Be Our Guest – A Temporary Bed For The Night

In this episode, Liz Gillis is joined by Zoe Reid, the National Archives’ Keeper of Manuscripts, to explore the stories hidden in census entries from those who were not athome on census night. From hotels and guest houses to city lodgings, the records offer a snapshot of an emerging tourism industry in the Free State, Irish people travelling for work, and visitors passing through a newly independent nation.Zoe also uncovers a lively house party at the home of the Guinness family, complete with some notable names on the guest list. While looking at these temporary residents, the census also captures, in Upstairs Downstairs fashion, the staff whose job it was to care for these guests. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.