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which part of ireland is catholic

Most of Ireland has historically been and is still majority Catholic, especially the Republic of Ireland and the western and rural counties, while Protestant communities have traditionally been stronger in parts of Northern Ireland.

Quick Scoop: Which part of Ireland is Catholic?

Big picture

  • The Republic of Ireland (the independent state that covers about five-sixths of the island) is predominantly Catholic by identity, even though religious practice has declined in recent decades.
  • Northern Ireland (which is part of the UK) has a more mixed population, with both Catholic and Protestant communities, and recent census data shows Catholics now slightly outnumber Protestants there.

Within the Republic of Ireland

  • Counties in the west and midlands (for example Mayo, Tipperary, Offaly, Roscommon, Galway) have some of the highest percentages of people identifying as Catholic, often around or above 75–80% in recent census data.
  • More urban and affluent areas near Dublin , such as Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, still have a Catholic majority but with a noticeably lower percentage, and a higher share of people with “no religion” or other religions.

Northern Ireland pattern

  • Northern Ireland as a whole now has slightly more people from a Catholic background than Protestant, according to the 2021 census.
  • However, it is very mixed by area : some districts and neighborhoods are predominantly Catholic, some predominantly Protestant, and many are quite mixed, so you cannot neatly say one “side” of Northern Ireland is Catholic.

Simple way to think about it

  • If you mean states : the Republic of Ireland = mainly Catholic , Northern Ireland = mixed Catholic/Protestant.
  • If you mean geography on the island : the west and many rural counties tend to be more strongly Catholic by identity, while the greater Belfast area and parts of the east of the North have historically stronger Protestant communities, though patterns are changing over time.

TL;DR: There isn’t a single “Catholic side” of Ireland, but the Republic of Ireland and many western/rural counties are strongly Catholic by identity, while Northern Ireland is mixed with both Catholic and Protestant communities.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.