In 1232, there was a Jewish community in Ireland, as a grant of July 28, 1232 by King Henry III to Peter de Rivall. The Jews of this period resided in or near Dublin. A permanent settlement of Jews was established, however, in the late 15th century.

Following their expulsion from Portugal in 1496, some Jews settled on Ireland’s south coast. The Dublin congregation prospered, and seems to have been in existence in the reigns of King William III. and Queen Anne.

From a high of 3, 907 in 1946 Ireland’s Jewish population declined to a low of 1,581. They now number 2,557, of whom most 1,439 (56 per cent) live in Dublin. The State’s Jewish population has risen by 28.9 per cent, or 573, since 2011, according to the 2016 census. In general Irish-born Jews are an ageing population, but a new influx of Jews with the arrival of hi-tech US multinationals has contributed greatly to its population growth.

Although Cork was once home to some 400 Jews, it now only boasts a population of five. However, at least three times a year, for Passover, the High Holidays, and Hanukkah, Jewish life in Cork becomes vibrant once again, as the synagogue founded in 1893 fills with as many as 100 people.