Analysis: The first major administrative act by an independent Irish government, what was involved in compiling the census 100 years ago? On the night of Sunday 18 April 1926, people across the 26 counties of the new Irish Free State were asked to take part in a census organised, for the first time, by an independent Irish government. While filling out a census form was routine on one level – listing names, ages, occupations and so forth – the event was anything but.