Divorce rates: High in Sligo, low in Donegal, lowest of all in Leitrim



Sligo had one of the highest divorce rates in Ireland in 2017.

That’s according to the most recent figures from the Courts Service.

The most recent data from the Courts Service, which provides divorce application figures per county from 2000 to 2017, show Sligo current rate is at 0.9%.

The county is well above the national average and even had a higher rate than Dublin in 2017.

Overall 895 applications for divorce have been made in Sligo since 2000.

This is in stark contrast to its neighbouring county Leitrim which has the lowest rates in the country for couples seeking a divorce at just 0.5% – with a total of 310 applications.

Meanwhile, Donegal has been continuously below the national rate since 2000 with a total of 1,633 applications received between 2000 and 2017.

Divorce only became legal in Ireland in 1996 following a tightly contested referendum.

To apply for a divorce, couples must be living apart for four of the five previous years and the upcoming referendum this Friday May 24th will ask voters if they wish to remove this condition or keep it in the constitution.



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