When it comes to Dublin and its location, things can get a wee bit confusing.
Is Dublin in Northern Ireland, or is Dublin in the Republic of Ireland? The United Kingdom? Great Britain? What about the European Union?
If you’re planning a trip to Dublin, it’s important to know the answers so that you don’t run into any problems on your travels.
(And while several cities named Dublin exist around the world, this post focuses on Dublin, Ireland.)
Not to worry! I lived in Ireland — just outside of Dublin — for four months last summer, and I’ve got all of the answers for you right here.
Lace up your shoes and let’s go.. to Dublin!
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Is Dublin in Northern Ireland?
No, Dublin is not in Northern Ireland. Dublin is located on the east coast of Ireland and is its capital city. The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland are separate countries with different legal systems, currencies and governing bodies.
(The ‘different currencies’ part makes things a bit tricky when you’re traveling between Ireland and Northern Ireland.)
Is Dublin the capital of Ireland?
Yes, Dublin is the capital of Ireland. It’s home to around 1.2 million people. (That’s over 20% of Ireland’s total population, which is over 5 million people.)
Dublin is also the transportation hub of Ireland. In addition to the Dublin International Airport for air traffic, it seems like nearly all train routes originate from Dublin.
(This makes train travel between other cities less convenient. I discovered that you typically normally need to go back to Dublin on one train and then travel onwards to the other city.)
Where is Dublin?
Dublin is located on the east coast of Ireland, at about the midpoint of the island. Dublin is in the province of Leinster.
What county is Dublin in?
Dublin is in the county of Dublin. It’s also a city county, meaning that it encompasses an urban area and its suburbs (called the Greater Dublin Area).
Is Dublin the largest city in Ireland?
Yes, Dublin is the largest city in Ireland. The next largest cities in Ireland are Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford.
Planning to spend a day (or a week in Dublin? You’ll want to give yourself plenty of time to see all of the top attractions in Dublin!
What is considered Northern Ireland?
Northern Ireland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It covers the northeastern portion of the island of Ireland and has an estimated population of 1.9 million people.
While Northern Ireland is on the same island as the Republic of Ireland, they are separate countries. The Republic of Ireland is a sovereign country, while Northern Ireland is part of the UK.
There are six counties in Northern Ireland: Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry (also known as Derry) and Tyrone.
Are Ireland and Northern Ireland the same country?
No, Ireland and Northern Ireland are not the same country. While they are on the same island, they are separate countries.
The Republic of Ireland is an independent nation with its own government and currency (Euro). Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, which also includes England, Scotland and Wales.
The Republic of Ireland is often referred to as the “Republic of Ireland” while Northern Ireland is usually referred to as “Northern Ireland” or just “Northern”.
The two countries have separate passports, driving licenses, education systems and legal systems. They also have different citizenship rights.
For example, citizens of the Republic of Ireland are entitled to an Irish passport, while citizens of Northern Ireland may choose to have either a British or an Irish passport.
Is Dublin the capital of Northern Ireland?
No, Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland. It’s located in the northeastern part of the country and the Belfast metro area is home to around 640,000 people.
The Northern Ireland capital of Belfast is about 100 miles from Dublin (roughly a 2-hour drive).
What county is Belfast in?
The city of Belfast is in both County Antrim and County Down. The River Lagan is the boundary between the counties and cuts through Belfast.
Is Ireland the same as Southern Ireland?
No, Ireland and Southern Ireland are not the same thing.
Ireland (or the Republic of Ireland) is an independent country covering 26 of the 32 counties on the island of Ireland. Northern Ireland comprises 6 counties and is part of the United Kingdom.
The term “Southern Ireland” commonly refers to any part of Ireland that is not Northern Ireland, including both the Republic of Ireland and the former Irish Free State. This term historically referenced to any part of Ireland independent from British rule.
However, it is no longer in use today as it can be seen as a politically charged term. It is more accurate to refer specifically to either the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland.
(People will certainly look at you funny if you use the term “Southern Ireland” — so just stick with “Ireland”!)
Is Dublin in the UK?
No, Dublin is not in the UK. The United Kingdom (often shortened to UK) includes England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Dublin is located in the Republic of Ireland, which is a separate country with its own government and currency. Hence, Dublin is not part of the UK.
Is Ireland in the UK?
No, Ireland is not in the UK. The United Kingdom consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Republic of Ireland is a separate country. The Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the UK have a long and complicated history.
Dating from the 12th century, England ruled over Ireland, with their control gradually increasing over the centuries. In 1922, after the Irish War of Independence, most of Ireland received its independence from England and became a free state known as the Irish Free State.
(26 of the 32 counties of Ireland chose to join the Irish Free State. The remaining 6 counties of Ireland make up what is now the country of Northern Ireland.)
In 1949, this was replaced by an independent Republic of Ireland which is still in place today. Northern Ireland remained part of the United Kingdom.
This handy map shows you the differences between the United Kingdom, Great Britain, and Ireland:
Is Dublin in Great Britain?
No, Dublin is not in Great Britain. Great Britain includes England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland (which includes Dublin).
Is UK and Great Britain the same?
No, the UK and Great Britain are not the same. The United Kingdom (UK) includes England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Great Britain only includes England, Scotland and Wales — the countries on the larger island.
Is Dublin in the European Union?
Yes, Dublin is in the European Union. Dublin is located in the Republic of Ireland which became a member of the European Union in 1973.
