Irish Records

One resource I can really recommend is Irish Records: Sources for Family & Local History by James G. Ryan (Ancestry Publications, 1988, Hardcover, 562 pages).  Our call number for this book is 941.5 D23r.

I was led to this book by staff at the National Library of Ireland when I was researching there. The first 50 pages (Introduction) give a description of types of records listed for each county. There is also a list of research sources and services available for all of Ireland.  This gives the name, address, phone number, and a brief description of what records they hold.  An example would be:

Registrar-General’s Office  8-11 Lombard St.   Dublin 2   Ph (01) 711000

“This office contains all of the official records of births, marriages and deaths for all counties since records began in 1864.  It also has Church of Ireland (Protestant or Episcopalian) marriage records from April 1845 to 1864.  A public research room is available where the indexes to these records can be consulted.”

Using the information above, you can write for a copy of a birth, marriage or death if it occurred after 1864.

You will also find a list of abbreviations used in the text.  Following this, in alphabetical order are chapters for the individual counties, each with a brief history, a list of Census and census substitutes, Church records (both Church of Ireland and Roman Catholic) in alpha order by parish; showing existing records, Commercial and social directories by year, Family histories if any, Gravestone inscriptions, Newspapers and finally Wills and administrations and Miscellaneous sources like libraries, research services and societies for that county.  The final page for each county is a map showing civil parishes and baronies.  There is a Table of contents and a comprehensive Index.

This book will define for you exactly which records are available for a specific place in a specific county.  An example of this is: "County Galway, Civil parish: Dunmore, Map Grid: 11, RC Parish: Dunmore, Diocese: TU, Earliest Record:  b. 3.1833  m.3.1833, Missing Dates: b 3.1864-12.1847,  10.1850- 9.1877,  m. 9.1860-1.1861, Parish Address:   Rev Canon Michael Walsh, PP, Dunmore, Co Galway."

Contributed by: Mary Miner