The old age pension was introduced in Ireland in 1909 for people over the age of 70. However, because civil (government) registration of births did not begin until 1864 those eligible for a pension often had no way to prove their age. Officials searched the 1841 and 1851 census to determine if an applicant was eligible for a pension although not all applications using the census as proof were accepted.

The pension was 5 shillings for a single person and 7 shillings for a married couple.