Westmeath and Roscommon populations rise by 8%

Preliminary census results have indicated that the population of Westmeath has grown by 8.3% in the last five years to almost 86,000 people. That's only marginally above the State increase of 8.1%, while west of the Shannon, in Roscommon, the population growth, at 8.7%, was slightly greater. The population of Westmeath has grown by 6,615 from 79,346 to 85,961, the highest since the foundation of the State whilst Roscommon's population is up from 58,768 to 63,898. The total population of Ireland, was 4,581,269, an increase of 341,421 (8.1%) on the 2006 census. The vast majority of the population increase in Westmeath is due to what's termed natural increase, ie an excess of births over deaths. However, in Roscommon, the major factor behind the population surge is migration (the amount of people moving into the county who were not resident there at the time of the last census in 2006). The figures show that the population of the urban centre of Athlone has now surpassed that of Mullingar's: Athlone, at 19,947, is now just 53 persons short of 20,000, while Mullingar, with a population of 19,794 is lagging slightly behind, being 206 persons short of 20,000. In the last Census, Mullingar's population - at 18,592 - was ahead of Athlone's 17,469 by over a thousand people. While 4,459 of those registered in this 2011 Census as living in Athlone are in Roscommon, the census shows that 35,282 out of Westmeath's total population of 85,961 live in either Athlone or Mullingar. These figures though relate to a particular definition of the urban centres, and may not In South Westmeath, the area with the highest increase in population was Moate, which was home to 548 more people than in 2006. In percentage terms, Moydrum Urban (there is another electoral division named Moydrum Rural) showed the greatest increase in population in the last five years, up 38.2%, followed closely by Ballymore (up 35.6%). Across the Athlone and Kilbeggan areas, the greatest fall in population both in real terms and in percentage terms took place in the Templepatrick electoral division (this is north east of Ballymore and near Rathconrath) In South Roscommon, the population growth centre was not surprisingly Athlone West Rural, which includes Monksland and Bealnamulla. The number of residents there rocketed by 42.8%, or 1,337 people, up from 3,122 to 4,459. Other growth areas included Taghboy (which comprises Ballyforan), up 18.2%. However, there was a notable population fall in Lecarrow, down 21.9% (or 68 people). After Athlone and Mullingar, Westmeath's next largest towns are: Moate (2,909, up 23.2 percent; Kinnegad (2,827, up 18.8 percent); Rochfortbridge ("Castlelost" in the Census documents, now 1,716, up 1.5 percent); Killucan (1,691, up 35.6 percent); Kilbeggan (1,527, up 23.9 per cent); Castlepollard ("Kinturk" in the Census documents, 1,258, up 2.4 percent); then Delvin (1,028, up 36.9 per cent). The figures also reveal that there are a whopping 4,979 vacant dwellings in Westmeath and 7,302 empty in Roscommon, although this latter statistic is probably partially attributable to a greater number of holiday homes in that county.