Research finds Monaghan is most pampered county in Ireland

Recent data collected by Irish-owned cosmetics brand Ayu found Monaghan is the most pampered county in Ireland with 47 salons per 10,000 people, and Clare is the least pampered with eight salons per 10,000.

Ayu compared the population of each county to the number of hair and beauty salons in it.

Mayo came in as the second most pampered with 36 salons per 10,000, followed by Waterford (34 salons), Sligo (30 salons) and Leitrim (29 salons).

The other counties making the top 10 are Galway (28.7 salons), Limerick (27.6 salons), Kerry (26.4 salons) and Donegal (26 salons).

Despite being the home of the capital city, Dublin was flagging behind other counties, coming in at no 10 with 25.6 salons per 10,000 people.

According to Ayu, the Irish Point of Single Contact for the Services Directive notes that there are 15,000 hair and beauty salons in Ireland, which includes both independent salons and chains. Hairdressers are the most popular type of salon in Ireland, with over 10,000 businesses operating in the country, and beauty salons are the second, with over 5,000.

“We Irish people like to stay well-maintained and look good because it makes us feel good about ourselves,” said Suzie O’Neill, make-up artist, and founder and owner of Ayu. “When we look good, we feel confident, happy, and healthy. And when we feel good about ourselves, we are more likely to be positive and outgoing. Therefore, it’s no surprise that there are so many hair and beauty salons around Ireland.

“The hair and beauty industry in Ireland is worth an estimated €2.79bn. This is equivalent to 2.1% of total employment in the economy at the end of 2019. The industry supports 30,800 jobs directly and 18,480 jobs indirectly in the economy. Despite recent challenges, Ireland's hair and beauty industry is expected to continue to grow in the coming years. The industry is expected to be worth €3.1bn by 2025.”