Only 47% consider themselves religious

From the island of saints and scholars to this: Ireland now ranks as one of the world’s least religious countries.

The poll found that 59% of those questioned think of themselves as religious, but in Ireland it is just 47%.

The poll also shows Ireland as having the second largest decline worldwide in numbers claiming to be religious. At the time of the last survey, in 2006, 69% of Irish people described themselves as religious. Last year, that figure had declined to 47%.