Dundalk Chamber

Area Profile

Dundalk is the principal centre in the middle of the East Coast. Within a 30 mile radius there is a population of 428,000. A 50 mile radius brings in Ireland’s two main cities, Dublin and Belfast, increasing the catchment to in excess of 3 million. Dundalk is located on the M1/N1 National Primary Route equidistant between the two cities. It is also served by an excellent inter-city rail network. Dundalk is very advantageously positioned in relation to international airports, which are located to the north of Dublin and the south of Belfast.

Dundalk is 40 minutes commuting distance of Dublin International Airport.

Dundalk is one of the largest urban centres in Ireland and primed to become Ireland’s first new city of the 21st Century.

Dundalk Key Points

  • Designated City Status – Dundalk has been selected as a Gateway Centre for Development under the Irish Government’s National Spatial Strategy. This will position Dundalk as a primary centre of growth, alongside the four cities of Ireland outside Dublin.
  • Dundalk has an excellent infrastructure (roads, rail, telecoms, power, water, waste management) to support industry with significant recent investment.
  • It is a major hub for Government Services, Shopping, Industry, Education and Transport.
  • Dundalk is strategically located midway on the busiest economic corridor in Ireland – the M1/N1 road linking Belfast and Dublin. The road network (upgraded to motor way standard), is supported by an excellent high-speed rail network.
  • The Dundalk area has an abundance of skilled labour and a pool of well-educated and eager young people. 10,000 persons from the region are in full time third level education within the Rep of Ireland alone.
  • Over 5,500 people from the Dundalk region commute on a daily basis to work in Dublin. Access improvements (road/rail) have facilitated a growing pool of highly skilled workers to live in the area and travel to work in Dublin, many of whom would be predisposed to working in Dundalk.
  • The Dundalk area has considerable technological expertise, apart from its centre of excellence based around DkIT (Dundalk Institute of Technology), the region plays host to several world leading companies.