Cavan sees population rise
Cavan’s population is at its highest since 1926.
The preliminary results from this year’s census, released late last week, show the county has a population of 81,201. That’s up 5,000 on the 2016 census.
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) released the data, which shows the country has reached a population of 5,123,536 people. That’s the highest level since 1841.
Every county saw an increase, with Cavan’s rise of 6.6% slightly below the national average of eight per cent.
The neighbouring counties of Longford and Meath saw the highest population growth rate over the past six years, at 14% (46,634) and 13% (220,296) respectively. Monaghan’s figure was up by 5.6% to 64,832.
Donegal, Kilkenny, Kerry and Tipperary all saw the lowest growth rates at five per cent each.
The country’s population has increased by 361,671 since 2016. The CSO says natural increase made up 171,338 of the change, while the estimate for net migration is 190,333.
All counties saw an increase in migration between 2016 and 2022. Cavan saw 2,149 people move to the county from abroad over the period.
Natural increase - the number of people born in the county - accounted for an increase of 2,876 in Cavan.
Co Cavan’s population reached a high of 243,158 in 1841, just before the onset of the famine. Its low point, 52,618, was reached in 1971. The population of the county has grown at every census since 1996.
A breakdown of the county’s Electoral Divisions shows the population in the Cavan Town area has reached 12,455 people. That’s made up of census returns in the Cavan Urban and Cavan Rural EDs.
Virginia retains its status as the county’s second largest town, with a population in its ED of 5,195. Bailieborough recorded a population of 4,255, with Kingscourt and Ballyjamesduff coming in close together with 3,653 and 3,530 respectively.
Cootehill had the next highest return from its rural and urban EDs, with 2,850 people living in the area.
There’s just over 100 in the difference between Ballyconnell (1,861) and Belturbet (1,743), while Ballinagh recorded a population of 1,598 and Shercock stands at 1,278.