'The Story of Us' 1926 Census exhibition to open in Navan

Meath is first stop for National Archive roadshow

Meath this week becomes the first county outside of the capital to host 'The Story of Us', a specially curated exhibition by the National Archive to accompany the launch of the 1926 Census records.

Local authorities were invited by the National Archives to host the exhibition which explores what life was like in the newly independent Ireland of 1926. Using contemporary documents and images, audio-visual displays and, above all, the census returns themselves, The Story of Us explores the 1926 census to present a picture of life in Ireland in 1926: from sport and entertainment to language, culture, religion, gender and the working lives of the inhabitants of the Irish Free State a century ago. It will be staged in St Mary's Community Centre, Navan, from Saturday 13th to Sunday 28th June, from 9am to 5pm daily.

Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Patrick O’Donovan, said: “The release of the Census 1926 has truly captured the public imagination and this exhibition allows people to better understand the Ireland of 1926.

“For people across Ireland, the 1926 Census has offered something deeply personal. It has allowed us all to step back in time and encounter our own families, neighbours and communities as they were almost a century ago."

Orlaith McBride, Director of the National Archives, added: “The exhibition has already been presented in Dublin, London and Boston where thousands of people enjoyed discovering more about Ireland in 1926. Census 1926 is not simply a historical document.

“It is a living national resource. It belongs not only to academic historians or archivists, but to the wider public.

“In the weeks since the launch and hopefully in the months and years ahead, people will search the census to discover grandparents and great-grandparents, trace migration and family connections, understand changing patterns of work and language, and explore the everyday realities of life in Ireland in 1926. This exhibition offers a further insight into that Ireland.”

The newly released records provide an unprecedented resource, allowing users to efficiently navigate detailed household returns from 1926 for the first time. Since its release, there have been over 40 million hits to the National Archives website. The preparation of the 1926 Census for public release has been a major project for the National Archives and the State, supported by a €5 million Government investment.

The initiative which took almost three years, saw the careful conservation, preservation, high resolution digitisation, and transcription of over 750,000 individual household and enumerator returns.

This week's Meath Chronicle features a special eight page publication to mark the opening of 'The Story of Us' exhibition in Navan this weekend, in partnership with Meath County Archive, Meath County Council.