CSO breaks down religious affinities in the Republic

[thebig C]

Originally Posted by nordisk celt83

The one thing that is questionable about the census though is that it says there are only 11,000 Chinese people in Ireland. Where as Chinese officials estimate the population to be closer to 70,000, almost 2% of the population.

Even at 560,000, it seems like the foreign-national population of Ireland may be underestimated!!!

Definately an underestimation but I think its comming more into line with reality. For example, the number of Polish is reported as being 120k which is far in excess of the rediculous 60k reported in 2006.

I feel it may be to do with foreigners putting down permanment roots here. I know several Polish couples who didn't even fill in the Census form (some in rented apartments didn't even recieve a form) back in 2006 because the had only recently arrived and were still intending to stay for approx 2 years. However, a number have now been here 6-8 years and have children who are starting school in Ireland so they made a point of completing the form this time around because the intend staying.

Having said that, many immigrants still don't bother. I have two mates from Mauritius and they didn't fill it in because in their opinion they are not citizens and could be gone home by the time of the next census.

[Catmalojin]

Pretty interesting results!

Galway pips Dublin as most international city

PAMELA DUNCAN

Fri, Apr 27, 2012

SIXTY PER cent of Ireland’s population live in urban areas, which take up just 2.4 per cent of the country’s land mass, according to a further breakdown of Census 2011 statistics released yesterday.

The CSO data show population density increased across Ireland from 62 people per square kilometre in 2006 to 67 people per square kilometre in 2011.

However, while there are just 26 people per square kilometre living in rural areas this figure shoots up to 1,736 people per square kilometre in urban areas.

In Dublin city and suburbs the number of people per square kilometre stands at 3,498.

The statistics also reveal that almost one-third of people who were born outside of Ireland but living in the State reside in Co Dublin.

People who were born outside Ireland make up one-fifth of the population of Dublin. However, the capital is not the most international city in Ireland, a distinction held by Galway city, where one in four of the population was born outside Ireland.

County by county, Donegal has the highest percentage of residents born abroad – 22 per cent of residents were born outside Ireland, while Co Kilkenny was lowest at 12.6 per cent.

The title of largest town in Ireland is retained by Drogheda, with a population of 38,578 – the Louth town is still bigger than its neighbour Dundalk, from which it took the title in 2006.

Meanwhile, Ennis remains the largest town in Munster, with a population of 25,360; Letterkenny, with 19,588 residents, is the largest town in the three southern counties of Ulster; and Sligo is the largest town in Connacht, with a population of 19,452.

Saggart in south Co Dublin is Ireland’s fastest growing town, having seen a 150 per cent population jump between 2006, when 868 people were resident, and 2011 when 2,144 people were recorded as living in the town.

Courtown in Co Wexford is the second fastest growing town, more than doubling in population in the past five years.

Longford witnessed the greatest urbanisation growth between censuses: one-third of people now live in urban settings compared to just over one-quarter five years ago.

Co Leitrim is the country’s most rural county, where 90 per cent of the population live in a rural setting. Leitrim people are also the most likely to have set up home in a place other than their county of birth – almost 40 per cent of those Leitrim-born, with one in 10 of them relocating to Dublin.

By contrast Donegal-born people were the least likely to have moved county. Just 13.2 per cent of those born in Donegal and living in Ireland were usually resident in another county.

Meath, not Dublin, had the highest population of residents born outside the county, with 62.9 per cent falling into this category (47.6 per cent were born in another county, while 15.3 per cent were born outside Ireland).

A quarter of those born in Dublin lived outside the county.

Meanwhile, 114,617 households moved in the year leading up to April 2011, a fall of 21 per cent on the same figure in 2006. A large majority of those who moved in this time – 80 per cent – are now renting. By contrast there was a huge slump in the number who moved to a new home which they owned. Just 13 per cent, or 14,707 households, moved to homes they owned.

There are now 102 more towns in Ireland than there were five years ago. This is partly due to a tightening up of the definition of a town as per UN guidelines for this latest census. A “census town” is now defined as “a cluster with a minimum of 50 occupied dwellings, with a maximum distance between any dwelling and the building closest to it of 100 metres, and where there was evidence of an urban centre”.

THIS IS IRELAND: KEY NUMBERS

1 in 4

The number of people living in Galway city who were born outside the State, making it the most international of Ireland’s five cities

14,739

The number of people over the age of one who moved out of Co Dublin in the year leading up to Census 2011 – Kildare was the most common destination

38,578

The population of Drogheda, Ireland’s largest town. Ennis (25,360) remains the largest town in Munster.

The largest town in Connacht is Sligo (19,452), while Letterkenny is the largest in the southern part of Ulster with 19,588 persons

© 2012 The Irish Times

[thebig C]

I thought that finding about Galway was pretty strange. Having been there quite alot over the past few years visiting friends, it never seemed like there were more foreigners the in other places, particularly Dublin.

The only factor I can think of is that NUI and GMIT both have very large Campuses in Galway. This meaning it has probably 10-15k students in a City of not much more then 100k.

C

[JD47]

I was surprised to read that about Galway. You would think it was Dublin with all the Polish and Romanians walking around the city center. I am not surprised really about Donegal because there is a lot of Americans who love it up there and there is a lot of holiday houses up there I was told.

[thebig C]

Originally Posted by JD47

I was surprised to read that about Galway. You would think it was Dublin with all the Polish and Romanians walking around the city center. I am not surprised really about Donegal because there is a lot of Americans who love it up there and there is a lot of holiday houses up there I was told.

I was wondering were they including people born in NI in the Donegal figure.

[JD47]

Originally Posted by thebig C

I was wondering were they including people born in NI in the Donegal figure.

Thats a very good question. I dont know to be honest