Ireland has one of the fastest-growing economies in Europe, with many large international companies choosing to settle here, due to favorable tax law. The pro-business policies have transformed the country into a very preferred one for ex-pats and foreign capital, which in turn has transformed the cities of the once rural Ireland into tech-hubs and modern European urban centers. If you have ever wondered what the richest cities in Ireland are, we have the list for you:
Cork
Cork is located in the south of Ireland and it is the most important economic center for that entire region. The population is 220 000, which is not huge, but still formidable considering there are 7 million people living in the whole country. The economy relies on the retail, industry as well as public resources. Companies like Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, and Johnson & Johnson make a strong pharmaceutical cluster in the area of Cork, and Apple has its European HQ here. There are also a couple of Universities that provide a lot of good jobs and help improve the quality of the labor force. Like any larger city, Cork also has a well-developed retail industry, with many shops, malls, and restaurants that all bring people from the surroundings to spend their money in.
Limerick
Limerick is located in Western Ireland, a region often called the Midwest. Once again, retail and industry play an important factor in the local economy. However, agriculture still remains the most important sector, due to the good arable land here. The Shannon Airport and the adjoining business park have managed to entice many large foreign companies to open offices here, which brings in a lot of well-paying jobs. Currently, only Dublin manages to surpass Limerick in terms of GDP.
Dublin
With almost 2 million people living in the greater Dublin area, it should come as no surprise that Dublin dominates the economic life of Ireland. Finance and politics are all concentrated here, as well as many IT companies. Companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Twitter, eBay, PayPal, Yahoo!, Google, and Facebook all have offices here and pay good salaries to their many employees. On top of that, there are multiple large Universities, like Trinity College, which bring in many young people to the city and also provide good wages to their staff. Ireland’s financial institutions are also mostly found here.
