Galway Named Ireland’s Most Loved County in 12,000-Vote Love Ireland Poll

Galway Named Ireland’s Most Loved County

New analysis from the Love Ireland community — now more than 1.3 million strong — has revealed which Irish counties people hold closest to their hearts, and why. The responses, gathered through thousands of votes and hundreds of personal comments, offer a rare, unfiltered insight into how deeply Irish identity, ancestry, and landscape shape people’s emotional ties to place.

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The Clear Front-Runners

Based on the poll results from the Love Ireland Facebook Group, the following counties drew the largest share of votes:

1. Galway — 12%

Galway topped the poll, and one comment captured the sentiment simply:
“Galway just seemed like home.” — Walter Whitney

2. Kerry — 11%

Kerry’s supporters repeatedly pointed to family heritage and long-standing affection:
“Kerry, it’s where my grandparents came from.” — Teresa Lynn Crews
“Kerry.” — Reebz Doherty
“Kerry.” — Angela Martensen
“Kerry.” — Kathy Heider

3. Kildare — 11%

4. Fermanagh — 11%

These counties reached the same percentage bracket in the poll results, showing broad support across the community.

5. Clare — 6%

Clare’s support was steeped in ancestry and landscape:
“Clare. It has the most wonderful landscape and countryside. It also has the family’s ancestral home in Ennistymon.” — Stephen Flanagan
“County Clare is where my heritage is from.” — Tom Rutledge
“Ed Perkins: Gr-grandparents were from Co. Clare.”

6. Mayo — 6%

Many of the Mayo comments included direct family ties:
“Mayo is where my dad was born.” — Christine Wood
“BALLINA CO MAYO WHERE I’M FROM — LOVELY SCENERY AND OF COURSE RIVER MOY AND BEAUTIFUL cathedral.” — Mary Delaney
“Mayo, because both of my parents came from there.” — Mary Regan McKenna
“Family is from Roscommon near the Mayo border… Mayo has become our go-to.” — Patti Mullen Ayres

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Why People Chose Their Counties: The Patterns That Emerged

Across all comments, four themes appeared again and again — entirely from the words people chose themselves.

1. Ancestry and Roots

For many, the county they voted for was inseparable from where their families came from:

• “My grandparents are from Armagh.” — Christine Allison
• “My family live and from Limerick.” — Jennifer Johnson Byrne
• “My Great Grandfather had a butcher shop in Ballyclare.” — Kimberly Shergold
• “Cavan because my dad was born there and I still have family there.” — Clare Smith
• “Roots arise from Keadue, Roscommon and Drumshanbo, Leitrim.” — Joe McGinn
• “I was born in Belfast.” — Anne Dumouchel
• “Antrim, as my childhood memories are wonderful from the beautiful coastline.” — Patricia Bredesen

Family identity was the single strongest motivator for voting.

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2. Landscape and Nature

Many voters named their chosen county because of a specific physical feature:

• “I fell in love with this rough coastline.” — Julia Kröger (on Donegal)
• “Mayo… the rugged beauty of the landscape.” — Christine Wood
• “Sligo because the landscape there is so beautiful.” — Jacoba Bosch
• “Lovely scenery… the River Moy and beautiful cathedral.” — Mary Delaney
• “Giants Causeway.” — Matthew Taylor
• “The beauty of the coast — the Flaggy Shores, Lahinch, Loophead Peninsula, Doolin.” — Anya Royce

Landscape-based comments often spoke about coastline, ruggedness, and scenery — especially on the west coast.

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3. Feeling of ‘Home’

Several responses referenced something deeper than geography:

• “Galway just seemed like home.” — Walter Whitney
• “That is where I left a big part of my heart.” — Catherine Scheller
• “Cause that’s home.” — Beatrice Booth
• “I love Belfast… but also Wicklow, Wexford, Galway, Donegal.” — Becky Brown
• “Every inch of Ireland.” — Wilma Schoales

This theme was distinct: people were describing emotional belonging rather than heritage or scenery.

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4. First Visits That Never Left Them

Not all votes were based on ancestry — some were forged in unforgettable moments:

• “I visited Ireland and KERRY for the first time in 1972. I simply love Kerry and Tralee especially.” — Olle Sidén
• “Have not been but has beautiful pictures.” — Joyce Rash
• “Offaly… Ireland’s hidden gem, a must for anyone visiting.” — Joe Glennon
• “Cork. If I could explain it, I would.” — Marshall Hurley

A single trip — or even a single image — was enough to anchor a favourite county.

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What the Poll Really Shows About Ireland

This is not a ranking of tourism statistics.
It is a ranking of memory, lineage, emotion, and places that shaped people’s personal stories.

Every county received at least some support — even those with lower percentages — because voters connected to them through:

• childhood memories,
• family migration,
• a coastline seen once and never forgotten,
• or the feeling of coming home, even for those who had never set foot in Ireland but carried its images in their hearts.

One comment summed up the entire poll better than any statistic:

“No matter where in Ireland you roam you will find wonderful people.” — Robert Powell

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A Country Loved in 32 Different Ways

While Galway emerged as the numerical winner — followed closely by Kerry, Kildare, and Fermanagh — the comments reveal something more important:

Every county in Ireland has someone, somewhere in the world, who loves it enough to vote for it, speak for it, or trace their family story back to its fields, coasts, or towns.

And in many cases, voters didn’t choose a winner at all:

“All of them.” — Glenda Sharry
“Every inch of Ireland.” — Wilma Schoales

For a nation of just 32 counties, that may be the most telling result of all.