Keywords
regional disparities
urban-rural divide
Ireland
How to Cite
Abstract
This paper focuses on the increasing regional disparities in Ireland, especially since the great recession and assesses the degree to which the recovery has been concentrated in urban areas. Ireland was initially affected by the recession to a greater extent than other countries but has recovered strongly. However, this recovery has not been evenly distributed, with some regions showing greater economic resilience. Using descriptive statistics of GDP per capita (PPP), GVA and employment, this paper examines the extent to which the recovery has been a two-tier recovery. The paper finds evidence to suggest that the recovery has been heavily concentrated in Dublin, and to a lesser extent in Cork and Galway, resulting in an urban-rural divide.
Funding
This research has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie SkłodowskaCurie grant agreement number 721999.
I would also like to thank the two anonymous reviewers as well as prof. Tadeusz Stryjakiewicz, prof. Artur Bajerski and prof. Maria de Fatima Ferreiro for their helpful comments on an earlier version of this paper.
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