1926 Irish Free State Census Published After 100 Years; Population 2,971,992
Ireland's 1926 census, taken on April 18 and recording a population of 2,971,992, has been published after 100 years. The census reveals that 92.6% of the population was Catholic and 18.3% spoke Irish. After a three-year project, the digitized records are now available online via the National Archives.
The first census of the Irish Free State, conducted in 1926, has been officially published after 100 years. The records were made available to the public at midnight, following the expiration of the 100-year limitation on their publication under the Statistics Act 1993. A state function at Dublin Castle will mark the publication this afternoon.
The National Archives stated that the census, taken on 18 April 1926, provides "a detailed snapshot of life" in Ireland during that period. The 1926 Irish census recorded a population of 2,971,992, a decrease of 5.3% from the 1911 census. Insights from the census reveal that in 1926, 92.6% of the Irish population in 26 counties was Catholic, and 18.3% spoke Irish.
The data, currently controlled by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), has been transferred to the National Archives. Census 1926 is stored in 1,299 boxes, containing over 700,000 return sheets.
The preparation of the 1926 Census for public release was a major project for the National Archives and the State, taking almost three years to complete. The census was conserved and digitised, with the data of over 750,000 household and enumerator returns processed. The census can be searched online.