A systematic government census of the Irish population was taken every 10 years between 1821 and 1911. The 1901 and 1911 censuses are the only surviving full censuses of Ireland open to the public. Both censuses cover the island of Ireland and were released to public inspection in 1961 and made available online in 2009.
No census was taken in 1921 due to the Irish War of Independence. The first census of the Irish Free State was taken in 1926.
In accordance with Section 35 of the Statistics Act, 1993 all census returns from 1926 onwards have been closed to the public for 100 years. The 100-year closure of census returns protects individual privacy, prevents misuse of sensitive data and complies with legal and ethical data protection standards.
The 1926 census will be released to researchers after 100 years.
The form below searches 1821, 1831, 1841, 1851 census data. To search 1901 and 1911 census data, please click here.
You can also search the census records by place, and view your ancestors’ neighbors, or get information about the place they lived in.
Court records are invaluable resources that provide insights into legal proceedings, decisions, and historical context.
The Chief Secretary’s Office Registered Papers (CSO/RP) consists of correspondence received between 1818 and 1924 by the office of the Chief Secretary, which oversaw the administration of Ireland following the Act of Union in 1800.
