Exploring the 1901 and 1911 census of Ireland

I recently came across the Irish Surnames Map by Barry Griffin. This website uses census data from the 1901 and 1911 censuses of Ireland and maps them across the island - showing where surnames and forenames are most located. Lots of interesting things to discover!

On that website, I learned there were only 6 people named Adrian living in Ireland in 1901. Not very many, but I suppose the name became more popular in the 20th century. 

Exploring that website led me on to the actual census data websites, run by the National Archives of Ireland. This site includes the 1901 and 1911 census records, and you can search it right down to the individual or household level. I think I found records of my great-great-grandmother and great-grandfather and saw their handwriting (my surname is one of the most common, as were their forenames, so I'm not 100% sure).

You can also search the data by origin. Within Ireland, that means which county they are from. Outside Ireland, it means country. 

Ireland is now a very multinational and multicultural country. There's often some kind of belief that this is all new, but these records show that people from outside Ireland have lived here for more than a century.

I find all manner of interesting records. Here are some highlights.

• In 1911, 365 people were listed as being from Italy, just a small increase from the 243 in 1901. The most common surname was Forte. They have a variety of occupations, with those relating to ice-cream the most common, as well as scholars, various shop professions and organ grinders.
  
  
• In both years, there are around 3,900 whose country is listed as Russia. The majority of these have names that are Jewish. More than 2,000 live in Dublin, with others in various other counties, including one person, Joseph Fine, living in Leitrim.
  
  
• 18-year-old Carlos Cornelia Nissen was listed as being from 'Buenous Ayres South America'. In 1911, he was living with his aunt Mary Sheehan in Cappamore and working as a postman. In fact, on both censuses, there were around 100 people listed as being from Buenos Aires (using a variety of spellings). For example, one family in Wexford have two children who were listed as being from 'Buenos Ayres'.
  
  
• A Dutch classics and languages teacher living in Dublin. He was 52 and living with his wife, who was from Tyrone. I wonder how they met?
  
  
• In Loughrea, County Galway, a convent of Carmelite Nuns included 23-year-old Diavolinda Ferreira, who was from Portugal.
  
  
• A Greek electrical engineer living in Belfast: 29-year-old Panagos Koconis was from the island of Patmos and married to Catherine from Greenock in Scotland. Their son Emmanuel was one year old.
  
  
• A 34-year-old German masseuse named Sinon in Blarney, Country Cork who was staying or working or living (census record isn't clear) at a 'hydrophatic establishment'. This establishment may well be the Saint Anne's Hydro and Turkish Baths, which were a popular spa resort in the area in the 1900s. The venue records about 90 different guests there on the night of the 1901 Census. The spa now seems to be mostly long gone (but what remains is a protected structure) but a recent article implies there is a plan to redevelop it.
  
  
• Spanish Salvador Gomez was 18 years old and studying dentistry, and his compatriot Anthony Russo was 22 and studying medicine. In 1911, both were boarding with Sarah McSwiney from Kerry in Dublin, along with two others.
  
  
• August Pedro Piloto is 24 and a farm servant. He is living in Loughgall, a small village in Armagh, and described as being from 'E Africa'. 
  
  
• Alvino Luja is 26 years old, a teacher of French and German from Luxembourg. In 1911, she was living in Dublin at a school, Dominican College Sion Hill. It is one of the oldest girls' secondary schools in Ireland, founded in 1836.

These are just 10 examples from the thousands, if not millions, of interesting stories found in the 1901 and 1911 census. Anyone can explore these census records online via the National Archives of Ireland.

Ireland's census history is patchy. After 1901 and 1911, the next scheduled census was 1921, but this was cancelled due to war. A census was held in 1926, the first after Irish independence. Now, 100 years later, the records from the 1926 census will be released in April of this year.

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Overheard: Dublin

    

I was recently in Dublin and overheard these words.

• She just stopped in the middle of the street and ate the head off me!
  
  
• Ah howya Diego, how's it goin?
  
  
• Thanks very much for the fifty euro, a lovely gift, very much appreciated, right!
  
  
• You can take your pick of the popcorn boxes.
  
