Drawing on evidence from Irish national household surveys in 1987 and 1994 and Census of Population data from 1986 and 1991, this study attempts to answer these questions. It examines the underlying assumptions regarding the way in which household and spatial factors combine to create patterns of cumulative disadvantage. It explores what types of areas have particularly high rates of poverty, the extent to which people living in poverty or who are disadvantaged are concentrated in particular areas and whether such patterns have changed over time. The study makes an important contribution to the understanding of the spatial dimensions of poverty and disadvantage. It is particularly relevant in the context of the National Anti-Poverty Strategy, the national emphasis on area-based strategies to tackle unemployment and disadvantage and the reform of local government.