Early attempts at census-taking (1813–1821)
The first official attempt to take a census in Ireland occurred in 1813, following an Act passed in 1812. Responsibility was given to the Grand Juries of each county, but the effort failed due to poor organisation and lack of infrastructure. After two years of unsuccessful attempts, the project was abandoned.
In 1815, a new Act transferred responsibility to Magistrates at Quarter Sessions and Assistant Barristers, leading to the first successful census in 1821. Despite initial challenges—such as public resistance and unclear boundaries—the results were published in 1823, marking the beginning of systematic population statistics in Ireland.
Development of Census Methodology (1831–1851)
- 1831 Census: Conducted unevenly across the country and plagued by inconsistencies. Enumerators believed they would be paid based on the number of individuals recorded, which compromised data quality.
- 1841 Census: A turning point in Irish statistical history. For the first time, Ordnance Survey maps and a trained police force (Constabulary) were used. Enumerators were selected from the police, and Family Return Forms were introduced, filled out by heads of households. The resulting report was praised for its clarity and depth.
- 1851 Census: Supervised by William Donnelly, Registrar-General of Marriages, and Dr. William Wilde. It included a School Census, a Report on Disease and Disability, and a Table of Cosmical Phenomena, Famines, and Pestilences compiled with help from scholars Dr. John O’Donovan and Eugene O’Curry. Agricultural statistics were also gathered for 1851 and 1852, along with detailed emigration data.
Surviving Pre-1901 Census Fragments
The 1901 and 1911 censuses are the only complete surviving records from the pre-Independence period. However, fragments from 1821 to 1851 survive for certain counties:
- Antrim (1851)
- Belfast city (one ward, 1851)
- Cavan (1821, 1841)
- Cork (1841)
- Dublin city (index to heads of household only, 1851)
- Fermanagh (1821, 1841, 1851)
- Galway (1813 numerical returns for Longford barony; 1821)
- King’s County (Offaly) (1821)
- Londonderry (Derry) (1831–1834)
- Meath (1821)
- Waterford (1841)
These fragments are available online and searchable by year, surname, forename, county, barony (except 1821), parish, and townland/street. Each result includes a transcript and a scan of the original record. Browsing by location is also possible.
The 1841 and 1851 censuses are particularly valuable, as they list household members not present on census night, and family members who had died since the previous census. However, in many cases, only one or two returns survive per county, poignant reminders of the vast losses in the 1922 Four Courts fire during the Civil War.
Census records from 1851 onward
From 1851 to 1911, censuses were conducted every ten years under the supervision of the Registrar General of Births, Deaths and Marriages. No census was taken in 1921 due to the War of Independence.
The first census of the Irish Free State was held in 1926, under the Statistics Act, 1926. Responsibility shifted to the Statistics Branch of the Department of Industry and Commerce, now the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
Subsequent censuses were conducted in:
1926, 1936, 1946, 1951, 1956, 1961, 1966, 1971, 1979 (note: the 1976 census was cancelled as an economy measure), 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2002, and 2006.
Access and Preservation
- Census returns from 1926 to 1946, and part of 1951, are held by the National Archives, but remain under the control of the CSO. Even National Archives staff cannot access them.
- More recent returns are still held by the CSO.
- The 1926 Census Returns will be released for public inspection in April 2026.
Destruction of Records
- 1861 and 1871 census returns were destroyed shortly after collection.
- 1881 and 1891 returns were pulped during World War I, likely due to paper shortages.
- 1821, 1831, 1841, and 1851 returns were mostly destroyed in the 1922 fire at the Public Record Office, with only a few fragments surviving.