Irish genealogy: the best resources for tracing your Irish ancestors

Exploring Irish genealogy unveils a rich history despite the challenges such as the Great Famine, civil unrest, and the destruction of many records in a fire in 1922. Essential records include church registers, civil registrations, census returns, and land valuations. These resources trace family names and origins, offering a rewarding connection to Ireland’s vibrant past and your Irish ancestors.

Follow these quick links to jump to the section:

• Irish genealogy records
• Where to find records for the Irish counties
• Northern Ireland ancestors
• Societies and associations
• Genealogy resources at archives and libraries
• The Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland
• Further reading on Irish genealogy

Irish genealogy records

Mention Irish records to many genealogists and they will immediately think of the 1922 fire which consumed much of the Four Courts and the neighbouring Public Record Office of Ireland (PRO) buildings, destroying over 800 years’ worth of documents relating to Irish history and genealogy.

Undoubtedly, this tragedy makes things harder for Irish genealogists, but not all of the records were destroyed, many other pre-1922 records exist, and the launch of the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland in June 2022 has helped recover many of the records.

Ireland's census

Ireland's earliest surviving census is 1901 - and earlier fragments survive for 1821, 1831, 1841 and 1851.

Explore census records at the National Archives of Ireland, which also has details of census substitutes. See this National Archives of Ireland blog for details of the information each census contains.

Births, marriages and deaths for Ireland

The General Register Office is the central repository for Irish births, marriages and deaths from 1864 (non Catholic marriages from 1845). You can explore the historic indexes at IrishGenealogy.

For pre-1870 parish registers, see this National Archives mircrofilm guide, explaining which Church of Ireland parish registers still exist. The National Library of Ireland has microfilms of surviving pre-1880 Roman Catholic parish registers for the whole of Ireland. Search church records online at the website Irish Genealogy.

General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) holds records for the following in what is now Northern Ireland: births and deaths from 1 January 1864, non-Catholic marriages from 1 April 1845, all other marriages from 1 January 1864. You can see full details at NIDirect and then search online or at the Belfast search room. 

Around two-thirds of pre civil registration records for the whole of Ireland - Church records - were destroyed in a fire in 1922. FamilySearch has a very informative guide to what church records are held where.

Online Irish genealogy records

• Ask About Ireland is the home of Griffith's Valuation, an important land record source. See the 'records for the Irish counties' section below for more information. 
   
• The census section of the National Archives holds original returns for 1901 and 1911 censuses. All 32 counties are available and can be searched from this site.
   
• FindMyPast Ireland is home to millions of Irish records from the 13th century onwards. These include unique prison and court records, land and estate records, and a collection of 2 million Irish directories. 
   
• Visit Irish Genealogy for images of original registers for births 1864-1916, marriages 1870-1941, and deaths 1878-1966.  You can also explore a large searchable record of pre 20th-century church records.

Where to find records for the Irish counties

Ireland is made up of four provinces, which between them contain 32 counties. These provinces are:

• Connacht
• Leinster
• Munster
• Ulster

With so many different historic counties to consider, it can be difficult to know where to begin your research. The below resources should get you off to a good start. Read our quick guide to finding your Irish ancestors using local archives and libraries.

The various Irish counties explained

FindMyPast have an excellent blog and video that list each of the different counties, with resources including wills, service records, Poor Law records, cemetery indexes and census forms. 

Griffith's Valuation 

One of the most important sources for Irish family history is Griffith's Valuation, a boundary and land valuation survey that was completed in 1868. This resource is particularly useful in light of the fact that so few census records survive. 

You can see the dates when the survey for each county was completed on the Griffith's Valuation Wikipedia page, and these range from 1853 through to 1868. You can explore the Valuation at several places, including AskAboutIreland (which has transcripts, maps and original images, FindMyPast, Ancestry and RootsIreland.

Northern Ireland ancestors

Although Northern Ireland no longer uses the county system for adminstration, records held at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland can help you to trace ancestors in the post-1836 counties of Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry and Tyrone, and the parliamentary boroughs of Belfast and Londonderry. These were established by the Grand Jury (Ireland) Act 1836.

Societies and associations

• The Genealogical Society of Ireland GSI is for anyone interested in Irish family history. It runs a busy programme of publications, lectures, meetings, archival and scientific research, and database creation. The society meets twice a month and members also stay in touch via a newsletter and annual journal. 
   
• An Daonchartlann/Archive is an advice and help centre at Loughlinstown, offering expert help to visitors.
   
• Originally known as the Huguenot Society of London, the Huguenot Society of Great Britain and Ireland has a dedicated Irish section with its own website. The Irish section arranges events, lectures, walks and meetings, and an AGM - usually held in May or June each year. There is also a Huguenot Archive in Dublin, which is open to the public and to members by arrangement. 
   
• The Irish Family History Society was established in 1984 and is open to anyone interested in tracing their Irish roots. The group promotes the study of Irish family history and genealogy through its annual journal, news sheets, lecture series and projects. It also encourages the repatriation of overseas material on Irish emigrants.
   
• Founded over 40 years ago and with particular reference to the nine counties of Ulster, the North of Ireland Family History Society has eleven branches, plus a research centre in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim. The society runs more than 100 events each year and also offers a range of courses, from beginner to advanced. Members receive a newsletter and copies of the journal North Irish Roots, plus access to the member section of the website, which has resources such as maps and articles.

Genealogy resources at archives and libraries

• Situated on Dublin's Pearse Street, the Dublin City Library and Archive has church records, civil and census records, land records (including Griffith's Valuation) and indexes of births, marriages and deaths up to the 1950s.
   
• The General Register Office of Northern Ireland is responsible for the civil registration of births, marriages and deaths for Northern Ireland. You can use its services online by registering here. The GRO holds all local register books for Northern Ireland from 1864 (for births and deaths) and from 1922 (for marriages). It has also has records of birth, marriage and death for Northern Ireland (Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Derry (Londonderry) and Tyrone). 
   
• Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) in Belfast is a key resource, as the official archive for Northern Ireland. At the time of writing (summer 2021) admission is my appointment only. The record office has a range of archives for local and family history, including maps, estate records, school records, church records and public and private records. Find links to these on the PRONI website.
   
• Situated on Bishop Street in Dublin, National Archives of Ireland is, at the time of writing, open to the public by appointment only. Here, you can explore tithe appointment records for the 1802s-30s, the 1901 and 1911 census returns and valuation records for the 1840s-60s. Please note the Archives does not hold civil records of births, marriages and deaths. 
   
• This large library on Kildare Street, Dublin 2, has many resources for family historians, including Catholic Parish Registers, property records, directories and heraldic records. Visit the National Library of Ireland website for advice on using the library's records for genealogy.
   
• Based at the Irish Life Centre in Dublin, the Valuation Office has a manuscript archive containing rateable valuation information of all property in the state from mid 1850s until the early 1990s. This acts as a 'census substitute' from the 1850s through to the first useable census in 1901, as it can be used to show who occupied a particular property over the years.

The Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland

Launched in June 2022, a century after the fire that destroyed thousands of records, The Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland is an all-island and international collaborative research project working to create a virtual reconstruction of the Public Record Office of Ireland.

Together with their five core archival partners and over forty other participating institutions in Ireland, Britain and the USA, the project aims to recover what was lost. 

Further reading on Irish genealogy

See our additional guides to Irish genealogy: 

• Top 10 tools for Irish family history
• Find your Irish ancestors using local archives and libraries
• From The Ashes: 1922 Irish Public Record Office Fire