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CENSUS2ART

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The records behind every print

Each print starts from a real census return. Here is what each census holds, how we keep it, and the rules we follow. Census2Art is not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Archives of Ireland.

1901and1911

All 32 counties. Census nights 31 March 1901 and 2 April 1911.

The only full censuses of the whole island to survive from before independence. Earlier returns were destroyed or pulped, so for most families these are the oldest household records there are.

About 8.7 million people across both years, with names, ages, relationships, occupations, religion, birthplace, literacy and marital status, as written on the night. The National Archives has made both free to search online since 2007 (1911) and 2009 (1901).

Can these records be used?
Yes. They are public records, open to inspection since 1961, and everyone listed has long since died, so they are historical record rather than personal data about living people.
Where does the data come from?
The National Archives of Ireland's transcriptions of each household return (Form A). We built our own dataset from them. The matching, place-finding and artwork are our own work.
Do you change anything?
Not in the record itself. Names, ages and answers stay as transcribed. We add a simplified search key for each surname and suggest spelling variants (Kelly and Kelley, say) that you can choose to include.
Do you keep copies of the original forms?
No. The scan is loaded from the National Archives when you open it, and every household links back to its record there.
How exact is the map?
Each household is matched to its district and, where we can, its townland. Boundaries have been redrawn many times since, so the placement is a best estimate from the historic boundary records available, not a surveyed address.
What do I pay for?
Only the print or digital artwork you order. Searching, browsing and reading household details need no account and no payment.

1926

The 26 counties. Census night 18 April 1926.

The first census of the Irish Free State, released by the National Archives on 18 April 2026 under the 100-year rule. It was the last full census for ten years, so it often finds a family between independence and emigration.

Around 2.97 million people. Alongside the familiar questions it asked about the Irish language, years married and how many children had been born, and you can add any of these to a print. It covers the Irish Free State only: Northern Ireland took its own census that year, and its household returns did not survive, so there are no 1926 house prints there.

What licence covers it?
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0, set by the National Archives of Ireland. It allows reuse, including commercial use, with credit. Our credit reads:Census of Ireland 1926, National Archives of Ireland, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Matched to historic boundaries by Census2Art.
What did you change?
We matched each household to a district and townland boundary, added surname search keys and spelling-variant suggestions, and turned placeholders such as "N/A" into empty fields. The answers themselves are as published.
Is it still free to see?
Yes, as the licence asks. Searching 1926 and reading a household here is free with no account. Only the print is paid for, and every household links to its record on the National Archives' own site.
Why are some answers missing?
The National Archives is releasing 1926 in stages, and some answers, such as occupation and employer, are not out yet. We add them as they arrive, and a column that is empty for a whole household is left off the print.
What happens when a record is corrected?
We refresh our copy from the National Archives, so their corrections, and any names they withhold, flow through. Each household keeps the same reference across refreshes, so saved designs keep working.
What if I'm in it?
Some people listed in 1926 are alive today. If you are one of them, or act for one, email hello@census2art.com and we'll talk it through with you.
How were the places matched?
To the same historic boundaries as 1901 and 1911, then checked against the National Archives' own 1926 district map. Where a 1926 district had no boundary of its own in our data, we added one. Placements remain a best estimate.
Why can't I find everyone in an institution?
Some residents were recorded by initials only. They stay in the household as published, but aren't listed in surname search.