Census Data

Census Household Returns for Ballyoughter and Neighbouring Townlands 1901 & 1911

A government census of the Irish population was taken every 10 years from 1821 until 1911. There was no census taken in 1921 due to the War of Independence and subsequent Civil War.

The public may access census data and information via the National Archives’ Census website which offers digital images of the census returns in Ireland for 1901 and 1911. This is a free service from the Government of Ireland National Archives.

The next census after the War of Independence was recorded in 1926. Data from this census is not due to be released until 2026 in accordance with Section 35 of the Statistics Act, 1993.

Further information is available on the government’s National Archives website.

The interactive map below of Ballyoughter and its immediate neighbouring townlands enables you to view the Census returns from each household in 1901 and 1911. Where the location of the household is known, the returns for that household are ‘geolocated’. All other returns are grouped in the relevant townland. If you wish to have the return for your family’s household correctly geolocated, please forward details of the specific census return and the coordinates of the household on google maps.  You may determine the coordinates on google maps by:

  1. On your PC, mobile or tablet, open the Google Maps app.
  2. Search for the townland or zoom in on the area where your family’s residence is located on the map.
  3. Then touch and hold the map on the location to drop a pin or, if on a PC, press and hold the left click on your mouse for a second to drop the pin.
  4. The coordinates of the selected place will appear below the pin.
  5. Tap Share and copy the link.
  6. Paste the coordinates into the message window on the Contact Page of this website and forward to the website administrator.

Please note that this is a work in progress and the townlands that are included in this phase of development of the website for both censuses are:

  1. Ballyoughter
  2. Ballyclogh
  3. Ballyeden
  4. Ballygullen
  5. Clonmore
  6. Medophall
  7. Medophall Demesne
  8. Toberanierin Upper
  9. Toberanierin Lower
  10. Tullabeg
  11. Worlough

Area, Population and Number of Houses for Balloughter Electoral Division 1851, 1871, 1881 and 1891

The earliest recorded official census for Ireland was held in 1821 after a failed undertaking in 1813. A census was taken ten years later in 1831 followed by the first major census in 1841 which included household returns for the first time.

The 1851 census added records of household medical details by listing the number of people suffering from sickness and those who were deaf, dumb or blind.

The records for these four censuses, except for those from a few counties in 1821 and 1831, were destroyed by fire at the Public Record Office in Dublin at the start of the Civil War.

The original census returns for 1861 and 1871 were destroyed shortly after the census was taken. The census returns for 1881 and 1891 were destroyed during World War 1.

1851 Census for Balloughter and Neighbouring Townlands

Census of Ireland 1851: Part I, Area, Population, and Number of Houses, by Townlands and Electoral Divisions: County of Wexford – Extract

Courtesy of JSTOR as per the Community Collection terms and conditions.

Points to note:

  1.  Clonmore is listed as two separate townlands, one in Liskinfere and the other in Toome Parish. The population in one ‘half’ of Clonmore (Liskinfere) shows very little change during the famine years whereas its other ‘half’ (Toome Parish) sees a halving of its population in the same period.
  2. The famine appears to have decimated the population in some townlands while others remained stable. Balloughter was one of the worst affected townlands with its population standing at 158 residents in 1841 but finishing with 54 residents a decade later.
  3. Toberanierin Lower is an exception, showing an increase in the population over the decade from 46 residents in 1841 to 51 residents in 1851.  

1881 Census for Balloughter and Neighbouring Townlands

Census of Ireland 1881: Part I, Area, Population and Number of Houses; Occupations, Religion and Education Volume 1, Province of Leinster – Extract

Courtesy of University of Southampton/JSTOR as per the Community Collection terms and conditions.

Points to note:

  1. Balloughter with 158 residents in the townland in 1841 is severely affected by the famine, poverty and emigration like many other parts of the country. 
  2. The decrease in residents over the next 40 years to a total of 25 residents in 1881 is remarkable by any standard. Of particular note, is the sudden drop in residents from 1871 to 1881 after three decades of stability after the famine. This may be linked to a famine in 1879/1880, mass emigration and evictions that happened at the time.