Without a Parallel

New Zealand Tablet, 13 June 1912, Page 27

Without a Parallel

In 1841 Kilkenny County had a population of 202,420. The population in 1901 was 79,150; in 1911 it had fallen to 74,962 —a decrease of 5.3 per cent, during the decade. The famous City of Kilkenny had 10,609 people in 1901 ; last year its population was 95 —a very slight decrease. 95.4 per cent, of the people of the County are Catholics, and 92.5 per cent, of the city folk belong to the same religion. The number of emigrants from Kilkenny for the ten years ending March 31, 1911, was 3401 ; and within 60 years 76,964 persons 2000 more than the total of the present population, emigrated from the fair county. Westmeath had 141,300 people in 1841. Soon after the ' clearances ' were undertaken by the landlords. The population in 1851 was 111,407; in 1861, 90,879; in 1871, 78,432; in 1901, 61,629: and in 1911, 59,986. All these figures are taken from the returns for the two counties just issued by the Census Commissioners (says the Belfast Irish News). Could any other country in, the world supply a parallel for the tale they tell ? But no other country is governed like Ireland.