Cities see decline in resident numbers

CORK and Limerick cities have suffered the worst population falls of anywhere in Ireland for the second census in succession.

Details revealed by the Central Statistics Office show that Munster’s two largest urban areas are seeing their communities drained away to new localities.

And while in many cases people are simply migrating to other rural parts of the county as they search for jobs and a change in lifestyle, Limerick’s overall net migration outflow for the period will act as further cause for concern.