The west's share of the overall population has increased for the first time since 1951, according to a new study by the National Economic and Social Council (NESC). The study of Census of Population figures shows that large centres on the western seaboard are benefiting from the economic turnaround, but that all regions, except the west (Galway and Mayo) and the east (Dublin, Kildare, Meath, Wicklow) are suffering declines in their share of the national population.
The west's population is now 300,378, the first registered recovery since it stood at 302,071 in 1951. In 1991 its population was 291,077. "The west grew by over 9,000, or 3 per cent, ahead of the State average and of all other regions except the east, which grew by 3.9 per cent (from 1.35 million to 1.4 million), while the north-west (Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo) only grew by 1.3 per cent."
However, much of the recovery in the west has occurred in Co Galway. Co Mayo's population has shown a slight recovery in population since 1991 from 110,713 to 111,524, while Co Galway experienced a population rise of 8,500. The report, prepared for an NESC council meeting last Friday, shows "the key influence of urbanisation on settlement patterns".
It says that the trend in population decline in rural areas is continuing as agricultural employment declines. But towns are growing in number and cities in size.
There are now 194 towns with a population of 500-1,500, compared to 108 such towns in 1951. The number of towns with a 200500 population increased from 188 to 315 in that period.
Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford have all increased their share of the population in 45 years, while Galway overtook Waterford to become the State's third-largest city during the 1970s. In 1996 greater Dublin had 26 per cent of the population, compared to 21 per cent in 1951.
But, excluding these centres, more than 10 per cent of the population now lives in towns of 10,000 and over, compared to 3.5 per cent in 1951. Co Galway, with its regional capital, and Co Clare, with major centres at Ennis and Shannon, have grown in population by between 15 per cent and 20 per cent from 1951 to 1996. Donegal, Longford and Kerry also experienced a recovery in that period.
Udaras na Gaeltachta appear to have had considerable success in promoting indigenous manufacturing and internationally traded services in their respective regions," the report states. But Leitrim, Roscommon, Mayo and Cavan have experienced a population loss in excess of 20 per cent over the past 45 years, and have high old-age dependency populations. In contrast, counties with population growth in excess of 20 per cent were Kildare, Meath, Wicklow, Dublin, Louth, Waterford, Cork and Carlow.
The fastest growth rate of non-agricultural employment since 1971 has been in the western regions and the midlands, the report says. Since 1993, the beginning of the "Celtic Tiger" period, the midlands appear "to be benefiting from a spreading of growth from the east region".
The report says the establishing of regional technical colleges has led to "the emergence of graduate populations in all regions, thereby creating the opportunity to attract some of the investment in high-skill employment that might otherwise be concentrated in one or two centres".
It notes that while the east region, comprising Dublin, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow, has experienced a trend of continuous population growth since 1891, there has been a stabilisation of its rising share of the overall population. Currently the east has 39 per cent of Ireland's 3.6 million population, compared to 30 per cent of the three million population in 1951.