Ireland is one of the most popular topics for family historians to research. But there are lots of resources available online- how do you choose the right one for your needs? Church records are the primary source of births, marriages and deaths before the mid-19th century. In Ireland, civil registration didn’t begin until 1864. This makes it difficult to find records of these events.
Accessibility
Tracing Irish ancestors can be a daunting task. Fortunately, many resources are available to help you find your family history. The Irish National Archives website is a great place to begin your search for Irish records.
It is free to use and has an extensive collection of census, marriage license bonds, wills of soldiers, tithe applotment books, and other useful documents. For example, you can see the location of every household in Ireland during the 1850s and 1901 and 1911 censuses.
The site also has maps of each county and parish, as well as a variety of research tools. Another key record collection is the Primary Valuation of Tenements, compiled by Sir Richard Griffith in 1670 and covering every parcel of land on the Island of Ireland.
It is the most comprehensive property tax assessment of its time and includes transcripts and detailed maps for each parcel. One of the best genealogy website for Irish records brings the indexes, full returns and maps of Griffith’s Valuation to your computer screen for free.
The website also includes a wealth of other resources to assist with your Irish genealogy research, such as various indexed church and civil records, parish register transcriptions, voter lists, census substitutes, wills, letters, family bibles, rental and militia & army rolls.
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Documentation
Irish records are a valuable resource for any genealogist researching family history. They include birth, marriage and death records from the Catholic Church. However, they are only sometimes easy to find. One of the best sources for Irish ancestry research is the National Archives of Ireland.
They have a dedicated website with searchable indexes and full digitized census returns from the 1901 and 1911 censuses. Another great source is the ecclesiastic registers from the Irish Episcopal and Roman Catholic churches.
You can search these for free on the National Library of Ireland’s parent site, Irish Genealogy. These are among the most important ecclesiastical records in Irish genealogy, so it’s vital to search them thoroughly.
You’ll want to know where your ancestors came from, their religious preferences, and whether they had any special needs. Other useful documents to look for include Landed Estate Court Rentals, a fascinating collection detailing land tenants in the 19th century.
Petty Sessions, a collection of 22 million records (the Republic of Ireland counties only) that teem with the stories of our immigrant ancestors’ sporadic misdemeanors and disputes with neighbors, are also worth exploring.
Security
It’s important to know how a genealogy website handles your personal information. Some people worry that their data will be repurposed by law enforcement agencies for crime solving, potentially leading to arrests of their relatives and creating burdens for innocent family members.
Fortunately, most genealogy websites take security seriously and do their best to protect your personal information. Some even offer secure logins and passwords to avoid unauthorized access.
The National Archives of Ireland’s genealogical portal is one of the most popular free Irish ancestry sites, offering digitized census returns, will calendars, Griffith’s Valuation, tithe applotment books and other important records for free.
In addition, the site offers access to diocesan and prerogative marriage license bond indexes, shipping agreements, crew lists, and Irish wills.
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Reliability
If you’re looking to trace your Irish family history, choosing a reliable genealogy website is important. Ireland is one of the most popular research topics for genealogists, and there are hundreds of resources online, but finding the right information can be daunting.
The key to successful Irish family history research is understanding the research challenges and creating a plan for your quest. You’ll need to know how to find the records you need, what’s available online and where to go for assistance.
There are several reliable free Irish record resources, including the Irish Genealogy Toolkit by Claire Santry and the Irish Civil Registration indexes (see my Irish Civil Records page). These records will give you the most insight into your ancestor’s life on the Island.
You may also wish to check out the Ulster Historical Foundation, which has a large database of more than two million records and offers a free search on place names. Its site also features a map-based index of local heritage centers, which can be useful when tracing ancestors in smaller counties or cities and towns.
Cost
If you want to do your Irish research on a budget, several great free resources are available online. One of the most important is Griffith’s Valuation, a large, 19th-century land survey. Another popular free resource for Irish ancestry is the Ask About Ireland website.
It offers a wide variety of search tools, maps and articles. The site also features a comprehensive index of more than 120 million newspaper pages and is easy to navigate. The site’s tutorials can be helpful for those new to genealogy.
The National Archives of Ireland’s Genealogy Portal takes pride in place among the top free Irish genealogy databases, and it is beneficial for tracing your ancestry. It includes digitized 1901 and 1911 census returns, tithe applotment books, soldiers’ wills and other records.
