Irish Genealogy Resources

Here are some links to some significant research resources for Irish genealogy. While many records have been digitised they have not always been transcribed accurately so to be thorough you should always check the original source and also visit local archives, family history centres, graveyards, libraries etc. Search for typos and other spelling variations of the names you are looking for. It is also helpful sometimes to transpose the first and family names - particularly in census and government records.

There is much value in examining records in context rather than looking at filtered search results because it will help you understand the wider picture but also might lead to breakthroughs via serendipity or observations of broader records. For example, sometimes relatives might get married on the same day - you may not notice this if only looking for one record.

You should be aware that you cannot do comprehensive genealogical research purely over the Internet and certainly not without spending any money. That said, you can start your journey with free online resources.

I would suggest starting with;

• • Irish Genealogy - Free church & civil records provided by an Irish Government project

  • Irish Census - The 1901/1911 census records, with the few surviving records

  • Lennon Wylie Site - great for NI / Belfast centred research. Mary Lennon is a genealogical hero.

Irish Birth, Marriage & Death Records

• • Ancestry Ireland (The Ulster Historical Foundation)

  • Emerald Ancestors (BMD Data)

  • Roots Ireland (BMD Data from IFHF)

  • General Register Office NI (GRONI)

  • LDS Pilot Project - Irish Civil Registration Indices 1845-1958

  • General Register Office Ireland

  • Ros Davies' Co. Down, Ireland Genealogy Records

• • Irish Genealogy (Free church & civil records provided by an Irish Government project)

Historical Societies

• • North of Ireland Family History Society (Lisburn Branch)

  • Ulster Architectural Heritage Society

Census, Wills, Military and other Records

• • Public Record Office NI (PRONI)

  • The National Archives of Ireland (1901 & 1911 Census)

  • Belfast Family & Community History (1901 & 1911 partial census)

  • National Archives (Kew)

  • Griffith's Valuation

  • Registry of Deeds Index Project Ireland

Street Directories

• • Lennon Wylie Site

  • Guide to Belfast & Ulster Street Directories (PDF)

Books, Reference texts

• • My Roots, Tracing your Belfast Ancestors (Free PDF booklet)

  • A History of Ulster, Johnathon Bardon, Blackstaff Press; 2nd Ed. (2005)

  • The Irish in Britain, 1750-1922 (University of Bradford, Irish Diaspora Studies)

Generic Ancestry

• Ancestry.co.uk

• FindMyPast

• Family Search (from the LDS)

Guides to History

• • The Plantation of Ulster (BBC)

Huguenots

• The Huguenot Society of Great Britain and Ireland

Special mentions

Mary Lennon and Ros Davies are deserving of high praise for their genealogical resources.