South-West Region, Ireland facts for kids

The South-West region of Ireland, showing Cork and Kerry.

The South-West is a special area in Ireland known for its beautiful scenery and important cities. It's a big region that includes the city of Cork and the counties of Cork and Kerry. This area covers about 12,120 square kilometers, which is roughly 16% of Ireland's total land. In 2022, about 736,489 people lived here.

The South-West has a mild climate and amazing natural places. These include MacGillycuddy's Reeks, which is Ireland's highest mountain range, the Dingle Peninsula, Mizen Head, and the Iveragh Peninsula. There are also many small islands off the coast.

For many years, from 1994 to 2014, the South-West was looked after by a group called the South-West Regional Authority. This group helped manage the region. After 2014, a new group called the Southern Regional Assembly took over this job.

How the South-West Region is Governed

The South-West Regional Authority used to manage the region. It was made up of 24 people chosen to represent the area. These representatives met once a month. They came from the three main local councils in the region:

• Cork City Council (7 representatives)
• Cork County Council (9 representatives)
• Kerry County Council (8 representatives)

In 2014, these Regional Authorities were changed. New groups called Regional Assemblies took their place to help manage different parts of Ireland.

Who Lives in the South-West?

Ardgroom, County Cork. Many small villages are found in the South-West.

The number of people living in the South-West has been growing steadily. Many people move here because of its great schools, beautiful views, mild weather, and good quality of life and work.

In 2016, the South-West region had about 689,750 people. This was about 14.5% of all the people in Ireland. Most of these people, about 78.6% (542,196 people), live in County Cork. The rest, about 21.4% (147,554 people), live in County Kerry.

The South-West is also a special place for the Irish language. It's home to the Munster Irish dialect and has several Gaeltacht areas. These are places where Irish is still the main language spoken every day. Examples include Dingle, Cape Clear Island, and Muskerry. About 14% of all people in Ireland's Gaeltacht areas live in Cork and Kerry. In 2016, about 43% of people in Kerry and 45% in Cork could speak Irish.

Cork City, including its nearby areas, had a population of 208,669 people.

What is the Economy Like?

Cork Harbour is a huge natural harbor that helps the South-West's economy.

The economy of the South-West is strong and varied. Many large international companies have set up here. They work in areas like electronics and making medicines (pharmaceuticals). The food industry is also a very important part of the region's economy. Tourism is another big industry, with many visitors coming to see the beautiful sights.

In 2012, the region's total economic output (called GDP) was about €32.4 billion. This means that each person in the region produced about €48,500 worth of goods and services. This was the second highest amount per person in Ireland, after Dublin. By 2020, the South-West contributed a huge €103.2 billion to Ireland's total GDP.

In 2003, about 255,800 people worked in the region. Most jobs were in services (like shops and offices), followed by industrial jobs (like factories), and then agriculture (farming). In 2016, the unemployment rate in the South-West was 5.7%, which was the lowest in any region in Ireland.

How to Get Around the South-West

The South-West region has two airports: Cork International Airport and Kerry International Airport. Both airports offer many flights to different places across Europe. You can also travel to and from the region by ferry. There are ferry services that connect Cork with the United Kingdom and France.

Geography and Nature

The Dingle Peninsula is the most westerly point in mainland Ireland.

The South-West is home to the southernmost and westernmost points of Ireland. Tearaght Island, located about 12.5 kilometers west of the Dingle Peninsula in Kerry, is the westernmost point. The southernmost point is Fastnet Rock, which is about 11.3 kilometers south of mainland County Cork. If we only look at mainland Ireland, Brow Head in County Cork is the southernmost point, and Dunmore Head in County Kerry is the westernmost point.

County Kerry is also special because it has Ireland's twelve highest mountains. Killarney National Park in Kerry is home to Ireland's only wild herd of Red Deer. It also has the largest area of natural forest left in Ireland. The South-West has a total of 132,274 hectares of forest and woodland. This is more than six other Irish counties combined! The total area of the South-West is 12,120 square kilometers, which is about 16% of Ireland's land. This area is big enough to fit the 10 smallest counties inside it. The combined coastline of Cork and Kerry, including islands, is about 1,778 kilometers long.

Main Towns and Cities

Here are the ten largest towns and cities in the South-West. The main towns for each county are shown in bold.