Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 13.djvu/253

 VITAL STATISTICS.] IRELAND 237 all probability to the year 1659. The population of Leinster is there given as 155,534, of Ulster as 103,923, of Munster as 153,282, of Connaught as 87,352, making a total for Ireland of 500,091. This is the only census return made by Government previous to 1821. Table XL. gives the different parliamentary returns and also various estimates or returns for previous years, to some extent reliable, but either inferential or made in such a manner as to render a very near approach to accuracy impossible. The Govern ment returns are also deficient in accuracy until 1841, but from the table a fairly correct idea may be formed of the growth of the population up to 1841, while it affords a very accurate representa tion of its decline from that period. Table XLI. exhibits the population of each province for the years in which Government returns have been made ; and Table XLII. shows the number of each sex from 1841. The great increase of population which began towards the close of last century, and continued during the first forty years of the present one, was due in various degrees to improvements in the political condition of the country, to the creation of leaseholds after the abolition of the forty shillings franchise, and to the prosperity caused by the productiveness of the potato and the high prices of produce during the war with France. The decrease from that period began at first with great rapidity owing to the pressure of famine, and has been continuous up to the present time, chiefly owing to the creation of large pasturage farms. Table XLIII. gives the rate of increase or decrease per cent, in the various decades from 1821 to 1881. Table XLIV. gives the proportion of population to the square mile for each county from 1841. The figures for 1841 indicate a density of population which is unparalleled, considering that it is so largely rural. Table XLV. gives the numbers of the rural and urban population, including the military, for 1841, 1851, 1861, and 1871. The collective population in the parliamentary boroughs was 804,705 in 1841, 878,430 in 1S51, 788,866 in 1861, 856,788 in 1871, and 892,505 in 1881. The increase of the urban population between 1841 and 1851, while there was a large decrease in the population generally, was apparently owing to a temporary influx of the rural population into the towns, as in 1861 a large diminution had taken place, the increase of manufactures, however, causing the loss to be nearly recovered in 1871. Excluding the Dublin suburban townships of Rathmines (24,245) and Pembroke (23,184), there were only six TABLE XL. Population of Ireland, 1659-1881. Population According to Population According to 1659 500,091 Census return. 1792 4,088,226 Beaufort. 1672 1,320,000 Sir William Petty. 1805 5,395,456 Thomas Newenham. 1695 1,034,102 Captain South. 1814 5,937,856 Parl. returns. 1725 1731 1,669,644 2,010,221 Arthur Dobbs. , ), , Established clergy. II ) li &quot; 1 6,801,827 (Census commis- 1 sioners. 1754 2,372,634 Tax collectors. 1831 7,767,401 Do. 1760 2,317,384 De Burgo. 1841 8,196,597 Do. 1767 2,544,276 Tax collectors. 1851 6,574,278 Do. 1777 2,690,556 Do. 1861 5,798,564 Do. 1785 2,845,932 Do. 1871 5,412.377 Do. 1788 4,040,000 Gcrvaise P. Bushc. 1881 5,159,839 Do. 1791 4,206,612 Tax collectors. TABLE XLI. Population of the Different Provinces, 1821-81. 1821. 1831. 1841. 1851. 1861. 1871. 1881. Leinster Munster Ulster Connaught 1,757,492 1,935,612 1,998,494 1,110,229 1,909.713 2,227,152 2,286,622 1,343,914 1,982,169 1,682,320 1,457,6351.339.451 1,279,190 1,323,910 1,739,542 817,197 2,404,460 2,389,263 1,420,705 1,865,600 2,013,879 1,012,479 1,513,558 1,914,236 913,135 1,393,485 1,833,228 846,213 TABLE XLII. Distribution of the Sexes, 1851-81. 1851. 1861. 1871. 