1926 irish census for northern ireland

1926 Census For Northern Ireland Get ready! The 1926 Census for the Republic of Ireland is coming (online and free) in April 2026. For genealogists, census records are an absolute goldmine. At present, the 1926 census is stored in 1,344 boxes, containing over 700,000 return sheets. The returns are laced together in 2,464 canvas portfolios each representing an enumeration area within each of the 26 counties. Sadly, for those who are researching Northern Ireland, the story is much different.

The 1926 Census records for Northern Ireland were lost or destroyed likely during WWII. The six counties were surveyed at the same time as the Republic, but those valuable records have been lost. Sorry guys. Dr Eamon Phoenix, who researched the records, said the destruction of the census during war-time was also not totally surprising. He said: "There was a great move on during the War to use metal railings to recycle them for armaments, for example. "Waste paper was to be destroyed, it was a fire risk in the Second World War and of course Belfast was famously blitzed in 1941. "So one theory is that after the Blitz, when 1,000 people died and the centre of the city was ravaged by the Luftwaffe, an order went out from someone saying 'look burn anything that's a fire risk' and someone perhaps in the Registrar General's office destroyed it." There was no census taken in 1921 due to the unrest of the country during the War of Independence. So we do not have a census picture of Northern Ireland post separation. Until, the next census for Northern Ireland which will be for which will be 1937 which will be released in 2037. Wait for it! 

Myth becomes sad truth The long-held belief that the 1926 census of Northern Ireland was destroyed has been confirmed as fact following a thorough investigation by the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. According to a report on the BBC Northern Ireland News website, the returns of the first census after the partition of Ireland were probably destroyed during World War II and, as such, were never transferred to PRONI for safe-keeping. Dr Phoenix said the destruction of the census during war-time was also not totally surprising. He said: "There was a great move on during the War to use metal railings to recycle them for armaments, for example. "Waste paper was to be destroyed, it was a fire risk in the Second World War and of course Belfast was famously blitzed in 1941. "So one theory is that after the Blitz, when 1,000 people died and the centre of the city was ravaged by the Luftwaffe, an order went out from someone saying 'look burn anything that's a fire risk' and someone perhaps in the Registrar General's office destroyed it."

The investigation was prompted by enquiries made by the Council of Irish Genealogical Organisations (CIGO) two years ago. The Republic of Ireland's new government had just pledged in its 2011 Programme for Government to bring about the early release of the Irish Free State's 1926 Census (something they seem to be performing a U-turn on) and so questions were asked in the hope of bringing about a dual release for the entire island. What a fantastic historical resource that would have been, with its first records of the population following partition. Sadly, we have been denied that resource*. The chance of early release of the 1926 census for Northern Ireland is to some extent mitigated by the survival of the 1939 National Register which notes all people living in NI in September of that year, just on the outbreak of war. Unlike census returns, this Register notes each person's date of birth, rather than just their age. Following successful lobbying by CIGO, data is available, free, to genealogists under the UK's Freedom of Information Act. Details of how to make such applications are available on PRONI.