Can I fly a drone in Cork?
Drone zones in and around Cork
The zones below are the ones nearest the centre of Cork, measured from 51.898, -8.4706. Distance is to the edge of the zone, so “over the centre” means the city centre itself is inside it. Restricted up to is how far the zone reaches above the ground – the restriction applies from the surface to that height, so it is not an altitude you may climb to.
| Zone | Restriction | Distance | Restricted up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garda Operation Cork CityAccess may be requested through the zone authority. | Requires authorisation | Over the centre | 3,000 ft AMSL |
| Cork Control Zone (CTR) - Amber ZoneHeight restriction of 30m, extendable to 15m over obstacles within 50m radius, applies. Above this, only specific category operations… | Requires authorisation | Over the centre | 550 ft AMSL |
| Cork PrisonAccess may be requested through the zone authority for Open & Specific Category operations. | Prohibited | 0.7 km | 550 ft AMSL |
| Cork Control Zone (CTR) - Red ZoneAccess may be requested through the zone authority for Specific Category operations. | Requires authorisation | 1 km | 5,000 ft AMSL |
| Cork Control Zone (CTR) - Green ZoneHeight restriction of 90m applies. Above this, only specific category operations allowed with prior approval of zone authority. | Requires authorisation | 6 km | 5,000 ft AMSL |
Who to ask for permission
The zones around Cork name one responsible body, so who you ask depends on which zone you are flying in.
Frequently asked questions
Can I fly a drone in Cork?
The centre of Cork sits inside 2 published drone zones (Garda Operation Cork City, Cork Control Zone (CTR) - Amber Zone), so you need authorisation or must meet stated conditions before flying there. 5 restricted zones fall within 10 km of the centre in total. Cork is in Ireland, where the UAS geographical zones are published by Irish Aviation Authority / AirNav Ireland under Regulation (EU) 2019/947, Article 15. Always confirm against the official source before a flight.
Where can't I fly a drone in Cork?
Inside Cork's UAS geographical zones. Within 10 km of the centre canfly? tracks 5 restricted zones: 4 requiring authorisation, 1 prohibited. They are published by Irish Aviation Authority / AirNav Ireland and shown on the map at https://canfly.io/map.
How high can I fly a drone in Cork?
The EU open category caps you at 120 m above ground across Ireland, and lower where a zone says so. No zone over the centre of Cork publishes a height at which its restriction stops, so treat 120 m as the limit and check the zones nearby before you launch.
Who do I ask for permission to fly a drone in Cork?
Irish Aviation Authority / AirNav Ireland, which publishes Ireland's UAS geographical zones under Regulation (EU) 2019/947, Article 15. Its official source is https://www.iaa.ie/general-aviation/drones/uas-geographic-zones.
How this page was worked out
- Zones published by
- Irish Aviation Authority / AirNav Ireland
- Official source
- https://www.iaa.ie/general-aviation/drones/uas-geographic-zones
- Data version
- 2026-07-25
- Last refreshed by canfly?
- 2026-08-01
- Area covered
- Within 10 km of 51.898, -8.4706
- Legal basis
- Regulation (EU) 2019/947, Article 15
Zone counts are measured from the point above, which is Cork's centre as recorded by GeoNames; a zone counts if any part of it falls within 10 km of it. That radius scales with population and is not Cork's administrative boundary, so a zone just outside the city limits still appears - which is what matters when you are deciding where to take off. Population 224,004 (GeoNames, record updated 2026-06-15). City data from GeoNames, licensed CC BY 4.0. Zone data is the official Ireland dataset, unmodified except for normalisation to ED-269.
Other cities in Ireland
canfly? has zone pages for 6 cities in Ireland. See the whole country, or another city: