FOCUS ON… KILDARE AND MEATH 

The latest residential market report from Hooke & MacDonald shows interesting trends and
demographics from major Leinster regions including Kildare and Meath

Kildare
Second only in population to Dublin in Leinster, Kildare County has 247,774 in 2022, up by 25,270 people or by 11.36% since 2016. This comprised a Natural Growth of 12,016 and net in-migration of 13,254. Kildare is the second most urban population in the State after Dublin, with an urban share of 71.46%.

Kildare’s seven large towns comprise Naas with a population of 26,180, up by 22.38% since 2016, Newbridge having 24,366, up 7.14%, Celbridge at 20,601 which was up by 1.54%, Maynooth at 17,259 grew by 18.33%, Leixlip at 16,733 is up 7.93%, Athy at 11,035 grew by 14.03% and Kildare town at 10,302, is up by 19.32% since 2016.

Kildare’s list of towns of below 10,000 people, again in descending order of population include Kilcock, Clane, Sallins, Monasterevin, Kill, Kilcullen, Enfield, Rathangan, Prosperous, Derrinturn, Allenwood and Castledermot. Towns with small or no growth usually have significant infrastructure issues.

Meath
Meath is Leinster’s second largest county in surface area. In the 2016-2022 period Meath was the State’s fastest growing county, with the population increasing by 13.22% to reach 220,826. This growth is reflected in its listed Towns’ overall growth of 16.18% during intercensal 2016-2022. In contrast with Kildare, Meath is still very rural with a 42.93% rural share of its total population. Its urban population comprises:
• Towns that have shown particularly large increases in population reflect locations that have experienced significant development activity in housebuilding. Laytown-Bettystown-Mornington-Donacarney (LBMD), Navan, Ashbourne, Dunshaughlin and Kells are examples of multiple residential development locations
• The residential spill-over from Dublin’s economic growth is long-term in nature. In the 26 years since the Census of 1996, Meath has more than doubled its population, up from 109,732 to 220,826 (+101.24%) in 2022. Anecdotal evidence confirms that this upward thrust is continuing. Yet, Meath continues to have a sizeable rural population of 39.91% in a county particularly noted for its beef-rearing economy
• Infrastructure constraints have affected the potential growth in Meath, as exemplified in settlements including Ratoath, Trim and Dunboyne.

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Michael McDonnell Managing Editor of Irish Construction Industry Magazine & Plan Magazine

Email: michael@irishconstruction.com      WWW.MCDMEDIA.IE