How do I search the 1901 and 1911 censuses for a household?
Use the free census site of the National Archives of Ireland, which covers all 32 counties for both years. Start with a surname, a first name and a county, and keep the first search wide, because ages and spellings in the returns are often loose. If a name fails, try its variants, then browse by townland or street instead, working through the neighbours. Check both censuses, ten years apart: children appear and leave, and the second return often confirms the first. When a likely household appears, open the image of the household return itself rather than relying on the transcript alone.
Useful pages: The Irish surnames map · Trace your Irish roots · The 1926 Census guide · Coming home · Irish around the world · Plan your journey
Sources
- National Archives of Ireland: the 1901 and 1911 censuses, census fragments, Tithe Applotment Books and research guidance, nationalarchives.ie
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