1881. Males. Females. Males. Females. Males. Females. Males. Females. 3 212,525 3,361,753 2,830,967 2,901,597 2,643,741 2,768,636 2,522,804 2,637,035 TABLE XLIII. Increase ami Decrease per cent, of Population. 1821-31. 1831-41. 1841-51. 1851-61. 1861-71. 1871-81. Leinster .... Increase. 8-66 Increase. 3-35 Decrease. 15-25 Decrease. 12-86 Decrease. 8-11 Decrease. 4-49 Munster 15-06 7-59 22-47 18-53 7-93 4-98 Ulster 14-42 4-36 15-69 4-85 4-23 6-11 Connaught. 21-05 5-58 28-81 9-59 7-33 3-43 Ireland 14-19 5-25 19-85 11-50 6-67 4-69 towns whose population in 1881 was over 20,000 ; Table XLVI. gives their population in the census years from 1841 to 1881. The most noticeable features of the table are the rapid rise of Bel fast owing to its prosperous linen trade ; the steady progress of Londonderry, also situated in the thriving province of Ulster ; the almost stagnant position of Dublin ; and the decline of Cork and Limerick, both situated in Munster, the province in which both trade and agriculture are in the most backward condition. Table XLVII. gives a classification of the population according to occu pation. The population of Ireland has at various periods been consider ably diminished by outbreaks of pestilence and by famine, but its decrease is chiefly attributable to emigration. Since 1847 this lias been annually so great as to cause a continuous diminution of the population. The census commissioners estimated the emigration between 1821 and 1831 at 70,000. The total number who emi grated between 1831 and 1841, according to information collected at the various ports, and corrected by comparison with other statistics, was 403,459 (with an addition of 10 per cent, on account of _ imperfect returns), the number who emigrated from Irish ports being 214,047, and from Liverpool 152,738. Information as to the destination of the emigrants for these years is available only in regard to those emigrating from Irish ports, the numbers who left for British America being 189,225, for the United States 19,775, for the Australian colonies 4553, and for other destinations 494. _ The census commissioners of 1851 obtained information from the different ports of the United Kingdom regarding the numbers and destination of Irish emigrants from 1841 to 1855. The TABLE XLIV. Persons per Square Mile. 1841. 1851. 1861. 1871. 1881. Leinster Carlow 249 197 165 Dublin 1054 1145 1159 1147 Ki dare 175 146 139 Kilkenny 254 199 156 136 King s 190 145 117 96 Longford 274 196 170 154 144 Louth 393 328 274 266 Meatb. 208 160 126 106 Queen s 232 168 137 121 109 West Meath 199 357 128 110 101 Wexford 224 200 Till 147 137 Wicklow 161 127 111 101 94 Total 259 220 191 175 168 Clare 221 164 129 115 109 Cork 296 225 189 179 170 Kerry 159 129 109 lOti 108 Limerick 310 246 204 180 166 Tipperary 263 200 150 131 114 Waterford 272 227 186 171 157 Total 253 196 160 147 140 Ulster Antrim 303 296 310 339 355 458 383 371 352 317 326 233 206 188 174 Donegal 159 137 127 116 110 Down 378 344 323 307 282 Fermanagh 219 162 148 129 118 Londonderry 274 237 226 213 202 Monaghan 401 284 263 230 205 248 203 189 171 162 Total 279 235 224 214 203 180 131 111 102 99 LeRrim 253 183 171 156 150 182 129 119 115 114 267 183 167 148 139 Sligo 251 178 173 160 154 Total 207 147 133 123 119 General Total 251 202 178 166 159 TABLE XLV. Rural ami Urban Population. 1841. 1851. 1801. 1871. Rural. Urban. Rural. Urban. Rural. Urban. Rural. Urban. 7,052,923 1,143,674 5,347,617 1,226.661 4,658,196 1,140,368 4,211,033 1,201,344 TABLF, XLVI. Population of Principal Toivns, 1841-81. Years. Dublin. Belfast. Cork. Limerjck. Waterford. London derry. 1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 235,864 261,700 254,808 246,326 249,486 76.441 100,945 121,602 174,412 207,671 82,748 87,758 80,121 78,642 78,361 49,205 53,782 44,476 39.353 38,600 23,500 25.643 23,293 23,349 22,401 15,196 20,187 20,875 25,242 28,947