asked the Taoiseach if he will state the number of (a) monoglot Irish speakers, and their place of residence, (b) persons who use both Irish and English as day-to-day vernaculars and their county of residence, (c) persons who use English as their vernacular, but who know Irish, and (d) persons who do not know Irish.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Irish and English Speakers.
1.
The most recent information available on numbers of Irish speakers is that derived from the 1961 Census of Population and published in Volume IX of the Census Reports. In that volume persons aged three years or over are classified as Irish speakers or non-Irish speakers. The former category comprises those who stated that they could speak Irish only or both Irish and English. The latter category comprises persons who stated that they could read but not speak Irish and persons who indicated that they could neither read nor speak Irish.
I propose, with your permission, Sir, to circulate in the Official Report a statement showing the numbers of Irish speakers and non-Irish speakers in each county in 1961. Corresponding particulars in respect of smaller units of area may be obtained in Volume IX of the 1961 Census. In Table 4 of that volume figures are given for individual Urban and Rural Districts while Table 13 contains figures for District Electoral Divisions or parts of District Electoral Divisions in the Gaeltacht.
Following is the statement:
Census of Population, 1961.
Irish speakers and non-Irish speakers, 3 years of age and over, in each Province, County an County Borough.
|
Province, County or County Borough |
Total |
Irish speakers |
Non-Irish speakers |
|
LEINSTER |
1,239,027 |
274,644 |
964,383 |
|
Carlow |
30,971 |
7,147 |
23,824 |
|
Dublin County Borough |
499,397 |
101,863 |
397,534 |
|
Dún Laoghaire Borough |
44,932 |
8,911 |
36,021 |
|
Dublin* |
121,994 |
30,102 |
91,892 |
|
Kildare |
59,793 |
15,293 |
44,500 |
|
Kilkenny |
57,669 |
14,675 |
42,994 |
|
Laoighis |
42,197 |
10,731 |
31,466 |
|
Longford |
28,818 |
7,319 |
21,499 |
|
Louth |
62,869 |
13,906 |
48,963 |
|
Meath |
60,652 |
14,648 |
46,004 |
|
Offaly |
47,930 |
10,759 |
37,171 |
|
Westmeath |
49,287 |
12,175 |
37,112 |
|
Wexford |
77,874 |
16,425 |
61,449 |
|
Wicklow |
54,644 |
10,690 |
43,954 |
*Excluding Dún Laoghaire Borough.
|
Province, County or County Borough |
Total |
Irish speakers |
Non-Irish speakers |
|
MUNSTER |
796,339 |
228,726 |
567,613 |
|
Clare |
69,517 |
21,678 |
47,839 |
|
Cork County Borough |
72,601 |
16,442 |
56,159 |
|
Cork |
237,124 |
69,445 |
167,679 |
|
Kerry |
109,884 |
38,945 |
70,939 |
|
Limerick County Borough |
46,872 |
12,115 |
34,757 |
|
Limerick |
77,657 |
20,509 |
57,148 |
|
Tipperary, NR |
50,237 |
13,436 |
36,801 |
|
Tipperary, SR |
65,554 |
17,611 |
47,943 |
|
Waterford County Borough |
26,271 |
6,244 |
20,027 |
|
Waterford |
40,622 |
12,301 |
28,321 |
|
CONNACHT |
395,300 |
148,708 |
246,592 |
|
Galway |
140,764 |
66,567 |
74,197 |
|
Leitrim |
31,778 |
8,268 |
23,510 |
|
Mayo |
116,316 |
44,836 |
71,480 |
|
Roscommon |
55,896 |
14,745 |
41,151 |
|
Sligo |
50,546 |
14,292 |
36,254 |
|
ULSTER (part of) |
205,152 |
64,342 |
140,810 |
|
Cavan |
53,366 |
11,881 |
41,485 |
|
Donegal |
107,448 |
41,525 |
65,923 |
|
Monaghan |
44,338 |
10,936 |
33,402 |
|
TOTAL |
2,635,818 |
716,420 |
1,919,398 |