Beginner's Guide to Tracing Irish Ancestors
Introduction
Interest in Irish genealogy has been at a high level for some years and continues to grow. Approximately 70 million people in the USA, Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and other countries can claim to be descended from those Irish who through choice, or more often economic necessity, left their native land to seek a better life elsewhere. It is true that we in Ireland have lost many records due to carelessness concerning our documentary heritage, particularly as a result of the destruction of the Public Record Office of Ireland in 1922, yet it should be pointed out that a significant volume of records survives.
Whether one is an Irish citizen or the descendant of an emigrant, it is vital that the task of seeking information on ancestors should begin at home, and it is usually essential that at least the ancestor's county of residence should be known. There is an increasing number of 'how to' and reference books for those interested in tracing their Irish ancestors, some of which are available in larger libraries, while others may be purchased by mail order or in bookshops stocking items of Irish interest. Of the many titles we would mention John Grenham's Tracing Your Irish Ancestors, now in its third edition, and Edward MacLysaght's The Surnames of Ireland, both available via Amazon.com. Essential reference works for establishing the exact locations of places are the Townland Index 1851 and the Townlands Index 1901, which enable one to identify administrative divisions such as county (see Map of Ireland), parish, poor law union and electoral division, without knowledge which it will not be possible to search the various records efficiently for information on an ancestor.
The principal Irish record repositories relevant to those engaged in genealogical research are the National Library of Ireland, the National Archives and the General Register Office, all located in Dublin City, the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland in Belfast, and international repositories such as the Mormon Family History Centres (see Links section). Internet access to genealogical records and CD-ROM publications are greatly enhancing the accessibility of Irish genealogical records, but Ireland has lagged somewhat beyond other countries in the deployment of information technology.
Census Records
The earliest surviving complete censuses covering the whole of Ireland are those of 1901 and 1911, and are held in the National Archives. These should be the first records consulted by most of those who still live in Ireland, or those whose ancestors emigrated subsequent to or shortly before these dates. While the 1901 and 1911 Censuses are too late to be of great use to those whose ancestors emigrated before the later nineteenth century, they can give valuable information on relatives who remained in Ireland. The information provided by these censuses includes ages and relationships of family members, occupations, religious denominations, counties of birth, and in the case of the 1911 forms, number of years married. Digitisation and online access to Irish census records lags behind other countries, but databases of the 1901 Census records for Counties Clare, Leitrim, Roscommon and some other counties are freely available online, while the National Archives has now placed the 1911 Census for Dublin City and County online (see Links).It should go without saying that it is unwise to proceed with research without referring to the vital signposting information contained in the 1901 and 1911 Census returns, where relevant. Some fragments and copies of pre-1901 census returns have survived, for example of the 1821 Census for part of County Cavan, and of the 1831 Census for a major part of County Derry. A full list of these survivals can be consulted in the National Archives, and convenient county-by-county summaries are contained in the above mentioned works by Grenham and Ryan.
Records of Birth, Marriage and Death
The General Register Office in Dublin holds fully-indexed civil records of birth, marriage and death from 1864, and of non-Catholic marriages from 1845, while the Belfast General Register Office holds copies of these and original northern records from 1922 onwards. These civil records provide possibly the most accurate and satisfying information from the genealogist's point of view, the only drawback being the payment of search and reproduction fees and the fact that the original registers are not open to inspection. Certificates (or cheaper 'photocopy registrations') of birth, marriage and death give not only names and the dates of these vital events, but specify also relationships, addresses, occupations and ages. Ironically, those with access to Mormon Family History Centres can view copies of Irish civil records free of charge. While the GRO project to digitise Irish vital records appears to be substantially complete, the resulting database has yet to be opened to users or placed online.
Valuation Records
Because all but fragments of the nineteenth-century censuses have been lost, two great property valuations of that century are used by genealogists as partial substitutes, namely the Tithe (church tax) Applotment Books compiled between the 1820s-30s, and Griffith's Primary Valuation compiled between 1848-64. Because of damage caused by heavy use, only microfilm and microfiche copies of the Tithe Books and Griffith's Valuation may be viewed in the National Archives, and copies are also available in the National Library of Ireland, as well as in other libraries in Ireland and abroad. The Irish Origins pay-to-view service is now the most efficient way to access Griffith's Valuation, and may be used without charge on the National Library premises. The Library Council of Ireland has now made Griffith available online for free, but printed pages are marked with a copyright notice.The information in the Tithe Books and Griffith is sparse in comparison to census returns, comprising approximately 40% and 70% respectively of the names of heads of families. The entries in the two records are indexed by surname only in the National Library of Ireland Index of Surnames, which has not been entirely superseded by the aforementioned online services, particularly as ithe old index enables one to study clusters of higher frequency surnames by county, barony and parish.
