Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI), the accrediting and representative body for professional genealogists on the island of Ireland, has released the second publication in its Irish Census Records series, "1901 Census of Ireland: A Guide for Family History Researchers.
The 1901 Census is the earliest surviving complete census for the entire island of Ireland. With earlier census records lost in the 1922 Public Record Office fire or destroyed after statistical compilation, the 1901 returns provide an invaluable window into Irish life at the turn of the 20th century.
"The 1901 Census is often the cornerstone for anyone tracing Irish ancestry," said Michael Walsh, President of AGI.
"It fills the critical void left by earlier lost records and captures how people lived in Ireland's final years before independence."
The new AGI guide details what researchers can find, including names, ages, occupations, religion, literacy, Irish language ability, and housing conditions.
Taken on 31 March 1901, the Census recorded every person present in each household, plus details about buildings and local communities.
As a pre-independence record, the Census captures not only the Irish-born population, but individuals from Britain and across Europe, residing in Ireland in 1901, and even foreign-born children of returned emigrants or of soldiers who served in India, Canada, Australia or New Zealand.
Today, Ireland's 1901 Census is freely available online through the National Archives of Ireland.
To find out more about AGI or speak to its members about the services they offer, please visit its website AccreditedGenealogists.ie or email [email protected].
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