Frequently asked questions

The 1901 and 1911 census of Ireland, public records that have been open to inspection for decades. We built our own dataset from them: every household is matched to the historic district and townland boundaries of the time and geocoded by us, and the artwork is ours. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Archives of Ireland.

The 1901 and 1911 censuses only, for the whole island of Ireland, all 32 counties. Earlier Irish censuses were almost entirely destroyed, so these two are the first complete surviving snapshots of every household in the country.

Made to order. Nothing is printed until you design it: the map, the household or surname, the border, symbol and layout are all yours. Each print is produced specifically for your order.

Yes. Every design can be bought as a digital download as well as a printed piece. Download links are emailed to you shortly after checkout, so you can print it locally or keep it on screen.

Your choice. Each design is available as an unframed fine art print, a Classic Frame, or a framed or unframed canvas. See the Framing page for what each option is made of and how it arrives.

Three ways. If you've already found the household on nationalarchives.ie, paste the record's link into the Discover page and we'll open the designer with that house filled in. If you know the surname and roughly where they lived, search the surname and narrow down by county, district and townland. If you only know the surname, search it and we'll map everywhere it appears in Ireland.

The census year, the map style and how far it zooms out, the Celtic border and symbol, the accent colour and the layout. The preview updates live as you go, and what you see is what gets printed.

The maps are built by matching historic census addresses to historic boundary records. Boundaries have been redrawn and renamed many times since, so a placement is a best match against the record rather than a surveyed address, and may occasionally be off. The names, ages and household details come straight from the census return.

Yes. The designer shows the full print at its final proportions, and the product page shows it in the size, paper and frame you pick before you add it to the basket. What you approve is what we send to print.

Orders go to print automatically from the artwork you approved at checkout, so please double-check spellings and the household you've picked. If you spot a mistake after ordering, email hello@census2art.com straight away and we'll do our best to catch it before production starts.

Email hello@census2art.com or use the contact form with the surname, place and what you're trying to achieve, and we'll help you find the record or set the design up for you.

Worldwide. Prints are made by our print partner, Prodigi, in the lab closest to you where possible, so most orders in Ireland, the UK, Europe and the US are printed locally rather than shipped across the sea.

Nothing. Delivery is free worldwide, and the price you see is the price you pay. Prices are shown in GBP, EUR or USD using the currency picker in the header, and include production and shipping.

Every print is made to order and typically arrives within 5 to 8 working days. Production and delivery times vary by destination and are confirmed at checkout. Digital downloads are emailed shortly after payment.

Yes. Once your print is dispatched, the tracking details are added to your order and emailed to you.

Because each print is personalised and made specifically for you, we don't accept change-of-mind returns once production has started. Under UK and EU consumer law, custom-made goods are exempt from the usual 14-day cancellation right. Anything that arrives damaged, faulty or not as you designed it is covered by the guarantee below.

Email hello@census2art.com with your order number and a photo and we'll reprint or refund it, no quibbles. That guarantee is not affected by the personalised-goods exemption above.

Enhanced Matte Art, a 200gsm museum-grade fine art paper with a smooth, non-reflective surface that suits the fine linework of the Celtic borders. Canvas prints are stretched by hand over a 38mm wooden stretcher bar, with the artwork wrapped around the edge.

The Classic Frame is a solid wooden moulding, 20mm wide and 22mm deep, in eight colours, with no mount so the print fills the frame edge to edge. It arrives ready to hang with a hook fitted. Canvas can be left plain or floated inside a slim wooden float frame that sits 53mm from the wall. The Framing page has diagrams and lifestyle shots of each.

Perspex is lighter, far less likely to break in transit, and just as clear. It's the standard glazing for framed prints shipped internationally, which is how ours travel.

Very close, but no print matches a backlit screen exactly. Matte paper reads a touch softer and warmer than a monitor, and screens themselves vary. The designer preview is sized and proportioned to the real print, so the overall look won't surprise you.

Searching doesn't need an account. The surname and place you search is logged against your session so we can see what people are looking for. When you order, we hold what's needed to fulfil it, and share your delivery details with Prodigi to print and post it. Full details are on the Legal page.

No. The 1901 and 1911 returns are historical public record, published by the National Archives of Ireland and freely searchable by anyone. We don't add anything about living people.

Email hello@census2art.com or use the contact form and we'll get back to you, usually within a working day.