RootsChat.Com
Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland Resources => Topic started by: Jon_ni on Thursday 08 January 26 09:22 GMT (UK)
-
The 1926 Census of the Irish Free State (the 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland) is due to be released free online on 18th April, one hundred years after collection. Advertising is beginning to appear.
Example images of the householder and enumerator forms and a video on the digitisation preparation work, are now available on
https://nationalarchives.ie/engage-and-learn/census-1926-public-programme/census-1926-digitisation-project
I suspect initially at least it will only be accessible on NAI’s new website, and not via any subscription sites (so no hints from Ancestry etc for those used to relying heavily on it to infill entries in trees). Will need to manually search, enter the initial data, then refine adding additional parameters.
https://nationalarchives.ie/collections/search-the-census
Transcription has been conducted by computer OCR of the handwriting; there will presumably be a record error reporting facility for individuals as on the 1901/1911. Error corrections will assist future searches by others.
Birthplace includes name of townland or town, not just county, age is in years and months and occupation includes name and business of employer. Thus, some of the aspects of the 1921 census of England and Wales are incorporated, whilst still retaining the 1911 years married question, and actually expanding on questions relating to numbers of children, by asking married men, widows and widowers about number of living children and step-children under 16.
The Census indexing consists of 21 data sets, 13 from the Household Returns (A Form) and 8 from the Enumerator Returns (B Form). All searchable. Blank copies of these forms are viewable.
Unlike the 1901 & 1911 when older microfilm photographs taken by the LDS were converted, transcribed and indexed by Library and Archives Canada, the 1926 has been scanned in colour using modern technology, by NAI, from scratch.
The 1926 Census of Northern Ireland was conducted separately and does not survive, thought to be destroyed or pulped WW2 as a fire hazard after the Belfast Blitz. For N.I the next census after 1911 will be the 1937, not due for release until 28 Feb 2037.
Starting the topic to gather other's knowledge, thoughts and feedback before it goes live.
-
The Garda Síochána were the Enumerators for the 1926 census, distributing and collecting the Family Schedules to every household.
Their Instructions are Appendix C of Volume 10 of the Census Report.
Appendix B has the Householder's Instructions on conpletion + examples.
Chapter 1 Introduction: summarises all historical census followed by background on the 1926 collection & data extraction.
https://www.cso.ie/en/census/censusvolumes1926to1991/historicalreports/census1926reports/census1926volume10-generalreports/
-
The summary reports for the 1926 Northern Ireland census and indeed all NI censuses since partition (and those for all Ireland pre partition) are available on the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency website:
https://www.nisra.gov.uk/statistics/census/2011-and-earlier-censuses
-
The summary reports for the 1926 Northern Ireland census and indeed all NI censuses since partition (and those for all Ireland pre partition) are available on the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency website:
The 1911 and older are not hosted on the NISA site, rather weblinks to the flaky HistPop - 19 times out of 20 I get a "web service is too busy at the moment. Please try again later." error.
The CSO site also directs you to Histpop for 1821-1911 reports. https://www.cso.ie/en/census/censusreports1821-2006
-
The summary reports for the 1926 Northern Ireland census and indeed all NI censuses since partition (and those for all Ireland pre partition) are available on the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency website:
https://www.nisra.gov.uk/statistics/census/2011-and-earlier-censuses
I see that you've edited your post again :-\
Earlier you commented about Protestants were now advised to state denomination but that was no different than earlier years. See here for sample of 1911 page regarding religion-
https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai000019402/
-
Denomination/religion column as you say no different 1926 to 1901/1911.
https://nationalarchives.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Blank_4842_0005_0001_0_00001.pdf
(p) Area of Holding in the right margin of the typed example below is bottom left box on the blank return adjacent to the Head of Household's signature.
-
I was asked elsewhere if I knew how house numbers in towns were going to be indexed and presented in the 1926.
"will house numbers will be correct to the postal address on this census? On previous returns the houses were numbered in order of visitation by the enumerator rather than by street number."
My initial thought was as houses were unnumbered and side roads unnamed in rural areas (only postal address the Townland) it would still be by Enumerators visitation in towns also.
The Enumerators Instructions may say something about numbering on forms, I did read they were allocated an area and could do it any way they wished.
The NAI video says they used sheet feed scanners to capture both sides at the same time but the 1926 Householders return was English one side, Irish the other.
Memorandum A was issued to all households which consisted of detailed instructions and the example completed return image (above). There was no sign of that being bound or scanned. [it was not collected]
So where might house number appear? They were on the other side of the householders return A on the 1901 & 1911 (though the 1901 reverse side was rarely microfilmed).
Turning to the blank forms - they have squeezed a table, to be completed by the Enumerator, of house number, Townland etc onto both the English and Irish sides of the Household Form A at the right. There is a No. of Schedule box too!
