PEOPLING THE CITIES

Abstract

This chapter begins by describing the striking physical growth of Irish cities such as Dublin, Cork, and Belfast, then investigates the causes of such growth. It demonstrates how pre-industrial cities across Europe depended for their survival on attracting a constant flow of outsiders to come and settle. People came for a great variety of motives and faced very uncertain outcomes. The chapter then outlines the underlying demographic processes at work in Ireland and a rigorous investigation of the city population. It studies the urban-social enquiry in Ireland, and argues that all Irish cities and regional centers witnessed powerful long-term growth of population. The chapter discusses Ireland's urban life expectancy, the pernicious levels of infant and child death in the city environment, fertility change and levels, and migration and apprenticeships. It looks into the most compelling evidence on internal migration to the cities: the changing religious composition of most Irish cities.