Poles outnumber British nationals as families re-unite

Polish migrants have overtaken British nationals as the largest non-national group in Ireland, with the number living here rising from 63,276 in 2006 to 122,585 last year — up 93%. There were 112,259 Britons, down 0.3%.

It was thought that many immigrants left Ireland from 2006-2011, but the number of foreign nationals living here has risen by 124,604. The Polish, Indian, Romanian, and Brazilian populations have all doubled since the census in 2006.

The number of Irish residents born outside Ireland stood at 766,770 in 2011, up 25% on 2006 and accounting for 17% of the population overall.