Concrete evidence of rise in apartments

ONE of the most visible signs of the urbanisation of Ireland must surely be the huge number of apartments that are being provided in our cities and towns.

No matter where you look, concrete and glass towers are rising up — containing a mixture of retail or office space and apartments — of the variety we associated with huge cosmopolitan cities until some years ago.

While many Irish country people still prefer to live in one-off rural houses, growing numbers of their city cousins, especially young professionals, are opting for an apartment lifestyle often located close to the inner city.