The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-05-03
SHOW DECLINE OF POPULATION
-RIRTH-RATE LOW AND EMIL
GRAFTON HIGH-NUMBER OF
CATHOLIC-I AND NOT
"PRIEST-RIDDEN."

The Irish Census Returns, issued
on April IA, provide disappointing
reading, says the London Tablet, for
they show a continued decline in the
population, due to emigration and the
effect of late marriages on the birth
rate. The population of Ireland, ac-
cording to a census taken in April,
1911, was 4,39O,219 (2,192,04S males
and 2,198,171 females), as compared
with 4,45S,775 in 1901, decrease of
1.54 per cent The province of Lein-
ster, with population of 1,162,O44,
shows an increase of 9,215. For the
other provinces the populations are
as follows, the decreases being given
parenthetically: Munster, 1,035,495
(4O,693); Ulster, 1,5S1,696 (1,130);
Connaught, 610,9S4 (95,94S). One
province only-Leinster-sh an in
crease, of 0.S per cent. In Ulster
there was a decrease of OIL per cent,
in Munster a decrease of 3.8 per
cent, and in Connaught a decrease of
Sc per cent.
Birth-rate and Emigration.
In connection with the low birth
rate and emigration, the Freeman's
Journal points out: "The Irish birth
rate is the lowest of any country in
Europe except France, being only 23.1
per cent. This is due to late mar
riages. The marriage-rate is only 81
per cent F'ifty-five per cent. OF the
male population over twenty years OF
age and As per cent. of the female
population over the same age are un-
married. The number of
emigrants who left Ireland in the ten
years with the intention of settling
elsewhere totalled 345, ,159, and during
the past sixty years the emigration
has amounted to 4,191, ,552-a number
only $4,000 less than the present pop.
ulation of the country. An
alysis of the emigration returns gives
most unsatisfactory results. Sixty
per cent. Of the emigrants were aged
between fifteen and twenty-five years
and "a per cent were between TWEEN
ty-fve and thirty-five years of age
The number aged between fifteen and
thirty-five years was 2SS,196 out of 9
total of 34S,024, and 8 per cent. were
under fifteen years of age. In other
words S9A per cent. of the emigrants
were under thirty-five years OF age
and S31s per cent. of the total mum
Der were between fifteen and thirty
five years. The drain is of the health
lest and strongest part of the popula
tion.''
ireland Not "Priest-Eidden."
Some interesting facts connected
with the religion of the inhabitants
emerge from the Irish Census Re
turns. In the first place, the Census
Commissioners declare that ''the ma
jority of the inhabitants of Leinster
Munster, and Connaught are Roman
Catholics, and in the province OF
Ulster they are far more numerous
than the members of any other body.
Out of the total population in ireland
of 4,390,219, Catholics constitute a
per cent, Protestant Episcopalians
1s.1 per cent, Presbyterians 10 pei
cent, and Methodists nearly 11k pei
cent In Ulster, out of every thousand
persons. 437 are Catholics, 232 Prot
estant Episcopalians, 266 Presbyter
ians, and 81 Methodists. "AIl othei
denominations number "a per thous
and. AS to the proportion In which
the decrease of population il distrib
uted amongst the various denomina