This article first appeared on Galway Bay FM

Burglaries in Galway are down by 70 percent over the past 10 years.

That’s according to new figures from Phonewatch, based on CSO figures for each Garda division.

Criminal gangs, home burglaries, lack of Garda presence, and the dark winter months – all very real concerns for homeowners, particularly in rural areas.

And according to Phonewatch, half of Irish homeowners are now more worried about burglary than they were last year.

But is there a gap between public perception of how common burglaries are, and the reality?

According to this research – it appears there is.

The figures show burglaries in Galway dropped by 69 percent between 2004 and 2024 – with 308 burglaries reported in the county last year.

The drop in Galway is well above the national average reduction of 50 percent.

There were 20 thousand burglaries per year nationwide between 2015 and 2019 – but this dropped to less than 10 thousand a year between 2022 and 2024.

Phonewatch says the front door remains the most common entry point, while between 2am and 4am in the peak window for break-ins.