Grealish, James Michael and Family

Census of Ireland 1911

Household Return (Form A) for house No. 10

In 1911, James Michael Grealish (71) a farmer was head of the household and lived with his wife Catherine (50) and their children in the townland of Carnmore West, in the parish of Claregalway. James and Catherine could read, write and spoke both Irish and English. They had four sons Michael (30), James (27), Peter (25) and Rodger (18) and two daughters Bridget (20) and Nora (16). Their sons and Nora worked on the farm and Bridget in the house. All could read, write and spoke both Irish and English. All were born in County Galway.

There are three new columns in the 1911 census compared to that of 1901, ‘Years Married’, ‘Children Born’ and ‘Children Living’. James Michael and Catherine filled in that they were married thirty-one years and had ten children with nine alive.

Enumerator’s abstract (Form N)

The Grealish family were the only family living in the house, there were five males and three females and all were of the Roman Catholic faith.

House and Building Return (Form B1) & Out-Offices and Farm-Steadings Return (Form B2)

James Michael owned his house. The house was a 2nd class stone or brick cottage with a thatched roof. It had four front windows and three rooms occupied. There were six out-offices and farmsteads a stable, a cow house, a calf house, a piggery, a fowl house and a barn.

The returns were filled out and signed by James Michael. It was witnessed as a truthful return and collected by Constable Thomas Fitzgerald on April 11^th.

Neighbours

5. Patrick Cooney, 6. James Carr, 7. Matthew Donoghue, 8. John Carr, 9. John Higgins, 10. James Michael Grealish, 11. James (Jas) Grealish, 12. Stephen Ruane, 13. James Grealish, 14. John Grealish, 15. James Grealish (Michl).

Sources: NAI, (National Archives of Ireland) www.nationalarchives.ie, accessed 25/04/2017

Census of Ireland 1926

The next census in Ireland was not taken until 1926. It was not taken in 1921 as Ireland was in the midst of the ‘War of Independence’ against Britain. By 1926 Ireland was a Free State and the government was able to take their first census. The official due date for the release of the 1926 Census is January 1st, 2027 as there is a 100-year privacy law in Ireland. There have been many attempts to have an earlier release date, but to no avail yet.