  
• First time in Dublin? Any plans? Yes, lots of alcohol. Beer, whiskey.
  
  
• My chin is going to fall onto the floor.

Overheard: Schiphol airport, Irish flights

I left Schiphol Airport this week, flying to Cork. There were long queues for each part of the journey, where I over-heard Irish voices saying:

• This Guinness shortage is just marketing. Or PR cos they're not paying for it. Guinness and Ryanair - there are some marketing geniuses in Dublin!
  
  
• Get ready to whip out that OV Chip Card!
  
  
• Did your brother marry somewhere fancy?
  
  
• They're just ugly and weird like, the bullies
  
  
• She's from Spain, she's fierce nocturnal. We'd be getting up for the airport at 3am and she'd be making her dinner.
  
  
• Did you see on his Instagram, the alpaca? Why didn't we do that?

Dublin: St Stephen's Green

I visited Dublin a few months ago. I hadn't been to Dublin for more than 12 years (my trips back to Ireland take me to Cork instead).

Dublin felt like an invigorated city to me, lively and exciting. My visit coincided with excellent sunny weather (rare for Ireland), so I took the opportunity to sit in the sun and people-watch.

I wandered around and sat in Stephen's Green for an afternoon, one of the main garden squares in the centre of Dublin.

I saw and heard the following microcosms of Dublin:

• Lots of teenage girls queuing up to meet a boyband with no name that hadn't made any music.
  
• Two young guys talking about women (and magpies) with every sentence filled with swearwords.
  
• A woman saying to another, "You were gone up like a tomato!"
  
• A young woman playing the ukelele (badly) to raise money for a charity trip to Uganda. An older woman passed her, commenting with a disdainful Dublin drawl, "Don't give up yer day job!"
  
• 3 young women having a picnic. One had (evidently) just married. They were catching up, in the most insincere tones I've maybe ever heard. Cork accents, like.
  
  "Hoooow's married life?"
  "Noooo different"
  "So, how was the wedding?"
  "Great!"
  "Did you have a great time?"
  "Great time!"
  "Wassss it fabliss?"
  "Fabulous!"
  "And you'd definitely go back?"
  "Definitely go back!"
  "And how was the hotel?"
  "Beautiful!"
  "And the food?"
  "Out of this world!"

Country + Continent Cards

I've been making a lot of cards recently from maps and recycled paper - take a look at some below - showing map shapes of countries and continents.

I love how recognisable some countries and continents are, simply by their shape. But I also wonder why some countries are not?

Next Saturday morning, I will be selling these cards - and my Christmas and Valentine map cards - and notebooks at a table top sale at The Dog House pub in Kennington.

The sale is in aid of people who have haemochromatosis, so do come along and say hello.

Cork to London, from above

I've been flying back and forwards between Cork and London for nearly 6 and a half years now. Inspired by my last post with google maps screenshots of geographical landscapes, here are a variety of aerial photographs taken on my many flights between Ireland and the UK.

The Gearagh

I grew up near The Gearagh, a unique part of County Cork, although I never really knew much about it. My teachers never talked about it in school, odd when you consider it was a mere mile from the school.

The Gearagh gets its name from An Gaorthadh, the wooded river. It is what remains of a submerged forest and community.

In the 1950s, to facilitate the building of two hydroelectric dams, the trees in the eastern part of Gearagh were cut down, and the area was flooded with around 60% of  woodland lost. Tree stumps remain, sometimes submerged, sometimes above the water line.

In addition to my photography, take a look at this great aerial photograph of the Gearagh.

Map pictograms: Ireland unwound

Two tourism ads with maps showing Ireland and Britain in cord-form. The latter suggests that Britain's all tangled up (nice unwitting Girls Aloud reference) while Ireland's all relaxed.

The People's Republic of Cork

Today is St Patrick's Day, the day I and millions of others celebrate being Irish.

But! Being from Cork is even more important than being Irish. Cork, or The People's Republic of Cork, is Ireland's independent capital, with the rebel spirit leading us on.

I took these photos in Cork several years ago for a photo-essay on the "People's Republic of Cork". People from Cork, and further afield, wearing People's Republic of Cork t-shirts, a trend embodying the city's unique spirit.

