There were 408 babies born to women aged over 44 in 2023, up 80.5pc compared to 2013. Ireland's total period fertility rate for 2023 stood at 1.5, which is below the rate of 2.1 needed to replace the population; in 2013 the rate stood at 1.9. There were 43 fewer births in Ireland in 2023 compared with 2022, but over the last decade, there has been a fall of over a fifth when compared with 2013.
The origins of Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, can be traced back hundreds of years to an Aztec festival that honored the goddess of the dead, Mictecacihuatl. The party lasted a month. With the arrival of European colonists, the Catholic Church shrank it to a couple of days, coinciding with All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, usually the first two days of November. Family and friends decorate altars with offerings such as candles, flowers, photos and meaningful memorabilia.