1911 census research?

[nbrome]

Is it possible to do a basic sociological research with this census? For example, how many people in a village of 200 or so people could read and write? How many could speak Irish?
What's the base line for researching stuff like this? Or do I have to look at each individual family sheet?

[GAJM1]

Goto the link below and if you click on more search options (in blue on that screen) you can narrow down by literacy, occupation, marital status, language proficiency etc.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/#searchmore

You can do this for a DED or Townland or the whole County.

As in you can pick a DED hit advanced search and put literacy as Read and White etc. Will show you all those who could read and write in that DED.

Regards
Castlemcauliffe

[nbrome]

Wow! I hadn't seen (or looked for!) that "further search options". I'm having a wonderful time with it. Thank-you so much, Castlemcauliffe.

Does anyone else think there is little difference in reality between "cannot read" and "cannot read or write"?    Excluding all children under, say, 7, how can you write if you can't read? Do you think people were a bit embarrassed?

[carol8353]

I always take it that cannot write means that they could not even write their name and would mark it with an  X.

Carol

[aghadowey]

'Cannot write' could also mean that the person could read (a bit at least) but was not able to write (except perhaps their name).

Also, remember that some people who signed with their mark instead of a signature might not be illiterate. For example, a person who'd had a stroke might have made their mark.