See the full set of photographs here.



Eoghan, from Cork


Tina, from Cork

Peter, from Cork

Pierre, from France

Luis, from Portugal

Elaine, from Offaly

Barbara, from Cork

Flags, made of paper

My newest fun thing to do is to make collage flags from bits of scrap paper. I recently changed jobs, and made these flags for colleagues to say farewell.
UK flag

USA flag


Australia flag



Kent flag


Sicily flag



Wales flag


India flag



Nepal flag


Berlin flag


Cuba flag



Ukraine flag



Ethiopia flag



Madagascar flag


Philippines flag



Ireland flag


France flag


Ibiza flag

футбол! Football with London's Bulgarian fans

Last night, I watched the Ireland -v- Bulgaria football match with Bulgarian fans, and pretended not to be Irish (bit like Lorraine from The Apprentice).

I went to two venues. Starting in Arda2, a restaurant in Finsbury Park, I joined 5 Bulgarian football fans to watch the match.

Two screens showed the match - one with Irish TV, and the other with Bulgarian TV. Oddly, the sound came from the Irish channel.

I began to question whether these guys actually were Bulgarian. Some of them seemed quite happy to see Ireland take the lead. Then, they were equally happy to see Bulgaria equalise. Add to that, they were speaking to each other in a mixture of English and another language (I can only assume it was Bulgarian).

It was, it's fair to say, a sedate affair - mainly as they sat drinking Coke & J2O and staring out the window.

At half time, I decided to leave the maybe-Bulgarians, and hot-footed it to Green Lanes to Juliana99. If Arda2 was sedate, Juliana99 was comatose. Two men sat inside watching the match in dead silence. The Bulgarian tv commentary was deadpan with a ridiculously low volume.

An old woman sat in the corner clucking and sucking her teeth.

Eventually a few more men arrived. I noted they were all snappy dressers with trendy jeans, designer jackets and t-shirts. The bar owner - in a loud Hawaiian shirt - rather let the side down.

The (boring) match ended in a draw, with the Bulgarians on TV barely cracking a smile. I hung around afterwards, hoping to hear some Bulgari-pop. But there was none. The bar just emptied out, leaving me to wonder where all London's Bulgarians are. Maybe they've been credit crunched?

UK Eurovision Preview Party

Last night's Eurovision Preview Party was a great success. There was a real fun, friendly, positive and enjoyable atmosphere. Here's a run-down:

Great vintage performances from previous entrants Nicki French, Friðrik Ómar, Jessica Garlick and Imaani.

Imaani is 8 months' pregnant, well done to her for coming along to perform! Jessica Garlick still sounds stunning, and Friðrik is a great fun performer giving us an acapella This is My Life which happily became disco-dance-tastic in the final chorus. (Jade Ewan - take note).

Nicki French is a national treasure, and should be preserved in aspic.

Polish singer Lidia sung well with two nice songs. Bulgarian Krassimir seemed like a nice, sweet guy, but a little uncomfortable on stage.

Romanian Elena really sells her song well and she spins around a lot. Awesome hair extensions from her. A troupe of dancing Balkan girls strutting around stage on Moscow will be a treat from her.

Icelandic Johanna was great - very strong singer and she delivers her song well.

Cypriot Christina proved she can sing - and sing well. Her Eurovision song is a little too big for her, as she seems quite timid and nervous. Hopefully the supportive and excellent reaction she received will help boost her confidence.

Ireland were great - they performed their song with great energy and enthusiasm. They just played one song, which I felt was a shame as the crowd were really loving them. Watch:




And then: Ukraine

Svetlana Loboda came on stage aloft on the shoulders of one of her 4 very hunky, very fit dancers. They all then proceeded to give a performance which beggared belief - muscular, powerful, dynamic, energetic and frenetic.

The dancers - chests and arms bared - were a surreal mix of rabid thuggish soldiers and gay boy harlequin marionettes. They performed Be My Valentine with such gusto, it will surely figure high in the placings in Moscow. They then performed another song with Soviet-style marching and flags depicted the mascot of the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

And then the dancers donned t-shirts and then took them off again. And then I got one (a t-shirt, that is). And then they proceeded to climb about the stage. And then writhed about. And then flexed their muscles. And then started to take bits of clothing off. And then we all fainted...

