Census Records
Three censuses illuminate this family across 25 years: 1901, 1911, and 1926. Together they show the same households in motion — children appearing, older ones scattering, addresses changing, the family shrinking and growing again.
Colm Long used the 1901 and 1911 censuses extensively in his research; the data here is drawn directly from his two volumes. The 1926 census was released to the public on 18 April 2026, a hundred years after it was taken, and was cross-referenced against Colm's findings after the site was built.
Every household below was matched to the family using age, address, marriage details, and birthplace. Links go to the relevant person pages.
Furlong
The Furlongs were living in London in 1901 and do not appear in the Irish census that year. By 1911, Aloysius had returned to Waterford as a widower — his wife Maimie died of tuberculosis in 1908 — running a provisions business at 77 The Quay with five of his six children. The 1926 census finds the family scattered across the city: Stannie newly married on Morrison's Road, Aloysius boarding alone on Michael Street, and Leo living with his employer on Ballytruckle Road.
Furlong Aloysius Furlong
77 The Quay (8 Coal Quay), Waterford · April 1911
| Name | Role | Age (census) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aloysius Furlong | Head (Widower) | 44 | Provisions dealer · born Waterford |
| Madeline Furlong | Daughter | 18 | Scholar |
| John Furlong | Son | 17 | Grocer's apprentice |
| Stannie Furlong | Son | 14 (actually 13) | Scholar · bilingual Irish & English |
| Leo Furlong | Son | 10 | Recorded as "Leo Mary" — born in London, no Irish baptismal record |
| Brian Furlong | Son | 7 | Scholar |
| Catherine Keane | Servant | — | — |
What we learned
Maimie had died of tuberculosis in May 1908, three years before this census. Aloysius is now a widower running a provisions business at 77 The Quay. Thomas, the eldest son, is absent — Colm could not trace him in the Irish or UK 1911 census, though he reappears later.
Stannie, listed as 14 (actually 13 years and 7 months), is the first in the family recorded as bilingual in Irish and English. Leo is listed as "Leo Mary" — born in London in February 1901 with no Irish baptismal record, his form entry reflects the difficulty of registering him.
Furlong Stannie & Alice Furlong
59 Morrison's Road, Waterford · April 1926
| Name | Role | Age (census) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stanislaus Furlong | Head | 28 | Born Waterford · married 2 years |
| Alice Furlong | Wife | 29 (actually 35) | Born Waterford |
| Thomas Furlong | Son | 1 | Missionary priest (SMA); served in Africa, retired to SMA House, Cork |
| Aloysius Furlong | Son | 0 | Likely Donal, registered under his grandfather's name |
What we learned
Stannie and Alice were living at 59 Morrison's Road in April 1926 — an address not recorded in Colm's research. Their eldest son Thomas does not appear anywhere in the family history volumes. Family oral history identifies him as the boy who was "packed off to be the priest whether he liked it or not" — Mavis Fanning's words, relayed by Jenifer.
The B4 house return also places Thomas Fanning — son of Patrick Fanning Senior and brother of Patrick Fanning — at No. 9 Morrison's Road on the same census night. The Furlongs were at No. 59, fifty houses along the same road.
The infant listed as "Aloysius" is almost certainly Donal — registered under his grandfather's name as was the family custom, but known throughout his life by his middle name. Donal was born in August 1925 and would have been eight months old at the time of the census.
Alice lists her age as 29. She was born in April 1890, making her 35 or 36. She was seven years older than Stannie and apparently preferred not to advertise the fact.
Furlong Aloysius Furlong
Michael Street, Waterford · April 1926
| Name | Role | Age (census) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aloysius S Furlong | Boarder | 60 | Widower · born Waterford |
What we learned
By 1926, Stannie's father Aloysius was 60 years old, widowed (his wife Maimie had died of TB in 1908), and boarding on Michael Street — not living in his own home. His grocery shop at 82 The Quay had been burned down in 1898, after which the family moved to London; he returned in 1902 and opened a new shop at 77 The Quay. The Michael Street address was not in Colm's records.
