Crime in Ireland: Which Areas Are Safest?

Ireland is one of the safest countries in the world. The 2025 Global Peace Index ranks Ireland 2nd globally, behind only Iceland — and that standing is backed by a long-run downward trend in recorded crime. There were 285,431 recorded crime incidents in 2024, down 7% from 2019 despite the population growing by over 9% in the same period. Put differently, crime per person has been falling steadily.

The picture is not uniform, however. Theft is rising — particularly retail theft in Dublin, which was up 9% in 2024. Fraud and online crime are also increasing sharply, up 73% in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. Meanwhile, more traditional property crime like residential burglary has been dramatically reduced — down 75% during the winter crime season since Operation Thor launched in 2015.

An Garda Síochána organises Ireland into four Garda regions, each covering several divisions. Crime rates vary significantly between them. The Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) accounts for a disproportionate share of recorded crime due to population density, but on a per-capita basis the gap is smaller for many offence types.

The North Western region — covering Donegal, Sligo/Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon/Longford, Cavan/Monaghan and Galway — consistently records the lowest crime rate per capita. The Dublin Metropolitan Region has the highest rate for most offence types, with the notable exception of homicide per capita, where rural regions are comparable.

Ireland's 28 Garda divisions are the most granular geographic level at which the CSO publishes crime data. The table below shows the approximate crime rate per 100,000 population for each division based on 2024 annual totals. Rates are estimated using Census 2022 county population data mapped to each division's geographic coverage.

Rates are estimates based on CSO CJQ06 divisional totals and Census 2022 population. Click any division name to view local area pages.

For property buyers and renters, residential burglary is often the most relevant crime statistic. There were 9,744 recorded burglary incidents nationally in 2024 — averaging roughly 27 per day across the country. This represents a significant long-run decline: at the 2008 peak, there were over 27,000 burglaries annually.

Seasonal pattern

Burglary in Ireland has a pronounced winter peak — incidents roughly double in the October–March period compared to summer months. This is linked to longer dark evenings giving cover to opportunistic burglars. Operation Thor, launched in 2015, specifically targets this winter surge and has reduced it dramatically. When looking at burglary data for a specific area, consider that the figures will be seasonally skewed.

Geographic pattern

Dublin and its commuter belt account for the majority of residential burglaries in absolute terms — this reflects population density and the presence of organised criminal networks. However, some rural divisions — particularly in the Midlands and along the M-road corridors — show elevated burglary rates per household because rural homes can be more isolated and perceived as lower-risk targets for gangs operating from urban bases.

Understanding which crimes are actually most frequent matters when interpreting safety statistics for an area. Theft is by far the most common category, accounting for over a quarter of all recorded crime. Most theft is retail theft or theft from vehicles — a very different risk profile to violent crime.

A few things are worth emphasising. Violent crime is rare. With 77 homicides nationally in 2024 and a population of around 5.1 million, Ireland's murder rate is among the lowest in the world. Assault figures sound large but include minor incidents and harassment. The crimes most likely to affect a homeowner or renter are theft, burglary, and anti-social behaviour — and all three vary significantly by local area.

Drug offences are concentrated in urban areas, particularly in the DMR, and tend to cluster around specific streets or estates rather than being evenly distributed across a division. A high drug offence count in a division does not mean a uniformly elevated risk across the whole area.

The contrast between Dublin and rural Ireland in crime terms is real, but it is often misunderstood. Dublin does not simply have "more crime" than rural areas in every sense — the types of crime, and their relevance to everyday life, differ considerably.

In urban areas, particularly the Dublin Metropolitan Region, theft, robbery, public order offences and drug-related crime are significantly elevated. These reflect density — more people, more shops, more public spaces, more opportunity for opportunistic crime. The DMR accounts for roughly half of all theft incidents nationally despite having around a quarter of the population.

In rural areas, the picture is different. Burglary rates per household can be higher in some rural divisions, particularly in the Midlands. Isolated properties, lower passing-foot-traffic, and longer Garda response times all contribute. Agricultural theft — machinery, livestock, diesel — is a distinct rural crime category that barely registers in urban statistics. Road traffic incidents and dangerous driving are proportionally more significant in rural areas.

Check the safety score for any Irish address

GetMyHomeReport shows you the crime rate for any Eircode — compared against the national average, with a breakdown by crime type at Garda district level.

Free for any Eircode · Detailed crime breakdown available in paid report

Each county page on GetMyHomeReport includes a crime overview and links to parish-level area pages with detailed liveability scores.