# Can I fly a drone in Cork, Ireland?

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.

## Key facts
- Restricted zones within 10 km of the centre: **5**
  - Requires authorisation: 4
  - Prohibited: 1
- Zones covering the city centre: **2**
- No zone over the centre states a height at which its restriction stops; the EU open-category limit of 120 m applies
- Published by: Irish Aviation Authority / AirNav Ireland
- Official source: https://www.iaa.ie/general-aviation/drones/uas-geographic-zones
- Data version: 2026-07-25
- Measured within 10 km of 51.898, -8.4706

## Zones nearest the centre of Cork

| Zone | Restriction | Distance from centre | Restricted up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garda Operation Cork City | Requires authorisation | over the centre | 3,000 ft AMSL |
| Cork Control Zone (CTR) - Amber Zone | Requires authorisation | over the centre | 550 ft AMSL |
| Cork Prison | Prohibited | 0.7 km | 550 ft AMSL |
| Cork Control Zone (CTR) - Red Zone | Requires authorisation | 1 km | 5,000 ft AMSL |
| Cork Control Zone (CTR) - Green Zone | Requires authorisation | 6 km | 5,000 ft AMSL |

## Who to ask for permission

- **AirNav Ireland** (5 zones near Cork)

## 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 was worked out

A zone counts if any part of it falls within 10 km of 51.898, -8.4706 - Cork's centre as recorded by GeoNames. That radius scales with population and is NOT the administrative city boundary, so a zone just outside the city limits still appears. Population 224,004 (GeoNames record updated 2026-06-15).

City names, coordinates and populations from GeoNames (https://www.geonames.org/), licensed CC BY 4.0. Zone data is the official national dataset, unmodified except for normalisation to ED-269.

Full country picture: https://canfly.io/drone-zones/ireland
Interactive map: https://canfly.io/map?country=IRL&lat=51.898&lon=-8.4706&radius=10000

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**Citing this page:** canfly?, “Can I fly a drone in Cork?”, https://canfly.io/drone-zones/ireland/cork (data as of 2026-07-25).
canfly? aggregates the official UAS geographical zones that EU and EEA states publish under
Regulation (EU) 2019/947, Article 15. It is not an air-traffic or flight-authorisation service;
critical flights must be confirmed against the national authority.