The 1926 Census returns are being released online in a landmark initiative that gives the public an insight into the lives of people living in Ireland 100 years ago.
Taken on 18 April 1926, the census was the first conducted after the establishment of the Irish Free State.
Director of the National Archives of Ireland Orlaith McBride said: “The 1926 Census marks an incredible moment in Irish history.
“We had just had a decade of revolution, upheaval and conflict.
“History records, the big moments, the big events in people’s lives but actually the census returns tell the stories and the colour of people’s lives across Ireland.”
Orlaith McBride says the census returns tell the stories and the colour of people’s lives
The 1926 Census recorded a population of 2,971,992, which was a drop of 5.3% from the previous 32 county 1911 Census.
Archivist Chloe Stapleton said she feels more people are interested in Irish history: ‘We’re having a bit of a cultural revival, and I feel like because these records are so personal and so close to home and family history, it makes them a lot more important.”
While census forms remain confidential for 100 years, the National Archives has undertaken the monumental task of digitising over 700,000 return sheets to make them available online.
From tomorrow, they will be accessible to genealogists, historians, and the public in Ireland and around the world on the National Archives website.
Watch our video to find out more about the 1926 Census.