The major increase in house burglaries across the country overall has been blamed on a stark rise in home robberies around Dublin.

Many of the most populated parts of the capital experienced significant increases in burglaries of at least 20% over the past two years.

Worst affected was the sprawling garda district of Blanchardstown, where a 41% rise was recorded with 1,040 individual robberies reported to gardaí.

Gardaí have blamed a number of factors – not least joblessness and the recession – for a near 9% overall rise in burglaries in 2009, compared with the previous year.

In the first half of this year, however, the increase has shown signs of levelling off and dropping in some parts of the country, as householders heed warnings to improve home security.

Figures obtained by the Sunday Tribune show the burglary rate increased by as much as 80% in certain garda districts over the course of 12 months.

In Claremorris, Co Mayo, the largest single increase was recorded, with an 83% rise in home robberies, and a total of 86 offences recorded in 2009.

It was a similar story in Bruff, Co Limerick, where the number of burglaries reported to gardaí rose from 79 to 143, an increase of 81%.

Worst of all, however, was nearby Askeaton – also in Limerick – where the recorded rise in house robbery was 96%.

Senior gardaí said spikes in crime were inevitable and that these patterns could not be taken to indicate a trend in a particular garda district.

However, there has been a clear pattern of a rise in burglaries in parts of the country, particularly in the suburban areas of Dublin.

Major increases in house robbery and other associated crime were reported in almost every area of the capital. The garda district of Tallaght officially continues to have the country's worst problem with burglary and 1,317 robberies were recorded there in 2009, an increase of 14% on 2008.

The northside suburbs of Raheny and Coolock experienced a rise of 34% and 33% respectively, while Terenure on the southside suffered a similar rise.

Outside Dublin, other smaller cities and towns also saw a major rise in burglaries with Kilkenny (26%) and Thomastown (54%) seeing major increases.

One senior garda said: "Even anecdotally, people would be aware that there has been an increased number of house burglaries and this can probably be linked to rising unemployment.

"There are obviously other factors involved but what householders should know is that they can do a lot to protect themselves from this type of crime.

"Perhaps there was a tendency for people to get a little bit lax when it came to closing windows and using burglar alarms, but we would warn people to be vigilant."

Gardaí said there was also evidence of a growing trend of burglars targeting jewellery, particularly gold items, which can now be easily sold off.

One garda said: "A lot of shops offering to exchange old gold for cash have sprung up around the country. Many of these operations are honest and take precautions but some are more unscrupulous and will not question the source of the jewellery."

While burglaries overall have risen by 10%, some areas of Ireland have actually become safer over the past year. The single best-performing district was Macroom in Co Cork, where burglaries were down 44% on the total of 2008.

Breaking in news: Burglary figures around the country

Carlow

2008: 455 2009: 495 % Change: +9

Cavan

Cavan 2008: 87 2009: 125 % Change: +44
Bailieboro 2008: 108 2009: 132 % Change: +22
Ballyconnell 2008: 31 2009: 47 % Change: +52

Clare

Ennis 2008: 320 2009: 218 % Change: -32
Kilrush 2008: 74 2009: 62 % Change: -16
Killaloe 2008: 43 2009: 56 % Change: +30
Ennistymon 2008: 85 2009: 76 % Change: -10

Cork

Anglesea St (Cork) 2008: 244 2009: 274 % Change: +12
Togher (Cork) 2008: 304 2009: 256 % Change: -16
Mayfield (Cork) 2008: 181 2009: 168 % Change: -7
Gurranabraher (Cork) 2008: 165 2009: 195 % Change: +18
Cobh 2008: 58 2009: 70 % Change: +20
Fermoy 2008: 67 2009: 45 % Change: -33
Mallow 2008: 79 2009: 102 % Change: +29
Midleton 2008: 96 2009: 89 % Change: -7
Bandon 2008: 89 2009: 77 % Change: -14
Bantry 2008: 34 2009: 35 % Change: +3
Clonakilty 2008: 66 2009: 60 % Change: -9
Macroom 2008: 73 2009: 41 % Change: -44
Kanturk 2008: 44 2009: 71 % Change: +61

Donegal

Buncrana 2008: 93 2009: 104 % Change: +12
Milford 2008: 61 2009: 51 % Change: -16
Glenties 2008: 45 2009: 31 % Change: -32
Ballyshannon 2008: 56 2009: 79 % Change: +41
Letterkenny 2008: 168 2009: 255 % Change: +52

Dublin

Pearse St (Dublin) 2008: 577 2009: 494 % Change: -14
Kevin St (Dublin) 2008: 533 2009: 681 % Change: +28
Donnybrook 2008: 475 2009: 417 % Change: -12
Store St (Dublin) 2008: 295 2009: 275 % Change: -7
Fitzgibbon St (Dublin) 2008: 417 2009: 472 % Change: +13
Bridewell (Dublin) 2008: 180 2009: 198 % Change: +10
Coolock 2008: 592 2009: 790 % Change: +33
Raheny 2008: 538 2009: 722 % Change: +34
Balbriggan 2008: 298 2009: 258 % Change: -13
Ballymun 2008: 392 2009: 485 % Change: +24
Crumlin 2008: 368 2009: 454 % Change: +23
Tallaght 2008: 1,160 2009: 1,317 % Change: +14
Terenure 2008: 400 2009: 537 % Change: +34
Dun Laoghaire 2008: 580 2009: 675 % Change: +16
Blackrock (Dublin) 2008: 599 2009: 668 % Change: +12
Blanchardstown 2008: 738 2009: 1,040 % Change: +41
Lucan 2008: 322 2009: 275 % Change: -15
Clondalkin 2008: 436 2009: 492 % Change: +13

