National Archives 'The Story of Us' exhibition comes to Tipperary library
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The National Archive’s exhibition to mark 100 years of the first census carried out in the Irish Free State comes to Thurles in November
Tipperary Studies is delighted to host the National Archive’s exhibition ‘The Story of Us: Census 1926’, which opens in The Source gallery in Thurles on November 3.
The exhibition opening will take place 7pm, and formally opened by Fiona Bonfield, Cathaoirleach of Tipperary County Council.
There will also be a short addresses from Damien Dullaghan, County Librarian and Orlaith MacBride, Director of the National Archives. Dr Rachel Murphy from UL will give a short presentation on Thurles in 1926 and the significance of Census 1926 to researchers, historians and the general public.
This landmark photography and documentary exhibition marks the 2026 release of census records for 1926. It explores the world reflected in the census and reveals what life was like in 1926: in towns and cities, across rural communities and islands, from crowded urban tenements to the mansions of the aristocracy.
Using contemporary documents and photographs, audio‑visual displays and, at its heart, the census returns themselves, the exhibition presents a vivid portrait of Ireland a century ago.
Visitors will encounter stories of work and daily life, language and culture, sport and entertainment, religion, gender and the social realities of a newly independent state.
The exhibition forms part of a major public programme presented by the National Archives with events in Ireland, the UK and the United States. The exhibition is available to visit, for free, at The Source Gallery in Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
The exhibition is open from November 3rd until November 21st, during the library opening hours Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5.30pm, and Saturdays from 10am until 5pm.
From Tipperary, the exhibition then travels to Donegal and then back down to see out the year in The Coach House, Dublin Castle Gardens.
Orlaith McBride, Director of the National Archives, pointed out that “The touring exhibition is just one part of our wider public programme, which also includes a book, theatre production and landmark RTÉ documentary.”
The 1926 Census of Ireland was the first official population count conducted by the Irish Free State. Throughout the year, numerous events, documentaries, radio shows, and theatre works have been shown to mark the seminal moment in the history of an independent Republic of Ireland.