GeoDirectory: One in seven commercial properties in Cork city vacant 

One in seven commercial properties in Cork city was vacant last December, while one Co Cork town had the lowest commercial vacancy rate in the country.

According to the latest GeoDirectory Commercial Buildings Report, prepared by EY, the commercial vacancy rate in Cork city was 14.5% at the end of the fourth quarter of last year.

That was just below the national average of 14.6%, and up from last December, when the city had a commercial vacancy rate of 13.9%, against a national average of 14.5%.

The commercial vacancy rate in Co Cork in December 2025, including the city, was 12.8%, up from 12.4% year-on-year, but still below the national rate.

Of the urban areas surveyed in Co Cork, Youghal had the county’s highest commercial vacancy rate in December 2025 at 19.3%, while Carrigaline had the lowest at 5.1%.

This marked Carrigaline out as the town with the lowest commercial vacancy rate in the country, ahead of Greystones in Co Wicklow, which had a 7.3% rate.

The national commercial vacancy rate in Ireland increased by 0.1% to 14.6% in the fourth quarter of last year, which translates to 30,687 vacant commercial units across the country in December 2025.

That is the highest national rate of commercial vacancy recorded by GeoDirectory since it began tracking commercial vacancy data in 2013.

Sligo recorded the highest commercial vacancy rate in the State at 20.8%, followed closely by Donegal, which had 20.6%, and Galway, which had 18.7%.

Connacht had the highest vacancy rate of the four provinces, at 18.6%, followed by Ulster, on 17.3%, Munster, on 14.3%, and Leinster, which had 13.2%.

Nationally by county, Co Cork had the sixth-lowest rate of commercial vacancy in the country.

Meath remained the county with the lowest commercial vacancy rate in the country at 10%, followed by Wexford, on 10.9%, and Westmeath, on 11.9%.

Dublin’s commercial vacancy rate stood at 13.5% last December, up slightly year-on-year, but remaining below the national vacancy rate.