Watch for yourself - this is Svetlana's encore performance of Be My Valentine

Hiberno-English and Irish words

As it was St Patrick's Day last week, many of my recent conversations have been about Ireland and Irish-ness, with accent nearly always the most popular subject.

I was reminded of a print out I had with 22 examples of Hiberno-Irish dialect - and while I agree with most of the examples, some are very 'stage leprauchan'.

The examples are:

1. Is it Commerce he's studying in College?
2. Peter asked John was he at the match on Sunday and did he see Sheila there.
3. They spoiled her as a child and she's a very bold girl in school.
4. How long do you know Margaret?
5. It's a right mess he's after making of it.
6. I saw two sugawn chairs and a pine table for sale.
7. My brother learned me how to drive.
8. Did you ever hear her talking about anything only study?
9. I caught a fine salmon but the rod broke on me and it got away.
10. He has no sense for an eighteen year old: I saw him out walking yesterday without a coat and it raining.
11. He's hopeless to study now: he usen't be like that when he was younger.
12. Is it Sunday the match is on?
13. See is it on the shelf.
14. Are you going to town? I am. Is it a message you are wanting?
15. He's dead sound, a real sincere young fellow altogether.
16. We were here ages before he came.
17. How can she study with the state she's in?
18. I was just after putting down the phone when I realised I forgot to tell you about the party.
19. Her face was all swollen with the mumps.
20. I do be falling over that yoke about ten times a day.
21. I'm on the pension nearly three years now.
22. Every morning I do be after missing the bus.

Numbers 1, 5, 9, 12 and 14 use an odd-for-English sentence structure, mainly (I think) as it comes from a direct translation from Irish (Gaelic).

3, 11, 14 and 20 have words for other words which may be specific to Hiberno-English: bold for naughty, the contraction usen't, message for shopping and yoke for thing. These are my favourite, and there are many more, such as:

press for cupboard
'give out' for 'tell off'
'copy book' for 'note book / jotter'

Anthony Gormley's statues on Crosby Beach

I went to Liverpool last week, and continued on to see Anthony's Gormley's statues on Crosby beach. The statues were installed there in 2005 as a temporary art project, but are now permanently installed.

Crosby is a non-bathing beach - but the statues ignore that. 100 statues are placed along the beach, in the tide and out to sea. The way they look despends on the tide - whether it's in or out.

The statues are entitled 'Another Place' and I really liked how they were looking across the sea, maybe towards Ireland or towards America.

Millions of people left Liverpool's port to sail to America in the hope of a new life. Millions of people left Ireland for Liverpool in the hope of a new life. Are the statues looking back to the past or forward to the future?

I was reminded of a big tradition in 19th century Irish art of Ireland imagined as a maiden, Erin, standing on the shore looking out to see for her exiled lover to return to free her and the nation.

Who or what are the statues looking to?

Olympics: Togo's first ever medal

I'm thoroughly enjoying the Olympics so far. While the Chinese, Australians, Koreans and Americans are winning medals all around them, I love to hear about the achievements of smaller countries.

The two countries I follow - Ireland and Austria - have had some success. Austria has a silver (in judo) and a bronze (in swimming) - not bad for a landlocked country! Ireland came very close today with canoeist Eoin Rheinisch coming 4th in the men's kayaking. So close - but I'm cheered to hear he was beaten to the bronze by Benjamin Boukpeti who has won Togo its first ever Olympic medal. Full story here

So let's be upstanding for the Togolese national anthem - as national anthems are always entertaining.

Vote for your favourite Irish Eurovision song!

It's the final, and here are our finalists. We've whittled down the 40-odd entries to these five. Earlier, I held a semi-final which pitted the ten round winners against each other. It was dramatic: Liam Reilly -v- Dawn Martin, Sheeba -v- Maria Christian, Chris Doran -v- Linda Martin (T3), Sean Dunphy -v- Muriel Day & Butch Moore -v- Eimear Quinn.

And thus, here are the finalists - so what do you think? Which is your favourite? Vote!

