Census of Ireland 1911

The More Search Options on the National Archives Census search is very useful. You can search say for those who filled in Writer in the occupation column in the whole country or in one county. You'll get the sign writers etc also of course. Who remembers the American-born writer Adela Orpen now? She described herself as a writer of novels and an agnostic in 1911. She doesn't seem to appear in the 1901 Census.

How many poets in Ireland in 1911? If you search for poet in the occupation field for 1911 you get 17 but these include obvious mis-transcriptions, the Poet Mistress from Cork being the most obvious example. The site does have an easy to use suggest corrections facility. William B Yeats appears here as a dramatic writer and poet living in a hotel in South Frederick Street, Dublin. His name and details are entered by someone else and his name is spelled Yeates. Augusta Lady Gregory, then a widow, was also there that night. Her occupation is given as None.

The 1916 leader Thomas McDonagh is also among the poets, filling in Poet and Teacher. BA National University in the occupation column. He seems to have been living on his own in a house in Dublin.

The danger with the Census online is wasting hours in similar very interesting searches.