Sports clubs in Ireland suffer from emigration

Football clubs across Ireland are suffering because of a wave of emigration which has resulted in some clubs losing as many as half their team members over the past two years. The Central Statistics Office has released figures which show that between April 2010 and April 2011 40,200 citizens of Ireland emigrated, an increase of 13,000 on the year earlier.

Cork councillor and St Vincent’s club member, Thomas Gould, said the GAA was losing players from the age group of 21 to 25 who would otherwise be expected to supply the talent over the coming decade.

Rural clubs are also being hit by high emigration levels. The Roscommon and District soccer league has had to begin the current season with five fewer teams than it had during last year’s season.

A comparison of the census conducted in 2006 and the one held in 2011 shows that Kerry has been particularly hard hit be the desire to emigrate. The figures show that the areas of Castlegregory and Dun Chaoin have lost 71 per cent of their populations during the period.

The situation is illustrated by the fact that the Clooney/Quin football club has had to scrap its intermediate level team because seven members of its top team have left Ireland and are now playing for curling clubs in Australia.