Stannie died in August 1929, just three years after this census. Aloysius outlived his son by six years — he died on 23 December 1935 at St. Patrick's Hospital, Waterford, and was buried at St. Mary's Ballygunner on Christmas Day. By then he had moved to Baker Street.
Furlong Leo Furlong
Ballytruckle Road, Waterford · April 1926 · in the Buggy household
| Name | Role | Age (census) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick R Buggy | Head | 42 | Solicitor · single · born Waterford |
| Leo Furlong | Employee | 25 | Single · chief clerk at Buggy's firm |
What we learned
In April 1926 Leo was living with his employer, Patrick R. Buggy, on Ballytruckle Road. Colm's research records Leo's occupation as chief clerk at the legal firm of Patrick Buggy (Waterford city solicitors) — the census confirms he was not only working for Buggy but boarding in his house. He was 25 and still single; he would marry Ellen Cecilia Hayden in October 1927, giving Henrietta Street as his address on the marriage cert.
Leo was an active republican at this time — he had been released from internment after the Civil War in 1923 and was involved in the Ballinamult Barracks raid just seven months after this census, in November 1926.
O'Neill
The O'Neills are anchored in Bonmahon, Co. Waterford across 1901 and 1911, a large family slowly dispersing over that decade. By 1926, Daniel is no longer in the household — he likely moved to Jail Street, the address on his death cert three years later — and Margaret heads her own Patrick Street household alone. It is the only direct sighting of her that Colm was ever able to find.
O'Neill Daniel & Margaret O'Neill
Bonmahon, Co. Waterford · March 1901
| Name | Role | Age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel O'Neill | Head | 41 | Baker · born Co. Kilkenny |
| Margaret Walsh | Wife | 39 | Born Waterford City |
| William O'Neill | Son | 17 | Blacksmith · born Bonmahon |
| Kathleen O'Neill | Daughter | 15 | Serving at 16 Bonmahon on census night |
| Patrick O'Neill | Son | 14 | Born Bonmahon |
| Meg O'Neill | Daughter | 12 | Born Bonmahon |
| Alice O'Neill | Daughter | 11 | Born Co. Waterford |
| Molly O'Neill | Daughter | 9 | Born Bonmahon |
| Daniel O'Neill | Son | 7 | Born Bonmahon |
| Owen Roe O'Neill | Son | 4 | Born Bonmahon |
What we learned
The O'Neills are at House 4, Bonmahon in 1901 — a decade before they move to House 13. Daniel is a baker, which matches Colm's research. Alice is 11, the fifth of eight children. Kit (Kathleen), 15, was serving at another address on census night and appears separately. Owen Roe, the youngest at 4, will later fight on the Anti-Treaty side in the Civil War alongside his brother-in-law Leo Furlong.
O'Neill Daniel & Margaret O'Neill
Bonmahon, Co. Waterford · April 1911
| Name | Role | Age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel O'Neill | Head | 50 | Baker · born Co. Kilkenny |
| Margaret Walsh | Wife | 53 | Born Co. Waterford |
| William O'Neill | Son | 27 | Blacksmith |
| Patrick O'Neill | Son | 24 | Labourer |
| Molly O'Neill | Daughter | 18 | Dressmaker |
| Daniel O'Neill | Son | 16 | — |
| Owen Roe O'Neill | Son | 14 | Scholar |
What we learned
The family have moved from House 4 to House 13 in Bonmahon. The older children have scattered: Kit (Kathleen) is in Liverpool by this point, working as a servant. Meg has also left. Most notably, Alice is entirely absent — she appears in neither the Irish nor the UK 1911 census. Her whereabouts between this date and her marriage to Stannie Furlong in 1924 are unknown.
O'Neill Margaret Walsh O'Neill
Patrick Street, Waterford · April 1926
| Name | Role | Age (census) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margaret O'Neill | Head | 71 | Married 43 years · 8 children born alive |
| Patrick O'Neill | Son | 39 | Single · born Waterford |
| Mary Josephine O'Neill | Daughter | 28 | Single · Alice's younger sister |
| Daniel O'Neill | Son | 27 | Single · born Waterford |
What we learned
Margaret was 71 and head of the Patrick Street household. Her husband Daniel O'Neill is not present — he was likely already living at 16 Jail Street, the address recorded on his death cert three years later in 1929. The census records Margaret as "Married" not "Widowed," which is consistent with Daniel still being alive at this point.
