Irish Research

The First Steps for Irish Research

The first steps for Irish research are similar to English research regarding photographs, talking to relatives etc. Discover when your folk emigrated. This may give clues as to why they emigrated.

Join a Historical Society though not all counties have them.

Tracing Irish ancestors means knowing more than just Ireland. Trying to find Michael Murphy, Ireland will be impossible, finding Michael Murphy, County Cork will be a fraction easier. Knowing he came from Fermoy, Cork County, will give you a good chance of finding him, and knowing he came from the townland of Kilworth, Fermoy, County Cork gives you the best chance of finding your ancestor, so understanding the system of Townlands, Baronies, Roman Catholic and Protestant Parishes and Diocese, and knowing that Ireland's main religion was Roman Catholicism, with about 85% being Catholic, will often help to decide which records to look at and where to look.

Irish names, like English, Welsh and Scottish names are subject to change and different spellings, so a name like O'Neill can appear in one family spelled in many different ways, Neill, Neil, Neale, Neal, Nealle, O'Neill, O'Neil, O'Neale, O'Neal. Do check all the different spellings.

There was and still is, a great Irish tradition of storytelling, which has meant that many family stories are passed down by word of mouth and not written down. This lends itself to stories being changed and added to over the years, so there is often still some truth in the story, but not necessarily in the way the story was told originally. This can be even more confusing by the Irish habit of naming children after the members of the family of the previous generation, or even of the generation prior to that one, so a tale about a Michael, Edward, Charles or James may not be the tale that refers to the correct person but a James two generations previous. While researching Irish ancestry, it's helpful to be aware of Irish customary naming patterns, regarding given names:

• First born son named after his father's father
• Second born son named after his mother's father
• Third born son named after his father
• Fourth born son named after his father's oldest brother
• Fifth born son named after his father's 2nd oldest brother or his mother's oldest brother

• First born daughter named after her mother's mother
• Second born daughter named after her father's mother
• Third born daughter named after her mother
• Fourth born daughter named after her mother's oldest sister
• Fifth born daughter named after her mother's 2nd oldest sister or her father's oldest sister.

The IGI has poor coverage of the parish records pre 1864 only about 25% are on the IGI but the coverage is better for the stautory records post 1864.

Where Irish Tracing is different, is in the approach to looking for statutory records post 1864 for Catholic Births, Marriages or deaths and 1845 for Protestant Marriages and pre 1864 Parish Records for both RC and Protestant. For Southern Ireland/Eire or Republic of Ireland the post 1864 records will be accessible through Roscommon and Dublin GRO.

the General Register Office

Click "Research" to access Dublin details.

For Northern Ireland post 1864 use GRONI Belfast at:

The General Register Office Northern Ireland

You can use Family History Centres (LDS) to access statutory records from 1864 for both RC and Protestant Records as well as 1845 for Protestant Marriages. Any records before these dates will be Parish Records.

The website below shows all the Catholic Diocese of Ireland. Understanding Irish Records are Diocese based is essential.

The Catholic Diocese of Ireland

Catholic Parish Records

Pre 1864 all Catholic Parish Records are still with the churches across the whole of Ireland, North and South. Copies are available on microfilm and have been deposited with the National Library in Dublin.

In Belfast the parish records are at PRONI

The Diocese of Cashel and Emly which contains some of County Limerick and all County Tipperary were only available as per payment through the Heritage Centres for that diocese but as from June 2008 they are now free to view through National Library at Dublin. Kerry County used to require a letter from the Bishop. This is no longer necessary as from June 2008. Diocese of Cloyne( part of Cork County) used to require a letter of application for research from the Mallow Heritage Centre but this is no longer necessary as from June 2008.

The Catholic Parish Records in Ireland will not go back much further than 1740 and as Ireland was mainly a Catholic country with approximately 85% Catholic, that is going to mean that records for most of us seeking Irish ancestry are not going to get back beyond 1780 with just a very few exceptions. Many will not go much further back than 1820.

Protestant Parish Records

Do go back to the 1600's but as these were the records that had been deposited in the National Archives in Dublin, they were also the main records that were destroyed in the fires of 1922, along with many wills, but those that do remain are still with the National Archives in Dublin, with copies in Belfast at PRONI.

PRONI has an ecatalogue which is available for people to search.

