The average Irish family spend approximately €750 on a child's first Holy Communion.
The figure is down on last year, when the average was €764.
While much of the budget went on a Communion dress or suit (€172), Irish parents also made sure the rest of the family was ship-shape, spending around €192 on new clothing and accessories.
Children's entertainment, from bouncy castles to clowns, set families back around €120, with the final €326 reserved for food and drink.
Many children can still expect to clear €543 in cash gifts, although that's €50 less than last year. Interestingly, girls tend to receive more money from relatives and friends than boys. According to the
Ulster Bank survey of 202 families, the average amount of money received by boys was €512, compared to €570 for girls. Girls are also more likely to have more of their communion money left at this stage, a few weeks after the big day, than boys are.
