LISTEN: 'I am going to have three grandparents in Census 1926'
The 1926 Census which will be released on April 18 is something very special indeed
On Saturday, April 18, the National Archives will release the 1926 Census.
The record of 700,000 individual household returns will be freely available and fully searchable online.
This census is the first one we have from when Ireland became a republic.
But that’s not the only reason this moment in Irish history is so important.
To explain more, we sat down with Historian and Genealogist with Ancestry, Dr Jennifer Doyle, to find out why this census is special and why you should get started building your family tree.
“1926 is such a pivotal moment and the perfect time to get into your family history because nearly everyone is going to have someone in living memory that will be in this census.
“I am going to have three grandparents in it, which I’m really excited to see.
“One of my grandfathers only died within the last 15 years, and it’s quite exciting to see him as a 10-year-old boy when I remember him as an old grey man,” said Dr Doyle.
But the census of 1926 won’t just give you a glimpse into the early lives of the people you love, but also those people and places they loved.
And according to Dr Doyle, it gives you a “sense of place and connection” that might just tell you a bit more about you and where you call home.
“It’s building the tree. It is creating this story that identifies your family from all the other families.
"My name is Doyle, but throw a stone in Ireland and you will hit a Doyle. But how do I know which Doyles my Doyles are, and that’s where the tree comes in.
“In Waterford, you might see this exodus from the country into Dungarvan and into Waterford City.
"It will show you these connections. You might say I’m from Waterford City, but we have moved from this townland in the north of the county and this is the church they grew up in which connects to the graveyard.
“I think that’s what people get from family history. It could be a sense of identity as well, that I am solidly Waterford, which is always good to know, but it’s a sense of place and a sense of that place in Irish history,” said Dr Doyle.
Keep an eye on www.waterford-news.ie for the full audio interview with Dr Jennifer Doyle.
Ancestry.com gives people access to 86 billion records, which include census data, military records, newspapers and more.
They operate a DNA database of 27 million people around the world and kits are available to order online.
Petty session records and an Irish Roman Catholic Register were some of the examples from Waterford shown to the Waterford News and Star.
We also saw a dog license register from Carlow.
Bet you would never think of looking for that.
The Department of Culture, Communications and Sport have announced, in honour of the release, 48 people who were born between 1920 and 1926, and who are still alive today, have been chosen as centenary ambassadors.
The ambassadors are from counties across Ireland as well as representatives of the diaspora in the US, Canada, Britain and Australia.
Their first-hand personal experience will be told on video and picture story and held at the National Archives.
Each ambassador has also been presented with a specially-designed commemorative mug and certificate.
The Waterford ambassador is Bridget Keating.
From June, the National Archives is to take the 1926 census on tour to 10 counties, including Waterford.
The Waterford exhibition will take place from August 1 to 20.
The 1926 Census really is something very special.
If you discover a story from your family, community or the place you call home, please let us know and maybe it will appear in print.
Anyone who wants to get in touch can send their story to Shannon.sweeney@waterford-news.com.
