Irish Ancestry

The Irish census was an inventory of different household members across the country. It was taken every 10 years between 1821 and 1911. The records list the people in general in Ireland by the parish and county and provide the names, ages, place of birth, religion, and occupation of everyone in a household. It is a great resource for exploring the Irish members of your family in the 19th and 20th centuries.

However, when using census records for Irish research, it should be noted that not all census survives. Many have been lost or destroyed during the decades since they were taken. Sometimes, only part of a census still exist, though some counties may be covered for a particular census year while others of the same year are missing. The good news is that even when documents are missing, some information can still be learned from them. The statistical analysis of each census still exist and are available for consultation in larger libraries of Ireland. These reviews include information such as number of men, women, houses inhabited and uninhabited each city. This information can give us valuable information on hours and conditions under which our Irish ancestors lived.

In addition, copies of the missing parts of Irish census are still being discovered. For example, the census of 1821 for the county of Armagh was recently found in a printed book of local history, and is the only known surviving copy of the census for the year to this county in particular. Other parts of the census have been found in the hands of private collectors and estates, and in the dusty archives of public buildings. You can find digital images of census documents in force that are complete for all counties to Ancestry.com and The Origins Network. If you have Irish ancestry 19th and early 20th centuries, they are issues that you can not afford to miss.