The latest figures from the Central Statistics office show that more than 3,000 Irish people are leaving the country each month, the highest number since the Famine.
Up to 76,000 people left Ireland in the 12 months leading up to April, including an estimated 40,000 Irish nationals. Despite the alarming numbers leaving Irish shores, CSO statisticians say that many who are leaving are not necessarily Irish citizens.
CSO figures show that 42,300 people moved to Ireland over the last twelve months, with almost half of these returning to Irish soil after their year long visas expired in Australia and other countries. Some 8,400 moved to Ireland from the UK and the old EU member countries. A further 7,900 came from other countries throughout the world.
According to an Irish Independent report, the number of people leaving Ireland has more than doubled over the last two years. New figures show that on average, 111 Irish people are now departing Ireland each day.
"You'd have to go back to the 1800s to get levels like that," CSO's Deirdre Cullen told the newspaper.
The vast majority of Irish emigrants are heading to English speaking countries such as Britain, Canada, Australia, US and New Zealand.
Based in Co. Kilkenny, Visafirst.com spokesman Declan Clune told the Irish Independent that more than 30,000 people have emigrated to Australia in the twelve months leading up to June 30.
“All of these people are people who have the right to work -- permanent residency, sponsorships and working holiday makers -- not tourists," Clune said
According to the CSO, Dublin residents are least likely to move abroad while people living in the Leinster region are more likely to emigrate.
The Unions of Students in Ireland president Gary Redmond said that soaring unemployment and emigration were hampering the Government’s ambition of creating a smart economy.
"Masses of highly skilled graduates are leaving for distant shores, taking with them the future prosperity of this island,” he told the newspaper.
Commenting on the figures, the CSO said it was difficult to capture the true extent of the immigration crisis.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.GeorgeDillon | May 10, 2012, 12:48 PM EDT
IrelandNorth: "Is there a proportionate ratio of Irish emigrants to those immigrant countries?" You mean are there thousands of Irish emigrating to Romania and Nigeria? Well, what do you think?
IrelandNorth | May 10, 2012, 08:47 AM EDT
As Leinster-Irish (i.e. an eastern Irelander!) I propose the Gaelic/Irish term Án Górta Mór (phon/pron Un-Gurta-More)/The Great Hunger to replace famine. Re. economic transportation (i.e. emigration) - the Irish proletariat are being economically deported by the native Irish petit-bourgeoisie as proxies for their Anglo-European overlords. Inward migration to Ireland of anything over 10% of remaining population will forcibly multiculturalise Irish society. Is there a proportionate ratio of Irish emigrants to those immigrant countries?
patrickdowney | May 10, 2012, 03:10 AM EDT
As an Irish American and descendent of Irish Famine victims denied refuge in Ireland - where I was educated. Not to mention having been arrested, imprisoned, psychologically tortured via sensory deprivation at Dublin's Cloverhill Prison and deported and given a life ban from Ireland on St. Patrick's Day, 2011...I am at a loss as to why no-one at "Irish Central" deemed my story newsworthy...yet "Irish Central" seems perfectly happy to repeatedly feature a NON-IRISH, African woman standing there, in Dublin...AMONGST THE GRAVEN STATUES WHICH REPRESENT MY (that's in capital letters by the way) ANCESTORS. Who do you all think you're fooling? Regards, Patrick Downey
NYCsheridan | May 09, 2012, 11:53 AM EDT
"There never was a famine". LOL, ok Brenn. We'll just pretend millions didn't STARVE to death.
NYCsheridan | May 09, 2012, 11:39 AM EDT
Isn't it a shame that the Irish didn't follow the lead of the Icelanders? Well, one is under the yoke of British Banks while the other wasn't....
BrianO | May 08, 2012, 11:54 PM EDT
Plant by whom? he/she/it comments to drive a wedge between the Irish and their emigrant sons and daughters, and separate all from any western tradition, in my humble opinion. So blatant tat it's not a threat, ephraimKibbey on the other hand very stealthy.
