Record breakers: Limerick's unmarried mums

Figures released last Thursday show that Limerick City again had the highest percentage of unmarried mothers in the country. 53% of all births in Limerick were to unmarried mothers according to the Central Statistics Office. 36% of all Limerick births, though, were to unmarried parents living at the same address.
These figures, for April to June 2009, showed the average age of a mother in Limerick was 29.3 - the youngest average age in Ireland, while for first-time mums in Limerick, the average age was 27.3 - also an Irish record.

Strangely enough, Limerick City also had the second lowest birth rate in Ireland after Monaghan. Also, just over 5% of kids born in Limerick City were to teen mothers - placing the city 4th after Waterford City, South Dublin and Monaghan.

Historically, the numbers for Limerick tell a bleak enough story. Every year since at least 2001, Limerick has had the highest rate of unmarried mothers and, usually, the highest rate of teen mothers too.