More than half of all Irish people said they are proud of their community, with the level of pride highest in Munster and lowest in Dublin, according to new research.
The “Future of Ireland” nationwide study into the themes of belonging and community showed half of all Irish people said they have four or more close friends, but that one in ten say they have no close friends and the same number either do not have relatives or don’t feel close to the relatives they have.
While fewer people in Dublin than in other parts of the country said they knew their neighbours, people in Dublin were more likely to hold keys for their neighbours.
One in four people said they feel completely safe in their neighbourhoods, half feel safe “for the most part” safe and 10 per cent feel “somewhat or completely unsafe”.
Some 42 per cent of those who feel unsafe have been a victim of crime in their area in the past five years. According to the report 62 per cent feel safe walking alone in their area after dark.
One third of all Irish people said they have a strong sense of belonging within their community and 48 per cent feel their community is somewhat or very receptive to newcomers, while only 14 per cent feel their community is unreceptive.
Experience of discrimination is low, with 88 per cent saying they have not experienced discrimination or unfair treatment within their community.
However, 30 per cent of respondents say that they do not have a sense of belonging within their community, with contributing factors including living in the same place for less than ten years, not knowing neighbours well, or living in Dublin.
These factors were particularly important within the 25 to 34 year-old age bracket.
One in four people said they were actively involved in their community, but 43 per cent are either somewhat or not at all involved.
The single largest area of involvement is through faith-based communities, with 29 per cent actively involved with their local church.
Some 26 per cent are actively involved with a charity or volunteer group, and 23 per cent are involved with a local sports club.
Political parties have the lowest level of local involvement, with only 8 per cent saying that they are actively involved.
One in five of those involved with political parties said they were less involved than they were previously.
This is the second phase of the Future of Ireland nationwide study, conducted by Amárach Research and published on Monday by media agency OMD with the support of Ulster Bank.
