Census 2012: The ’Bridge and Newmarket top density list

Aside from the county towns, the villages of Sixmilebridge and Newmarket are the two most densely populated urban areas in Clare.
Sixmilebridge has experienced a population explosion in the past decade with the population having almost doubled, up from 1,754 in 2002 to a current figure of 2,604. That equates to a 48.5% increase with females outnumbering males by a little under 1%.
Kilmurry, which is also part of the parish of Sixmilebridge, has also seen an increase with the latest figures indicating an 11.9% rise in the population from 666 in 2006 to 745 in 2011.
In the late 1990s the village’s new sewerage scheme came on stream and that facility, coupled with the Celtic Tiger era, precipitated a building boom. Sixmilebridge is now home to 22 separate housing estates and has mushroomed because of its close proximity to major centres of employment such as Limerick, Shannon and Ennis.
While the population of Newmarket is down by almost one tenth in the last decade, from 2,114 in 2002 to 1,905 last year, figures from the Central Statistics Office show that it has risen by 6.1% over the past five years. Of that figure, 51.2% account for males.
The parish of Newmarket has also developed as a satellite village because it is sandwiched between Shannon and Ennis, two of the main employment centres in the county.
Sociologist Fr Harry Bohan is well placed to evaluate the growth of both parishes. The founder of the former Rural Housing Organisation, a project designed to keep people housed in rural parts of the county, he said the location of both villages is advantageous in that both are a short commuting distance from all the big centres.
“Obviously, location is a big pull but I’d have to say Sixmilebridge is a very attractive place to live. It has a lot going for it; it’s a place with huge potential,” he suggested.
Fr Bohan added, “The ’Bridge is a fabulous village. Over the last few years a lot of development has taken place and there are now 22 housing estates in the village. Growth tends to attract growth and if one place starts to move and is an attractive place, it draws others in. I suppose the growth has been very fast but it is a vibrant community.
“As a parish, we are working on the whole concept of community. We are starting up ‘The Gatherings’ again in May and one of those gatherings will be in one of the new housing estates. We will try and visit all the people and it’s important to build up a good community spirit by getting neighbours to know their neighbours”.
Another big positive he said is the “web of voluntary organisations” that exist in the parish and which provide a lot of important outlets for young people.
However, he accepted that the provision of services and infrastructure needs to operate in tandem with development and that’s something Sixmilebridge may have lagged behind.
“I think there are services that are badly needed. There is an urgent need for a bank branch for example. The village also needs a new primary school. At the minute there are more children being taught in prefabs than in classrooms and with 84 children enrolled for the new school year in September, I believe Sixmilebridge has a pressing need for a new school.
“Down the road I believe it needs a secondary school too, maybe not a conventional one but it does need one with that kind of population.
“Given its rate of development it also needs a hotel and I’m delighted plans for such a facility have already been approved by the council. It also needs a community centre because outside of the GAA hall, there’s no good meeting place,” he suggested.
Fr Bohan concluded by throwing down a challenge for people to take more responsibility for themselves and their place.
“For example, people are going to set up a Neighbourhood Watch by way of looking after one another and the most vulnerable in the community. It’s all about taking responsibly for family, friends and neighbours as well as the economic and social side of things,” he said.