Population and Census

Aerial view of Sligo town

Some places are densely populated, whereas others are sparsely populated as you can see in the outskirts of the town.

Image copyright of Steve Rogers.

Aerial view of Sligo town
Image copyright of Steve Rogers.

Aerial view of Sligo town

Some places are densely populated, whereas others are sparsely populated as you can see in the outskirts of the town.

Image copyright of Steve Rogers.

Enlarge image

You can learn a lot from looking at populations of places. Some places are densely populated like our cities and towns, others are sparsely populated as in rural areas. You can find out why lots of people settle in one place and why this can change over time.

Lough Easky

There is the ruin of a hunting lodge and other houses in this area.

Lough Easky

There is the ruin of a hunting lodge and other houses in this area.

Enlarge image

The best place to find out about the most recent population of your county, town or parish is by looking up the latest census returns. Information about populations in the past can be found out from your local library.

You could also look up the 1911 census that is available online. Maybe you'll be able to find the census that your great-grandparents filled in. You can see what their handwriting was like, and who else was in their house on the night the census was taken.