Browne — Ethnography of Inishbofin and Inishshark. 341 



In 1891 there were only nine holdings, with a rating of over £4 

 to £10, ninety-six with ratings between £2 and £4, and thirty-six at, 

 or under, £2. 



(c.) Language and Illiteracy — Language. — All the inhabitants (with 

 the exception of a very few old people, most of whom live in Inish- 

 shark) now speak English, but their vocabulary does not seem to be 

 very extensive. To a very large extent they speak Irish among them- 

 selves, but many of the children and young people have little or no 

 acquaintance with the language. Irish is most spoken in Inishshark, 

 which is less in communication with the outer world than Inish- 

 bofin. 



It is much to be regretted that, as no return of the Irish-speaking 

 districts by parishes is made by the census authorities, the proportion 

 of those speaking Irish alone, and Irish and English, cannot be 

 given here. 



Illiteracy. — The population of the parish of Inishbofin of five years 

 of age and upwards was, in 1891, 895, of whom 415, or 46-4 percent, 

 were illiterate : — 



Persons. 



Male. 



Female. 



Number above 5 years. 

 Illiterate, . 

 Percentage, 



895 

 415 

 46-4 



457 

 202 



44-2 



438 

 213 

 48-6 



Of the 480 who could read, 348 persons, 188 males, and 160 

 females could read and write, the remaining 132, 67 males, and 65 

 females, or more than a quarter of the whole, could read only. The 

 rate of illiteracy is higher, as might be expected, among the females 

 than the males, and probably is greater in Inishshark than Inish- 

 bofin, 



(d.) Longevity. — Though the people do not seem to reach any very 

 great age, yet they may be said to be fairly long-lived. According to 

 the census of 1891 there were on the islands 27 persons, 10 males 

 and 17 females of over 75 years of age, of whom there were — 



Aged 75 and under 80, 1 male and 3 females, 

 ,,80 ,, 85, 5 males and 14 females, 



„ 85 „ 90,4 „ 



