Factual Specialist – CENSUS 1926

Duration:                            1 - 3 episodes x 50 minutes or 75 minutes
Additional output across RTÉ on-line platforms, and www.rte.ie/history

Budget Range:                  Budget range for all content deliverables up to a maximum of €400,000
(Budgets should be costed to include clearances of all archives for future third-party use).

Channel:                           RTÉ One plus other RTÉ online platforms

Delivery:                           For broadcast and distribution, April 2026

Closing Date:                   12 noon, Friday 10^th January 2025

The 1926 Census was the first census undertaken following the establishment of the Irish State. It was carried out by the Statistics Branch of the Department of Industry and Commerce under the Statistics Act 1926. Census 1926 returns remain under the legal control of the Central Statistics Office [CSO]. After 100 years, the census returns must be formally transferred to the National Archives and released for public inspection. Census 1926 will be published online, searchable, and free of charge in April 2026.

On 18 April 1926, the population of Ireland was 2,971,992 with 49% female and 51% male. At the previous census in 1911, the population was 3,139,688 demonstrating a reduction of 5.3% in the population in 15 years to 1926. Dublin was the only county to record an increase in population of almost 6% in the intercensal period, while all other counties recorded a loss.

In 1926, a total of 92.6% of the population was Catholic and 18.3% could speak Irish. Of those employed, 51% were in agricultural occupations, 4% were fisherman, 14% were in manufacturing and 7% were domestic servants.

At present, Census 1926 is stored in 1,299 boxes, containing over 700,000 return sheets, each measuring approximately 630mm x 290mm. The returns are laced together in 2,494 canvas volumes each representing an enumeration area within each of the 26 counties.  Digitisation will require that an image [or images] of each Census 1926 return is captured and entered into a searchable database, along with the 21 data sets contained in the returns. These are:

Data sets included in Household Returns [Form A]:

• Name and surname
• Relationship to head of household
• Age [in years and months]
• Sex
• Marriage or orphanhood
• Birthplace [including name of parish]
• Irish language
• Religion
• Occupation and employment: personal occupation
• Occupation and employment: employment/name of employer
• Information regarding present marriage required from married women: number of completed years and months of present marriage, and number of children born alive to present marriage
• Information regarding present and previous marriages required from Married Men, Widowers and Widows: the number of living sons, daughters, stepsons and stepdaughters under 16 years of age, whether residing as members of this household or elsewhere
• The total area in statute acres of all agricultural holdings [if any] situated in the Irish Free State of which persons usually resident in this household are the rated occupiers.

Data sets included in the Enumerators’ Returns [Form B] for each townland/street

• Whether buildings are private dwelling houses or other buildings
• Whether inhabited or uninhabited
• Number of distinct families living in each house or building
• Name of the head of each household
• Number of males
• Number of females
• Total population
• Number of rooms occupied by each household.

RTÉ Factual, in association with the National Archives, is now seeking proposals for a major television and digital project that marks the unveiling of the 1926 Census to the general public for the first time.

We’re seeking original ideas with the 1926 Census at their core that can play on the prime-time schedules on RTÉ One in April 2026. We’re requesting producers and production companies to think laterally and outside the restrictions of the usual television documentary formats. Proposals can be in one or two parts and can run to either 50 minutes or 75 minutes only.

The content we’re looking for should highlight the importance of the records of the State in an historical, political, cultural and social context. Proposals should use, as primary source material, records from the 1926 Census.

Proposals can be authored or presenter-led and should be far-reaching in their ambition. All proposals should be historically sound and will require over-sight and input from named historians, social scientists, academics or cultural commentators.

For reference, we would urge producers and production companies to note some of RTÉ’s recent history output, especially ‘Cold Case Collins’, ‘Election ‘18’, ‘Treaty ‘21’, and ‘An Old Song Re-Sung’, all of which played prominently on RTÉ One and that took fresh approaches to the telling of history on television.

All proposals must also detail plans for the provision of additional content for use on RTÉ’s non-linear platforms, especially RTÉ Player, www.rte.ie/history and RTÉ’s audio channels. How might this production create and distribute shorter, bite-sized elements for non-linear audiences? We also ask all applicant companies to consider how we can work most effectively in association with the National Archives in the distribution of additional content in the digital space.

For the avoidance of doubt, in light of RTÉ’s obligations under the Broadcasting Act, RTÉ will retain the final editorial decisions on programme content.

We ask that all proposals are submitted, in the first instance, to RTÉ eCommissioning under Specialist Factual/Archives. The closing date for receipt of proposals is 12 noon, Friday 10^th January 2025 (Strict Deadline).

About the National Archives

Occupying a central role in safeguarding the national memory and identity, the National Archives is responsible for preserving the archives of central government in Ireland. Established in 1988, when the main provisions of the National Archives Act, 1986 came into operation, the National Archives took over the functions and holdings of two older offices – the Public Record Office of Ireland (founded in 1867) and the State Paper Office (founded in 1702) – and now works to ensure the preservation and public availability of the records of central government in Ireland. It also preserves outstanding collections of private archives that complement those from official sources. www.nationalarchives.ie.

The vision of the National Archives is to secure the future of Ireland’s public record, safeguarding the memory of the State whilst visibly contributing to Irish cultural life.