Conference: life in the suburbs. People are moving to the suburbs in large numbers because it is perceived as a good place to raise children, despite depictions of suburban life as being empty and soulless, a conference heard.
A study on four suburbs outside Dublin (Ratoath, Co Meath; Leixlip, Co Kildare; Mullingar, Co Westmeath and Lucan, Co Dublin) found that despite problems such as heavy traffic and lack of amenities, residents had moved there as a lifestyle choice.
Residents in all areas were able to identify an average of five to six people in their social network who they could rely on for help or support on a regular basis, research by a team of academics in NUI Maynooth found.
Yesterday's conference, Civic and Social Life in the Suburbs, was organised by the college.
In the newer suburbs which have experienced the most rapid growth in recent years - Lucan and Mullingar - respondents were more likely to rely on relatives rather than neighbours for help and support compared to more established suburbs.
In Mullingar just 5 per cent were likely to rely on a neighbour for support compared to Leixlip, an older suburb, where most said their social networks were located within the area.
Changes in family life were also recorded, with many beginning to scale back work commitments once their children entered primary school.
This tended to be accompanied by increased attachment to the locality as parents began to rely less on family and more on local friends and neighbours for everyday social support.
Much of this "scaling back" tended to involve families reverting to the traditional "breadwinner" model, noted Dr Jane Gray. This had implications for gender inequality.
She also noted that people in suburbs who seemed under most pressure were dual-income couples with children, and she suggested that Government policies should be directed at helping this section of the population.
While places that undergo suburbanisation are often considered to lose their character and sense of place, surveys show that the majority of new residents feel an attachment to the area.
Research by Dr Mary Corcoran of NUI Maynooth found factors such as the natural environment along with the culture and history of a place played a key role in determining residents' sense of place.
In Ratoath, for example, where a high level of people felt attached to the area (79 per cent), the most commonly mentioned features were the village character and country feel. In Leixlip, which also recorded a high level of attachment among residents, the rural character and proximity to Dublin were important factors.
Children tended to see themselves as attached to the area rather than living in an area in the Dublin hinterland.
One interviewee said: "Children in Leixlip identify with Kildare - they do not see themselves as urban or part of the city. They do not regard themselves as city people, they live in the sticks"
He added: "While Athy is only 40 miles outside Dublin, they see Leixlipers as Dublin ... in an edgy GAA match between the two teams, they will often tell the Leixlip people to go back to Dublin, which is ironic since we are living in Leixlip to avoid Dublin."
