For one of the greatest Irish stories ever told, take a digital trip to 1911

THE launch of the Dublin 1911 census website by the National Archives of Ireland earlier this week was the first stage in a project that will ultimately result in the full digitisation and indexing of the 1901 and 1911 census records, accompanied by a wealth of historical writing and visual material to help place the records in their proper historical context.

It was a proud day for the National Archives and a reminder that the household returns represent an extremely valuable part of the Irish national heritage and an invaluable resource for genealogists, local historians and anyone wishing to trace their ancestry.

The Irish diaspora is estimated to amount to 70 million people worldwide and many of these have an interest in family and local history.