Let The Records Show- Tea Towel - Home Duties

Let the Records Show – Home Duties  Screen Printed Tea Towel 

A celebration of the women who came before us, their lives, their labour and how far we’ve come.

Inspired by the Census of the Irish Free State, 1926, the first census of the newly established free state, this original Clover Rua design was created to mark its centenary in 2026.

When the National Archives of Ireland published the digitised census records, I was able to explore my own family’s history in extraordinary detail. I discovered my grandparents as teenagers, their families and the occupations of my four great-grandfathers, from a Guinness worker to a baker at Jacob’s.

But what struck me most was the record of my four great-grandmothers. Each was listed under the same two words: Home Duties.

A sign of the times, when women’s lives and contributions were so often defined by their roles within the home. This was a story that continued through the generations, to my grandmothers and even my mother.

Let the Records Show is my homage to these women, their often unacknowledged labour, skills and contributions. A celebration of those who came before us and a reminder of how far we’ve come.

The design brings together past and present through handwriting. I’ve used my great-grandfather’s beautiful script, exactly as it appears on the original 1926 census, alongside my own handwriting. An unexpected collaboration across a century, connecting two generations through a single piece of design.

Product Details

● Original Clover Rua artwork, designed in Dublin

● A4 fine art print (210 × 297 mm)

● Digitally printed

● Inspired by original family records from the 1926 Census of the Irish Free State

● Thoughtfully produced and sustainably packaged

Designed by Anita Elliott, founder of Clover Rua, Ireland.

© Clover Rua 2026. All rights reserved.