A Census of Population was taken on the night of Sunday, 13 April 1986, in accordance with the Statistics (Census of Population) Order, 1986 (S.I. No. 61 of 1986). Census data is collected every 5 years. The Small Area Population Statistics (SAPS) datasets break the national Census data down by various geographic levels - (i) District Electoral Divisions and Urban or Rural Districts of each County. (ii) Wards of the County Boroughs of Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Galway. (iii) Towns with legally defined boundaries. (iv) Towns of 1,000 population and over (including suburbs or environs, if any). (v) The total suburbs or environs, if any, of each city or town. (vi) Where a town, 1,000 population and over, is situated in more than one county separate data will be available for the part in each county. (vii) Where a town or the suburbs or environs of a city or town stands on more than one District Electoral Division, a separate data will be available for that part of the town etc. in each of the District Electoral Divisions in question. (viii) Counties, County or Municipal Boroughs. (ix) Planning Regions. (x) Health Board Areas. (xi) District Electoral Divisions or parts thereof designated as Gaeltacht Areas. (xii) The Gaeltacht Area of each County. (xiii) The total Gaeltacht Area of the Country.

Total universe/Complete enumeration

Self-administered questionnaire: Paper