CENSUS 1911: Here is how our newspapers reported on Tipperary's literacy rates

Newly digitised documents from Census 1911 have revealed that areas around Tipperary had some of the highest literacy levels in the country.

According to the release compiled by volunteers at the Central Statistics Office, Tipperary had a literacy rate of 93.5%.
Tipperary, Dublin (excluding the city) and the north east of the country had the highest literacy rates nationwide.
CSO Statistician Eimer Crowley said the release gives further insights into how people in 1911 lived.

“When we are talking about literacy rates at that time, we are referring to someone aged nine years and over who could read .

“Looking at findings from the release, we observed there were much lower levels of literacy along the Atlantic coast, while higher rates of literacy tended to be centred around Tipperary, Dublin and the north east,” said Ms Crowley.

There were 182 District Electoral Divisions or DEDs that made up the Tipperary areas, and some of them included parts of Limerick and what we now call Offaly.

Parts of Clonmel were also included in Waterford.

The top highest DEDs for Tipperary were Killaloan (Clonmel) Graigue (Birr No. 2 Rural), Shronell (Tipperary), (Lattin (Tipperary) Donohill (Tipperary), Rathlynin (Tipperary).

Killaloan, Clonmel placed 20 in the country with a literacy rate of 99% Fifteen DEDS fell below 90%, but none below 82%.

The lowest in the county were Carrickbeg (Carrick-on-Suir Urban), Ballybacon (Clogheen rural), Clogheen (Clogheen Rural), Newcastle (Clogheen Rural) and Carrick-on-Suir Urban.

The lowest literacy rate in Ireland in 1911 was Donegal, with 79.4% of those nine years and older able to read.

URBAN AND RURAL

Looking at some of the bigger areas, Nenagh East and west urban had literacy rates of 89.4% and 92.4% respectively.
Nenagh Rural had a rate of 92.9%.

The Templemore DED came in at 91.6% while Roscrea had a literacy rate of 92.6%.

People in the Thurles DED had a literacy rate of 92.6% and in Thurles Rural 95%.

Cashel Urban came in at 90.9%, while Cashel Rural had a literacy rate of 93.8.

In south Tipperary, Carrick-on-Suir Urban had a literacy rate of 86.3% and rural 91.8%.

Clonmel East and west urban had literacy rates of 94.7% and 90.8% respectively.

While Clonmel Rural came in at a rate of 95.9%.

Tipperary east urban had a literacy rate of 94.8% and west 92.5%.

Tipperary Rural had a literacy rate of 96.8%.

HEADLINERS

While these numbers seem impressive when we compare them to the rest of the country, not everyone in 1911 Tipperary would agree.

At least one religious leader was worried about falling literacy levels in children.

A report appeared in The Nationalist on Wednesday, October 30, 1912 and on Saturday, November 2, 1912, in the Tipperary Star on the reopening of the night school at the Convent National School in Cahir.

The report which appeared in the Clonmel and District notes read:

“Speaking at the 12 o’clock mass on Sunday, Rev W. Burke, C.C. said that the night school had reopened in the Convent National School and appealed to those parents and guardians present to send their children and others under their care to it.

“There are many children whose education was sadly neglected, and it was scandalous to find from the census returns every ten years the large number of who were unable to read and write. The reverend speaker warned the parents of the neglected children that they would have to render account to God.”

CAPTION: The above report appeared in the Tipperary Star on Saturday, November 2, 1912 and in The Nationalist on October 30, 1912. It details parents and guardians being chastised at Mass for not ensuring their children could read and write. Census records that year showed that the county had around a 93% literacy rate in people over nine-years-old.

There was not a Cahir DED in the new CSO release.

However, the literacy rate for those over nine years in the Clonmel DEDs did not fall below 82% in 1911.

The census was taken in April 1911 and the results toward the end of 1912.

Reports in 1912 for both the Tipperary Star and The Nationalist suggest the main concern in the county was population decrease, not necessarily reading and writing.

It is also important to remember that both the Tipperary Star and The Nationalist covered the whole of the county.

The Tipperary Star was only established in 1909.

The population of Tipperary had decreased by over 7,000 people in ten years, and there was reduction in the number of members of various faiths and religions.

All except for Jewish people, according to reports.

There were also concerns about the Irish language and whether masters of workhouses or asylums should be paid for collecting returns.