Profile of Ardkeen

---

 

The Ardkeen area takes its name from the former Ardkeen House, now the site of the Waterford Regional Hospital. ‘Ardkeen’ is not a recognised geographical area or town land nor is it a polling district.  What is commonly referred to, as ‘Ardkeen’ is the area within the three polling districts of Ballymaclode, Ballynakill and Farranshoneen. According to the 2002 census, between the three districts there is a population of 8446 or 2592 households. 

 

The name Ardkeen is the anglicised corruption of the Irish Ard Chaoin, which means pleasant height or mount which, in turn, gives us Mount Pleasant. Ballynakill or Baile Na Cílle in Irish, translates as the ‘Homestead of the Church’, Ballymaclode, Baile Mhic Leód, is ‘McLeod’s Homestead’ and Farranshoneen is Fearann sheóinín, ‘Little John’s (or Jennings’) land.

 

In the 2002 census Ardkeen emerges as a growing residential area where a high proportion of the labour force is employed, almost a third of the population is under 18 and car and PC ownership is high.

 

 

The People

• According to the 2002 census Ardkeen has a population of about 8500 people. 49% of these are male and 51% female. 

• The suburb of Ardkeen is a constantly growing area holding almost 19% of the Waterford City’s population. Over 2500 (31%) of Ardkeen’s population are under 18 with over 5800 (69%) aged 19 and over.

• 17% of the permanent households (2595) in Waterford are in Ardkeen.

• In Ardkeen there is a 5.5% higher ratio of dependent 0-14 year olds than in the city as a whole and a 5% lower ratio of those aged 65 or over.

• Out of the 8446 residents of Ardkeen, 52% are single, 41% are married and 3% are separated and a further 3% widowed.
  
  
• Out of the 349 Travellers in permanent and temporary households in Waterford 8 or 2% live in Ardkeen.   

 Employment

• The majority of the population of Ardkeen are working - 95% of those in labour force are working, with 5% unemployed.

• 75% (over 6361) of population of Ardkeen is aged over 15, of this 6361, 4095 (64%) are in the Labour Force and 2266 (36%) are not.

• At 39% ‘Managerial and Technical’ is the largest social class in Ardkeen, second largest at 16% is ‘Non-manual’. 11% classify themselves as ‘professional’, 11% as ‘Skilled-manual’, 6% as ‘Semi-skilled’, and 2% as ‘Unskilled’. (15% classified themselves as ‘other’)

• On average the social class in Ardkeen is higher than the average for Waterford City. In Waterford City 5% classify themselves as ‘professional’, 21% as ‘Managerial and Technical’, 14% as ‘Non-manual’, 17% as ‘Skilled manual’ and 13% as ‘Semi skilled’.

• Of the some 2266 or 36% of the total population of Ardkeen over 15 are classified as  ‘not in the labour force’, 12% are students, 12% are attending to ‘home duties’, 9% are retired, 2% are unable to work with the final 1% classified as ‘other’.

  Transport

• Car ownership in Ardkeen is high with 40% of households owning one car, 46% owning two cars and 7% not owning a car. 7% own three or more cars.

• In Ardkeen 79% of all those travelling to work or school travel by car, 8% take the bus, 6% walk and 1% cycle.

• 34% leave home between 08:01 and 08:30, 22% leave between 08:31 and 09:00 with just 10% leaving after 09:01.

• 37% of all those travelling to work or school travel between three and four miles, 36% travel one or two miles and 7% travel ten or more miles.

The Lifestyle

• More than a third (34%) of all private households in Ardkeen have eight or more rooms this is more than double the 12% in Waterford City with eight or more rooms.

• A further 26% of households in Ardkeen have seven rooms, 20% have 6 rooms, 11% have five rooms and 7% have four or less rooms.  The average number of rooms in Waterford City is five compared with seven in Ardkeen.

• 66% of households in Ardkeen own a PC and 56% of households have access to the Internet. In Waterford City 30% of households have access to the Internet and 41% of households own a PC.