1831 Ireland Census – commenced 30 March 1831

The 1831 Ireland census was the second official census of Ireland. The original records for the 1831 Ireland census (along with most of those for the 1821, 1841 and 1851 Ireland censuses) were destroyed in 1922 by a catastrophic fire at the Four Courts in Dublin. Thankfully, a few extracts of this census are available via amendments that were made in 1834.

The administration of the 1831 census of Ireland followed that of the previous Irish census of 1821. Enumerators (census takers recruited mainly from an existing supply of tax collectors) recorded information provided verbally by each householder.

However, the 1831 Ireland census is far less useful to Irish family historians because it only recorded the names of each owner/occupier (i.e. each householder) whilst the 1821 census of Ireland recorded the names of every Irish inhabitant. Nevertheless, it is still vastly more useful (where records survive) than the 1831 census of Great Britain which did not, officially, record any personal information at all.

‘1834 Ireland census’ – religious survey

This was a religious survey that, using the existing 1831 Ireland census schedules, counted the number of Catholics and Protestants in the various counties of Ireland. The 1834 Ireland census is often called the ‘O’Connell census’, after Daniel O’Connell MP a prominent Irish nationalist who had campaigned for a headcount of the religion of the Irish population. It was a hugely significant addition because it provides us with a snapshot of the religious affiliation of the various areas of Ireland in the years leading up to the Potato Famine. The survey showed that, pre-famine, just over 80% of the Irish population was Catholic. It is surviving fragments of these amended schedules that we can view today. Unfortunately, few fragments of these copies have survived.

Population – 7,767,401

The population was fixed at 7,767,401, split of 104.7 females to 100 males. However, the 1831 Ireland census is considered flawed. In theory there was a ‘census date’ but in practice this census started on different dates throughout the country and dragged on for too long. Also, the enumerators believed (often correctly as it turned out) that they would be paid per head of population, and this almost certainly inflated the population.