Economic geography and the Irish border: a market access approach

Alan Fernihough*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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Abstract

This paper examines the economic impact of Ireland’s partition, assessing market access losses using detailed geospatial data and multimodal transport network analysis. The study reveals that partition significantly reduced market access on both sides of the border, contributing to population decline. Districts closest to the border were the most affected, with estimated population figures being approximately 10 per cent lower than they would have been without the border. This negative impact has persisted, remaining evident despite the reduction of many physical border barriers. A counterfactual analysis suggests that absent the border, the current populations of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland would have been 3 per cent and 5 per cent higher, respectively. These findings illustrate the persistent role of political borders in shaping regional economic activity.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)61-76
Number of pages16
JournalJournal of the Statistical and Social Inquiry Society of Ireland
Volume53
Publication statusPublished - 01 Dec 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024, Statistical and Social Inquiry Society of Ireland. All rights reserved.

Keywords

  • Economic Geography
  • Economic History of Ireland
  • Irish Border
  • Market Access

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Sociology and Political Science
  • Economics and Econometrics
  • Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty

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