Functions of a Town:

Transport Function:
1. With the town being a nodal point, roads radiate outwards
from the town, making the town a central place or market
centre for the people of its hinterland.
2. Towns develop at route centres because they are accessible
and businesses are more profitable because of the greater
levels of trade.
3. The railway lines converging in the town allow raw materials
to be cheaply exported across Ireland, or imported into the
areas industrial estates.

Services Centre:
1. Towns with a range of services experience continual growth,
as they create jobs in other industries which support them,
such as agriculture, restaurants and clothing.
2. The provision of recreational services attracts families to a
town, adding to the labour force and consumer market.
3. The low-density modern residential estates suggest that the
town has had a rapid increase in population in recent years, a
clear sign of growth.

Tourism Function:
1. Tourism is vital to the development of a town, with many
Irish towns relying heavily on their scenic locations to profit
their tourism industry.
2. Facilities such as hostels and caravan parks attract tourists
who spend money in restaurants, hotels and bars, thus
maintaining employment and helping the town to grow.
3. The coastal location and mountainous terrain of the region are
ideal for cycling and trekking, a major pull factor for many
tourists.