A Century On: Ireland’s 1926 Census Is Now Online

For anyone with Irish roots, 2026 has brought one of the most exciting releases in years. On 18 April 2026, the National Archives of Ireland released the 1926 census online, free of charge, opening a window onto the lives of nearly three million people.

Why 1926 matters

Census returns in Ireland stay closed for 100 years to protect privacy, so this release has been a long time coming. It is also historically unique: it was the first national count carried out by the independent Irish Free State after its formation in 1922.

For family historians, it fills a major gap. Until now, the most recent Irish census open to researchers was 1911, leaving a 15-year stretch of war, revolution, emigration, and independence without a household-level snapshot.

What you can find

More than 700,000 return sheets were digitised, and the entire census is fully searchable online. Returns record age, occupation, religion, and birthplace, and for the first time they include details of employers. That makes it easier to place an ancestor in their working life and community.

A record-breaking response

Demand has been extraordinary: the National Archives recorded 20 million hits on its website over the first weekend. The project was backed by a €5 million government investment. The release also came with 48 “Centenarian Ambassadors”, people who were alive when the census was taken and who contacted the National Archives.

What this means for Treethorpe

Irish research has been a part of Treethorpe’s work, and it is often one of the most challenging areas of the family tree. The 1926 census gives our researchers a powerful new source for confirming family relationships, tracing relatives who stayed in Ireland or emigrated, and bridging the gap between the 1911 census and later civil records. We are already incorporating it into our research. It will help us identify and trace rightful heirs and beneficiaries with even greater accuracy.