Leitrim has lowest divorce figures

Leitrim has the lowest divorce figures according to the latest figures from the Courts Service.

Just 17 couples from the county applied for a divorce.

Details of breakdown of marriage and civil partnerships for 2016 show that more than 4,100 couples applied for divorce that year.

Another 1,300 couples applied for a judicial separation, which allows husbands and wives to split in a more straightforward fashion than divorce.

An analysis of the circuit court data shows how Carlow retained the highest rate of divorce application during 2016, as it also topped the table during the previous year.

It was followed by Dublin, Tipperary, Clare and Louth, all with rates well above the national average.

Counties with the lowest rates included Kilkenny, Leitrim and Monaghan all with rates just 60% of the national average.

The lowest rates for applications for judicial separation were in Meath, Roscommon, and Wicklow.