Longford named fifth most prominent gaming county in Ireland
A new study has revealed county Longford boasts one of the highest per capita search rates in Ireland
Longford has ranked fifth for competitive gaming in Ireland, with the county recording 1,069 competitive gaming searches per 100,000 people, according to a new study.
Longford, which boasts one of the highest per capita search rates in Ireland, may not have the population of Dublin or Cork, but its gaming community more than holds its own when it comes to competitive ambition.
Longford is also home to a growing number of young gamers who are part of Ireland's booming collegiate esports scene, with university societies and competitive leagues now active across the country.
The soaring interest in Longford is reflective of the gaming sector in Ireland which has quietly become one of Europe's most passionate gaming nations.
The Irish gaming industry is now worth an estimated €250 million, over two million people game regularly, and more than half of all Irish adults play every week.
With 700,000 esports enthusiasts in Ireland, Irish competitors having collectively earned over €1.28 million in prize money across more than 1,175 tournaments, and the global esports market (organised competitive gaming) now valued at more than €3.7 billion, the ambition behind the controller has never been greater.
The research from Virgin Media Ireland reveals that analysed performance-driven search behaviour across every county, examining searches like "ranked mode", "how to go pro in gaming" and "esports gaming" and adjusting results per 100,000 people for a fair county-by-county comparison.
Taking the top spot with an impressive 2,066 competitive gaming searches per 100,000 people, Carlow is officially Ireland's most competitive gaming county.
Despite being one of the smaller counties in the country with a population of just under 61,968.
Carlow also ranks among the top counties in Ireland for broadband speed, averaging 190.8 Mbps and for competitive gamers where every millisecond counts, that kind of connection can make all the difference.
Coming in second place is Leitrim, recording 1,392 competitive gaming searches per 100,000 people.
Small in size but big in passion, the county got its moment on the global stage in late 2025 when Leitrim gamer Adam Houat represented Ireland at the Red Bull Tetris World Final in Dubai.
The event brought together finalists from 60 countries and created a live, playable game of Tetris.
Laois takes third place with 1,240 competitive gaming searches per 100,000 people.
The county's position in this ranking should come as no surprise. Laois is not only one of the best-connected counties in Ireland, with an average broadband speed of 249.79 Mbps, but it also ranks as the number one county in the country for esports streaming, with 33% of its adult population watching esports regularly.
Roscommon takes fourth place with 1,110 competitive gaming searches per 100,000 people. Roscommon is part of a growing national trend where traditional sports clubs are now forming esports teams, giving competitive gaming the same status as soccer or hurling.
Completing the top five is Longford, with 1,069 competitive gaming searches per 100,000 people.