The Ireland Reputation Index 2026 was published by The Reputations Agency this week, ranking 100 of the most important organizations in Ireland.
For the fourth year in a row, Irish League of Credit Unions came out on top.
IRFU, a new entrant to the top ten, followed in second, and An Post in third.
Over 5,000 informed members of the public aged 18 and over in the Republic of Ireland were surveyed for the study that was conducted between January 2 and March 23.
The study measured their perceptions of 100 of the largest, most familiar, and most important organizations in Ireland across 16 sectors.
Companies were ranked on a Reputation score from 0-100 and are grouped as Excellent (80+), Strong (70-79), Average (60-69), Weak (40-59), or Poor (Below 40). The public only rated organizations that they were either somewhat or very familiar with.
The Credit Unions topped the annual ranking for the fourth consecutive year with an Excellent reputation score of 81.7.
The organization also ranked first in the most important driver of reputation in Ireland - Conduct. It also took first place when the public was asked if they would ‘give them the benefit of the doubt in a crisis’ and ‘trust them to do the right thing.’
Credit Unions were perceived to be the most fair, friendly, genuine, and sincere organization among the 100 studied.
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In second place was IRFU, the managing body of the rugby union of Ireland. The group achieved an Excellent tier score of 80.0 as a new entrant into the top 10 ranking spots this year.
An Post came in at third place, with a Strong reputation score of 79.8. The semi-State body has been recognised for bringing its purpose to life in acting for the common good, improving quality of life across communities in Ireland, and for its noticeable transformation towards sustainable business.
Other reputable companies in Ireland
The Index also shows significant changes to the rankings, with four new entrants to the top ten, including tenth-ranked Fáilte Ireland.
In 12th place overall, Boots remains the highest-ranked pharmacy in the index.
In professional services, Grant Thornton has increased its standing this year and ranks in the top one-third of all organizations with a reputation score of 72.6 and a 32nd place ranking.
A number of insurance companies are tightly clustered together, with Aviva achieving a score of 72, closely followed by Irish Life at 71.9 and Zurich at 71.4.
In banking, the average reputation score for banks now exceeds the average score for all organizations in the index.
This year’s Reputation Index also included noticeable improvements across a wide range of sectors. Airlines and aerospace increased by +4.9 Reputation points, sporting bodies (+3.8), retail (+3.2), communications and media (+2.1). Public services bodies also increased by an average of +1.9.
Other public sector bodies with a mission to support Ireland also scored well with the IDA in 16th, Enterprise Ireland in 21st, and Tourism Ireland in 23rd.
The three biggest risers this year were RTÉ, Ryanair, and FAI, with RTÉ recording an increase of 10.7 points. The Index also indicates that consumers are rewarding trusted outlets for their news source with major news publishers in the study recording a rise in reputation strength.
In what was a turbulent year for the tech sector, X ranked in 100th place and Meta in 99th. X was also the only organization that achieved the lowest reputational tier of Poor (0–39).
"Reputation matters"
Reflecting on The Ireland Reputation Index 2026, Alan Tyrrell, CEO of The Reputations Agency, emphasised the commercial and strategic importance of reputation: “From our 2026 study, the message is clear – reputation matters from the boardroom to the frontline.
"The evidence shows that organizations with an Excellent reputation score are 19 times more likely to earn the public’s willingness to buy than organizations in the poor reputation tier.
"What also stands out from this year’s findings is that the strongest reputations are not built by chance. Leading organizations consistently contribute positively to society, operate with integrity, deliver high-quality products and services, and are led by strong, focused leadership teams. Reputation is earned through actions, consistency, and trust over time.”
The 100 most reputable organizations in the Ireland Reputation Index 2026:
- Credit Unions (81.7)
- IRFU (80.0)
- An Post (79.8)
- Bon Secours Hospital (79.3)
- Aldi (79.1)
- Toyota (79.1)
- St Vincent's Private Hospital (78.9)
- Samsung (78.9)
- Aer Lingus (78.4)
- Failte Ireland (78.0)
- Lidl
- Boots
- Revolut
- Blackrock Healthcare Group
- Tesco
- IDA Ireland
- Irish Distillers
- Dunnes Stores
- Mater Private Network
- Brown Thomas
- Enterprise Ireland
- Dublin Airport
- Tourism Ireland
- McCabes Pharmacy (formerly LloydsPharmacy)
- Kerry Group
- The Irish Times
- Marks & Spencer
- SuperValu
- Volkswagen
- Glanbia
- ESB
- Grant Thornton
- Olympic Federation of Ireland
- Heineken
- Aviva
- Irish Life
- BMW
- Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail)
- Gas Networks Ireland
- Coillte
- Ford
- An Garda Síochána
- Zurich
- Kellogg's
- Laya Healthcare
- EirGrid
- Bord Bia (Irish Food Board)
- GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association)
- Microsoft
- Vhi Healthcare
- FBD
- AXA
- Central Bank of Ireland
- Bord na Móna
- EBS (Educational Building Society)
- Three
- daa
- Electric Ireland
- EY
- Bank of Ireland
- Circle K
- Penneys (Primark)
- Vodafone
- Mediahuis (Formerly Independent News & Media)
- National Lottery
- Applegreen
- SSE Airtricity
- Bord Gáis Energy
- Deloitte
- Centra
- Allianz
- Apple
- PTSB (Permanent tsb)
- Dublin Bus
- PwC
- Pfizer
- Bauer Media Group
- Texaco
- Spar
- Sky Ireland
- Bus Éireann
- Energia
- AIB (Allied Irish Bank)
- KPMG
- Virgin Media
- The Coca-Cola Company
- Maxol
- Ryanair
- Diageo
- Johnson & Johnson
- HSE
- An Coimisiún Pleanála
- eir
- RTÉ
- FAI (Football Association of Ireland)
- Úisce Éireann (Irish Water)
- Meta (formerly Facebook)
- X (formerly Twitter)
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