Malahide village in north County Dublin has a greater proportion of high-earning professionals than any other town in the State, according to figures released yesterday by the Central Statistics Office. John Downes reports
Some 41.3 per cent of the coastal town's population aged 15 years or over fall into the "employers and managers" or "higher professionals" socio-economic groups, according to the figures, which form part of the 2002 census data.
The town was closely followed in these categories by Greystones, Co Wicklow (36.7 per cent), Ratoath, Co Meath (36.6 per cent), Oranmore, Co Galway (36.4 per cent), and Enniskerry, Co Wicklow (35.7 per cent).
Malahide had a total of 6,310 people aged over 15 participating in the labour force. Of these, 11 per cent fall into the "professional workers" category, 45 per cent are classified as "managerial and technical" workers, and 21 per cent are labelled as "non-manual" workers.
This compares with a figure of 4.7 per cent for the number of "professional workers" in Dundalk; some 6 per cent in Sligo; and some 5 per cent in Killarney.
The town boasts what its community website describes as a "young, vibrant, cosmopolitan and ecumenical population". Malahide's proximity to Dublin city and the airport facilitates commuting, while the town's "village atmosphere" has led to it being seen as a good place to raise a family.
Malahide's near neighbours, Portrane and Donabate, had the highest proportion of lower-level professionals, with 16.1 per cent and 15.9 per cent respectively.
The towns with the greatest representation of skilled manual workers were Rathangan, Co Kildare (18.1 per cent), Muinebeag in Carlow (18 per cent) and Kanturk, Co Cork (16.2 per cent).
The figures also reveal that towns located in and around Dublin have the highest concentration of clerical workers.
Once again, Malahide had the largest number of clerical, managing and Government workers in 2002, with 32 per cent.
Ratoath, Co Meath (31.8 per cent), Portmarnock, Co Dublin (30.3 per cent) and Dunshaughlin, Co Meath (28.2 per cent) also featured.
The proportion of manufacturing workers in the State fell by over 3 per cent, from 15.7 per cent in 1996, when the last census took place, to 12.6 per cent in 2002. The towns with the highest proportion of manufacturing occupations in 2002 were Mitchelstown (26.4 per cent), Clara (24.1 per cent), Shannon (22.9 per cent).