Dreaming of moving to Ireland, but not sure where?

The Ireland Livability Index, which ranks the best places to live in Ireland, aims to take the guesswork out of moving and purchasing a home on the Emerald Isle.

The Republic of Ireland’s 26 counties are scored out of 100 according to natural amenity and scenery, proximity to a city, sunshine and cost of housing.

According to the authors of the index: “Liveability indices are typically used to compare cities across the world, the Economist’s Global Liveability Index is a good example. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the move to remote working, enabling people to avoid lengthy commutes to work. This has spurred an interest in relocating away from large cities. However, for those looking to move to a location outside of a global city there is a lack of useful comparative information to help make the decision to move.”

County Waterford topped the list with a livability score of 74. The index notes that Waterford is one of the sunniest counties in the country, has reasonably priced housing, is in the top 10 of most scenic counties and inhabitants have access to the facilities of Waterford City.

Wexford, Donegal, Cork and Wicklow round out the top five.

The website says the authors are currently working on ranking the six counties of Northern Ireland.

Below is the full list of Ireland's Most Livable Counties and with their scores:

1. Waterford (74)
2. Wexford (69)
3. Donegal (67)
4. Cork (63)
5. Wicklow (61)
6. Galway (61)
7. Clare (61)
8. Dublin (58)
9. Louth (58)
10. Kerry (57)
11. Mayo (53)
12. Limerick (53)
13. Tipperary (53)
14. Kilkenny (51)
15. Carlow (48)
16. Roscommon (44)
17. Longford (41)
18. Sligo (41)
19. Leitrim (41)
20. Westmeath (39)
21. Monaghan (39)
22. Laois (39)
23. Cavan (39)
24. Meath (37)
25. Kildare (37)
26. Offaly (36)

You can view the complete index here. 

* Originally published in 2021.