| 1966 Census of Ireland | ||||
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.jpg) Map of Ireland, 1961 | ||||
| General information | ||||
| Country | Ireland | |||
| Results | ||||
| Total population | 2,884,002 ( 2.3%) | |||
| Most populous | Dublin (795,047) | |||
| Least populous | Longford (28,989) | |||
The1966Census of Ireland was held on 17 April 1966. It was organised by theCentral Statistics Office (CSO) and reported a total population of 2,884,002, which was a 2.3% increase in a span of five years. The total population rebounded from a record low of 2,818,341 recorded in the 1961 census, although northern and western regions continued to steeply decline in population.[1] The census results were released gradually across seven volumes between 1967 and 1970.
For each household surveyed, the 1966 census requested the number of rooms in the dwelling occupied by the household, as well as ten primary pieces of information on each individual present, which were:[2]
The seven volumes and their release schedule are as follows:
The total population of the Republic of Ireland according to the 1966 census was 2,884,002 of whom 1,449,032 (50.24%) were male and 1,434,970 (49.76%) were female. The population breakdown by province and county,[3] and by city,[4] are outlined below. While the total national population increased by 2.3% since the 1961 census, there were large regional variations, with northern and western counties in particular continuing a steady trend ofdepopulation. County Dublin experienced rapid growth of over 10% during this period, while every county in Connacht and Ulster[note 1] recorded a population decrease.
| Province | Flag | Irish name | Population (1966) | Density (km2) | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connacht |  | Connachta Cúige Chonnacht | 401,950 | 22.7 | 5 |
| Leinster |  | Laighin Cúige Laighean | 1,414,415 | 71.4 | 12 |
| Munster |  | Mumhain Cúige Mumhan | 859,334 | 34.8 | 6 |
| Ulster (part of) |  | Ulaidh Cúige Uladh | 208,313 | 25.8 | 3 |
| Rank | County | Population | Density (km2) | Province | Change since previous census |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dublin | 795,047 | 862.3 | Leinster | 10.7% |
| 2 | Cork | 339,703 | 45.2 | Munster | 2.7% |
| 3 | Galway | 148,340 | 24.1 | Connacht |  -1.0% |
| 4 | Limerick | 137,357 | 49.8 | Munster | 3.1% |
| 5 | Tipperary | 122,812 | 28.5 | Munster | -0.8% |
| 6 | Mayo | 115,547 | 20.7 | Connacht | -6.3% |
| 7 | Kerry | 112,785 | 23.5 | Munster | -3.2% |
| 8 | Donegal | 108,549 | 22.3 | Ulster | -4.6% |
| 9 | Wexford | 83,437 | 35.3 | Leinster | 0.2% |
| 10 | Clare | 73,597 | 21.3 | Munster | -0.1% |
| 11 | Waterford | 73,080 | 39.3 | Munster | 2.3% |
| 12 | Louth | 69,519 | 84.2 | Leinster | 3.2% |
| – | South Tipperary | 68,969 | 30.6 | Munster | -1.6% |
| 13 | Meath | 67,323 | 28.7 | Leinster | 3.4% |
| 14 | Kildare | 66,404 | 39.2 | Leinster | 3.1% |
| 15 | Kilkenny | 60,463 | 29.2 | Leinster | -2.0% |
| 16 | Wicklow | 60,428 | 29.8 | Leinster | 3.3% |
| 17 | Roscommon | 56,228 | 22.1 | Connacht | -5.0% |
| 18 | Cavan | 54,022 | 28.0 | Ulster | -4.5% |
| – | North Tipperary | 53,843 | 26.3 | Munster | 0.3% |
| 19 | Westmeath | 52,900 | 28.8 | Leinster | 0.1% |
| – | Dún Laoghaire Borough | 51,772 | 2,876 | Leinster | 8.3% |
| 20 | Offaly | 51,717 | 25.8 | Leinster | 0.4% |
| 21 | Sligo | 51,263 | 27.9 | Connacht | -4.3% |
| 22 | Monaghan | 45,732 | 35.3 | Ulster | -2.9% |
| 23 | Laoighis | 44,595 | 25.9 | Leinster | -1.1% |
| 24 | Carlow | 33,593 | 37.5 | Leinster | 0.8% |
| 25 | Leitrim | 30,572 | 19.2 | Connacht | -8.7% |
| 26 | Longford | 28,989 | 26.6 | Leinster | -5.4% |
| Total | Ireland | 2,884,002 | 41.0 | 2.3% | |
| Average | 110,923 |
| City | Population |
|---|---|
| Dublin | 650,153 |
| Cork | 125,283 |
| Limerick | 58,082 |
| Waterford | 29,842 |
| Galway | 26,295 |
The census returns of 1966 were published by the Central Statistics Office and areavailable online. The website is freely accessible, with no charge for viewing any of the material.