Waterford has a population under 50,000 at present and this sometimes leads to the city being under-represented in various international comparisons. Sometimes, we have been seen to be too small for proper regional consideration.
When Galway exceeded Limerick and grew too 70,000, it became a bigger focus of growth.
A Waterford merger with Tramore and surrounding areas could add many thousands to the city population. Tramore and Dunmore East are commuter areas and now with the city and county councils poised to be joined, it is time for the urban areas to merge also.
Galway leapfrogged Waterford by bringing Salthill into its population stats about three decades ago. Waterford needs Tramore and Tramore needs to get out from underneath Dungarvan.
A simple metric is kids playgrounds. Tramore with the largest population in the county has a single tiny playground; Dungarvan has two huge ones, Passage, Dunmore East, Bunmahon and Fenor are all bigger.
There is a deal to be done!
What a joke, who would want to merge the city with the county!?
No thanks.