The 1901 Irish census became available online on June 3, 2010, thanks to the digitization project of the National Archives of Ireland. Interested genealogists and historians can now view the transcriptions and original census images for free.
National Archives staff expect the 1901 census records to be as popular for researchers as the 1911 Irish census.
1901 Irish Census
On March 31, 1901, census enumerators gathered information from approximately 850,000 households throughout the 32 counties of Ireland. It includes the following:
- Name
- Relation to head of family
- Age and sex
- Place of birth (Irish county or other country)
- Marital status
- Religion
- Occupation
- Read and write
- Irish speaking
- Disability (deaf, dumb, insane, etc)
The originals of Form A were filled out by the householder, not a census enumerator, so genealogists can enjoy the handwriting of their ancestors. Unfortunately, the back of the form containing street address was not microfilmed as it was on the 1911 census.
Other forms, completed by the enumerator, include information on the house and outbuildings. These include details such as number of rooms and type of building materials, as well as number of families in each house and how many rooms each family occupied, giving a researcher a good picture of poverty or wealth.
People residing in institutions, such as barracks, boarding schools, hospitals and prisons may only be listed by their initials. Other clues such as age, place of birth, and occupation (or former occupation) can help identify these individuals.
How to Search the 1901 Census Online
The search page at the National Archives website is very user-friendly. A genealogist can enter basics such as name, age and location, or use the advanced search for specific fields such as occupation or marital status.
The more search terms you enter, the narrower the search will be. For more results, enter fewer terms. Any combination of terms may be entered: Gallaghers in Co Donegal (8344 results!) or milliners aged 20-30 in Co Cork (only 3).
The results can be sorted by first name, last name, townland/street, enumeration district, county, age or sex.
When the results page lists a promising individual, the user can click on the name to see basic information for the household, including name, age, sex, relation to head of house, and religion. There is a box to check above the household listing, which will show the entire transcription, including occupation, literacy, etc.
Below the information, users can click to see the original census images. Click “Household Return” to see the handwritten copy of the transcription and check for errors. Other choices will show the other available returns. The digitized original will be in a PDF format, and Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view it. (Available as a free download, with a link on the page to do so.)
Other Irish Census Records
The 1901 census is the earliest surviving census for Ireland. The 1911 census was fully digitized and searchable online in August 2009.
Read Destroyed Irish Census Records to find out about the 1861-1891 censuses. Burned Irish Census Records tells what happened to the 1821-1851 censuses and what can be used as substitutes.
According to the Irish Times, the next digitization project from the National Archives will be the Tithe Applotment Books.
Sources:
- National Archives of Ireland
- Cullen, Paul. “Millions of Files Offer Historic Snapshot,” Irish Times, June 4, 2010.
Jennifer Jensen - Jennifer Jensen is an Indiana writer just returned from a lovely few years in County Cork, Ireland. She has been the Feature Writer for ...
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