Irish regional GDP since independence

Alan de Bromhead and Seán Kenny

Economic History Review, 2026, vol. 79, issue 3, 1175-1209

Abstract: This paper constructs the first long‐run estimates of Irish regional gross domestic product (GDP) over the twentieth century and traces the relative economic performance of Ireland's regions since independence. Using an array of data sources available at a county level, output in agriculture, industry, and services in benchmark census years is estimated. Applying a variety of alternative measures, we find a reduction in regional inequality over the period that resembles the broader European pattern. Regional convergence over the period 1926–91 was driven by both within‐sector convergence in productivity and structural change. Our paper helps us understand the regional dimensions of Irish economic development from the birth of a newly independent state up to the eve of Ireland's growth ‘miracle’ in the 1990s, when the first official efforts were initiated to construct these figures. Finally, we connect our regional estimates to the first official figures to study the evolution of Irish regional development up to 2021.

Date: 2026
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://doi.org/10.1111/ehr.70054

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bla:ehsrev:v:79:y:2026:i:3:p:1175-1209

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.blackwell ... bs.asp?ref=0013-0117

Access Statistics for this article

Economic History Review is currently edited by Stephen Broadberry

More articles in Economic History Review from Economic History Society Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Wiley Content Delivery ().