338 



Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



(3). Vital Statistics (Geneeal and Economic). 



(a.) Popnlation. — The population of these islands, though still 

 dense, is, like that of the rest of Ireland, steadily decreasing, though 

 in this case the decline is of recent date compared with many other 

 parts of the country. 



Between the years 1851 and 1871 the population had increased 

 from 1047 persons, occupyingl96 houses, to 1262, and 251, respectively. 

 Some time after 1871, however, emigration began to take a sensible 

 effect ; and between that year and the census of 1891 there has been a 

 loss in people of 20*99 per cent., and in houses of 11-55 per cent. 

 That the decrease is entirely due to emigration is proved by the returns 

 of births and deaths for the decennial period 1880-1890, in which time 

 the births exceeded the deaths by 89 or 38*7 per cent., the respec- 

 tive numbers being births 230, deaths 141. 



The Table given below shows the population of the islands at each 

 census since 1851, with the number of inhabited houses, average 

 number of inhabitants per house, and of acres per head. It thus 

 indicates the period at which the decrease began, and the amount of 

 congestion of the district, both past and present. This congestion, 

 however, must be greater than what the figures show, as under the 

 heading of Inishbofin are grouped some fifty-four other islands or 

 islets, all uninhabited, and varying in size from seventy-four acres 

 downwards. Some of these are utilized for grazing by the people of 

 the two larger islands, but a large number of them are quite useless, 

 being mere barren rocks. 



Census. 



Population. 



Houses. 



Inhabitants. 



Acres per 









per house. 



head. 



1851 



1047 



196 



5-34 



3-00 



1861 



1236 



239 



5-17 



2-55 



1871 



1262 



251 



6-03 



2-50 



1881 



1166 



250 



4-67 



2-70 



1891 



997 



215 



4-64 



3-10 



That the overcrowding is, even now, great, will be seen when it is 

 considered that the density of population per square mile is 202, 

 whilst that of the Aran Islands is 171, of the county of Gralway 86, 

 and of Ireland, as a whole, 146.^ 



1 In the Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland (1846), the population of the 

 islands in 1831 is given as 1462, number of houses not given; population in 1841 

 as 1612, houses, 285. The decrease afterwards is evidently due to the famine 

 in 1847. 



