Commuting across the Irish border

The border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland is often characterised as ‘invisible’. Using data drawn from censuses in both jurisdictions, we show a substantial discontinuity in commuting behaviour at the Irish border. Residents on both sides of the border have a low propensity to work on the other side. Local areas in Northern Ireland with larger Catholic populations are more prone to commuting from North to South, hinting at a possible role for socio-cultural factors.