Information from the Census of Ireland 1901 and 1911

It’s rather remarkable just how much information there is available in Ireland to home genealogists these days.  Gone are the long trips to Dublin to the National Archives and National Library see the 1901 and 1911 censuses – as enjoyable as they may have been – and gone too are the trips to the Valuation Office which old timers among us will remember as having been at Ely Place and which is now at the Irish Life centre on Abbey Street.  County Libraries really gave us great service –and still do – with the introduction of their microfilm viewing/print machines and the availability of censuses for the relevant counties.  However if you were searching outside the county you either had to go to Dublin or go to another County Library.
But now, the information super highway really is open for Family Research and once ‘difficult to obtain’ documents and maps are now right there on the screen of your computer and necessitate a journey of just a few yards and an investment of just time instead of money.  Certainly there will be debate between modern researchers and those who did it the old way.  The old-timers will point to the loss of friend-making opportunities, the loss of the advice from like-minded researchers and archive staff, the excitement of being in the Archives and Libraries, and the excuse to travel to Ireland and Dublin because there was no other way to get the information.  

Internet Research Facility 
The information available on the internet includes Irish Valuation records, Valuation of Ireland maps, Irish censuses, and perhaps one of the greatest facilities is the facility to connect with like minded researchers and long lost cousins,  Remarkable are the stories we have come across of Irish families living in the same U.S. cities for generations with contact all lost until a search on the internet found cousins in the next block.

Be advised that when you are searching the Valuation maps and Griffiths Valuation of 1850 that the maps available online are, for the most part, amended to 1880.  Therefore some of the numbers have changed and you might well be barking up the wrong family tree.  The Censuses too have had some mistakes in the transcribed versions…so always check the original document which thankfully is also provided with the census online.  The backlog of correction work must have been fairly daunting –we found an institution for boys fifteen miles from where it should be – but there is a facility to send in corrections to the providers.  What a great job they do and what a great service they provide free of charge to the end user.

If your ancestors were poor and you can’t find them….try looking in the return for local workhouse and search the pages for your ancestors initials.   The ages are also given and you can make an educated guess.  Of course you will have to keep in mind that many people did not know their correct age and you can expect age discrepancies of from one to ten years!

  keywords: Census Ireland 1901 and 1911.  Information on Irish census