Comparison of the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) and BMW Region

Physical Geography

• Landscape Characteristics

  • GDA (Greater Dublin Area)
  • Lowland landscape
  • Gentle slopes and good drainage
  • BMW (Border, Midland and Western Region)
  • Mountainous and rugged landscape
  • Poor drainage

• Soil Types

  • GDA
  • Brown earth soils
  • Fertile and easy to cultivate
  • BMW
  • Mainly podzols, gleys, and peat soils
  • Infertile and waterlogged

• Climate

  • GDA
  • Warmer and drier climate
  • Approximately 800 mm annual rainfall
  • BMW
  • Wetter climate, receiving 1500–2000 mm of rainfall
  • Cloudier with a shorter growing season

• Weather Phenomena

  • GDA
  • Benefits from coastal moderation leading to reduced frost
  • BMW
  • Experiences heavy orographic rainfall and flooding

Primary Economic Activities

• Agriculture

  • GDA
  • Highly productive, commercial farming
  • Crops: wheat, potatoes, market gardening
  • Utilizes modern farming techniques
  • BMW
  • Low-intensity pastoral farming
  • Characterized by small farm sizes
  • Predominantly older farmers reliant on EU subsidies

• Forestry

  • GDA
  • Limited forestry activity mainly in upland areas
  • BMW
  • Forestry (e.g., Sitka spruce) promoted as an alternative income source

• Fishing

  • GDA
  • Declining fishing industry due to pollution and overfishing
  • BMW
  • Rich fishing grounds supported by the Atlantic coast
  • Active aquaculture industry

• Other Activities

  • Peat extraction more significant in the Midlands of BMW, while not represented in GDA.

Secondary Economic Activities

• Manufacturing

  • GDA
  • Central hub for manufacturing and industrial activities
  • Represents 25% of industries
  • Focus on high-tech sectors and foreign investment
  • BMW
  • Lags behind GDA in manufacturing capability
  • Struggles to attract investment due to its peripheral location, underdeveloped infrastructure, and small market size

• Infrastructure

  • GDA
  • Proximity to Dublin Port, Airport, and the M50 motorway as advantages
  • BMW
  • Suffers from poorer overall infrastructure, impacting economic growth

• Notable Successes

  • Galway is noted as a rare manufacturing success within BMW, particularly in sectors such as medtech and pharmaceuticals.

Tertiary Economic Activities

• Service Sector

  • GDA
  • Strong service sector, providing 80% of employment
  • Serves as a financial hub
  • Tourism primarily focuses on Dublin city
  • Well-developed transport network
  • BMW
  • Tourism is a significant, but predominantly seasonal activity
  • Main attractions include the Wild Atlantic Way and Gaeltacht areas.

• Transport Infrastructure

  • GDA
  • Ranked highest in Ireland for transport infrastructure (DART, Luas, Dublin Airport, Port Tunnel)
  • BMW
  • Remains relatively isolated despite improvements like Atlantic Corridor and Western Rail

• Market Attractiveness

  • BMW less appealing to large service sector headquarters due to low population density and market size.

Population and Settlement

• Population Characteristics

  • GDA
  • Acts as the core region
  • High population density
  • Young workforce
  • Experiences inward migration and urban growth
  • Represents the economic core of Ireland
  • BMW
  • Viewed as a peripheral region
  • Characterized by low population density (27% of the population resides in half of the land area)
  • Areas of rural depopulation and an ageing population

• Migration Trends

  • GDA
  • Successfully attracts graduates (no brain drain situation)
  • BMW
  • Experiences a 'brain drain' phenomenon to Dublin and other locations abroad

• Urban Development Issues

  • GDA
  • Contention with urban sprawl and development of dormitory towns
  • BMW
  • Faces decline in rural services as a pertinent issue

• Growth Centers

  • Galway serves as a growth pole in the BMW but cannot compete with the scale of GDA.

Development & Policy

• Investment Distribution

  • GDA
  • Receives the largest share of infrastructure investment (including initiatives like Transport 21 and Metro plans)
  • BMW
  • Designated as an Objective 1 region by the EU, thus eligible for maximum funding through programs like the ERDF and Cohesion Funds.

• Policy Focus

  • National Spatial Strategy (NSS)
  • Concentrates on urban regeneration and sustainable growth in GDA
  • Promotes decentralization and development of gateways in BMW (e.g., Galway)

• Regional Challenges

  • GDA
  • Encounters urban pressure issues
  • BMW
  • Struggles with economic underdevelopment and persistent out-migration.

Summary / Conclusion

• The Greater Dublin Area (GDA) functions as the economic and demographic core of Ireland, noted for its fertility, accessibility, urbanization, and comprehensive development across all sectors.
• Conversely, the Border, Midland and Western Region (BMW) is delineated as a peripheral region, marked by physical disadvantages, a low population density, infrastructural limitations, and a heavy reliance on primary economic activities and EU subsidies.
• National and European Union policies are actively working towards mitigating these disparities through strategic regional development initiatives.