While Ireland has made considerable progress in rebounding from the 2008 economic crash, making growth more inclusive remains a key challenge going forward. Within the context of strong recent GDP growth and falling unemployment, long-term unemployment and the rate of jobless households remain high. To help understand how the fruits of the economic recovery can be shared more broadly and how the enduring legacies of the crisis can be resolved, this report examines how social and economic disadvantage is being addressed. In addition to examining the national socio-economic context and policy framework, two case study areas – one urban and one rural – are examined in detail. While these case studies provide insights into the specific local context in each chosen area, more broadly, they help to paint a picture of drivers and responses to disadvantage at the local level across Ireland.