Numbers at religious services fall by 3%

A drop of 3 per cent in attendance at weekly religious services in the Republic in the past two years is indicated in an IMS poll conducted with 1,395 people over 15 years of age, between November 17th and 25th last.

The survey found that 57 per cent attend religious services once a week. Of that figure, 6 per cent attend more than once a week.

Meanwhile, an MRBI poll of 1,000 people over 18 in the Republic E's Prime Time programme between January 9th and 11th 1998, has found that 60 per cent attend Mass weekly, of which 5 per cent attend more than once a week. This poll was conducted for RTE's Prime Time between January 9th and 11th, 1998.

The MRBI poll found that 18 per cent "rarely/never" attended religious services, while the IMS poll found that 13 per cent "never, practically never" attended services.

The IMS survey was part of an international Gallup poll of an estimated 50,000 people in 64 countries. The IMS figures show that God is "very important" to 27 per cent of people in the Republic.

Two per cent don't believe there is any sort of spirit, 21 per cent said "there is some sort of spirit or life force," and 14 per cent "don't know what to think".

Sixty five per cent said they "pray/meditate", while 24 per cent believe there is a "one and only one true religion". Some 44 per cent believe there are "many true religions.".