Southern Region

Southern Region at a Glance

The Southern region comprises of County Cork and County Kerry, which collectively have a population of approximately 620,000 people. Cork City is the region’s principal urban centre with a population of 190,000. The region’s other main urban locations include Mallow, Clonakilty, Fermoy, Youghal and Killarney.

• The region currently hosts 150 IDA supported companies accounting for employment of over 21,000.
• The region is highly prosperous and the headquarters for many multinational corporations (118), engaged mainly in the food sector and in the electronics and pharmaceutical industries. These industries are mainly concentrated around Cork City and its environs.

Access

• The region is well served by road, rail, sea and air transport links. Cork International Airport and Kerry Regional Airport provide a wide range of air services to locations throughout Europe while nearby Shannon International airport provides flights to the US. Ferry services operate between Cork and France. Sea freight facilities are available in Cork and nearby Rosslare and Foynes.

Knowledge Infrastructure

• The Southern Region has a network of developed quality Business Parks with all the necessary telecommunications, utilities, infrastructure and buildings/site options to cater for the needs of multinational firms.
• There are two 3rd level institutions in the region with a total part-time and full-time student population of over 37,000 - University College Cork, Cork Institute of Technology and the Tyndall Research institute.

Southern Lifestyle

• Cork and Kerry are well known for their scenic beauty and have a flourishing tourism sector. The region is highly scenic, with large numbers of visitors, who come to the region each year to experience the warm welcome, the traditional music and heritage and to enjoy the wonderful environment. Outdoor pursuits are within easy reach including golf, walking, cycling, and sailing. It has a spectacular coastline of over 1,000km and has Ireland’s highest mountain Carruntoohil at 1,039m. The Southern Region is a special part of Ireland that has hosted many international festivals and events and was designated European Capital of Culture in 2005.