A survey carried out to assess the attitudes of rural dwellers and farmers found that eight out of 10 respondents considered their quality of life in the countryside to be good, citing peace and relaxation as the main advantages.
The research carried out by the Agri Aware organisation says that people living in the countryside are now doing so by choice. It also found that rural communities welcomed newcomers.
Those farmers surveyed were found to have a high level of awareness and understanding of the concerns of the non-farming community.
Three aspects of farming were identified as causing most annoyance to neighbours: the application of slurry, farm smells and muddy roads.
A total of 75 per cent of the farmers surveyed stated they had made an increased effort to minimise the level of disturbance to their neighbours and over 50 per cent of the non-farm respondents believed farmers were making a special effort to minimise disturbance to their neighbours.
The survey also found that 99 per cent of non-farming respondents accepted that a working farm environment would sometimes impinge on neighbours but 70 per cent considered farming to be important to the local community, a view held by 90 per cent of the farmers surveyed.
The GAA was the organisation both farmers and the new rural dwellers were most likely to get involved in. The survey found more than 80 per cent of farm respondents surveyed were actively involved in at least one organisation.
The chairman of Agri-Aware, Mr T.J. Maher, said the report showed people now living in the countryside were doing so by choice and rural communities were very welcoming to newcomers.
"This new energy contrasts with the negative attitude to rural areas which prevailed in the past," said Mr Maher.
"Clearly respondents who have settled in the countryside see it as a place which offers both social and economic opportunities that were not there previously," he said.
Mr Maher added that the farming community had a high level of awareness and understanding of the concerns of the non-farming community and the report suggested no major difference between farmers and rural residents when it came to views, attitudes and opinions.
The survey, carried out by Dr Pat Bogue of Shannon Showcase in counties Meath, Kilkenny and Clare, found over one-third of those asked highlighted social problems such as under-age drinking, crime and drugs of being a concern to them.
Over 45 per cent of respondents believed the level of social outlets in rural areas were inadequate. Seventy per cent considered public transport in rural areas to be totally inadequate and 50 per cent were concerned at the roads.