Census Records

The earliest surviving comprehensive returns are for 1901 and 1911 and are both available on microfilm in the National Archives of Ireland and via the LDS.  They are also available for free online at http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/.

Fragments of some of the earlier censuses have survived, for 1821 (parts of Cavan, Fermanagh, Galway, Meath and Offaly/King’s), 1831 (Derry), 1841 (Cavan) and 1851 (Antrim). These are also available to search on the National Archives website and at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.

Census search forms of 1841 and1851 are available on the National Archives website. These are records of searches in census records before 1922 to provide proof of age as eligibility for the Old Age Pension, which was introduced in 1909. These records give names and ages of members of the family in 1841 or 1851, and often the maiden name of the applicant's mother.