Sponsored / on behalf of The Merrion Hotel, Park House Hotel, and Loch Eske Castle
*New, second IRISH BY ANCESTRY TOUR ITINERARY COMING SOON!
By SHELAGH BRALEY STARR
RELATED ☘️ Staff
Tracing your Irish roots through the newly released 1926 Census is the perfect excuse to turn research into a remarkable trip. Think of it as genealogy on the ground: walking the same streets your ancestors did, paging through local records in situ, and raising a glass in the very counties your family once called home.
Begin in Dublin, home to the National Archives of Ireland and the National Library of Ireland, where you can access census schedules, maps, and historic newspapers to build a precise picture of your family’s life in 1926.
Base yourself at The Merrion Hotel, a Georgian townhouse close to government buildings and archives, or The Alex, a sleek, contemporary option with excellent workspaces. For a more intimate stay, try the boutique Wilder Townhouse.
After a day with archivists and librarians, unwind over a pint at O’Donoghue’s, The Long Hall, or Grogan’s, where conversation flows as easily as the stout.
Next, follow the trail west to Galway, a gateway to the counties that witnessed some of the heaviest emigration. Here, local branches of the National Archives and county heritage offices can help you interpret 1926 records in a regional context—landholdings, local employers, schools, and parish boundaries.
Stay at the Park House Hotel beside Eyre Square, The Hardiman overlooking the city’s historic heart, or The House Hotel in the Latin Quarter. Evenings are best spent in Tigh Neachtain, An Púcán, or Tig Coili, where traditional music sessions often echo the songs your ancestors might have known.
Finally, head north to Donegal, a county that appears in countless American and British family stories. County archives and local studies libraries in Letterkenny and surrounding towns hold electoral rolls, valuation records, and school registers that pair beautifully with the 1926 Census. Check into Lough Eske Castle for a country-house feel, the Station House Hotel in Letterkenny for a central base, or the Tara Hotel in Killybegs if your family story is tied to the sea.
Round out your days in pubs like The Reel Inn in Donegal Town, The Cottage Bar in Letterkenny, or McCafferty’s, swapping stories with locals who know the area’s history firsthand.
Throughout your journey, the most valuable voices belong to local archivists, librarians in local studies sections, county heritage officers, and members of historical and genealogical societies. Combined with the 1926 Census, their insight can help turn lines on a record into a living, breathing family story—one that’s best discovered in Ireland itself.
Hotel booking contacts
– The Merrion Hotel, Upper Merrion Street, Dublin 2, D02 KF79, Ireland. Tel: +353 1 603 0600. Web: https://www.merrionhotel.com
– Park House Hotel, Forster Street, Galway, H91 PCF8, Ireland. Tel: +353 91 564 924. Web: https://www.parkhousehotel.ie
– Lough Eske Castle, Lough Eske, Donegal Town, F94 HX59, Ireland. Tel: +353 74 972 5100. Web: https://www.lougheskecastlehotel.com
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