The main Christian groups

The population of Ireland is overwhelmingly Christian (93%) in terms of religious affiliation. The Roman Catholic Church is by far the largest religious body with the declared religious affiliation of 88.4% of the population as reported in the state census. The majority of Catholics are regular church attenders although attendance has fallen sharply in the past decade. The second largest Christian denomination is the Church of Ireland, which is part of the Anglican Communion. Although always a minority Church, the Church Of Ireland was the Established Church in Ireland until 1871. The Church of Ireland (like the Catholic Church) is organized on an all-Ireland basis with the larger part of its membership being in Northern Ireland. The other main Christian denominations are the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and the Methodists.