The census returns show that the number of small holdings in Ireland, above one and up to five acres, was reduced from 310,436; in 1841 to 85,469 in 1861, or 72.5 per cent. Holdings from five to fifteen acres decreased from 252,799 in 1841 to 183,931 in 1861, or 27.2 per cent. The farms above fifteen acres increased in number; those between fifteen and thirty acres, 79,342 in 1841,were 141,251 in 1861, an increase of 78 per cent.; and the holdings above thirty acres, from 48,625 in 1841 to 157,833 in 1861, or 109.208 per cent. From returns published, by order of Parliament, in 1869, it appears that the number of holdings in Ireland at the end of 1867 was 597,118—viz. not exceeding one acre, 50,670; above one and not exceeding five acres, 78,064; above five and not exceeding 15 acres, 173,475; above 15 and not exceeding 30 acres, 136,503; above 30 and not exceeding 50 acres, 71,785; above 50 and not exceeding 100 acres, 54,752; above 100 and not exceeding 200 acres, 21,991; above 200 and not exceeding 500 acres, 8,309; and above 500 acres, 1,569.
The total area of Ireland was thus divided in 1867:—Under crops, 26.9 per cent.; grass, 49.5 per cent.; fallow, 0.1 per cent.; plantations, 1,6 per cent.; bog and waste, 21.9 per cent. Of every 100 holdings 29 were above five and not exceeding 15 acres, 22.8 were above 15 and not exceeding 30 acres, 13.1 were above one and not exceeding five acres, 12 were above 30 and under 50 acres, 9.2 were above 50 and did not exceed 100 acres, 3.7 were above 100 and did not exceed 200 acres, 1.4 were above 200 and not exceeding 500 acres, and 0.3 exceeded 500 acres. The number of holdings in 1867 in each county is thus returned:—Antrim, 24,087; Armagh, 22,633; Carlow, 5,409; Cavan, 20,939; Clare, 18,519; Cork, 36,556; Donegal, 32,386; Down, 31,387; Dublin, 9,564; Fermanagh, 13,817; Galway, 38,451; Kerry, 18,633; Kildare, 9,368; Kilkenny, 14,945; King's, 12,267; Leitrim, 15,233; Limerick, 16,535; Londonderry, 18,429; Longford, 8,819; Louth, 8,684; Mayo, 37,329; Meath, 12,020; Monaghan, 19,544; Queen's, 11,803; Roscommon, 21,938; Sligo, 15,985; Tipperary, 25,912; Tyrone, 29,264; Waterford, 9,336; Westmeath, 11,602; Wexford, 16,910; Wicklow, 8,814. The valuation of the total number of holdings in 1867 was 13,245,235 £, giving an average value of 22 £ 4 s. to each plot. Taking the entire population of the agricultural districts of Ireland, as returned in the census of 1861, at 4,286,019, there was, in the year 1867, one holding to every seven persons, while, equally divided, each individual possessed or held 4¾ acres of land.
The subjoined table gives the number of paupers in receipt of relief in unions in Ireland at the close of the first week of January in each of the ten years 1861-70:—
