New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-21
THE IRISH CENSUS.
POPULATION STEADILY DECREAsING-SoME
SIGNIFICANT FIGURES.


Dublin, June TO-
The most interesting feature Of the census which
has recently been taken is that which relates 10
Ireland. A British census does not, like an Ameri-
can, comprise an inquiry into The social and in
dustrial conditions Of the people, but Is little
more than a mere enumeration Of the Inhabitants.
STILL the figures which 1t gives are highly si2nih-
can't as indicating the results OF the extraordinary
disturbing forces which have been at work in Ire
land during the last ten years II Is believed
that the Irish census is the most complete and
accurate that has ever been taken. All the district
superntendents and all the enumerators were mem
hers of the Royal Irish COnstabuary and the Dub
lin Metropolitan Police. The work was conducted
without any friction even in the most disturbed
and disaected districts no opposition being offered
The date ON which the census was taken was
April 3. On that day the total population OF
ireland consisted Of 4,706,IG2 persons. OF these
o.a17O7s were males and 23S0,086 were females.
This IS the smallest population the disturbed island
hos Ind during the present century, and shows as
WAS expected, O marked and rapid decrease during
Che last decade At the beginning OF the present
century Ireland had 5,395,456 Inhabitants. For
forty years there was steady increase until, In
ls4l, Il reached the high water marx, o'l'j,lA
Since then there has been n steady decrease Ihe
first decade, from 1871 20 1881, was the moss
disastrous. the decline being nearly 80 per cent
From 1851 TO 1861 IL was more thah per cent
From 1861 70 1871 n WIS nearly per cent
r,,,m 1871 70 1881 il was about l-2 per cent.
But during this last decade 1t has been more 'hah
per ccnt-the greatest recorded since 1891,
All four Of the provinces show falling of In
nonn,otjon. IN Munster the decline was greatest,
amounting TO 1872 per cent, and in Connausht 1t
was as high as 40 per cent In Ulster, which
is commonly supposed to he the home OF content
ment. prosperity and progress there was decline
OF 70 per cent, and in lenster the falling oil was
no less than 65 Dor cent. These figures appear The
more striking when cortrasted with those OF the
preceding decade, when the decline Of populatloa
in Munster was only As per- cent, and IN Con-
nanght 20 per cent II is to he observed 'hae
Ulster is the most populous Of the provinces nav
ing 1.e17s77 Inhabitants Leinstcr has l'l9o'
us. Munster has I,lGs,o04, and ConnaHghe
only 723.673 The actual decrease In popun
ton as well as the ratio of decline was largest III
Munster. the decrease amounting 10 lo2'lZI' Inc
next largest loss was shat OF Ulster. lZo'iSe.
That of Connaught was 0S,0S4. and that Oh
Ieinster s3,27l.
Turning from the provinces 20 the countess IL
appears that the actual number OF inhaDltah's mas
diminished In all of them except two These t"o
are Dublin and Antrim. In which there was an
actual increase of population amounting To "a per
cent In the former and a per cent IN the h''ei'
County Down shows a decrease OF only l." pr
cent. four others lost from 70 10 Der cen.' anu
the other twenty seven from 10 10 1872 per cent
The last mentioned figures indicate the loss III 'on
Afghan. OF other Ulster counties, CaVah ios'
1877. Tyrone 1874, Fernanagh l2.s. and Armagh
1913. South Tlpprary makes the WORST sno"Hs
in Munster its decrease being lad per cehe'
Waterford shows l3 par cent. Clare l2.4' LimefcS
1872 North Tippenry -. and oil the resi- Dct"eeh
IL and r. Roscommon lost 1873 ana Leltrih
1919, and all the other Connaught counties ioso
more than II per cent. in Leinster the five coun-
t,es Of Carlow, Kilkenny. Langford Meath ana
Wicklow all lost g per cent or more.
Tho cause Of this decline In Irelands population
are of course not difficult to discover During
the ton years there were l,l47432 births and
87o,77o deaths This gave natural increase OF
population amounting IA 2G7,653. Dunng Tue
Same Ten wears emigration amounted TO 'os,ioa
persons, thus showing net decrease OF popnla''on
Of .a52, or 81 ,77s more than that indicated ~
the census returns. II is aSO 10 De oOsel eu uss
the size of families is growing smaller En- 40
the number Of persons to q family averaged -
II now averages only 5. The number Of HhlV,,
tied houses shows Filling of Of AS per cent, and
the number OF uninhabited houses has hcFeaseu
20 the extent Of 2.s per cent. ,
Another feature Of the movement OF popuhtIoh
that is worthy Of notice is the contrast bet"eeu
the towns and the country. While the popuia-
ton of ireland, on the whole. shows such = ar
ns.rors falling Off, the pOpul atlon OF nearly an
the cities and large towns shows MARKED IT.
crease This indicates the Abandonment OF agrl'
cultural pursuits throughout the country plO-
lin has gziined per cent, having now 254,'oy III
hahitants In many of lts suburban towns now.
ever. the increase has been from go 10 - per
cent In the fifteen chief towns Of Ireland, eA-
ceptin1 Dublin anu its suburbs there has heen
on the whole a material increase of population
In Belfast il amounts 10 % per cent; In LONDON.
derry 1913 per cent: in Dundalk 1919; ana IN
Iurfan GA On the other hand, Cork. LlsDurn
and Sligo show a falling off OF about per cent
In Ireland. unlike England and Scotland, a
census is made of the religious affiliations OF the
people There are at present. 1t appears 3,ofy,-
I45 Roman Catholics, amounting TO 13.4 per eehe
of the whole 1873 per cent are Protestant Lips
copalians: 9.5 per cent Presbyterians ana IL pe
cent Methodists These figures show that tne
heaviest loss during the decade has been suffered
by the Roman Catholics, their numbers having
decreased l04 per cent. The Episcopalians have
lost Ga per cent and the Presbyterians 81 per
cent. The MethOdists, though fewest IN mum e.,
have increased by 1871 per cent, The frotestlt
sects of course exist chiefly in Ulster where they
ourn imber the Catholics by about 100000
curious feature Of the religious census is the gea,
increase in the number of Jews. who have settled
chiefly In Dublin Their increase IN ten years
amonnts "a more than $50 per cent