Just over one third of Irish people attend church at least once a week. Of these, nine percent attend more than 
once a week, according to a new survey.
The research, conducted by Behaviour and Attitudes for the Sunday Times, also showed a further 10pc said they attended Mass once every two to three weeks, while another 10pc said they went once a month.
Nine percent said they attended Mass once every two to three months, while 18pc said they attended less frequently. Nineteen percent said they never attended Mass.
The results, unsurprisingly, varied significantly by age. While only 12pc of those aged 18-34 said they attended Mass weekly, 37pc of those aged over 55 said they attended weekly and 24pc in this age group said they attended Mass more than once a week.
Meanwhile, 25pc of those in the 18-34 age group said they never went to Mass and a further 24pc in this age group said they went less often than every two to three months.
There was also something of an urban-rural divide, with those from rural areas more likely to attend weekly Mass. Forty four percent of rural dwellers said they went to Mass at least weekly, compared to 27pc of those from urban areas.
However, the figures indicated that most people from across the age groups continue to believe in God.
Eighty two percent of people overall said they believed in God, with this rising to 92pc among those aged over 55. Among those aged 18-34, 75pc expressed a belief in God.
Women were more likely than men to believe in God. Eighty six percent of women believe in God, the survey showed, compared to 78pc of men.
In social class terms, those from lower socio-economic backgrounds were far more likely to believe in God. Nearly 100pc (99pc) of those in the F social class believe in God, compared to 77pc in the ABC1 group.
Seventy six percent of people overall believe in Heaven, with 69pc of those aged 18-34 believing in Heaven and 84pc of those aged over 55 believing in Heaven.
However, far fewer people (46pc) said they believed in Hell, and there was very little variation according to age. Forty three percent of those aged 18-34 believe in Hell, according to the survey, but only 46pc of those aged over 55 believe in Hell.