Galway

Galway 2008: 554 2009: 587 % Change: +6
Clifden 2008: 28 2009: 28 % Change: 0
Loughrea 2008: 81 2009: 112 % Change: +38
Salthill 2008: 154 2009: 174 % Change: +13
Gort 2008: 59 2009: 55 % Change: -7
Ballinasloe 2008: 75 2009: 95 % Change: +27
Tuam 2008: 73 2009: 95 % Change: +30

Kerry

Tralee 2008: 148 2009: 150 % Change: +1
Caherciveen 2008: 20 2009: 20 % Change: 0
Killarney 2008: 94 2009: 98 % Change: +4
Listowel 2008: 71 2009: 84 % Change: +18

Kildare

Naas 2008: 458 2009: 525 % Change: +15
Kildare 2008: 506 2009: 541 % Change: +7
Leixlip 2008: 417 2009: 503 % Change: +21

Kilkenny

Kilkenny 2008: 291 2009: 367 % Change: +26
Thomastown 2008: 118 2009: 182 % Change: +54

Laois

Portlaoise 2008: 275 2009: 270 % Change: -2
Abbeyleix 2008: 87 2009: 82 % Change: -6

Leitrim

Carrick-on-Shannon 2008: 97 2009: 95 % Change: -2
Manorhamilton 2008: 36 2009: 33 % Change: -8

Limerick

Henry St (Limerick) 2008: 733 2009: 638 % Change: -13
Roxboro Rd (Limerick) 2008: 383 v2009: 400 % Change: +4
Askeaton 2008: 77 2009: 151 % Change: +96
Bruff 2008: 79 2009: 143 % Change: +81
Newcastle West 2008: 104 2009: 143 % Change: +38

Longford

Longford 2008: 159 2009: 171 % Change: +8
Granard 2008: 70 2009: 105 % Change: +50

Louth

Drogheda 2008: 492 2009: 395 % Change: -20
Dundalk 2008: 361 2009: 351 % Change: -3
Ardee 2008: 139 2009: 135 % Change: -3

Mayo

Castlebar 2008: 103 2009: 82 % Change: -20
Ballina 2008: 64 2009: 73 % Change: +14
Belmullet 2008: 8 2009: 7 % Change: -13
Claremorris 2008: 47 2009: 86 % Change: +83
Swinford 2008: 57 2009: 72 % Change: +26
Westport 2008: 56 2009: 74 % Change: +32

Meath

Kells 2008: 106 2009: 103 % Change: -3
Trim 2008: 163 2009: 110 % Change: -33
Navan 2008: 215 2009: 215 % Change: 0
Ashbourne 2008: 248 2009: 264 % Change: +6

Laytown 2008: 134 2009: 160 % Change: +19

Monaghan

Monaghan 2008: 59 2009: 69 % Change: +17
Carrickmacross 2008: 80 2009: 88 % Change: +10

Offaly

Birr 2008: 90 2009: 85 % Change: -6
Tullamore 2008: 192 2009: 219 % Change: +14

Roscommon

Roscommon 2008: 79 2009: 123 % Change: +56
Boyle 2008: 76 2009: 53 % Change: -30
Castlerea 2008: 57 2009: 84 % Change: +47

Sligo

Sligo 2008: 164 2009: 164 % Change: 0
Ballymote 2008: 67 2009: 66 % Change: -2

Tipperary

Thurles 2008: 112 2009: 122 % Change: +9
Clonmel 2008: 148 2009: 177 % Change: +20
Cahir 2008: 63 2009: 49 % Change: -23
Nenagh 2008: 116 2009: 131 % Change: +13
Templemore 2008: 84 2009: 90 % Change: +7
Tipperary Town 2008: 67 2009: 81 % Change: +21

Waterford

Waterford 2008: 477 2009: 500 % Change: +5
Dungarvan 2008: 110 2009: 107 % Change: -3
Tramore 2008: 92 2009: 126 % Change: +37

Westmeath

Mullingar 2008: 322 2009: 260 % Change: -19
Athlone 2008: 260 2009: 232 % Change: -11

Wexford

Wexford 2008: 239 2009: 225 % Change: -6
Gorey 2008: 204 2009: 168 % Change: -18
Enniscorthy 2008: 177 2009: 177 % Change: 0
New Ross 2008: 137 2009: 130 % Change: -5

Wicklow

Bray 2008: 480 2009: 549 % Change: +14
Baltinglass 2008: 217 2009: 230 % Change: +6
Wicklow 2008: 300 2009: 259 % Change: -14

Total 2008: 23,935 2009: 26,061 % Change: +8.9