Irelands demographic transformation, 1958-70

Abstract

In the early 1960's Ireland's marriage, rate was very low and marriage fertility very high by European standards. The marriage rate had, however, been rising since the 1940's, especially when expressed in terms of the unmarried population. In the absence of a substantial fall in average family size the prospect was that the rising proportions married in each age group would lead to a significant increase in the birth rate.