No large Irish town is likely to achieve city status in the foreseeable future, Minister for Housing and Local Government James Browne has said. He said he would also have to examine what impact creating a city council could have on an existing local authority. In two of the existing five Irish cities, Limerick and Waterford, city and county councils have merged in recent years. Browne was responding to Louth Fianna Fáil TD Erin McGreehan, who asked about the possibility of Dundalk being awarded city status in the future. McGreehan acknowledged the bar for city status remained high and it was unlikely that either Dundalk or Drogheda would attain that status in the foreseeable future.

Source: The Irish Times March 26, 2026 07:32 UTC