Border Counties Poorest In Ireland

While the majority of 'capital' is concentrated in the Irish capital itself, the border counties have been shown to be worst off economically.

New figures just produced by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show Dublin to be the wealthiest county in Ireland - while Donegal is at the bottom of the table with average income that is a quarter lower than along the Liffey.

The new study paints a graphic picture of how different counties have fared in recent years.

The CSO data shows that nationwide, the average disposable income - which is what people have left after tax and PRSI are deducted from their income - stood at €20,678 per person in 2006.

Dubliners had an average disposable income of €23,226, but this was down at just €17,252 in border county Donegal.

While the border and midland counties in general have the lowest household income of any regions, the border county of Louth was the exception to this with income very close to the national average.

Dublin, Limerick, Kildare and Meath are the counties that have higher than average disposable income, while Wicklow residents were bang on the average - although other studies show that these commuter belt counties are being badly hit by rising unemployment and crashing house prices.

Cork residents were marginally below the national average with €20,529 in disposable income per person.

The eight counties where incomes were less than 90% of the average were Kerry, Mayo, Donegal, Roscommon, Leitrim, Offaly, Laois and Carlow.

Monaghan, Cavan, Longford, Westmeath, Wexford, South Tipperary, Kilkenny and Clare all had incomes between 90% and 95% of the average, while Cork, Waterford, Wicklow, Galway, Sligo, North Tipperary and Louth had between 95% and 100% of the average.

(BMcC/JM)