Kildare County Council celebrates 100 years of Kildare Library Service with the Launch of The Story of Us: Census 1926 Exhibition
26 June 2026: Kildare County Council is inviting the public to a special day of celebration at Naas Library and Cultural Centre on Saturday, 4 July 2026, marking 100 years of Kildare Library Service and the launch of The Story of Us: Census 1926 exhibition.
The day-long programme will begin at 10am with children's activities, including face painting and will continue with a range of events for all ages. Visitors will also have the opportunity to view an exhibition featuring facsimile documents and photographs courtesy of the National Library, commemorating the life of John Devoy, to mark the 150th anniversary of the Catalpa rescue in 1876.
The Story of Us: Census 1926 exhibition will officially open to the public at 2pm. Presented in partnership with the National Archives, the exhibition celebrates the public release of the 1926 Census records and offers a fascinating insight into life in Ireland in 1926, in towns and cities to rural communities and islands and from crowded urban tenements to aristocratic estates. The exhibition will remain on display in Naas Library and Cultural Centre until Tuesday 28 July.
The celebrations will continue that evening, with a performance of Eoghan Burke’s “From The Plains - The Story of John Devoy” in the Moat Theatre. Tickets, priced at €15, are available from the theatre box office.
Throughout July, a number of 1926 census related events will take place, including talks and activities facilitated by Naas Local History Group, Cill Dara le Gaeilge and author/illustrator Úna Woods. Kildare Library staff will also host a special Molly Keane book club selection, celebrating the work of the acclaimed Newbridge-born author, whose novels captured the social life and changing society of Ireland during the early twentieth century.
Gillian Allen, County Librarian, Kildare County Council said: “We are proud to celebrate 100 years of Kildare Library Service. Since Kildare County Council assumed responsibility for the service on 16 March 1926, our libraries have evolved into a modern, inclusive, safe, and innovative public service that continues to offer a wide range of services to the local community. Today, with 16 service locations, an Archives and Local Studies service, a busy Mobile Library and a vibrant Arts Service, alongside a wide range of digital and in-person services, Kildare Library Service remains at the heart of community life, providing opportunities for learning, creativity and connection for people of all ages."
Recent and planned investment, including the opening of Athy Library and the Naas Library and Cultural Centre, extended opening hours in Clane and Kilcullen, plans for a new library in Clane, and a state-of-the-art Library, County Archives, and Local History Centre in Newbridge reflects Kildare County Council’s continued commitment to investing in modern, welcoming, and forward-thinking library services.
