Commuting

In the past, people generally worked very close to where they lived. As transport was slower or unavailable, it wasn't practical to travel very far from your home to work.

These days, more and more people are travelling long distances or commuting to work every day. As Dublin is the largest city in Ireland, it also has the largest workforce. House prices are very high in Dublin and this is one of the reasons many people choose to live outside the capital and commute to their workplaces. Another reason people choose to commute is that they believe that life in a smaller town is more relaxed.

Carlow Railway Station Sign
© Carlow County Library.

Carlow town and county have increased in population as more and more people choose to live there and commute to Dublin and other cities, like Waterford and Kilkenny, to work. An estimated 6,000 people leave Co. Carlow every morning and head to Dublin for work. That is more than 10% of the entire population.

Many people use the train to commute from Carlow to Dublin. In 2006, an extra morning service was provided to meet the needs of the growing number of commuters.