County Cork, Ireland, a Collection of 1851 Census Records

This database contains a transcription of a fragment of the 1851 Irish census from County Cork.

Historical Background

Most of the 1851 Irish census was destroyed in the 1922 fire at the Public Records Office in Dublin. However, a manuscript transcribing 4,000 names from the Union of Kilworth survived. The National Archives in Ireland has labeled this document M4685, and Josephine Masterson has transcribed that manuscript to create the records in this database. You can find more details in Masterson’s Introduction, which can be accessed via the browse feature.

What You Can Find in the Records

These records come from four parishes in County Cork, Ireland: Kilcrumper, Kilworth, and parts of Leitrim and Macroney. These parishes were linked episcopally as the Union of Kilworth. The entries typically provide the following details:

• name
• age
• relationship to head of household
• townland
• parish
• page number (referring to the document in the National Archives)

Occupation may also be included, and a remarks column may contain information such as a death date, cause of death, etc., which means these records may list a few names for people not alive when the census was taken.