Software Developer Hiring Trends in Cork, Ireland

This report was last updated on Aug 31, 2025

Bence Gedai

Founder

I analyze live hiring data and tech job trends across Europe to give CTOs and Product Leaders a strategic edge. By tracking tens of thousands of open roles each week, I uncover which skills, roles, and locations are in highest demand — potential competitors, typical time to hire, talent pool sizes, and more to help you prioritize hiring, benchmark and stay competitive in a fast-moving market.

Key learnings from this report

The software engineering job market in Cork, Ireland demonstrates robust activity with 892 active job openings, showcasing a dynamic demand for skilled professionals.
Over the last three months, hiring trends indicate a competitive landscape, peaking at 41 new positions while also witnessing 53 job closures, underlining the need for effective recruitment strategies.
Top hiring companies in Cork include Canonical, Bending Spoons, and Lidl Ireland, reflecting diverse industry interests from IT services to retail.
CTOs and hiring managers should note that Mid-Senior level roles make up 60% of openings, indicating a preference for experienced software engineers in the recruitment landscape.
Cork accounts for 11% of software engineering job postings in Ireland, positioning it as a crucial city for Software Engineer opportunities, with a median time to hire of just 32 days.

Number of roles opened and closed for Software Engineers in Cork in the last 3 months

The software engineering job market in Ireland Cork has shown variability over the past 12 weeks, with a peak of 41 new positions posted in week 30, reflecting a robust demand for software developers. However, this surge is contrasted by a significant number of job closures, peaking at 53 in both weeks 24 and 25, indicating a highly competitive environment where positions are filling quickly. In comparison to the broader European software job market, these trends point towards an evolving landscape, where recruitment strategies must adapt to a shrinking pool of qualified candidates. Hiring managers and CTOs should take these insights into account, as the future demand for software engineers in Ireland Cork increasingly emphasizes the importance of effective recruitment strategies tailored to this dynamic tech sector.

Who else is hiring for software Engineers in Ireland:

Company name	Country	Industry	Founded	# Job openings
Canonical	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2004	62
Bending Spoons	Italy	Information Technology & Services	2013	60
Lidl Ireland	Ireland	Retail	null	42
Citi	United States	Financial Services	1812	27
European Tech Recruit	United Kingdom	Staffing & Recruiting	2009	27
Google	United States	Information Technology & Services	1998	27
HubSpot	United States	Information Technology & Services	2006	25
Stripe	United States	Information Technology & Services	2010	23
Archer - The IT Recruitment Consultancy	Ireland	Staffing & Recruiting	2007	21
Solas IT Recruitment	Ireland	Staffing & Recruiting	2009	20

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Talent pool vs job openings for Software Engineers in Ireland

How competitive it is to hire Software Engineers in Ireland

The software engineers job market trends in Ireland indicate a competitive landscape, especially when compared to countries such as Germany, France, and the Netherlands. With a notable number of job openings in Ireland juxtaposed against a relatively limited talent pool, hiring managers may find it challenging to fill positions efficiently. For instance, while Germany boasts a higher talent-to-job ratio, suggesting easier access to qualified candidates, Ireland reflects a tighter market, making recruitment strategies for CTOs in Ireland Cork’s tech sector increasingly critical. This is further emphasized by the future demand for software engineers in Ireland Cork, where opportunities must be navigated carefully amidst a growing competition for skilled professionals across Europe.

Seniority distribution of Software Engineer job openings in Cork

Seniority Distribution of Software Engineering Jobs in Cork

In Ireland Cork's software engineering job market, the distribution of roles currently reflects a significant demand for various seniority levels. The Mid-Senior level positions represent 60% of job openings, indicating a strong need for experienced professionals. Entry level roles account for 20% of the market, while Associate positions make up 9%. These trends highlight the dynamic hiring landscape, emphasizing the importance for hiring managers to adapt their recruitment strategies in line with market demands.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Ireland

In the Irish software development job market, full-time roles dominate, comprising 89% of the positions available. Contract roles account for 11% of the opportunities, while part-time positions make up approximately 4%. This distribution highlights the preference for stability and long-term commitments among hiring managers in Ireland's tech landscape.

Time to Hire Distribution for Software in Ireland

How long does it take to hire Software Engineers

The software engineering job market in Ireland, particularly in Cork, shows a varied time to hire distribution that is essential for hiring managers to consider. A significant number of positions, specifically 1,240, have a time to hire of 30 days, indicating a prevalent hiring pace for Software Developer opportunities. Furthermore, 943 roles take about 25 days to fill, while 850 positions are hired within 10 days, reflecting an overall trend in the software job market in Ireland Cork that emphasizes efficiency. As hiring managers and CTOs strategize their recruitment approaches, especially for Senior Software Developers, understanding these timelines is crucial for aligning company needs with market realities. This data not only highlights immediate hiring trends but also suggests future demand for skilled engineers in the region.

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Most popular cities in Ireland to hire Software Engineers

Top 5 cities in Ireland to hire Software Engineers

The distribution of Software Engineer job openings in Ireland highlights a significant concentration in Dublin, which accounts for 87% of the total job postings across the five cities analyzed. Cork, as the second most prominent city, contributes 11% to the overall count with 892 openings, followed by Galway at 6%. The accompanying chart illustrates these distributions, providing valuable insights for hiring managers in understanding the competitive landscape.

Most sought after technologies in Cork for Software

Key technologies for Software Engineers

The software job market in Ireland, particularly in Cork, is characterized by a diverse array of technologies that hiring managers should focus on. Notably, Java tops the list with a frequency of 10,493, reflecting its essential role in enterprise-level applications. Closely following are Python and JavaScript, with frequencies of 10,601 and 8,023 respectively, highlighting their popularity in both web development and data science sectors. Furthermore, React, a leading front-end framework, stands out with a frequency of 6,591, while PHP and .NET also demonstrate strong presence with 6,098 and 5,712 respectively. This data, illustrated in the accompanying chart, underscores the trend towards a multi-technology stack in recruitment strategies for software engineers in Ireland Cork.

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