The Illiterate Irish

The notion of illiterate Irish immigrants might have some basis in fact, but may have more to do with including little children in the count of the Irish who could neither read nor write.  See the census for my grandmother's family below.  In the 1850s my father's family had a lively transatlantic correspondence.

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1901 Census of Clare						District Electoral Division: Cloghaun Townland: Kilmoon East DED Number: 58/2
Surname	Christian Name	Rel to H of F	Religion	Education	Age	Sex	Occupation Field	Marriage	Where born	Irish Language
Lafferty	Michael	Head of Family	Roman Catholic	Read-Write	49	Male	Farmer	Married	Co. Clare	Irish-English
Lafferty	Eliza	Wife	Roman Catholic	Read-Write	44	Female		Married	Co. Clare	Irish-English
Lafferty	Bridget	Daughter	Roman Catholic	Read-Write	12	Female	Scholar	Not Married	Co. Clare	Irish-English
Lafferty	Norah	Daughter	Roman Catholic	Read-Write	10	Female	Scholar	Not Married	Co. Clare	Irish-English
Lafferty	Ned	Son	Roman Catholic	Read-Write	9	Male	Scholar	Not Married	Co. Clare	Irish-English
Lafferty	Mary	Daughter	Roman Catholic	Read-Write	8	Female	Scholar	Not Married	Co. Clare
Lafferty	Michael	Son	Roman Catholic	Cannot Read	5	Male		Not Married	Co. Clare
Lafferty	Tom	Son	Roman Catholic	Cannot Read	3	Male		Not Married	Co. Clare
Lafferty	Patt	Son	Roman Catholic	Cannot Read	2	Male		Not Married	Co. Clare
Lafferty	Eliza	Daughter	Roman Catholic	Cannot Read	7 mths	Female		Not Married	Co. Clare