Church Registers
Prior to the commencement of civil birth, marriage and death records in 1864, reliance is placed on church registers of baptism, marriage and, where they exist, of burial, kept by the various religious denominations. Copies of most Catholic parish registers are held on microfilm in the National Library of Ireland, with additional copies of those for northern counties in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. Unfortunately, permission must be sought from church authorities in order to view registers of the Dioceses of Cloyne, Kerry, Limerick, while until recently all access was banned to registers of the Diocese of Cashel. In cases where a register cannot be searched on microfilm in the National Library, a search should be commissioned from the appropriate parish priest, whose address will be found in the Irish Catholic Directory, or else research can be commissioned from one of the local indexing centres.
The principal Protestant denomination is the Church of Ireland, and unfortunately two-thirds of this Church's parish registers were destroyed in the Public Record Office of Ireland in 1922. Microfilm copies of most surviving Ulster Church of Ireland registers are in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. Microfilm copies of surviving southern registers are being made available in the National Archives, and also through the Representative Church Body Library. Again, if it is desired to commission a search in registers in local custody, the address of the appropriate minister can be found in the Church of Ireland Directory. The position with regard to church registers of Presbyterian and other Dissenting Protestant denominations is too complicated to be stated here, and reference should be made to Grenham's textbook, or advice sought from the relevant church body.
Church of Ireland registers tend to start earlier than those of other denominations, and some, for example those of Dublin city, date from the seventeenth century. Catholic parish registers tend to date from the mid-eighteenth to early nineteenth centuries in the case of cities, large towns and more prosperous farming areas (principally the east and south of the country), and from the early to mid-nineteenth century in the case of smaller towns and less prosperous farming areas (principally the west and north of the country). Some skill in reading archaic handwriting is required to understand most registers before 1800, and part of the entries in most Catholic parish registers will be found to be written in a simple Latin until about the middle of the nineteenth century. Lastly, it is important to remember that earlier church registers generally do not give dates of birth and death as such, but only of baptism and burial.
Miscellaneous Records
Other records which cannot be described in any detail here, and which are usually only of relevance in the case of wealthier or a minority of families, are as follows. Most original testamentary records or wills were destroyed in the Public Record Office of Ireland in 1922, and indexes and copies or abstracts will be found in the National Archives and Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, with smaller concentrations in the National Library of Ireland and other repositories. It should be remembered that prior to the present century, wills were generally only made by better-off individuals.
Records of mortgages, leases and even some wills and marriage settlements dating from 1708 are kept in the Registry of Deeds, and again the point must be made that these relate mostly to wealthier families. Rebellion, crime, convict and transportation papers are among the contents of the former State Paper Office now in the National Archives. Collections of rentals and other estate papers are to be found in the Manuscripts Department of the National Library of Ireland, in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland and to a lesser extent in the National Archives. Publications of the Irish Manuscripts Commission, Burke's Peerage and similar works, local histories and genealogical and historical journals, directories, newspapers and other printed materials are also of importance, usually for more prominent families, and are generally most conveniently accessed in the National Library of Ireland. Gravestone and other memorial inscriptions are increasingly finding their way into print in genealogical and local historical journals and as separate publications.
Conclusion
For those seeking help with their research the free consultancy service in the National Library and National Archives are good starting points. It should be noted that Ireland badly requires the equivalent of the English Family Records Centre. Those living outside Dublin or resident abroad can of course seek assistance from local libraries or Mormon Family History Centres, or by visiting the growing number of Internet sites providing guidance or services. Educational courses in Irish genealogy are increasingly available, and the writer gives introductory and advanced Adult Education classes in UCD Dublin.A final option is to hire others to perform all or part of one's research, and most major repositories will provide lists of professional genealogists and record searchers, some via the Internet. It is always a good idea to obtain a preliminary evaluation of one's case from a professional before placing an order for substantial research. It will help to simplify matters if it is kept in mind that most genealogical searches in Ireland relate to families of small tenant farmers or landless labourers, and that unless one has wealthier ancestors it will rarely be possible to get back much before 1800-20. But even though the search may not always be completely successful, the process of tracing ancestors will inevitably deepen appreciation of Irish history and culture, and will add an extra dimension of interest for those descendants of emigrants who visit Ireland.