Ireland has changed profoundly over the past century

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Pic: National Archives of Ireland

The National Archives have released the 1926 Census of Population records, covering almost 3 million people in the first census of the Irish Free State.

The release covers more than 700,000 household forms, recording details on almost 3 million people in the first census of the Irish Free State.

The CSO has marked the publication by comparing life in 1926 with the most recent census in 2022, highlighting major social and economic change over the past century.

In 1926, Ireland’s population stood at 2.97 million, compared to 5.15 million in 2022 an increase of 73%.

At the time, Cork accounted for around 12% of the national population, while Dublin made up 17%. By 2022, Dublin’s share had grown to 28%, while Cork’s stood at 11%.

Life expectancy has also risen dramatically, from around 57 years for men and 58 for women in 1926, to the early 80s today.

The CSO says the census shows a society once dominated by agriculture, with over half of all workers in farming, compared to just 4 percent today.

The records are now available to search online through the National Archives website, offering what’s being described as a major resource for anyone tracing Irish ancestry.