Census 1926 reveals a snapshot of border life

Average family size was 4.2 people in Cavan and Monaghan

THE information contained in the 1926 national census of Ireland was released at the weekend and has revealed an interesting snapshot of life in Cavan and Monaghan in the fledgling new Irish Free State.

The online release on Saturday marked 100 years to the day since the census was taken on April 18, 1926.

In the first 12 hours after it went live, the National Archives reported four million hits on its website.

The data is only being made public a century later because Ireland’s censuses are included in the Statistics Act 1993.

The Act was brought into legislation to ensure “a robust legal mandate for mandatory participation, ensure strict confidentiality, and formalise the Central Statistics Office (CSO) as the responsible body.”

The years between the 1911 census, when Ireland was part of the United Kingdom, and 1926 were some of the most tumultuous in Ireland's history because they included the Easter Rising and two-year War of Independence. And, as one would expect, the first census since the establishment of the new ‘Irish Free State’ reflects these changes in the lives of its citizens.

The 1926 census focused on demography, occupations, and agricultural land holdings, with 13 main data categories. Key questions included name, relationship to head of household, exact age, sex, marriage details, birthplace, Irish language proficiency, religion, and detailed employment, including employer name and business.

Population

A century ago, the average family size in Cavan and Monaghan was 4.2 persons.

Nationally, the 1926 census showed a population of 2,971,992 in the Irish Free State, which was 49% female and 51% male, although there were more men in both Cavan and Monaghan.

Co Cavan recorded a 9.6% decrease in total population between 1911 and 1926. The population of the Breffni county in 1926 was made up of 52.8% men and 47.2% women . The gender gap was even smaller in Monaghan in the same period where females comprised 49.1% and males the rest.

While overall, Co Cavan had more males, local areas varied. For example, Cavan Urban DED had a higher female population (50.3% women), whereas rural areas like Carnagarve had only 44.8% women.

From 1911, the overall population of Co Monaghan decreased by 8.9% but the population of “Monaghan Urban” grew by 8.5% to 4,636 people.

Interestingly, because of the county’s proximity to the border, Monaghan recorded one of the lowest proportions of Irish-born residents in the state at 91%. The census showed six per cent of people living in Monaghan in 1926 were born in Northern Ireland.

Also, in terms of the Monaghan population, some towns were exceptionally dense for the time like Ballybay for instance, which, had 18.3 persons per acre, while Clones had 13.5.

Religion

Demographic shifts in Cavan and Monaghan were largely shaped by their position as border counties.

While Protestant populations declined nationally after independence, the "Ulster border counties" (Donegal, Cavan, and Monaghan) saw the smallest decrease at 22.5%.

In 1926, Monaghan had the lowest proportion of Roman Catholics in the state at 79% compared to a national average of 93%. Presbyterians were particularly prominent in the Farney County, however, as 100 years ago they comprised 11% of the population there.

In Cavan, Catholics made up 84.15% of the total population in the county but, while the national average of people who listed their religion as Church of Ireland was six per cent, it was double that in Cavan at 12 per cent.

Language

Approximately 10.74% of people of Co Cavan and 11.26% of the population in Monaghan were recorded as Irish speakers (those with the ability to speak both Irish and English).

Some notable national figures include a 5.3% decrease in the population of the Irish Free State from 1911 to 2,971,992.

At the time, 92.6% of the population identified as Catholic and 18.3% reported they could speak Irish.

The workforce of Ireland in 1926 was heavily agricultural, with 51% employed in farming, 14% in manufacturing, and 7% as domestic servants.