Message from the Editor: seven million reasons to plan

It’s a moment of quiet but profound significance. The population of the island of Ireland has, for the first time since before the Great Famine, surpassed seven million people. That is more than just a statistic. It signals a remarkable turning point in our shared history and a definitive move away from centuries of emigration and decline toward a renewed and growing future.

Joint figures from the Central Statistics Office and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency show a 26 per cent increase in the number of people living on the island between 2002 and 2022. Growth, however, has not been evenly spread. The Republic saw a 31 per cent rise in population over those two decades; Northern Ireland grew by 13 per cent. Today, more than 5.1 million people live south of the Border and 1.9 million in the North.

These figures reveal more than just numbers. They reflect deeper trends in migration, economic development, and social change. Immigration has significantly reshaped the Republic, bringing greater diversity and a younger population. Northern Ireland’s slower growth and ageing demographic present different challenges. But across the island, the need for inclusive, forward-thinking policies is indisputable.

Housing is the most urgent concern. More than two million permanent homes exist in the Republic, yet over 240,000 are classified as vacant, a figure long questioned and still poorly understood. Social housing remains in short supply, making up less than 10 per cent of housing stock, compared with 15 per cent in the North. As population pressures mount, the gaps in our systems become more glaring.

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Some regions are growing rapidly; others lag behind. Balanced regional development will require careful planning and co-operation across the Border.

Too often, the Republic and Northern Ireland have tackled similar issues separately. But demographic growth and the infrastructure strains it brings do not stop at arbitrary lines on a map. Whether it’s housing, transport, healthcare, digital networks or energy grids, joint approaches make sense not just politically but practically.

Ireland is entering a new era. Having come full circle to a population not seen since before the catastrophe of the 1840s, we now face a shared responsibility: to plan, to build, and to rise to the occasion.

Ruadhán Mac Cormaic

Editor

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In sport, the Lions laboured to victory over the Waratahs in Sydney on Saturday morning, with Josh van der Flier and Mack Hansen the best of the Irish in a patchy display. Rugby correspondent Gerry Thornley is in Australia and you can keep up to date with all of the news from the camp by signing up to the Counter Ruck newsletter.

Meanwhile, Cork demolished Dublin in the first All-Ireland hurling semi-final, setting up a meeting with either Tipperary or Kilkenny, a pairing that has thrown up countless modern classics. Read all the fallout from the weekend’s GAA in the Inside Gaelic Games newsletter on Monday.

As always, there is much more on irishtimes.com, including rundowns of all the latest movies in our film reviews, tips for the best restaurants in our food section and all the latest in sport. There are plenty more articles exclusively available for Irish Times subscribers here.

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