First up, Dawn Martin with Is Always Over Now? from 1998.

Next, from 1969, it's bopping Muriel Day singing about The Wages of Love.

And now, Ireland's only winner in the final - Eimear Quinn from 1996 with The Voice.

And the penultimate entry: from 1984 - Linda Martin with Terminal 3.

And finally, the immensely amazing Sheeba from 1981 with Horoscopes.

So, vote vote vote for the winner!

Vote! Your favourite Eurovision song from Ireland - Round 10

Phew! Finally we reach the last round of Irish Eurovision songs - and this time, we've got some likely lads. Thanks to all who have voted thus far - and please leave your votes in the comments.

By Thursday, I will whittle all the votes down to a 5 song final - which will stay open until Eurovision Day on 24 May. And then we'll know the most popular Irish Eurovision song.

First up, a video of Ireland's 1995 entry - Dreamin' by Eddie Friel. Ireland had won for the 3 years previous to this entry - thankfully this wasn't as successful.

Let's jump back 30 years now to 1965, and Ireland's very first entry, Walking the Streets in the Rain by the greatly-named Butch Moore. (No direct video, I'm afraid - but you get to enjoy Poupée de Cire, Poupée du Son so everyone wins)

Next, from the following year, the ever-better-named Dickie Rock with Come Back to Stay.

And, finally, the last Irish Eurovision entry for our selection: 1976's When by Red Hurley.

Vote! Your favourite Eurovision song from Ireland - Round 9!

Nearly there! Everytime Ireland hosts the Eurovision, we're always told that the Irish are a nation of singers. These songs are all about singing and song.

First up, another Irish winner - this time from 1994 - Paul Harrington & Charlie McGettigan with Rock 'n' Roll Kids.

Now, from 1978, here's legendary Irish singer Colm CT Wilkinson with his entry Born to Sing. This is fantastically pompous.

From one Irish troubadour to another, here is 2006's entry: Every Song is a Cry for Love by Brian Kennedy. Days before this Contest there was a debate on Irish national radio about whether Brian should kneel or not. Brilliant.

And, finally, Ireland's frankly ridiculous 4th win in 5 years - here is the very talented Eimear Quinn with The Voice.

So: which is your favourite? Vote in the comments!

Vote! Your favourite Eurovision song from Ireland - Round 8!

Ireland: we're a generous, loving nation. We love the world and all its peoples - or so you'd think from this lot of Irish Eurovision songs which have the theme of love or the world. Which is your favourite? Vote below by leaving a comment!

First up, from 1990, is Liam Reilly with Somewhere in Europe. Fans of geography pop will love this place-name-dropping number.

Next, from 1971, when Ireland hosted the Eurovision for the first time, is Angela Farrell with One Day Love. What a lovely pink frock she had!


Next up, from 1972, is Ireland's only song in Irish. Here's Sandie Jones singing Ceol an Ghrá, which means Song of Love. I love this - the only pop song in Irish that I know.



And , last but not least, from 2003, the first winner of You're A Star, Mickey Joe Harte with We've Got the World Tonight.

So: Vote for your favourite!

Vote! Your favourite Eurovision song from Ireland - Round 7

Right, this vote needs to get a move on tout suite. So, over the next 4 days, we'll have a rapid vote round. Then I'll whittle the songs down to a 5 song final, and we'll choose our Favourite Irish Eurovision Song.

This round is all about Questions.

First up, 2005's tykes Donna & Joe with their ridiculously question-marked Love? I loved Donna & Joe - finally a decent pop song from Ireland. Hurrah and huzzah for them.

On to 1973, and it's Maxi again who we last saw back in Round 1. Here she in - resplendent in a flouncy 70s smock-frock with Do I Dream?

Yet another of Ireland's winners: this time, from 1992, Linda Martin with Why Me? It's not a patch on Terminal 3, but a classy song none the less.

The year before, 1991, Ireland send Kim Jackson who asked the question Could it be that I'm in love? She really ought to know, I would say. Could it be your winner?

And, finally, from 1998, Dawn Martin with Is Always Over Now? I bet you're thinking the same thing about this vote.

So, tell me what you think. And if you want to vote in any other round, click or scroll down.