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3. C19th emigration from Ireland

Emigration from Ireland in the 19th century

At least 8 million men, women and children emigrated from Ireland between 1801 and 1921. That number is equal to the total population of the island in the fourth decade of the 19th century.

The high rate of Irish emigration was unequalled in any other country and reflects both the overseas demand for immigrant labour and the appalling lack of employment and prospects for the average Irish person.

19th-century emigration from Ireland is usually broken down into three distinct phases:

• 1815-1845, when 1 million left;

• 1846-1855, when 2.5 million left; and

• 1856-1914 when 4 million departed.

These figures are considered underestimates because it is difficult to ascertain the numbers who settled permanently in mainland Britain. Ireland was still a part of Britain, so travel to or from Wales, Scotland and England was not subject to any scrutiny.

About 80% of Irish emigrants who left their homes in this period were aged between 18 and 30 years old.

Emigration from Ireland 1851 - 1860

counties	Number of Emigrants who left Ireland from 1 May 1851 to 31 December 1860												See Note A below
	Number of Emigrants									Totals
	1851-52*	1853	1854	1855	1856	1857	1858	1859	1860	Males	Females	Total
LEINSTER
CARL	4,078	1,743	1,593	743	642	629	435	376	400	5,308	5,331	10,639	15.63
DUB	7,210	2,486	2,332	1,963	2,043	1,436	2,052	2,708	2,966	12,844	12,352	25,196	6.22
KILD	4,495	2,206	1,625	797	563	734	517	651	589	6,430	5,747	12,177	12.72
KILK	11,412	6,394	4,438	2,756	2,037	2,098	1,315	1,514	1,784	17,037	16,711	33,748	21.26
KING	8,178	3,499	2,747	1,341	1,017	1,049	873	938	1,225	10,334	10,533	20,867	18.62
LONG	5,985	2,338	1,657	629	718	941	524	758	884	7,165	7,269	14,434	17.53
LOU	5,871	3,265	2,192	1,175	1,005	1,083	590	763	960	8,093	8,811	16,904	15.70
MEA	9,077	4,227	2,901	1,310	1,196	1,385	803	1,009	1,225	11,460	11,673	23,133	16.44
QUEE	8,165	3,492	2,661	1,016	1,003	836	509	947	1,101	9,926	9,804	19,730	17.67
WEST	7,156	3,062	2,198	1,039	1,195	970	688	923	1,155	9,491	8,895	18,386	16.50
WEX	10,004	5,282	3,987	1,808	1,442	1,726	1,086	750	879	13,819	13,145	26,964	14.97
WICK	3,928	2,599	1,268	873	419	595	769	504	198	5,808	5,345	11,153	11.27
Total	85,559	40,593	29,599	15,450	13,280	13,482	10,161	11,841	13,366	117,715	115,616	233,331	13.95
MUNSTER
CLA	18,291	8,280	7,410	3,387	2,621	3,034	2,254	1,921	2,485	23,065	26,618	49,683	23.39
CORK	36,089	21,576	18,944	13,943	15,756	14,359	7,263	7,586	10,906	72,432	73,990	146,422	22.55
KER	17,625	10,448	7,283	4,164	4,364	4,348	1,586	1,877	2,788	26,438	28,045	54,483	22.87
LIM	21,842	10,081	8,798	3,702	4,048	3,498	2,653	2,840	4,178	29,263	32,377	61,640	23.51
TIP	28,503	14,130	11,391	5,573	4,560	5,170	2,890	3,423	4,579	39,513	40,706	80,219	24.19
WAT	9,419	6,527	5,848	3,277	3,156	3,318	1,857	2,068	2,492	20,807	17,155	37,962	23.14
Total	131,769	71,042	59,674	34,046	34,505	33,727	18,503	19,715	27,428	211,518	218,891	430,409	23.17
ULSTER
ANT	8,120	5,316	4,425	6,178	7,967	9,514	9,757	15,375	8,877	41,272	34,257	75,529	21.44
ARM	5,405	3,194	2,914	3,385	3,156	3,093	2,695	2,987	2,228	15,856	13,201	29,057	14.82
CAV	11,500	5,782	4,149	2,462	2,507	3,110	1,574	2,332	2,724	17,756	18,384	36,140	20.76
DON	12,137	5,746	4,672	3,882	3,314	2,283	1,840	2,293	1,774	20,465	17,476	37,941	14.87
DOW	5,971	4,622	4,250	5,155	4,897	6,129	5,633	6,760	3,818	28,132	19,103	47,235	14.37
FER	4,991	2,212	2,056	1,619	1,449	1,615	844	951	1,420	8,889	8,268	17,157	14.78
DER	6,418	3,489	2,953	2,984	2,660	2,438	2,267	2,338	1,964	14,838	12,673	27,511	14.33
MON	7,759	3,980	2,892	2,020	2,238	2,192	1,586	1,979	1,871	13,786	12,731	26,517	18.70
TYR	9,146	5,543	3,902	3,922	3,634	3,799	2,983	3,135	3,114	20,724	18,454	39,178	15.32
Total	71,447	39,884	32,213	31,607	31,822	34,173	29,179	38,150	27,790	181,718	154,547	336,265	16.71
CONNACHT
GAL	18,006	8,867	7,578	3,158	2,516	3,241	2,163	2,468	2,356	24,615	25,738	50,353	15.65
LEIT	5,051	2,122	1,791	1,190	1,365	1,414	788	1,235	1,472	8,593	7,835	16,428	14.68
MAYO	11,627	4,208	3,229	2,140	1,444	1,695	1,222	1,559	1,756	14,275	14,605	28,880	10.52
ROSC	10,439	4,151	3,616	1,625	1,746	1,550	985	1,557	1,654	13,781	13,542	27,323	15.75
SLI	4,176	1,962	1,612	1,161	881	1,154	602	645	934	6,267	6,860	13,127	10.21
Total	49,299	21,310	17,826	9,274	7,952	9,054	5,760	7,464	8,172	67,531	68,580	136,111	13.48
Not stated	4,308	319	1,243	1,537	3,222	4,645	734	3,429	7,865	15,900	11,402	27,302
TOTAL	342,382	173,148	140,555	91,914	90,781	95,081	64,337	80,599	84,621	594,382	569,036	1.163m	17.75