It contains over one million catalogue entries and is available online to search and browse as from mid January 2009. The eCatalogue contains approximately 60% of PRONI’s total catalogue entries, with the remainder to be published on an ongoing basis. PRONI visitors have already been making use of the eCatalogue onsite since it went live in the PRONI Search Room on 10 November 2008 and the online launch of the eCatalogue is a milestone event for PRONI, and means that off-site visitors can now consult our catalogues via the PRONI website. This electronic catalogue for Northern Ireland at PRONI is in line with other National and International archival institutions.

The Irish Family History Foundation

Irish Family History Foundation has some Birth, Marriage, Death and Census records which are now online through the various Heritage Centres, under the umbrella of the Irish Family History Foundation, Online Genealogy Databases for Ireland. Please bear in mind that not all the records are on these databases.

Griffiths Valuation and Tithe Aplotments

It is useful to understand that whilst the Tithe Aplotments are available in the 1820's as a census substitute, not everybody is on this valuation, but everybody is on the Griffiths Valuation, which is often known as The Primary Valuation. The Primary Valuation was the first full-scale valuation of property in Ireland. It was overseen by Richard Griffith and published between 1847 and 1864. It is one of the most important surviving 19th century genealogical sources. This is mainly because TA is tied into a minimum amount of land involvement, whereas Griffiths included everybody who lived in a house with the smallest garden. Griffiths Explanation

There is at present a free test site at ask about Ireland for this Griffiths Valuation, to include maps. See also Irish Land Divisons for hints to understand how the land was divided up.

Irish Census

A Census was taken in Ireland every 10 years from 1821 but only the census for 1901 and 1911 are available for the public to view. The returns are arranged by Townland or in urban areas by Street. No returns survive for 1861, 1871, 1881, and 1891 but there are some returns for 1821, 1831, 1841 and 1851, covering parts of counties Antrim, Cavan, Cork, Fermanagh, Galway, Kings County (Offaly) Derry (Londonderry) Meath and Waterford. There are lists of household names in the Census returns of 1851 for part of Belfast City and Dublin City (you can consult the 1851 Dublin City Census) a CD was compiled and edited by Sean Magee. The 1901 and 1911 Census are available and may be pulled in from local LDS centres, although at present they are address-only searchable, so you need to know the exact address to be able to access them at the moment.

However, the Irish Census for 1901 and 1911 are being digitised through a project undertaken by National Archives Dublin and Canada. Dublin only is accessible at present, and the rest of Ireland will follow gradually over the next 3 years and is accessible at National Archives: Census of Ireland 1911

Books to Help You

'Tracing Your Irish Ancestors' John Grenham. This book is still a "bible" for help in tracing your Irish ancestry and includes a series of maps covering all the Catholic Parishes of Ireland, Parish Maps and a County by County Source Guide.

The British Army in Ireland

For those people who have ancestors who joined the Army in Ireland or who may have been in Ireland at the time they married and/or had children whilst in Ireland, then consider the possibility that that they may have married whilst in the army in Ireland. The Regimental Indexes of Births and Baptisms, which used to be at the FRC in London, is now available online at Findmypast in the Overseas Section.To search the Index is free, but to obtain further information a charge is made. These indexes date back to the late 1700's. You can obtain details of marriages and births and send for the certificates in the normal way, except that they usually have the baptismal information as well. These certificates are also very valuable as they usually contain the Rank and Regiment of the soldier concerned.

Royal Irish Constabulary

Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) police records are at The National Archives (TNA) at Kew.

The Genealogy Advisory Service

This service has now moved from the National Library Kildare Street to the Heraldic Museum at 2 Kildare Street, as from April 2006.

Irish Newspapers

Irish Newspapers are accessible through Colindale Library London, accessible only now through the British Library site.

Understand Irish History

Read about the Famines, Hedge Schools and Irish Education in general, as well as the Political History and Home Rule issues.

County Cork and County Kerry ancestors, There is a 16 volume collection of books known as the The Casey Collection, 'O'Kiefe, Coshe Mange, Slieve Lougher and Upper Blackwater'. This is another very good census substitute for these two counties only. This book by Albert E. Casey is on microfilm and can be ordered through the Family History Library. There are 15 volumes on 9 microfilms. At FamilySearch.org - Family History and Genealogy Records you can find out exactly what information is on each film. These books are also held in many libraries over the world and a search at the following website should find a library accessible to most people. In the UK there would appear to be a collection at the British Museum Library

Dublin

For those people who have Dublin Ancestors please be aware that there is a Dublin County as well as Dublin City and the county of Dublin is quite large stretching South to County Wicklow so if your Census just says Dublin do try to find out what this means.

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