1925

Cost of living

The official statement that the cost of living in the Irish Free State increased between last October and January by one per cent shows that the retail price of food increased by 1.5.

Butter, milk, bread, flour and potatoes were all dearer last month than in October. Sugar and eggs decreased in price.

Boots increased by 2.4. Articles of fuel and light decreased, notably candles, which fell by 4.4 per cent. Dearer food increased the cost of living by 1.1 per cent, and dearer boots and clothes by 4.

Cheaper sugar and eggs reduced the cost by 3. Taking 100 as the price of food in July 1914, it was 200, or just double, in October 1924. In January 1925, it was 203.

Rent decreased in the three months by 0.2 per cent. the cost of living in the Free State is 17 points higher than in Great Britain and 5 points higher than in the six counties of Ulster.

Pictured: A protest was staged at Derryfaddaon May 9, 1984 amid delays to Government approval of a briquette factory in the area. Workers from Derryfadda and members of the Ballyforan Development Association warned at the time that failure to approve the Bord na Móna Briquette Factory would lead to the loss of seventy jobs at Derryfadda Works.