Irish Records Online

Irish Cottage

The Irish immigrants make up a large percentage of people’s heritage in America. Usually, people may have at least one ancestor on their tree who originated in Ireland.

The IrishGenealogy IE web site has now made available, online and free, a searchable database of Irish church and civil (General Register Office) records covering baptisms, marriages and burials. Many date back to 1864. There are approximately 2.5 million images and indexes available from GRO and millions from many churches from Counties Cork, Kerry and Dublin. The births range from 1864 to 1915, marriages from 1882 to 1940 and deaths from 1891 to 1965. These records will have additional information besides the direct ancestor and a date. True, some of your ancestors may not fall within those ranges, but maybe an uncle, cousin or aunt does.

Scroll down on the main page to ‘Search Online Records’ filling in what information you do know. Not all spaces have to be filled. You will see a list of the databases that have records based on the name and location you placed. Click on one, such as civil records to view what is available. Sign in to view the records.

When you find that might fit, click on that name. An index of some of the information will appear. Then below is the word ‘image’ – click on it, it will be saved and downloaded to your computer as a PDF document so you can view the scanned digital document.

For a marriage record you view the bride and groom, date of marriage, their occupation, their ages, if they were single or widowed, where they lived, the fathers’ names for each, their signature, and the names of the witnesses (who might be a relative).

With births; the child’s name, location of birth, parents’ names, parents’ occupation, date of birth, and date of register.

For church records, the same thing, place a name in the search box, a listing will appear, click on a name and the basis information appears. Then click on ‘view church record’ to download the PDF of the scanned church record. For baptism, the child’s name is provided, the date of birth, the date of baptism, parents’ names, address of home, occupation of the father and who performed the baptism.

Even if you only locate one vital record, civil or church, you will have more information that preciously held. Do download the digital copy and keep with other records. You can print the record also for your files.  Investigate the IrishGenealogy IE web site to see what you can discover.

Photos: Irish cottage; Irish Baptisms 1869; Irish Births 1896; and Irish Marriages in 1915 in Belfast.

Related FamilyTree.com genealogy blogs:

Irish Genealogy Toolbox

The Great Irish Move to America

Tips for Researching Irish Ancestors