A Profile of Ireland’s Uplands An all-island study highlighting their strategic importance Brendan O’Keeffe and Caroline Crowley 2019 Irish Uplands Forum Fórum Cnoch na hÉireann www.irishuplandsforum.org Promoting sustainable management of the Uplands Table of Contents Chapter 1 A Profile of Ireland’s Uplands: Main Findings / Executive Summary .....................................1 Context and Dynamics – policy, economy and agriculture ...............................................................1 Spatial Profile ..................................................................................................................................3 Population Structure and Attributes ................................................................................................3 Economic Status and Activity ..........................................................................................................4 Household Structure, Housing Stock and Infrastructure ..................................................................4 Accessibility and Connectivity .........................................................................................................5 Observations ...................................................................................................................................6 Chapter 2 Introduction to Uplands ......................................................................................................7 An Overview of Upland Characteristics and Policies ........................................................................8 Uplands at a Glance ........................................................................................................................8 Populations and Economies ............................................................................................................9 Land Cover .................................................................................................................................... 10 Biodiversity, Protected Areas and Link to Farming ......................................................................... 12 Ecosystem Services ....................................................................................................................... 12 Landscapes ................................................................................................................................... 13 Recreation .................................................................................................................................... 17 Green Infrastructure ..................................................................................................................... 18 EU Policy ....................................................................................................................................... 19 Applying Cohesion Policy in Upland Areas ..................................................................................... 21 Uplands – Hubs of Public Goods Provision Fragmented by Political Geography ............................. 22 Framework for Place-based Policies in Upland Areas ..................................................................... 23 National Uplands Policy and Spatial Planning ................................................................................ 24 Focus on ‘Blackstairs Farming Futures’ .......................................................................................... 25 A Profile of Hill Farming in the Republic of Ireland ......................................................................... 26 Summary ...................................................................................................................................... 35 Chapter 3 Mapping Methodology ..................................................................................................... 38 Step 1: Selection of Townlands with Upland Habitat ..................................................................... 38 Data Sources ............................................................................................................................. 38 Townland Selection Process ...................................................................................................... 38 Step 2: Geocoding Townlands with Upland Habitat ....................................................................... 40 Step 3: Selection of Small Areas that include Townlands with Upland Habitat ............................... 41 Step 4: Selection of Census Variables and Identification of other useful Datasets .......................... 41 Chapter 4 The uplands – a Human Geography Profile........................................................................ 43 Population Structure and Attributes .............................................................................................. 44 Children – Population aged up to Fourteen ............................................................................... 44 Older Teenagers – Population aged Fifteen to Nineteen ............................................................ 46 Young Adults – Population aged Twenty to Twenty-Nine ........................................................... 48 i Adults – Population aged Thirty to Sixty-Four ............................................................................ 50 Older People – Population aged Sixty-Five and Older ................................................................ 52 Elderly People – Population aged Seventy-Five and Older ......................................................... 54 Single People............................................................................................................................. 56 Ability to Speak Irish .................................................................................................................. 58 Persons Born in another Jurisdiction of Ireland and the UK ....................................................... 60 Persons Born Outside of Ireland and the UK .............................................................................. 62 Educational Attainment – Low (RoI only) ................................................................................... 64 Educational Attainment – High (RoI only) .................................................................................. 66 Economic Status and Activity ........................................................................................................ 68 Labour Force Participation Rate ................................................................................................ 69 Female Participation in the Labour Force (RoI only) ................................................................... 71 Male Participation in the Labour Force (RoI only) ...................................................................... 73 Unemployment Rate ................................................................................................................. 77 Primary Sector – Agriculture and Extractive Industries .............................................................. 79 Farming Households (RoI only) .................................................................................................. 81 Secondary Sector – Manufacturing and Construction ................................................................ 83 Tertiary Sector – Services .......................................................................................................... 85 Other Economic Activities ......................................................................................................... 87 Retirees..................................................................................................................................... 89 Household Structure, Housing Stock and Infrastructure ................................................................ 91 One-Person Households ............................................................................................................ 91 Smaller Houses – Dwellings with up to Four Rooms ................................................................... 93 Larger Houses – Dwellings with Seven or More Rooms .............................................................. 95 Older Housing Stock (RoI only) .................................................................................................. 97 ‘Medium Age’ Housing Stock (RoI only) ..................................................................................... 99 Newer Housing Stock (RoI only)............................................................................................... 101 Unoccupied Holiday Homes (RoI only) ..................................................................................... 103 Vacant Dwellings (RoI only) ..................................................................................................... 105 Public Mains Water (RoI only) ................................................................................................. 107 Septic Tank Connections (RoI only) .......................................................................................... 109 Other Private Sewage Treatment Facilities (RoI only) .............................................................. 111 Peat/Turf as the Main Source of Fuel (RoI only) ....................................................................... 113 Accessibility and Connectivity ....................................................................................................