By international standards based on population, the only real city in Ireland is DUBLIN, i.e. the Greater or Metropolitan Dublin area, including urban centres such as Dunlaoghaire and Tallaght.

Other significant modern urban entities include:

BELFAST, the capital of the UK Province of Northern Ireland, accorded courtesy city status in the same way as Cardiff in the UK Principality of Wales;

In the Republic of Ireland –

Cork City, Limerick City, Galway City, Waterford City and tiny Kilkenny City, provincial towns so designated for historical reasons and / 0r to give their natives a sense of importance;  

In Northern Ireland –

Derry / Londonderry, Craigavon and Lisburn, officially tagged “cities” for similar reasons.

Other major population centres are:

Carlow town;

Clonmel (Co. Tipperary);

Ennis (Co. Clare);

Enniskillen (Co. Fermanagh);

Wexford town;