This confirms something Colm could only infer: that Margaret survived her husband. Daniel died in May 1929 recorded as "Married," meaning Margaret was still alive then. The census is the only direct sighting of her we have — Colm found no death cert for her.
Alice, who had married Stannie in 1923 and was living on Morrison's Road, does not appear in this household. Her sister Mary Josephine (age 28) and brothers Patrick (39) and Daniel (27) were still at home with their mother.
Fanning
Patrick Fanning Senior's household on Slievekeale Road appears in all three censuses, the children leaving one by one as Patrick and Hannah grow older. His son Patrick — Mavis's father — moves from scholar at age 6 in 1901 to shop porter at 16 in 1911 to married man with young children in 1926, all within a few streets of one another.
Fanning Patrick Fanning Senior
32 Slievekeale Road, Waterford · March 1901
| Name | Role | Age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Fanning | Head | ~50 | Born Co. Waterford |
| Hannah Fanning | Wife | 46 | Born Co. Waterford |
| Thomas Fanning | Son | 20 | Engine driver |
| Michael Fanning | Son | 17 | Telephone clerk |
| Philip Fanning | Son | 14 | Assistant pawnbroker |
| Patrick Fanning | Son | 6 | Scholar |
| Paul Fanning | Son | 2 | — |
What we learned
Patrick (Mavis's father) is just 6 years old here — a scholar. The older sons are already working: Thomas as an engine driver, Michael as a telephone clerk, Philip as an assistant pawnbroker at 14. Ned (Edmond), who had enlisted in the British Army in 1898, is absent. By 1911 the family have moved next door to number 30.
Fanning Patrick Fanning Senior
30 Slievekeale, Waterford · April 1911
| Name | Role | Age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Fanning | Head | ~60 | Born Co. Waterford |
| Hannah Fanning | Wife | 56 | Born Co. Waterford |
| Ned Fanning | Son | 31 | Labourer · recently returned from British Army |
| Philip Fanning | Son | 21 | Assistant pawnbroker |
| Patrick Fanning | Son | 16 | Shop porter |
| Paul Fanning | Son | 11 | Scholar |
What we learned
The family have moved one door along from 32 to 30 Slievekeale. Ned (Edmond), who enlisted in the British Army (Royal Irish Regiment) in 1898, is back home and listed as a labourer. He would marry Margaret Dillon later that same year. Thomas and Michael have their own households elsewhere in Waterford by now. Patrick, Mavis's future father, is 16 and working as a shop porter — ten years on he'll marry Nora Keane.
Fanning Patrick & Hannah Fanning
Slievekeale Lane, Waterford · April 1926
| Name | Role | Age (census) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Fanning | Head | 73 | Born Waterford · married 51 years |
| Hannah Fanning | Wife | 71 | Born Waterford · 15 children born alive |
| Catherine Fanning | Daughter | 42 | Single · still at home |
| Ellen Fanning | Daughter | 32 | Single · still at home |
| Paul Fanning | Son | 28 | Single · still at home |
What we learned
Patrick and Hannah had been married 51 years by 1926 — since 1875. Hannah's column records 15 children born alive. Colm's research traces several of them but not all; twelve had already left the household by April 1926, leaving only Catherine (42), Ellen (32), and Paul (28) still at home with their elderly parents.
Patrick's age of 73 is consistent with Colm's baptism cert date of 27 February 1853, supporting his argument against the death cert (which gave age 73 at death in 1933 — implying born 1860, which Colm considered impossible given the birth dates of his children).
