IRELAND 601 



operation of the Old Age Pensions Act, which, under the original estimate in 1909, 

 affected some 70,000 persons in Ireland. This was exceeded by 1 28 per cent, but a large 

 number of claims were subsequently disallowed. The number of appeals decided during 

 1911 was 11,727. The operation of the Insurance Act in Ireland cannot yet be estimat- 

 ed. Mr. Charles Kinnear was appointed Chief Commissioner. The number of in- 

 surable persons is estimated at 1,050,000, and 674,000 persons were returned as members 

 of approved societies when the Act came into force. 



Religion. In the census of 1911 the population of Ireland is divided by religions as 

 follows: Roman Catholics 3,238,656; Protestant Episcopalians (Church of Ireland) 

 574,489; Presbyterians 439,876; Methodists 61,806. The number of Roman Catholics 

 had decreased by 70,005, of Protestant Episcopalians by 5600, of Presbyterians by 3400, 

 and of Methodists by 200 during the decadal period since the last census. In Dublin 

 83.1 per cent of the population was Roman Catholic, 12.9 per cent Protestant Episco- 

 palian, 1.4 per cent Presbyterian, and 0.8 per cent Methodist. In the county of Dublin 

 (which includes the urban districts around the city) the percentages were 71, 22.8, 2.5, 

 and r.6. In Belfast Roman Catholics numbered 93,243, Protestant Episcopalians 

 118,173, Presbyterians 130,575, and Methodists 23,782. In County Antrim the num- 

 bers were 39,751; 42,118; 97,198; and 3813. 



Owing to the special interest attaching to the Ulster question, mainly a Protestant 

 one, it may be noted that, in the N.E. counties constituting " Ulster " in the political 

 sense, there were 394,421 Roman Catholics (33.1 per cent), as against 794,274 of other 

 denominations. In all Ulster the Roman Catholics numbered 690,816 (43.7 percent) 

 as against 890,880 of other denominations, In Munster, the Roman Catholics con- 

 stituted 94 per cent; in Leinster 85.2 per cent; and in Connaught 96.3 per cent. 



Notable changes occurred in the composition of the clergy in the Church of Ireland. 

 Dr. Alexander, the Primate of Ireland, retired from the primacy in January 191 r : , and 

 died shortly afterwards. In February Dr. Crozier, bishop of Down, Connor and 

 Dromore was elected Primate, the see of Down being filled by the transference of the 

 bishop of Ossory. Dean Bernard, dean of St. Patrick's, was appointed to the vacant 

 bishopric. In June 1912 a canonry of St. Patrick's fell vacant and was filled by the 

 appointment of the Rev. James O. Hannay, Rector of Westport, better known as the 

 novelist " George A. Birmingham." 



Justice and Law. Ireland has been in a very satisfactory condition in respect of 

 crime. In 1911 the prison population was the smallest on record. Drunkenness con- 

 tinued to supply a large proportion, the number of commitments under this and cognate 

 charges being 9258, or 40 per cent of the total number committed to prison. In 1910 

 the figures were 10,088. During the year 1077 male and 345 female offenders under the 

 age of 21 years were received under sentence. A Borstal Institution for males was 

 established at Clonmel in November 1909 under the Prevention of Crimes Act of 1908; 

 nearly all its past inmates placed out are doing well. During the period under review 

 Ireland has been singularly free from serious crime. In 1909 there was a recurrence of 

 agrarian crime shooting outrages and cattle-driving in certain counties, notably 

 Tipperary, Clare and Westmeath. But since that year the number of Grand Juries 

 congratulated by the judges of Assize on the satisfactory state of their counties has con- 

 tinued to rise. In 1911 the number rose to 90 per cent, and in 1912 it reached 95 per 

 cent. The Recorders of the large towns have also been able to produce testimony as 

 to their comparative freedom from crime. Almost without exception the judge of assize 

 has vigorously protested year by year that agrarian outrage in the western counties 

 Kerry, Clare and Galway where it still sporadically appears, is largely due to the 

 unrestricted sale and carriage of firearms. The Irish Game Protection Society and simi- 

 lar associations have also identified themselves with this protest. There have been sev- 

 eral changes in the composition of Bench and Bar. In 1909 Lord Justice Fitzgibbon, 

 who had for many years been judge of the Appeal Court, died. The Attorney-General, 

 Mr. R. R. Cherry, was raised to the Bench, and was succeeded by Mr. Redmond Barry, 

 whose place as Solicitor-General was taken by Mr. Charles O'Connor. Sir Samuel 



