The National Archives provides the surviving complete census returns for 1901 and 1911. They are the main nationwide census sources from before independence. Earlier Irish census fragments exist, but not a comparable complete set for Longford.
The first Irish Free State census, taken in April 1926, became available online in April 2026. Longford is included. It has its own search on the National Archives website, separate from the earlier returns.
A household return lists people present, their relationships and details such as ages and occupations. It is tempting to take each age as exact, but families were not always consistent about dates, and a missing person may simply have been elsewhere on census night.
If a name is common, try the townland, neighbours and other family members rather than picking the first result. Open the image of the original form, not just the typed search entry. Some 1926 transcripts are still being checked and improved.
A step-by-step comparison
Search one known person by surname and place. Write down the age, household members, occupation and residence in each census, then list any inconsistencies.
Use civil registrations, parish registers and historical maps to test whether records relate to the same household rather than combining people just because the names match.
What the censuses do not show
Census records do not provide a continuous family history. Migration, death, emigration, remarriage and house moves can explain a person’s absence. Also be aware that privacy and reuse conditions apply to original images and transcriptions.
The 1926 census has a separate search from 1901 and 1911. Try the National Archives map search when a townland spelling is hard to find.
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