties, 3 cities and 2 cities and counties that demarcate areas of local government in the Republic.