Census 1926 - The Story of Us Exhibition Tour 

Kildare County Council is delighted to announce that Naas Library and Cultural Centre has been chosen as one of ten venues across the county to host an exhibition on the 1926 Census. The exhibition, which will take place in July, will feature engaging talks and events to mark this historic release of records.  

The National Archives and the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport have announced an exciting programme, including a touring exhibition in partnership with local authorities, which explores the reality of life in the newly independent Ireland, as revealed through the 1926 census. Using contemporary documents and images, audio-visual displays and the census returns, the ‘Story of Us’ presents a picture of life in 1926, from sport and entertainment to language, culture, religion, gender and the working lives of the inhabitants of the Irish Free State. 

The 1926 Census data will be published and made publicly available on Saturday, 18 April 2026. The National Archives of Ireland has digitised over 700,000 individual return sheets containing data from the 26 Republic of Ireland counties. It will provide a unique snapshot of life in Ireland as the first census undertaken following the foundation of the state. 

The census collected 21 data sets such as name, age, sex, marital status, religion, housing conditions and ability to speak Irish. Personal information entered on individual census forms can be published 100 years after a census is taken. 

On the night of 18 April 1926: 

• The population of Ireland was 2,971,992 with 49% female and 51% male. This demonstrated a 5.3% reduction since the previous census in 1911, which registered a population of 3,139,688. 

•   92.6% of the population was Catholic 

• 18.3% could speak Irish.  

• Of those employed, 51% were in agricultural occupations, 4% were fisherman, 14% were in manufacturing and 7% were domestic servants.   

More information on the exhibition and events taking place will be available via our social media channels and at https://kildarecoco.ie/library