34,219 people lived on the offshore islands of what is now the Republic in 1841. By 2022 there were
8,931. 45 islands that had people at the first census had none by 2006.
All the islands together
1841
1851
1861
1871
1881
1891
1901
1911
1926
1936
1946
1951
1956
1961
1966
1971
1979
1981
1986
1991
1996
2002
2006
2011
2016
2022
34,219
29,314
27,948
26,571
29,226
26,149
25,446
24,700
21,662
19,926
18,665
17,488
16,118
14,473
12,899
11,737
10,866
10,869
10,409
9,569
9,280
8,884
8,983
9,087
8,756
8,931
The islands that emptied — 45
Lived on in 1841, nobody there by 2006. "Last lived on" is the last census with anyone recorded.
Bartragh· County Mayo · 28 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1951 census (3)
Illauneeragh· County Galway · 15 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1951 census (8)
Mason· County Galway · 98 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1951 census (10)
Conor's Island· County Sligo · 15 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1956 census (2)
Crump· County Galway · 16 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1956 census (6)
Dinish· County Cork · 13 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1956 census (4)
Illauneeragh West· County Galway · 65 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1956 census (3)
Inishark· County Galway · 208 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1956 census (33)
Rotten· County Donegal · 11 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1956 census (2)
Skeam East· County Cork · 29 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1956 census (7)
Achillbeg· County Mayo · 178 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1961 census (38)
Beggerin· County Wexford · 20 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1961 census (10)
Eighter· County Donegal · 59 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1961 census (5)
Inishcoo· County Donegal · 37 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1961 census (3)
Inishcorker· County Clare · 7 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1961 census (2)
Inishmeane· County Donegal · 12 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1966 census (2)
Canon· County Clare · 54 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1971 census (5)
Inchamakinna· County Galway · 41 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1971 census (37)
Inishloe· County Clare · 114 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1971 census (3)
Roeillaun· County Galway · 17 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1971 census (1)
Scattery· County Clare · 65 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1971 census (2)
Dorinish More and Dorinish Beg· County Mayo · 13 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1979 census (5)
Illanataggart· County Mayo · 33 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1979 census (1)
Inishmacowney· County Clare · 142 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1979 census (2)
Island Eddy· County Galway · 125 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1979 census (2)
Knockycahillaun· County Mayo · 41 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1979 census (1)
Coney· County Clare · 145 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1981 census (2)
Finish· County Galway · 66 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1981 census (5)
Inisherk· County Galway · 49 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1981 census (7)
Inishlackan· County Galway · 126 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1981 census (2)
Turbot· County Galway · 146 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1981 census (1)
Dinish· County Galway · 59 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1986 census (1)
Eagle· County Mayo · 15 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1986 census (3)
Green· County Clare · 9 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1986 census (1)
Illaunamid· County Galway · 30 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1986 census (3)
Inishtrahull· County Donegal · 54 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1986 census (6)
Oyster· County Sligo · 28 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1986 census (1)
Dinish· County Kerry · 11 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1991 census (5)
Tuskar Rock· County Wexford · 4 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1991 census (5)
Bannow· County Wexford · 59 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1996 census (5)
Beginish· County Kerry · 84 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1996 census (2)
Garinish· County Cork · 13 in 1841 · last lived on at the 1996 census (1)
Inishmore or Deer· County Clare · 133 in 1841 · last lived on at the 2002 census (1)
Inishraher· County Mayo · 25 in 1841 · last lived on at the 2002 census (4)
Spike· County Cork · 202 in 1841 · last lived on at the 2002 census (61)
Quick answersHow many people live on Ireland's islands?
8,931 at the 2022 census, on the offshore islands of the Republic, against 34,219 in 1841.
Which Irish islands have been abandoned?
45 islands that had people in 1841 were empty by the 2006 census, among them Bannow, Beginish, Garinish, Inishmore or Deer, Inishraher, Spike. The Great Blasket had 153 people in 1841.
What is the most populated island off Ireland?
In this table, Achill (County Mayo), with 2,620 people at the 2006 census.
Source
Island by island, 1841 to 2006: the Central Statistics Office's table
CNA17, Population by Off Shore Island ↗.
The later all-island totals (2011, 2016, 2022) are the CSO's, as given in Wikipedia's list of islands of Ireland; the CSO's
newer table, F1019 ↗, names the islands differently,
so it is not merged island by island here. Islands in Northern Ireland, such as Rathlin, are not in these tables.