In Spain, you will find approximately 15,000 Irish nationals or more. That’s a fairly big number. Where are most Irish people based, and what associations can Irish people join in Spain? We will cover these topics in this article.

Irish in Spain

According to the latest 2020 ‘padrón’ figures (the official administrative register), there are approximately 15,178 people in Spain’s Irish community. This is the third largest English-speaking group in Spain, besides the 300,000 Brits in Spain and the 37,000 Americans in Spain.

Incredibly, since 2020, the number of folks from the Republic of Ireland registered in Spain has risen by 983.

There’s an even distribution for Irish women and men in Spain. The majority of those people are aged between 40 and 60.

Where do most of these Irish people live?

You will find the Irish community of Spain in mainly the coastal locations. However, they can also be found in Madrid and Barcelona.

You’ll find many of the Irish people in Spain living along the eastern Valencia region. In addition, over 2,000 are located in the Alicante province, and over 6,000 are in the Valencia province. You will also find Irish fold in what’s known as the Canary Islands, with over 5,900 settled in the four islands that are in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (El Hierro, La Palma, La Gomera, and Tenerife) as well as approximately 1,393 in the Las Palmas province ( Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria.)

In Madrid, Spain’s capital, Irish nationals are approximately 1,684. In Barcelona, there are over 1,800 folks who come from EIRE.

There are other places in Spain where Irish nationals number less than 500. As the map above shows, many Irish citizens make northern Spain home. It is a part of the world that looks much like the Emerald Isle concerning scenery, weather, and heritage, mainly Galicia.

What are the associations that Irish folks in Spain can join?

As reported by the website of the Irish embassy in Spain, Irish people can join many groups and organizations to meet fellow countrywomen and men.

The organizations include the Irish Club, located in Marbella; the official Irish/Basque Association CARA; Valencia Irish Cultural Association, Irish in Barcelona; the Irish Community in Balearics, and Asociación Española de Estudios Irlandeses.

Many GAA clubs (Gaelic Athletic Association) are also located in mainland Spain. These include: Gaelic Games Andalucia GAA, Madrid Harps, Eire Og Sevilla GAA,Costa Gaels GAA,Sant Vincent GAA Valencia, Galician Gaelic Games Association,Barcelona Gaels GAA Club, Gaélicos do Gran Sol GAA, Celta Malaga GAA,and Zaragoza GAA.

But what about the Irish tourists in Spain?

Spain’s Tourism Ministry reported that in 2017, the number of visas from Irish tourists was approximately 43 per cent of Ireland’s 4.9 million population. This includes repeat visits that occurred during the year. The Liberian nation is the most popular place for Irish tourists, with France and the UK behind.

Ninety-one per cent visited Spain’s archipelagos and coast of the Mediterranean. The Canary Islands are the most popular destination of them all.

In 2018, the Irish holidaymakers were Spain’s ninth largest tourist market. At least 91 per cent of them had already visited Spain, and 59 per cent had seen Spain at least ten times before. This explains why a growing number of the Irish are making Spain their home.

What are the criteria for living in Spain as an Irish person with a passport?

Ireland is in the EU (European Union.) Therefore, Freedom of Movement applies. To gain Spanish residency is the same as always and reasonably straightforward.

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