Figures compiled by writer and blogger Michael Nugent have identified the top 10 places in Ireland to find single males and females. Remarkably, six of the top 10 spots to find a single woman are in south Dublin: Dun Laoghaire, Rathmines, Blackrock, Stillorgan, the Crumlin/Kimmage area, and Pembroke. The top spot nationwide is the No 3 electoral area of Galway City, where one woman in every eight is unattached.

Nugent, co-writer of I, Keano, compiled his figures by gauging the surplus of men or women in any given area and dividing it by the total number of men or women.

He told the Sunday Tribune: "It's probably not the most romantic way to get a date, but you might end up getting one with David McWilliams or Garret FitzGerald . . . they would be impressed by the numerical way you came to your conclusion."

In contrast, the places most populated by single men are nearly all in rural areas:

Drumlish in Longford leads the way, with one man in every eight being single. Other areas worth a visit for bachelor-hunters are Castlerea in Mayo, Ballyjamesduff and Belturbet in Cavan, and Templemore in North Tipperary. The only Dublin area that made the grade in this list was the north inner city, where one man in every 11 is single. "This seems to mean that all the unattractive single males in the north inner city should move to Dun Laoghaire, " said Nugent.

The male/female divide has proved to be a rural/urban one, Nugent believes.

"When you look at the [male] statistics and places with households with single persons, they tend to be places with small populations generally. Most probably, this is a case that people are moving out of isolated areas into urban areas and leaving behind maybe older, lone people."

Nugent is currently engaged in compiling other statistics, including the best place in Ireland to find a party, based on non-family household figures. These results will be published on his blog 'That's Ireland' (http: //thatsireland. com) this week. "I think people could probably plan their social life around the census figures, " he said.

THE TOP 10 PLACES IN IRELAND TO FIND AN UNATTACHED MAN 1. Drumlish, Co Longford (one man in every eight) 2. Castlerea, Co Mayo (one in 10) 3. Dublin North Inner City (one in 11) 4. Belturbet, Co Cavan (one in 11) 5. Kilrush, Co Clare (one in 11) 6. Ballaghaderreen, Co Mayo (one in 11) 7. Portlaoise, Co Laois (one in 12) 8. Borris, Co Carlow (one in 12) 9. Ballyjamesduff, Co Cavan (one in 12) 10. Templemore, Co Tipperary (one in 13) THE TOP 10 PLACES IN IRELAND TO FIND AN UNATTACHED WOMAN 1. No 3 Electoral Area of Galway City (one woman in every seven) 2. Stillorgan in Dublin (one in eight) 3. Blackrock in Dublin (one in nine) 4. Dun Laoghaire in Dublin (one in nine) 5. Pembroke in Dublin (one in nine) 6. No 2 Electoral Area of Galway City (one in 10) 7. Crumlin/Kimmage in Dublin (one in 11) 8. No 1 Area of Limerick City (one in 11) 9. Clontarf, Dublin (one in 12) 10. Rathmines, Dublin (one in 12)