Best Startup Cities

Best startup cities in Ireland in 2027

6 cities in Ireland make our ranking of 1,000 startup cities worldwide. Dublin leads at #51 with a total score of 8.31, followed by Cork (#314) and Galway (#319).

For women founders, Dublin scores highest in Ireland on the MeanCEO Index with 69/100. Each city page covers funding, company registration, taxes, founder visas, pros and cons, and the ten MeanCEO factors.

Startup cities in Ireland, ranked

#CityWorld rankTotalQuantityQualityBusinessMeanCEO
1 Dublin #51 8.31 1.6 3.27 3.44 69
2 Cork #314 0.85 0.11 0.08 0.66 66
3 Galway #319 0.84 0.1 0.09 0.65 63
4 Limerick #531 0.34 0.05 0.03 0.26 59
5 Waterford #845 0.16 0.02 0.02 0.12 69
6 Dundalk #915 0.13 0.01 0.02 0.1 61

Total = quantity (startups, accelerators, coworking spaces) + quality (traction of top startups, unicorns, exits) + business environment (national conditions), from the StartupBlink Global Startup Ecosystem Index (2024 edition). The MeanCEO Index (0 to 100) is our own score of how livable and welcoming a city is for women founders.

Other countries in Europe

All countries ยท All 1,000 cities, ranked