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The object of this article is to explore the regional pattern of Irish demographic change between 1871 and 1911, and to try to establish the role of economic factors in these developments. As the nineteenth century progressed, more demographic data became available in Ireland and the quality of these data improved. The first formal census of population was conducted in 1821, and regular censuses were taken at ten-year intervals thereafter. The count is generally believed to have attained a high level of accuracy by 1841. In 1864 compulsory registration of births, deaths, and marriages was introduced into Ireland and the subsequent publication of annual reports by the registrar-general provides a source of demographic information that supplements the census data. By 1871 all the ingredient data required to calculate both of the measures of marriage rates and marriage fertility described above were being collected and published for Ireland. In order to facilitate a comparison of census and registration data, alternative measures of marriage rates and marriage fertility have been calculated for 1871 and 1911.