Emigration

County Donegal, like all other counties in Ireland, has a long history of emigration and people of all denominations emigrated at various times for various reasons down through the centuries. However, there were patterns of more pronounced emigration at certain times. The early 18th century exodus was thought to be mainly Presbyterians who went to North America and beyond in search of religious freedom, land and a better life. Many of these people initially emigrated from Scotland to Ireland for the same reasons. In the years after the Famine emigration was predominantly Catholic. Much has been written about the ‘push and pull’ factors that influenced emigration down through the centuries and many of the emigrants who left Ireland were influenced by both. Some people emigrated of their own free will to escape a lifetime of poverty or subjugation and in search of a better life. Some took advantage of assisted passenger schemes while others left less voluntarily through enforced emigration schemes, orphans were sent to Australia and Canada, people were prosecuted for trivial offences and transported as convicts, families were sent from workhouses to alleviate a Poor Law system that depended on the financial support of the landlord class. Ruthless landlords carried out evictions and tenants were forced to emigrate, notably the Derryveagh evictions, where 47 families were evicted from their humble abodes. Many of these families emigrated to Australia with help from the Donegal Relief Fund, set up in earlier years in Australia to help distressed people in Donegal. Many of those who emigrated from Ireland either sent money back to Donegal to help their families in Ireland survive or to help them emigrate.

mccorkell-ship

This is one of the ships from the McCorkell line which sailed out of Derry port carrying emigrants and cargo to the Americas during the 19th century. Derry was the main port for emigrants from Donegal travelling to the New World until the steamship took over in 1897.

Donegal’s population in the 1850s, especially in the coastal areas, was largely Gaelic-speaking. Many of the poor from these areas emigrated during the 19th century, speaking only as Gaelige. Derry was the main port for emigrants from Donegal travelling to the New World until the steamship took over in 1897. People from south and southwest Donegal emigrated from Sligo or in many cases people from Donegal would go first to Glasgow or Liverpool and then take a ship to North America. Many stayed in Britain. Most of those who emigrated during the 19th and early 20th centuries were poor and unskilled. For some decades towards the end of the 19th century and early 20th century, female emigration exceeded that of males.

 

Year
No of Emigrants
Year
No of Emigrants
1851 4865 1876 2261
1852 7272 1877 1616
1853 5746 1878 1293
1854 4672 1879 1573
1855 3882 1880 3433
1856 3314 1881 3113
1857 2283 1882 3345
1858 1840 1883 4790
1859 2298 1884 2589
1860 1774 1885 2719
1861 703 1886 2563
1862 907 1887 3451
1863 1953 1888 2721
1864 2246 1889 2255
1865 1762 1890 1960
1866 1661 1891 1830
1867 990 1892 1617
1868 563 1893 1757
1869 555 1894 1037
1870 748 1895 1573
1871 1621 1896 1238
1872 4506 1897 983
1873 4498 1898 876
1874 6518 1899 1019
1875 2640 1900 1137

(Sean Beattie, Donegal in Transition, 2013, p. 55,)

Emigration from 1851 – 1900 totalled 122,566

 

Ship from the McCorkell line which sailed out of Derry port carrying emigrants and cargo to the Americas during the 19th century.

 

Population Figures for County Donegal 1841 – 1971 (CSO)
Total Male Total Female Total
1841 145821 150627 296448
1851 124723 130435 255158
1861 115875 121520 237395
1871 106080 112254 218334
1881 100671 105364 206035
1891 91478 94157 185635
1901 86444 87278 173722
1911 84627 83910 168537
1926 78100 74408 152508
1936 73924 68386 142310
1946 70269 66048 136317
1951 67964 63566 131530
1956 62664 59395 122059
1961 58501 55341 113842
1966 55606 52943 108549
1971 55424 52920 108344