Fanning Patrick & Nora Fanning
16 St Alphonsus Road, Waterford · April 1926 · in the Keane household
| Name | Role | Age (census) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edward Keane | Head | 54 | Born Mountmellick · married 31 years |
| Margaret Keane | Wife | 50 | Born Wexford · 7 children born alive |
| Patrick Keane | Son | 29 | — |
| John Keane | Son | 21 | — |
| Edward Keane | Son | 18 | — |
| Christopher Keane | Son | 14 | — |
| Norah Fanning | Daughter | 28 | Married 4 years · 3 children born alive |
| Patrick Fanning | Son-in-law | 31 | Born Waterford · 3 children, 2 living |
| Edward Fanning | Grandson | 2 | Mavis's older brother Eddie |
| Patricia Fanning | Granddaughter | 0 | Mavis's older sister Patty — about a month old |
What we learned
In April 1926, Patrick and Nora were living with Nora's parents at St Alphonsus Road — ten people under one roof, including a newborn. Mavis, who would become Jenifer's mother, was not yet born; she arrived in 1929. The census confirms what the family already knew: the Fanning and Keane households were tightly intertwined on the same road.
Edward Kane's birthplace is recorded as Mountmellick — independently confirming Colm's identification of the family as the Mountmellick Canes/Kanes, despite the surname having evolved to Keane by this generation.
The third child listed as "3 born alive, 2 living" suggests one of Patrick and Nora's children died in infancy before April 1926 — a detail not recorded in Colm's research.
Keane
Edward and Margaret Kane occupy the same house at 16 St Alphonsus Road across 1901 and 1911, their family growing from three small children to nine over the decade. By 1926, their daughter Nora had married Patrick Fanning and the couple were still living at number 16 on the same road, in her parents' household — recorded in the Fanning section above.
Keane Edward & Margaret Kane
16 St Alphonsus Road, Waterford · March 1901
| Name | Role | Age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edward Kane | Head | 32 | Born Mountmellick, Queen's County |
| Margaret Kennedy | Wife | 28 | Born Co. Wexford |
| Patrick Keane | Son | 5 | Born Waterford |
| Nora Keane | Daughter | 3 | Born Waterford |
| Madge Keane | Daughter | 1 | Born Waterford |
What we learned
St Alphonsus Road was newly built around 1897–98; the Kanes are among its earliest residents. There are just three small children so far. Nora, age 3, will grow up to marry Patrick Fanning and become Mavis's mother. By 1926 Patrick and Nora will still be at number 16 — in the same household as Nora's parents, Edward and Margaret.
Keane Edward & Margaret Kane
16 St Alphonsus Road, Waterford · April 1911
| Name | Role | Age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edward Kane | Head | 44 | Born Mountmellick, Queen's County |
| Margaret Kennedy | Wife | 40 | Born Co. Wexford |
| Patrick Keane | Son | 16 | — |
| Nora Keane | Daughter | 14 | Scholar |
| Madge Keane | Daughter | 12 | Scholar |
| Kathleen Keane | Daughter | 10 | Scholar |
| Jack Keane | Son | 6 | Scholar |
| Ned Keane | Son | 4 | — |
| Christy Keane | Son | 0 | Newborn |
What we learned
The household has grown from three children in 1901 to seven, ranging from Paddy (16) to baby Christy — nine people in all including Edward and Margaret. Nora, 14, will marry Patrick Fanning in 1921. The St Alphonsus Road address runs through all three censuses: the Kanes at number 16 in 1901 and 1911, then Patrick and Nora Fanning still at number 16, in Nora's parents' household, in 1926.
How the census was searched
The 1901 and 1911 census data is drawn directly from Colm Long's research — he used both returns extensively in tracing the family, and the details recorded here reflect his findings as published in the two volumes. The original returns for both years are available at nationalarchives.ie.
The 1926 census data was accessed via the National Archives of Ireland API (nationalarchives.ie), released on 18 April 2026. Each household was found by searching for known surnames and first names, then matched to the family using age, address, marriage duration, number of children, and birthplace county. Where a birthplace matched a distinctive location — Mountmellick for Edward Kane, Kilmacow for Daniel O'Neill — this was used as a confirming detail.
All census results have been added as research notes to the relevant person records in the data. The original scanned census forms are available on the National Archives website.