Neither house number nor Schedule number are mentioned as specific indexed fields/datasets.
The Enumerator was asked to familiarise himself with his list of townlands or streets via maps & if a 'town' (cluster of 20 or more houses) to go over the ground beforehand. He was to complete the right hand Form A box before commencing any deliveries.
Column 1 of the Enumerator's House & Building Return Form B is entitled "Postal Number, Name, etc., of House (if any). That may be another place to look but again is not listed as an indexed field. Column 12 is 'Number of Schedule as given on Form A'.
Page 4 of the Enumerator's Instructions shows a completed Form B example (for a town).
We will have to wait and see what appears.
https://nationalarchives.ie/collections/search-the-census/about-the-census-collections/census-1926
comparison image of Householders 1926 and 1911 for "Street, &c with No. of House" attached
-
Enumeration of streets & towns etc.
The Schedule number on Form A was to be entered in the box the night after collection (or as soon as all were collected, QC'd and missing data gathered) such that they matched his Form B's. He then had to sign & order all the A returns in bundles, inserting the form B's at the start of each Street or Townland and binding them so they were consecutive front to back Schedule 1 to Schedule 294 or whatever.
Names and house numbers weren't really of interest to them when it came to enter then process the data via punched cards for the purpose of population statistics / demographics. Only asked to try to ensure everyone in houses and households were listed and no areas missed. The census was a study of the living population at the time of collection, with privacy guarentees to householders against public release (Statistics Act, 1926). That was modified 1993 permitting our genealogical use 100 years later.
-
Some feedback March 4, 2026 from John Grenham who has been involved in user-testing the 1926 census of the Irish Free State on the new format National Archives of Ireland census website (2025 version with the 1911 & 1901).
https://johngrenham.com/blog/2026/03/04/the-1926-census-wait-till-you-see-the
"NAI are doing a splendid job on the digitisation: I’m limited in what I can say. Just that the checking of their holdings is waaay more systematic than for the 1901 and 1911. No more DEDs or townlands gone AWOL"
"no special school/hospital/prison/barracks forms"
"For me, the most important is an exact place of birth for everyone listed, a wonderful piece of evidence, especially for people who had migrated to a city"
Assume the redactions he refers to are for the centurians alive who have specifically reqested their entries obscured under GDPR (the rest of the household will appear). Per his title we have to wait and see, but if so they are redacted whilst the remainder of the family show.
https://nationalarchives.ie/engage-and-learn/census-1926-public-programme/what-you-need-to-know-about-your-information-in-the-1926-census
-
10 days after release:
1926 Census of the Irish Free State streamed by The National Archives (England)
Online event Tuesday, Apr 28, 2026 at 7:30 pm GMT+1 live-streamed on Vimeo
https://nationalarchives.gov.uk/whats-on/events/1926
This presentation will guide users through key search tools, browsing options, and the custom map and dashboard features, while outlining the census’s distinctive elements, bilingual forms, redesigned household questions and a universal Form A covering families, institutions and military populations. It will also highlight rich data on language, occupation, employer and agricultural acreage,
fairly hefty ledgers when see being carried around
https://facebook.com/reel/1039380829255555
-
For ease here and elsewhere the Link to Record can be shortened from that captured to clipboard from your search inputs, after the # seem to just need the a_id=1234567 eg
https://nationalarchives.ie/collections/search-the-1926-census/census-record/#surname__icontains=kennedy&first_name__icontains=thomas&county=Monaghan&ded__icontains=Anny&limit=30&a_id=1875327
to
https://nationalarchives.ie/collections/search-the-1926-census/census-record/#a_id=1875327
Numbers are sequential for the household ie wife is #a_id=1875328 followed by children etc.
-
A very welcome tip, Jon_ni :)
Just tried it myself and it works.
Well done :)
https://nationalarchives.ie/collections/search-the-1926-census/census-record/#a_id=1717668
-
Re Reply 8 John Grenham wait till you see the ___ Wonder if he was referring to the N/A's.
I was looking for someone born 28 Jun 1917 but his age of 8 yrs 9 months is transcribed as N/A, as are 2 others on the form (3 out of the household of 7). There were in his birth Townland.
https://nationalarchives.ie/collections/search-the-1926-census/census-record/#a_id=1875772
Husband, aged 1 yet married - as was 38yrs 11 mths, interesting the Head of House & wiife's rows are left blank, perhaps they were visiting relatives in N.I. Head supposedly signed in the bottom signature section but doesn't match 1911/1901. His name appears as Head of Family for Schedule #37 on the Enumerator's B1 Form.
https://nationalarchives.ie/collections/search-the-1926-census/census-record/#a_id=1865089
On the previous Kennedy household the Head of House has N/A for his Religious Denomination whilst that is filled in on the form.
NAI say a computer did the transcriptions of the English returns whilst the ones in Irish were manually transcribed, and there is a Phased release, perhaps why the Relationship to Head and Birthplace/County fields are missing.
