Divorce rate in Kilkenny on the rise, new figures confirm
THE number of married couples in Kilkenny getting a divorce is on the rise.
New figures reveal Kilkenny is one of 12 counties across the county that have seen an increase in divorce rates since 2015, a new analysis of applications to the Circuit Court reveals.
The other counties that have seen a rise include neighbouring Carlow, which has overtaken Dublin as the divorce capital of Ireland with 1.2 applications per 1,000 people.
Cork, Kerry, Leitrim, Longford, Mayo, Monaghan, Roscommon, Sligo, Westmeath and Wexford also recorded higher divorce rates.
Divorce rates in Kilkenny are the 10th highest in the country, marginally higher than the average national rate of 0.83 applications per 1,000 people.
Divorce only became legal in Ireland in 1996 following a tightly contested referendum the year before in which the Fifteenth Amendment of the Constitution was passed by 50.3% of voters.
To apply for a divorce, couples must be living apart for four of the five previous years. The upcoming referendum this Friday will ask voters if they wish to remove this condition or keep it in the constitution.