Murph46 | May 08, 2012, 09:51 PM EDT
I just have a suspicion that by... is a plant-I confronted her/him on the post about Notre Dame with a $500 bet and told by... to out up or shut up and not a word,plus other interesting aspects of by's... behaviour that I have noticed. Nobody is that big of a whack job are they?
jamieLM | May 08, 2012, 09:22 PM EDT
@Murph - excuse the typo in your name.
jamieLM | May 08, 2012, 09:06 PM EDT
@Mirph46, man or woman, this person is full of themselves. Such an over-the-top anti-Am. windbag who posts as if he/she was elected by the Irish to speak for them as the "Irish Expert on everything in Ireland." I doubt either country wants to claim this person as one of their citizens. Maybe a plant...
Murph46 | May 08, 2012, 08:18 PM EDT
jamieLM-I have a big curve ball to throw you-about byethebay-Georgie once told me he thought that by... is a woman,since he seemed to have backed off-that is off the point,my curve to you,is do you think that by... could be a plant or fix to stir the pot in many areas?Hmmmmm?
LoyalCitizen | May 08, 2012, 07:26 PM EDT
The choice is stay in Ireland and be left to starve by Social Welfare Civil Servants using opinions illegally or take a chance in another country who might obey law..............Not much of a choice.
jamieLM | May 08, 2012, 05:43 PM EDT
@GeorgeDillon & Murph46, Bythebay comes in 2nd to the most anti-American poster on this site. The title goes to Mr ALL CAPS STEVENSTAR @@@@@@. Doesn't matter what the subject is, those 2 are able to turn it into an anti-American rant - blah, blah, blah.
Bythebay | May 08, 2012, 05:40 PM EDT
There's no more generous Irish welfare system. That was one of the casualties of the financial collapse. We have people coming to Ireland who want to be here and contribute to our country.
gravedigger | May 08, 2012, 05:29 PM EDT
we have thousands of irish leaving to get work but we have thousands entering ireland to live on our over generous welfare system.this small country billions in debth cant house feed educate finance and give free medical services to these spongers.we all know who they are
Bythebay | May 08, 2012, 04:54 PM EDT
anomaid, as usual you Americans are attempting to villify Muslims. Not acceptable. There is no hatred of Muslims in Ireland.
snowmaid | May 08, 2012, 04:47 PM EDT
@Blythebay, With your enthusiastic support for Muslims in Ireland, it is telling that the late Adam Gadahn shared your enthusiam in his correspondences with Osama Bin Laden and thought Ireland was a great spot for Muslim extremism to flourish. I hope you enjoy the reaping as much as the sowing. This is JMO and of course, I am not from Ireland. I just think it's a lovely country.
Bythebay | May 08, 2012, 04:02 PM EDT
Ireland has many immigrants from India and Africa Continent who are excellent additions to the country. It is wrong for Americans to portray them as being on the dole. You have no proof of that. Furthermore, it is Americans pushing for the E3 visa and for amnesty for illegal Irish immigrants in the US who went there in the 80s and 90s.
irishcop025 | May 08, 2012, 03:29 PM EDT
Seanmor, You are 100 percent right! The Irish of your generation who emigrated to the US all served in the US military and were a credit to both nations. The Irish who came in here in droves in the 80's and 90's had huge chips on their shoulders and felt a sense of entitlement, yet; we were stil successful in helping them get "Green Cards". As soon as the Celtic Tiger began roaring they all left with those Green cards in their pocket. Now many of them want to come back. Is that fair?
KevinKehoe | May 08, 2012, 02:40 PM EDT
Brenn69 I fear you maybe beating your head of a brick-wall regarding Irish Central and the other established Irish media and indeed Irish politicians with there mind boggling reference to the F-word. They have been using the word famine instead of Genocide since shortly after the potato blight struct. Perhaps some day they might care read some history on the subject and have a good look at the census records before and after the Genocide instead of looking back on what the last fela wrote. An excellent Facebook page exsists called Irish Holocaust-Push to Educate the Facts, check it out if your interested.