As a member of the EU, Ireland is subject to its laws and regulations, as well as the common currency, the euro.
Is Ireland in the Schengen Zone?
No, Ireland is not part of the Schengen Zone.
Many of the countries in the EU *are* part of the Schengen Zone, but not all of them (check out the infographic above for details).
Countries that are part of the Schengen Zone, or Schengen Area, don’t have the same border check procedures when you’re traveling from one to the other. This is really convenient for travelers.
(Personally, I do miss the opportunity to collect passport stamps from all the countries I’ve visited!)
So when I flew to France from Dublin this summer, I had to go through passport control. However once you’re inside the Schengen Zone, you don’t have to worry about border control.
Chris and I were able to take the train from Paris (France) to Brussels (Belgium) and on to Amsterdam (The Netherlands) with no passport checks.
Is Northern Ireland in the European Union?
No, Northern Ireland is not in the European Union.
Though it shares an island with the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, which left the EU in 2020 (commonly called the ‘Brexit‘). As a result, Northern Ireland is no longer subject to EU laws and regulations.
What is the European Union?
The European Union (or EU) is a political and economic union made up of 28 member states. The main purpose of the EU is to promote free trade, peace and stability between its members, while also encouraging cooperation across Europe.
EU member countries are subject to the same laws, regulations and standards as each other and share a common currency (the euro). The EU also has its own parliament which makes decisions for the entire union. It is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.
What is the currency in Ireland?
The official currency in Ireland is the euro (EUR). The symbol for the euro is €.
Ireland started using the euro in 2002. If you have any Irish pounds from a long-ago visit to the Emerald Isle, those are no longer legal tender — sorry!
Since Ireland is in the eurozone (the group of countries using the euro) this significantly simplifies travel between those European countries.
The currency of Ireland is the same as the currency of Italy, France, Spain and many more countries. That makes it easy to take day trips from Paris to other countries in the eurozone!
If you’re traveling from the US, keep in mind that a euro is worth more than the dollar (currently it’s about 1 € = 1.1 USD). So, you’ll have to do a little mental math to translate prices from euros to dollars to stay on budget.
(This currency converter will tell you the current exchange rates between any two currencies).
What is the currency in Northern Ireland?
Since Northern Ireland is part of the UK, the currency in Northern Ireland is the British pound (GBP). Euros are not accepted in Northern Ireland. So, you will need to exchange currency when you’re traveling between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The British pound is also worth more than the USD (currently it’s about 1 GBP = 1.26 USD). So, you’ll need to pay extra attention to the prices in GBP!
Is Dublin in Europe?
Yes, Dublin is in Europe. The country of Ireland is part of the continent of Europe (remember back to your geography classes in school).
The country of Ireland is also part of the European Union, which is an economic and political block. Not all of the countries in Europe are part of the European Union (confusing, I know!).
Is Northern Ireland in Europe?
Yes, Northern Ireland is in Europe.
Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, which is a European country located on the western edge of the continent. Even though it’s part of the UK, it still counts as being a part of Europe!
What language is spoken in Dublin?
English is the official language in Dublin, and Irish Gaelic is also spoken throughout Ireland.
English is the primary language of business and government in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Most people living in Dublin speak both English and Irish Gaelic. You’ll find signs written in both languages throughout the city and on the roadways, and hear announcements made in both languages on the trains.
What language is spoken in Northern Ireland?
English is the official language spoken in Northern Ireland.
It is the primary language of business and government, though Irish Gaelic is also spoken throughout the region.
Signs may be written in both English and Irish Gaelic in some areas. It’s important to remember that Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom and so their primary language is English.
Driving in Ireland: Which side of the road?
In Ireland, you drive on the left side of the road. This is true for both Dublin and Northern Ireland.
It is important to remember this when driving in either place, as it could be very dangerous if you forget! (I will admit that one time I accidentally turned ‘in’ the ‘out’ exit on a roundabout. Eek! Luckily it was early on a Sunday morning and the roads were empty.)
In Ireland, the steering wheel is on the right side of the car. So that does help if you’re coming from the US, as you can remember that the driver will always be on the side of the car closest to oncoming traffic.
Most traffic control in Ireland occurs via roundabout rather than by traffic light, so that takes a bit of getting used to as well.
Most rental cars in Ireland will have manual transmissions, so be sure to reserve an automatic if (like me) you haven’t driven a stick shift since you first learned to drive!
Final Thoughts..
Whew! Well, I hope that has cleared up all of your questions about Dublin, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland. (Not to mention the UK, Great Britain, and the EU!)
And if you’re ready to take a trip to Dublin, you’ll want to read about all of Dublin’s top attractions!
Cheers!
Pin this for later to remember all these great facts about Dublin and Northern Ireland!
You might also enjoy these posts about my favorite places in Ireland:
- A Perfect Day in Dublin: 21 Best Things to Do and See
- The Johnstown Estate: An Honest Review by a 4-Month Guest
- 15 Best Things to Do in Kilkenny: A Medieval Gem
- Dublin vs Belfast: Which is the Best City to Visit?
Lisa Garrett
Lisa Garrett is the founder of Waves and Cobblestones. She has taken 18 cruises ranging from a multi-generational Caribbean cruise to solo Alaska cruises to fabulous Mediterranean cruises.
She lived in Ireland for 4 months and has taken over a half-dozen multi-city vacations in Europe (primarily relying on train and public transit). Lisa helps people plan amazing vacations to Europe and popular cruise destinations.
Learn more about Lisa!
