Fixing South Kerry's depopulation problem

An alarming drop in the number of children in South Kerry is running counter to the population rise elsewhere, and it's all down to housing policy, writes Orla Hegarty 

Only 528 new homes have built in the Kenmare local electoral area since 2020. File photo: Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD

Last week, serious concerns were raised about depopulation in south Kerry, and the falling number of permanent residents in its communities. 

In his RTÉ report, Marty Morrissey said there are fewer young people in GAA clubs and in schools where “last September, only 83 pupils started across the 12 primary schools”. The decline in the number of children is confirmed by the 2022 Census for the area, with more people in the over-75 age group than children under-10.