New figures have cast new light on the extent of depopulation in rural Clare.
In a large portion of West Clare, just six homes were sold to or built by first-time buyers in the last year, compared with 177 in other parts of the county.
New CSO data shows that only 4% of homes sold in Kilrush and other parts of West Clare in the year to July went to first-time buyers.
By contrast, in this same area, 47% of homes went to non-occupiers, likely for the purposes of renting them out or for use as holiday homes.
The 4% first-time buyers rate is also vastly different to other parts of the county, where 28% of homes sold have gone to people who have never owned a house before that.
For the purposes of these statistics, the CSO divides the country along the lines of the Eircode routing key areas – the V15 code for Kilrush covers the town itself, and also Kilkee, Loop Head, and inland towards the likes of Doonbeg and Cooraclare.
With first-time buyers likely to be the category which includes young families, the figures suggest that younger people in the area can't afford to setup home there, or are choosing to do so elsewhere.
And you can hear more on this topic on Clare FM's Morning Focus this morning.
