Towns with jobs show a rise in population, but rural areas suffer

IN urban centres, where there are jobs, there has been a population increase, but the numbers for some rural parts of West Cork are dropping, according to Independent TD, Michael Collins.

Commenting on the Census figures for population that were released recently by the Central Statistics Office, Deputy Collins said: ‘Most of West Cork’s towns are up, but in some areas the rural figures are pushing the totals down.’

The figures show that the rural population figures for Kinsale, Bandon, Clonakilty and Dunmanway are up; that the rural figures for Bantry, Castletownbere, Skibbereen and Schull are down; and that the urban figures for Bantry and Castletownbere are also on the downward trajectory, while Skibbereen, Bandon, Clonakilty and Kinsale towns are on the up.

In the Kinsale rural area, the population in 2011 was 22,917, but it increased significantly in 2016 to 24,800, an increase of 883 people, or 8.2%.

The population in the Bandon rural area increased from 22,772 in 2011 to 23,858 in 2016, an increase of 1,086, or 4.8%.

In the Clonakilty rural area, the 2011 population of 11,976 increased to 12,447 in 2016, an increase of 471, which is 3.9%.

In the Dunmanway rural area, the total population in 2011 was 8,359, but that increased by 161 people to 8,520 in 2016, which is a rise of 1.9%.

However, the figures for the Bantry rural area showed the 9,676 population figure in 2011 decreased to 9,383, which represents 290 people, or -3%.

In the Castletownbere rural area, the population in 2011 was 4,297, which decreased to 4,204 in 2016, a decrease of 93 people, or -2.2%.

In the Skibbereen rural area the population decreased from 11,543 in 2011 to 11,513 in 2016, a decrease of 30 people, or -0.3%

In the Schull rural area, the 2011 population figure was 4,114, but that decreased to 4,077 in 2016 – a decrease of 37 people – or -0.9%.

However, the figures change somewhat with regard to the urban population centres: Skibbereen’s population increased from 2,568 in 2011 to 2,691 in 2016, an increase of 123 people, or 4.8%.

In 2011, the urban population of Bandon was 1,920, but in 2016 it had increased by 80 to 2,000, a 4.2% increase. 

In 2011, the population of Clonakilty town was 4,000, but it increased by 57 people in 2016 to 4,057, or 1.4%.

The population figure for Bantry town in 2011 was 3,348, but it decreased by 122 people to 3,226 in 2016, a -3.6% drop. In Castletownbere urban area, the population in 2011 was 1,518, which decreased by 40 people to 1,478, or -2.6%.