GeorgeDillon | May 08, 2012, 01:42 PM EDT
"byethebuttinski just likes to see her name in the posts!" ---Murph, looks like you have come to the same conclusion as me. The combination of anti-Americanism, half-truths and self-righteous ignorance is a give away. She also posted under a woman's name for a while, can't remember it.
Brenn69 | May 08, 2012, 12:36 PM EDT
This is the 3rd time this week I've seen the word "Famine" capitalised in a headline on IrishCentral.com. It's becoming depressing, and tedious. If even the Irish are keeping the myth alive that there ever was a famine, rather than a potato blight mixed with homelessness and disease and neglect and genocidal tendencies, then how are we to change the perception the world has of the Irish: i.e. that we were too dumb and drunk to do anything but grow potatoes. There never was a famine, dammit! Get it right!
Murph46 | May 08, 2012, 12:28 PM EDT
There is a report that most are leaving to get away from the insane rants of byethebay!
Seanmor | May 08, 2012, 12:22 PM EDT
Kilkenny: Most Poles are by n means bad people, and neither are the Chinese who live in the Irish state. But immigrants feom the Indian sub-cntinent and Africa often wind up 'one the dole' and are an enormous burder to the Irish taxpayers. As for Irish immigrants to to U.S., In the late 60s, at different times I shared my apartment with a Kerryman and a Clareman, both of whom were Vietnam veterans. Later a Kilkennyman moved in, after serving almost 2 years as a U.S. soldier in Germany. All these young Irishmen were loyal, law-abiding , tax-paying residents who were a credit to Ireland and to their adopted country.
FastEddy | May 08, 2012, 12:14 PM EDT
Must be that your local taxes are going up ... You all are welcome in the USA as you will be displacing those meskins headed south.
Bythebay | May 08, 2012, 11:46 AM EDT
Of course it would be very difficult for Americans to understand peaceful cooperation in Ireland since they tried for so many years to support terrorism. Muslims in Ireland are very peaceful members of Irish society and we're very happy they're in Ireland. With all the talk in the US about the Muslim Threat, of course Americans would have difficulty understanding the concept.
Bythebay | May 08, 2012, 11:44 AM EDT
Americans and their puerile attempts at name calling, laughable, ha, ha.
Murph46 | May 08, 2012, 11:11 AM EDT
byethebuttinski just likes to see her name in the posts!
BrianO | May 08, 2012, 11:05 AM EDT
Muslims are peace loving people? I thought Muslims were a religious population. Very devote Muslims might not like Irish traditions. Tell those hen parties to cover up, no homosexuals, no pubs, but it will solve the problem of having to put up with tourists.
Bythebay | May 08, 2012, 10:19 AM EDT
Laughable to see the self proclaimed hypenated Americans assessing emigrants from Ireland vis a vis residents of Ireland. They've never even lived in Ireland. Delusional again.
Bythebay | May 08, 2012, 10:15 AM EDT
Americans are always talking about the Muslim threat, another example of their continued bigotry. Muslims are peace loving people welcomed in Ireland.
Bythebay | May 08, 2012, 10:11 AM EDT
The new residents in Ireland have first hand knowledge of the country and are contributing to it. Self proclaimed hyphenated Irish don't live in Ireland and know nothing whatsoever about Ireland although they're so self important they wrongly think they do!
mrkennedy | May 08, 2012, 10:04 AM EDT
Expand one step further. The number of Muslims entering Ireland is steadily increasing and with the large size families and the declining attendance at Mass the effect on the Catholic Church???
KilkennyCats | May 08, 2012, 09:47 AM EDT
Ireland will be full of Poles and Chinese while the UK, Australia and the USA will be full of Irish. Yet of course the "hyphenated Irish" will still be considered more foreign than these new residents. Go figure...
KilkennyCats | May 08, 2012, 09:44 AM EDT
I've always found that the Irish that emigrate tend to be much more friendly (and more ambitious) than the Irish that stay behind.
GeorgeDillon | May 08, 2012, 09:20 AM EDT
What's the problem? There's about 70.000 migrating INTO ireland every year. That's maybe 6000 a month. It's not Depopulation, it's REpopulation.