Carlow is second most pope-obsessed county

A NEW study has revealed Carlow to be one of Ireland’s most papal-obsessed counties as Pope Leo XIV takes the reins at the Vatican.

Legacy Communications, a creative digital PR and communications agency, analysed Google search data across Ireland to uncover where interest in the Pope and all things Vatican-related remains strongest. Legacy analysed ten key search terms related to the papacy, such as Pope Francis, Sistine Chapel and Papal Conclave.

Search volumes were adjusted for population, creating a ‘Pope-ularity Index’ that highlights which counties love the papacy the most.

Carlow placed second in the rankings, with over 6,000 average monthly searches per 100,000 people.

Dublin topped the rankings with almost 12,000 searches, with Galway, Westmeath and Leitrim joining the top five most pope-obsessed counties.

The research coincides with the beginning of a new chapter for the Catholic Church as Pope Leo XIV takes his place in the Vatican.