Ireland (Irish: Éire [ˈeːɾʲə] ()), also known as the Republic of Ireland (Poblacht na hÉireann), is a country in north-western Europe occupying 26 of 32 counties of the island of Ireland.The capital and largest city is Dublin, which is located on the eastern side of the island.Around a third of the country’s population of 4.8 million people resides in the greater Dublin area.