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.

According to the preliminary Census findings, Limerick city’s population fell from 59,790 to 56,779 in five years — a drop of about 5%.

The only other decrease was in Cork city, where the population fell 0.4%, from 119,418 to 118,912.

In addition, Limerick city recorded a net migration outflow — the difference between people coming into and leaving the area — of 17.2%, by far the worst rate in the country.

The figures will cause concern for both cities, particularly as they follow a similar drop in the previous census.

However, increases in Cork county (10.3%) and Limerick county (8.3%) may account for some of the reduction, with the regions such as east Cork and south Limerick seeing a 15% rise each in the local population.

While the Ring of Kerry has also been hit badly by a falling population, according to the census, the county as a whole recorded a 3.7% rise in community numbers to 145,048, which was the lowest growth rate in the country.

The biggest population jump by county was in Laois, which has seen a 20% increase over the past five years to 80,458 people.

Among the other areas to witness an increase in population are Cavan (13.9%), Fingal in north Dublin (13.8%), Longford (13.3%), Meath (13%) and Kildare (12.7%) — with the Fingal, Meath and Kildare rates largely explained by the urban sprawl around Dublin.

The county with the smallest population on record remains Leitrim, which has a community level of just 31,778 and where just under one in three homes are empty.

Meanwhile, all counties and administrative areas except for the four cities and south Dublin, have experienced some level of net inward migration since 2006.

This ranges from the net inward migration level of 23.3% in Laois to 0.9% in Dublin city.