1841 census of Ireland

Census of Ireland, 1841

← 1831 6 June 1841 (1841-06-06) 1851 →

Map of Ireland (1840)
General information
CountryIreland
Results
Total population8,175,124 (Increase 5.25%)
Most populous ​countyCork (854,118)
Least populous ​countyCarlow (86,228)

The 1841 Census of Ireland was a census that covered the whole island of Ireland. It was conducted as part of the broader 1841 United Kingdom census, which was the first modern census undertaken in the UK. The census is of particular note in Ireland as it was taken shortly before the Great Famine (1845-1852), which resulted in over 1 million deaths and spurred decades of mass emigration. The total population of the island in 1841 was estimated to be just under 8.2 million, which remains the highest recorded population Ireland has ever had. During this year, Ireland also held about 31% of the UK's population. As of the latest censuses – 2022 in the Republic of Ireland and 2021 in Northern Ireland – the island's population stood at just over 7 million, roughly 16% lower than its pre-famine peak.[1][2]

The original records of the 1821 to 1851 censuses were destroyed by fire at the Four Courts in Dublin during the Irish Civil War, while those between 1861 and 1891 were possibly pulped during the First World War.[3]

  1. ^ "2021 Census". Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  2. ^ "FP003 Preliminary Population 2022 & FP005 Components of Population Change 2016 to 2022". 23 June 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  3. ^ "Last all-Ireland census goes online". BBC. 3 September 2009.