Revealed: The Wexford town with the most fertile women in Ireland

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

New figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) have revealed that the women of Enniscorthy in Co Wexford are the most fertile in Ireland. The figures, which document the numbers of births and deaths across the country in 2022, show that the fertility rate for women 15-49 years of age in Ireland was highest in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford with 57 births per 1,000 women.

Only the women of Newcastle West, Co. Limerick (53.5), Loughrea, Co. Galway, Tramore-Waterford City West, Co. Waterford, and Moate, Co. Westmeath (all 52.9) could hold a candle to those in Enniscorthy in 2022; with Gorey (46.8), New Ross (41.3), Wexford town (38.8), Kilmuckridge (37), and Rosslare (35.6) lagging way behind.

However, while the future of one Wexford town looks to be in safe hands, other parts of the county saw more deaths than births according to the CSO figures.

In 2022, there were just 15 local electoral areas nationwide which experienced a negative natural increase (more deaths than births) and among them was the Rosslare Municipal District (RMD). It recorded 17 more deaths than births that year with only Ballinamore (Leitrim), Kilrush (Clare), Swinford (Mayo) Kenmare (Kerry), Glenties (Donegal), and Belmullet (Mayo) experiencing a similar negative natural increase rate.

The rest of Co Wexford fared better with Gorey recording a natural increase (more births than deaths) of 148, New Ross 76, Enniscorthy 70, Wexford 34, and Kilmuckridge 21.

Back to Enniscorthy and it had one of the highest crude death rates in the country in 2022.

The crude death rate, which is the number of deaths divided by the population in an area, stood at 6.7 per 1,000 of population nationally in 2022. But in Enniscorthy that number jumped to 11.1 with only Belmullet (11.5) experiencing more deaths per head of capita.

In terms of causes of death, those living in Enniscorthy were among those most commonly affected by both heart and lung diseases. According to the CSO figures, causes of death relating to heart disease were 186.2 per 100,000 nationally, but that figure rose to 338.8 in Enniscorthy with only Belmullet (349.9) and Ballinamore (361.7) more impacted by heart issues.

Similarly, while causes of death relating to respiratory diseases such as influenza, pneumonia, and bronchitis were 72.6 per 100,000 nationally, that figure rose to 131.1 in Enniscorthy, behind only Ballinasloe (137.5) and Manorhamilton in Co Leitrim (148).