* Figures for 1851-52 include the last nine months of the year 1851 and the entire year of 1852.
Note A: Figures show the percentage of the 1851 population who left Ireland.

Source: Thom's Almanac and Official Directory, 1862

The Age of the Steamer

The first steamer to cross the Atlantic was probably the Canadian ship SS Royal William which made the voyage from Quebec to London in twenty five days in 1833. At a time when a typical crossing in a traditional sailing ships took five to eight weeks, this was a huge development but it was to be more than two decades before steamers started to play any significant part in the story of emigration from Ireland.

One of the co-owners of the SS Royal William was Samuel Cunard who subsequently founded the eponyomous company in 1840 having won the contract to provide a fortnightly mail service between Liverpool and Halifax, Boston and Quebec.

The Britannia made its maiden voyage from Liverpool to Halifax and Boston on 4 July 1840, reportedly with a cow onboard to provide fresh milk to passengers.

This ship completed its voyage in just 14 days and such was its success that Cunard had a fleet of 12 ships within a decade.

The number of passengers carried across the ocean in steamers at this time was tiny, however. These early steamers were principally cargo or mail boats.

It wasn't until the mid-1850s and 1860s that some comforts electric lighting, more deck space etc were added for passengers.

By 1863, some 45% if Irish immigrants arrived in North America on steamships. By 1866, this had increased to 81% and within another four years nearly all emigration from Ireland to Canada and the USA was made on steamers.