Census meme
Using the years of the Irish census. Interesting that the not very rich Irish State chose to carry out a census every five years rather than ten from 1946 onwards, but I suppose that the nature of emigration and so on meant that rapid changes might need to be tracked.
1971 - I am a very small baby, living in Co. Cavan with my parents, toddler older brother and grandparents (mother's parents). Parents speak Irish to us almost exclusively - grandmother but not grandfather can speak it so we are a bilingual household ( I mention this as language use is a question on the census).
1979 - (the 1976 census was cancelled as an economy measure but it became apparent that there was a need for up to date details) - I am in about third class in school, living in the same place with parents, grandparents, aged eight with nearly ten-year-old older brother and a five-and-half-year old younger brother. (Bilingualism is weakening as they are worried that the youngest is getting confused by it. From what I have read this probably would have resolved itself and the main culprit is the constant language-switching of the older siblings, which messes with the clear "one speaker, one language" model provided by adults.)
1981 - same as 1979 modulo two years older and fifth class in school.
1986 - still in Cavan, post-Inter-Cert year in secondary school (then repeated this year on grounds of age). My grandmother had died the previous year. Older brother was in boarding school but may have appeared on the census anyway.
1991 - last year of my BCL degree. Living in Dublin, sharing an apartment with my older brother and a friend of his.
1996 - coming to the end of my apprenticeship. Living back in Cavan since '93 with my parents and my grandfather (he died the following year). There was one year during this period when both my brothers were back at home for most of the year, but I don't think this was the year.
2002 (2001 postponed due to foot-and-mouth disease) - living in Dublin, sharing apartment with my younger brother. Can't remember actually filling out the census so I wonder did it happen to fall on some night we were in Cavan instead. At this time I think my boyfriend and his girlfriend were in practical terms almost living with us.
2006 - living in Dublin with brother, as before. Definitely filled out census as I had to make a special request to get it in Irish. This was before my father got sick as after that my mother was living with us for about 15 months.
2011 - same place, same brother.
My life looks very static. I have lived other places in Dublin but not for more than about 6 months at a time, and haven't lived abroad for more than 3 or 4 months at a time.
1971 - I am a very small baby, living in Co. Cavan with my parents, toddler older brother and grandparents (mother's parents). Parents speak Irish to us almost exclusively - grandmother but not grandfather can speak it so we are a bilingual household ( I mention this as language use is a question on the census).
1979 - (the 1976 census was cancelled as an economy measure but it became apparent that there was a need for up to date details) - I am in about third class in school, living in the same place with parents, grandparents, aged eight with nearly ten-year-old older brother and a five-and-half-year old younger brother. (Bilingualism is weakening as they are worried that the youngest is getting confused by it. From what I have read this probably would have resolved itself and the main culprit is the constant language-switching of the older siblings, which messes with the clear "one speaker, one language" model provided by adults.)
1981 - same as 1979 modulo two years older and fifth class in school.
1986 - still in Cavan, post-Inter-Cert year in secondary school (then repeated this year on grounds of age). My grandmother had died the previous year. Older brother was in boarding school but may have appeared on the census anyway.
1991 - last year of my BCL degree. Living in Dublin, sharing an apartment with my older brother and a friend of his.
1996 - coming to the end of my apprenticeship. Living back in Cavan since '93 with my parents and my grandfather (he died the following year). There was one year during this period when both my brothers were back at home for most of the year, but I don't think this was the year.
2002 (2001 postponed due to foot-and-mouth disease) - living in Dublin, sharing apartment with my younger brother. Can't remember actually filling out the census so I wonder did it happen to fall on some night we were in Cavan instead. At this time I think my boyfriend and his girlfriend were in practical terms almost living with us.
2006 - living in Dublin with brother, as before. Definitely filled out census as I had to make a special request to get it in Irish. This was before my father got sick as after that my mother was living with us for about 15 months.
2011 - same place, same brother.
My life looks very static. I have lived other places in Dublin but not for more than about 6 months at a time, and haven't lived abroad for more than 3 or 4 months at a time.