The Mayo Gaeltacht area is the poorest in the western seaboard region, with the highest unemployment rate, highest percentage of students quitting after the Leaving Certificate, and highest percentage of farmers working land of less than 30 acres. These are the bleak findings extrapolated from the 1996 Census for the current issue of Foinse, the Irish-language weekly.
The Gaeltacht area is significantly worse off than the county of Mayo itself, and has the lowest percentage of social Class 1 and 2 in all Gaeltacht areas.
By contrast, the Galway Gaeltacht fares well, with a higher-than-average number of people in these two social classes, and a lower rate of school-leavers not pursuing education to third level. However, the Galway Gaeltacht is not evenly affluent, according to Foinse, with the area around the city much better off, not surprisingly, and Lettermore island representing a black spot.
The Donegal Gaeltacht also comes out badly, with a large number of small farmers contributing to poverty levels. Cork and Kerry are relatively well off, while Meath and Waterford Gaeltachts are on a par, for the most part.
The very different lives of three Irish-speaking women in the 1950s is the subject of TnaG's Labhair Linn series this week. Nora Rowsome from Kerry, Sister Caomhin Ni Uallachain, former principal of Scoil Chaitriona, and Mairead Bean Ui Ghallchoir from Donegal tell Crona Ni Ghallchoir how they viewed the Ireland of 40 years ago, when female civil servants had to quit their jobs on marriage. The programme will be transmitted this Wednesday.