Rural to urban migration has had significant impacts on both rural and urban areas in Ireland. In rural areas, the main impact has been depopulation as young people moved away, leading to a decline in rural services and community activities. In urban areas, the main impact has been urban sprawl as populations increased and new housing developments were built on the outskirts of cities, exacerbating traffic issues.
Rural to urban migration has had significant impacts on both rural and urban areas in Ireland. In rural areas, the main impact has been depopulation as young people moved away, leading to a decline in rural services and community activities. In urban areas, the main impact has been urban sprawl as populations increased and new housing developments were built on the outskirts of cities, exacerbating traffic issues.
Rural to urban migration has had significant impacts on both rural and urban areas in Ireland. In rural areas, the main impact has been depopulation as young people moved away, leading to a decline in rural services and community activities. In urban areas, the main impact has been urban sprawl as populations increased and new housing developments were built on the outskirts of cities, exacerbating traffic issues.
Rural to urban migration has occurred in Ireland for
many decades. Examine one impact of rural to urban
migration on rural regions and one impact on urban regions in the Republic of Ireland. Introduction: Migration from rural regions to urban regions has had a profound effect on the fabric of rural life in Ireland. Migration is the movement of people from one region to another due to social or economic factors. As a result of rural to urban migration, Irelands countryside has suffered severe depopulation while Irelands cities have experienced severe urban sprawl.
Impact on rural areas:
The main impact of rural to urban migration in Irelands countryside has been rural depopulation. In 1926 only 32% of Irelands population lived in urban areas but by 2012 this figure had risen to 60%. Due to rising rural to urban migration, the population of rural parishes across the country declined. Since outward migrants were mainly young adults, there have been fewer marriages and births, adding to the rural depopulation. As a result, the rural population had a high proportion of elderly people. The loss of dynamic young people led to the decline of local sports teams and other social gatherings, triggering a decline in community spirit and participation. As parish populations declined, rural services did also with the closing of post offices, shops and Garda stations in many parishes.
Small primary schools were also amalgamated into one
central school, having to cater for an even greater hinterland and causing issues regarding transportation.
Impact on urban areas:
The main impact of rural to urban migration in Irelands urban areas has been urban sprawl. Urban areas in Ireland have grown significantly in the 20th and 21st centuries. The greatest population increases have been in the new urban centres of Dublin where the population has grown from 130,000 in 1946 to 680,000 in 2006. The pull of Dublin as a primate city and as the economic engine of the economy has been responsible for its rapid growth. As urban centres grew, low-density housing estates had to be built on surrounding rezoned farmland in order to accommodate the growing number of city workers. Urban sprawl led to increased traffic in these urban areas due to excess commuters and some citys narrow streets, that were laid out in earlier centuries, were unable to cope with car and lorry transport. Unlike rural areas in other parts of the country, rural areas in the vicinity of large towns and cities have experienced repopulation as people are willing to commute to and from work. However, as a result traffic congestion and long delays on the approach roads to cities is a twice-daily occurrence and seriously affects the quality of life of commuters.