Release Date for 1926 Census !UPDATE!

Ozymandius2011 · 07-02-2026 11:28PM

There have always been allegations about why it was not published for 100 years. Things like violent changes of land ownership during the War of Independence and Civil War, maybe fears of litigation?

Jellybaby_1 · 08-02-2026 12:31AM

A second land grab? 🤐

L1011 · 08-02-2026 01:23AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124216292#Comment_124216292

I imagine a reasonable % have emigrated, but I'd still consider 2000 to be an over estimate

I also consider this a needless waste of time. Its a public record with a defined open date. 1950 US census is long out with likely millions alive.

pinkypinky · 08-02-2026 02:54PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124216300#Comment_124216300

I think this is why they claim not to have released the Land Commission records but not the census. Many countries including our nearest neighbour also have 100 year seals on censuses. I'd love to see it be reduced but given that people are living longer, it's very unlikely.

dxhound2005 · 18-03-2026 02:21PM

The National Archive says there are 1,200 still alive.

https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22593487/

Hermy · 08-04-2026 04:11PM

Ten days to go - can't wait!!

CassieManson · 09-04-2026 09:58AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124372976#Comment_124372976

By mistake I agreed to go away that weekend! Now all I want to do is to spend the whole weekend in front of my computer! 😣

ollaetta · 09-04-2026 10:13AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124375058#Comment_124375058

I really fear that there will be so many people trying to access the site that it will spend most of the early days crashing. Hopefully, they will have anticipated that and that I'm wrong.

pinkypinky · 09-04-2026 06:40PM

They absolutely have anticipated it, but whether they have enough planned to migitate is another matter!

9 days now!

Jellybaby_1 · 10-04-2026 08:33PM

This is beginning to sound like the countdown at NASA!! 😄 But I'm just as excited!!

pinkypinky · 10-04-2026 10:14PM

This is better than space exploration.

One week!

Alfaguy · 13-04-2026 08:26AM

Yes it has been a long wait for it. Only 5 days left now. My Dad would have been three in 1926 and I gleaned a lot of information on my family history already from the 1911 census so I am sure 1926 will reveal even more. Must do more study of the 1901 census too.

But - but - but when are they going to release the 1936 census. Who cares about that silly 100 year rule anyway?

Hermy · 13-04-2026 09:00AM

I dare say a lot of people care about the 100 year rule and I don't think it's silly at all.

What is it about the 1936 census that interests you?

magicbastarder · 13-04-2026 09:06AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124390462#Comment_124390462

But - but - but when are they going to release the 1936 census.

a stab in the dark - april 2036?

Alfaguy · 13-04-2026 09:54AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124390551#Comment_124390551

A bit of my wry humor at work there. 😉

Hermy · 13-04-2026 10:07AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124390696#Comment_124390696

Went right over my head!😊

cobham · 13-04-2026 12:22PM

I did not realise there was no census in Ireland for 1931 and 1941.

L1011 · 13-04-2026 12:45PM

There was a huge effort to see if they could work around the 100 year rule for the '26 census, and the answer was no; so don't ever expect any other ones to be released before 100 years.

1901 and 1911 were covered by different legislation.

whosedaddy? · 13-04-2026 01:18PM

Article about 1926 census on RTE.ie.
“From paper to pixels, how the 1926 Census was brought to life”

https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2026/0413/1566263-1926-census-national-archives-conservation-digital-records/

Kalimah · 13-04-2026 01:30PM

I'll be online having a look the minute it's up online. I've been fascinated by genealogy since I was a teenager. I went into the Public Record Office in 1985 (in my early 20s) to have a look at the 1901 census. My grandfather who was in his early 80s at the time was tickled pink when I told him about about HIS grandfather( born 1847) and his family's neighbours. All of the census forms (blue as far as I remember) were bound in huge volumes in house number order.

One absolutely invaluable resource was having all four grandparents alive until I was in my 20s and that my great grandfather had a family bible that I saw which had births, marriages and deaths going back to the 1840s. They were all accurate to the date.

My daughter says I'm stalking my ancestors!

Mick Tator · 13-04-2026 02:42PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124391211#Comment_124391211

Yes, the 1901 and 1911 were covered by different legislation, but it was transposed into Irish Free State law +/- verbatim by Article 73 of the 1922 Constitution. (It provided that all laws in force in Ireland immediately prior to the date of the Constitution’s operation would continue to be of full force and effect.) From memory, the issue about early release some years ago was that censuses were completed on the basis of the 100 year rule and if there was a legislative attempt to annul that, it could/would be successfully challenged on legal grounds. There also was a fear that it would have a negative impact on obtaining data & completion for future censuses

The only way around it would be to legislate for the census on the basis a shorter e.g. 75 year rule timeframe. Frankly I don’t see that being worthwhile henceforth as social media over the last decade will ensure that there is too much available!

Frankly, there will not be much for me in the new Census release; what I need are the images of the earliest BMDs.

Hermy · 13-04-2026 03:55PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124391143#Comment_124391143

I'm not sure that that's the case.

From the National Archives -

Subsequent censuses were conducted in:
1926, 1936, 1946, 1951, 1956, 1961, 1966, 1971, 1979 (note: the 1976 census was cancelled as an economy measure), 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2002 and 2006.

55Gem · 13-04-2026 03:59PM

We all know the date but do we know the time it goes online, will it be 12.01am?

I was going over my trees last week checking I hadn't missed any of this years release from Irish Genealogy and it was great to think on those people who just seem to disappear "I'll wait and check if they are on the 1926."

Hermy · 13-04-2026 04:45PM

Last year I discovered an NPE in my tree.

Through DNA and help from the child's granddaughter we have been able to identify the parents of the child but I still have no idea why the child was raised by a married couple in my tree.

Unfortunately the child was born just a few short months after the census was taken but I'm still hopeful that it may provide a clue as to why she was raised in Rathmines though she appears to have no connection to that area or the people who raised her there.

Does anyone else have similar little mysteries that they are hoping the 1926 census might resolve?

pinkypinky · 13-04-2026 05:26PM

I have a few mysteries for clients, but not expecting any personally.

L1011 · 13-04-2026 06:32PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124391928#Comment_124391928

I'm very much hoping that I can beat some information out of it on various female relatives that vanish, presumably due to marriage and taking a husbands name. Either find them still unmarried or be able to look for women in the right age range, first name and birthplace to try isolate marriage certs.

Jellybaby_1 · 13-04-2026 07:40PM

I had an aunt who lived in England, I never knew her, she's long dead now, but I've never discovered her marriage in Ireland or UK. The 1926 Census may tell me if she was still single at home, or married living with her husband elsewhere here. To be honest I'm not holding my breath, but it's just one of those agravating mysteries that plague genealogy.

Mullinabreena · 14-04-2026 09:06AM

Anyone know what kind of information will be available on the 1926 census? Take for example the 1851 census where the parents along with the mothers maiden name was recorded? Or will it be similar to 1901 and 1911?

CassieManson · 14-04-2026 12:24PM

Just saw this…looks interesting.

https://nationalarchives.ie/engage-and-learn/census-1926-public-programme/the-census-1926-exhibition-tour/

CassieManson · 14-04-2026 12:28PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124393511#Comment_124393511

This was posted here a while back

1926examples.pdf

Release Date for 1926 Census !UPDATE!

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