I read about these census extractions for Old Age Pension applications many years ago. On a trip to Dublin in 1997, I looked at them at the National Archives in Dublin. At the time (nearly 8 years ago), that was the only place to view them. They were somewhat difficult to figure out without much guidance. I seem to recall that some part was on fiche or in books out on a counter in the National Archives, but that there were layers I went through until I got to the pension records themselves (which were perhaps on microfilm - can't recall). I do not have access to my old notebook from that trip at the moment, and I am a bit fuzzy on those details from that long ago. I do recall reading files where the pension people could NOT find the person filing the pension claim. I recall reading details about the family provided by the applicant, even if the family was not located, so I don't think the original records are only for successful applications. Sometimes the extraction for a family with the same surname in the same area was listed, but it did not show the person claiming the pension, who perhaps had not been born yet (that was the conclusion of the pension office anyway). So "unsuccessful" application also provided information taht could be of use to genealogists. Plus, they were interesting to read. I do recall I was very disappointed at the small number of them in existence. At the time, I did not know where any of my families were from in Ireland, so I was mainly fishing for familiar surnames, particularly looking for references to QUEENEY in Galway and Roscommon (which I don't think I found). [By the way, I have never been able to prove where my QUEENEY-FARRELL family came from, despite the high number of Queeneys in Galway and Roscommon, and have since been focussed more on the Tipperary-Laois area because of other clues.] But I should go back and examine these records again for other families, now that I know particular places where some of them were residing. So, thanks to Cathy or whoever started this thread about Old Age Pension for reminding me about that and for calling attention to the new (compared to 1997) resources available for them. Geralyn Wood Barry in Oregon At 10:34 AM 2/4/05, you wrote: >There is an interest in the 1841/51 census abstracts on one of the other >Irish Lists,so I thought I'd just repost this one ,which I wrote about 2 >years >ago,in case it might help someone. > >I got this info from Josephine Masterson's book >Ireland: 1841/51 census abstracts (Republic of Ireland) > >ISBN 0806315865 >Baltimore Genealogical Pub.Co, c 1999 >I strongly suggest you read the whole catalogue entry before you order any >films. There were very few surviving entries for the Republic. >If anyone has/does order any of these films,would love to hear about it.