NAI "Checking of the data is ongoing and regular updates will be made. This may include corrections to names, age, religion, birthplace and relationship to head"
https://nationalarchives.ie/search-the-1926-census-2/phased-release-of-census-1926-information also per FAQ no error reporting facility offered. Documented above errors partly so can come back later and check for transcription index changes, some are to be expected, and at the moment only looking for people I know the whereabouts of from civil records. N/A's for age more problematical than denomination or marital status, coming across more as use.
Searching the 1911/1901 on new site is currently troublesome/failing with a NetworkError (the old fine) and IrishGen has been slow & flaky for searches and opening results I noticed today. Whilst the 1926 is fine these are perhaps side effects of the volume of current traffic.
-
Tuesday, 21 Apr 2026
Members of the public have been told that they can report any possible transcription issues in relation to the 1926 Census through the 'Contact Us' form on the National Archives website.
In a statement, the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport said many had already done so, since the 1926 Census went live.
"We appreciate these notifications, as they are helpful in identifying entries where handwriting, spelling variations, or other factors may have led to uncertainty during transcription," the statement said.
https://rte.ie/news/2026/0421/1569415-census-transcription-issues
NAI have updated their FAQ page:
If you notice a possible transcription error, you can let us know through the Contact Us form on our website. Please select the category “Census 1926 – Transcription” and include the county, DED, townland, and the type of error you believe you’ve found (for example, a misspelt name or an incorrect age). This information helps us review and address issues as efficiently as possible.
Link to Contact us appears at bottom of search page
https://nationalarchives.ie/collections/search-the-1926-census
misspelt name in that the transcription differs from that written on the form, and ages indexed differ from what is written on the 1926 form. Incorrect information written in pen on the 1926 household return will not be amended to match other documents (birth/baptism/marriage etc) or current family spellings of surnames.
-
1926 Census now available on Ancestry
https://ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/63564
See Claire Bradley's review https://cbgenealogy.ie/1926-already-on-ancestry
Note on the TNA presentation 28 April 2026 it was stated that the first NAI database upload with corrections to some errors and adding a few missing Building Returns for areas of Dublin will occur very soon, and be announced. It is a progressive piece of work. Errors reported are being logged into an Excel spreadsheet.
-
Updates to the 1926 Census database. NAI Facebook post.
"We’ve just rolled out a major update to make the records even more accurate and complete."
What’s new:
• Fixes from internal checks
• Verified transcription updates sent in by the public
• Redactions for people aged 100+ who asked not to have their details shown
• Improved mapping for institutions
• Approximately 1,400 previously missing individuals added to the database
Still in progress: We’re continuing to review public transcription corrections. If you’ve submitted one and don’t see it yet, it’s still in the queue – thanks for your patience.
Revisit the 1926 Census to access the most up-to-date version of the records.
https://nationalarchives.ie/collections/search-the-1926-census/recent-updates-to-the-1926-census-database
FAQ has also been updated with a comment on missing census returns in Dublin.
Approximately 1,500 individuals are missing from the District Electoral Division of Merchant’s Quay around the area between the Tenters and Dufferin Avenue to the South Circular Road. The National Archives has carried out a number of checks of this area, and surrounding areas, in an attempt to locate the missing household returns, but without success. It is likely these returns do not survive.
https://nationalarchives.ie/search-the-1926-census-2/frequently-asked-questions/
-
Also available on FindMyPast : https://search.findmypast.ie/search-world-records/ireland-census-1926 (https://search.findmypast.ie/search-world-records/ireland-census-1926)
You can add an additional name to a search to narrow results, e.g. husband, wife or child's first name
-
Also on the UK site:
https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-records/ireland-census-1926
-
Nice to see, unlike Ancestry, they linked the NAI person record id as well as the household return pdf.
About & Modifications show Findmypast standardised the data and cleaned some erroneous fields such as people married 100 years.
One might hope that during the phased release NAI intend using an algorithm to assist their OCR data QC, so it flags wives or husbands aged under 14 eg a silly 1, and the many N/A's where the OCR has failed to transcribe age, relation to head or religious denomination etc.
-
Also on the UK site:
https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-records/ireland-census-1926
and the Australian site (https://search.findmypast.com.au/search-world-records/ireland-census-1926) and the US site (https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/ireland-census-1926).. you can search the recordset with a free account on all
-
NAI Error Reporting facility added to all people so suggested corrections can be input/made directly rather than by form or email submission.
FAQ: New feature in development
We are developing a new feature that will allow the public to submit transcription updates directly, like the system used on the 1901/1911 Census pages. This tool will:
ask users for the key information needed to review a correction
automatically include a link to the relevant census record
streamline how updates are submitted, reviewed, and applied.
Appears as the blue button Request an update on Single Record views (not on the household view).