Census exhibition to visit Mullingar later this year
A travelling exhibition exploring life in Ireland almost a century ago is set to arrive in Mullingar later this summer as part of a nationwide tour marking the release of the 1926 Census records.
The National Archives has announced that its exhibition, The Story of Us, will be displayed at the Westmeath County Council Buildings from August 25 to September 11.
The exhibition forms part of a public engagement programme developed to accompany the publication of Census 1926, which was released online by the National Archives in April. The records, which have attracted huge public interest, provide a detailed snapshot of life in the Irish Free State and have enabled people across the country to trace family histories and discover how their ancestors lived.
Using original documents, photographs, audio-visual displays and census returns, The Story of Us examines everyday life in Ireland in 1926.
Topics explored include work, religion, language, culture, sport and entertainment, providing visitors with an insight into the lives of people living in the newly independent state.
Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Patrick O’Donovan said the release of the census had “captured the public imagination” and allowed people to connect with their own families and community histories.
“For people across Ireland, the 1926 Census has offered something deeply personal,” he said. “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.”
National Archives director Orlaith McBride said the exhibition had already attracted thousands of visitors in Dublin, London and Boston and would now bring the story of Ireland in 1926 to communities around the country.
The 1926 Census was made freely available and fully searchable by the National Archives on April 18. Since its release, the National Archives website has recorded more than 40 million hits.
The Westmeath stop will be one of 11 venues on the national tour, which also includes a display at the National Ploughing Championships in Screggan in September.