Over 300 delegates to gather in Dublin Castle for a special conference to mark the historic release of the 1926 Census
- Published on: 4 June 2026
- Last updated on: 4 June 2026
National Archives holds one-day conference with Irish and international contributors to explore the 1926 Census
Over 300 delegates will gather today in Dublin Castle to participate in a one-day conference, Exploring the Census 1926, organised by the National Archives as part of its public engagement programme to accompany the release of the 1926 Census. The Exploring the Census 1926 Conference will bring together researchers, practitioners, and the wider heritage community to reflect on and celebrate the release of the Census 1926 by the National Archives.
The event offers a full-day programme that traces the journey of the census from its historical context and preparation for release to its public impact and future potential.
Across keynote lectures, thematic panels and discussions, the conference will explore the census as both a historical document and a contemporary resource.
Beginning with a framing of Ireland in 1926, the programme moves through a series of focused panels:
- Deepening our understanding of Irish society at the time
- Highlighting the extensive conservation, transcription and digitisation work undertaken to prepare the records
- Exploring the creative and public engagement initiatives developed around the release
- Demonstrating how innovative digital methodologies and tools support research and reshape our understanding of the past
The day concludes with consideration of what lies ahead, both for ongoing research using the Census 1926 and for the National Archives’ broader mission to preserve, interpret and share the archival record.
This conference aims not only to mark the significance of the Census 1926 release but also to foster conversation, collaboration and new perspectives across the archival, academic and cultural fields.
Contributors include Professor Gearóid O’Tuaithaigh, Professor Emeritus, University of Galway, Professor Luch Earner Byrne, Trinity College Dublin, Professor Marie Coleman, Queens University Belfast, economist David McWilliams, broadcaster Katie Hannon as well as genealogists, artists, documentary makers as well as the Census 1926 Team from the National Archives.
The conference will be officially opened by Minister Patrick O’Donovan, Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport.
President Catherine Connolly will also be in attendance.
Speaking at the conference today, Minister Patrick O’Donovan said:
I am delighted to be here today. Since its release over a month ago, the whole country and beyond has been captivated by the 1926 Census allowing us a snapshot of Ireland in 1926 as a new state establishing itself following a decade of revolution and upheaval. We have all learned so much about our own families, communities as well as the country more generally from the information in the census returns. I am delighted that the National Archives, in continuing its public engagement work to accompany the release, have organised this conference today. It provides a wonderful opportunity for people to explore and further deepen their understanding of Ireland in 1926.
Also speaking at the conference, Director of the National Archives, Orlaith McBride said:
Following our release of Census 1926, we hope this conference provides a further moment for historians, academics, archivists, genealogists and the interested public to explore the census journey from its historical context in 1926 to the complex technical and technological processes undertaken by the National Archives to enable its release as well as an exploration of its many uses for families, historians, researchers statisticians and the genealogy community. Census 1926 is a rich source of information to better understand people and places in Ireland in 1926. We hope this conference enables that.
ENDS
Editor’s Notes
- The National Archives Act 1986 established the National Archives and transferred to it the papers of the Public Record Office and the State Paper Office both of which were abolished. In 1992, the National Archives headquarters moved from the Four Courts to the former Jacob's biscuit factory in Bishop Street, Dublin 8.
- The National Archives preserves the memory of the State in the form of its written records. It acquires and protects Ireland’s public records, thereby ensuring their availability as a resource for all. These records relate to the social, cultural, economic and political history of the island of Ireland from the Middle Ages through to the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922 and into the modern era.
- On 18th April 2026 the National Archives released the 1926 Census. This was the first census of the Irish Free State. Over 750,000 digital images were released relating to a population of 2.9m people living in Ireland on 18th April 1926.
- The Census 1926 was funded by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport and is freely available via the National Archives website: www.nationalarchives.ie