Overview of the South-West SPA Introduction
The South West Strategic Planning Area (SW SPA) covers an area of 12,100 sq.km and recorded a population of over 690,000 people in 2016, 44% of the total Southern Region’s population. The South West is accessed by strategic seaports (Tier 1 Port of Cork), Airports (Cork National Airport and Kerry Regional Airport), road and rail networks. It comprises the Counties of Cork and Kerry and three Local Authorities of Cork City Council (210, 853 population) Cork County Council (332,105 population) and Kerry County Council (147,707). The population has grown 11.2% over the ten-year period 2006-2016, greater than the Region overall in the same period (9.9%). With a population of 304,169 in 2016, the Cork Metropolitan Area is the second largest Metropolitan Area in the State with Cork City and Suburbs at its core. Cork City and Suburbs is the largest urban settlement in the Southern Region and second largest settlement in the State after Dublin (population 208,669 in 2016 and 102,139 jobs).
Important corridors provide regional accessibility to the SouthWest and include theM8 Cork to Dublin, N20 Cork to Limerick, N25 Cork to Waterford, N22 Cork to Tralee, N21 Tralee to Limerick, and N69 Tralee to Tarbert/Port of Foynes, N72 Killarney-Mallow-Fermoy-Dungarvan and N71 West Cork Corridor. The rail network connects Cork to Dublin, Cork to Limerick (via Limerick Junction), Tralee to Cork and Dublin (via Mallow) and Cork to Waterford (via Limerick Junction). The South West has a strong network of urban settlements. Of the Region’s 28 settlements greater than 5,000 population (outside of the three city and suburbs of Cork, Limerick andWaterford), the SouthWest recorded 12 settlements greater than 5,000 population in 2016. The largest of these include: Tralee (23,691 population), Carrigaline (15,770 population), Killarney (14,504 population), Cobh (12,800 population), Midleton (12,496 population), Mallow (12,459 population), Youghal (7,963 population), Bandon (6957 population), Fermoy (6585 population), Passage West (5843 population), Kinsale (5281 population), Carrigtwohill (5080 population). Towns with the largest job numbers in 2016 include Tralee (12,517 jobs), Killarney (7,108 jobs), Midleton (3,871 jobs), Mallow (3,775 jobs), Clonakilty (2,376 jobs), Bandon (2,334 jobs), Charleville (2,249 jobs), Fermoy (2,168 jobs), Killorglin (2,038 jobs) and Listowel (2,030 jobs).
Southern Regional Assembly | RSES
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