Research in the Republic of Ireland

The National Archives of Ireland

There are many series of records in the National Archives of Ireland (NAI) that are relevant to the family historian and which will include people from Northern Ireland.  The following are some of the more important collections.

Transportation to Australia

NAI holds records relating to the transportation of convicts from Ireland to Australia from 1788 to 1868 that often include records of members of convict families transported as free settlers.

Both the transportation registers from 1836 and the convict petitions to government for pardon or commutation of sentence from 1778 have been indexed and are available on the National Archives of Ireland website.

Education records

If your family were in the teaching profession, you will want to consult the salary books of the National Commissioners of Education.  Most of these (from 1834 onwards) for Northern Ireland are in the National Archives of Ireland (NAI Reference ED/4).

1901 and 1911 Census Returns

The first complete census for the island of Ireland is for 1901.  You can consult the original returns in NAI.  PRONI also holds microfilm copies for the six counties in Northern Ireland.

The National Archives also hold the 1911 census for the entire island of Ireland which is open to public inspection.

Both the 1901 and 1911 census returns are currently being indexed and digitised as a joint project of the National Archives of Ireland and Library and Archives Canada .

Estate archives

The National Archives of Ireland hold extensive estate archives, some of which relate to estates in Northern Ireland.

NAI have card indexes to their estate collections available in their Reading Room.  You should also consult the Survey of Pre-1922 Sources Relevant to Northern Ireland in the National Archives of Ireland and the National Library of Ireland by Sean Murphy which is available in PRONI.

Old Age Pension Searches

NAI hold 13 volumes of searches made in Church of Ireland parish registers, mainly baptisms (then still existing), at the request of applicants seeking proof of age in order to obtain an Old Age Pension (introduced in Ireland in 1908).

1766 Religious Census

There are returns for parishes in every diocese in Northern Ireland, but not all parishes list the names of heads of families - in some instances only the total number of families is given (PRONI also holds some of the extant copies).

While the National Archives cannot carry out genealogical research for readers or correspondents, it does provide a Genealogy Advisory Service, giving you help and guidance with your family history.

The National Library of Ireland

Holding the world’s largest collection of printed books relating to Ireland, as well as archives and manuscripts from privates sources, the National Library of Ireland (NLI) is free of charge and open to all.  You must register as a reader and there is no borrowing facility.

Whilst NLI cannot undertake genealogical research, they do provide a Genealogy Advisory Service, giving you help and guidance with your family history.

In the National Library you can access the following:

• Roman Catholic Church registers on microfilm up to 1880 for churches in the Republic of Ireland and in Northern Ireland.  Those registers for Northern Ireland and for Counties Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan can also be accessed in PRONI.
• Griffith’s printed valuation, 1848-64, for the whole of Ireland on microfiche.  PRONI holds a set for Northern Ireland and for some areas in the Republic of Ireland, particularly Counties Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan.
• Some trade and street directories for Northern Ireland.
• The Householders’ Index - an alphabetical listing of surnames, by barony and parish, of people who appear either in the tithe applotment books or in the Griffith’s valuation.  This index is also available in PRONI.
• An extensive collection of newspapers, including some Northern Ireland newspapers such as the Londonderry Journal from 1772 and the Belfast Telegraph from1871.
• Extensive collections of estate records, including some relating to estates in Northern Ireland.  There is no guide to estate records but it is useful to consult Hayes’ ‘Manuscript Sources for the History of Irish Civilisation’ (available in PRONI and in the NLI) or the county section of John Grenham’s book ‘Tracing your Irish Ancestors’ or ‘Survey of Pre-1922 Sources Relevant to Northern Ireland in the National Archives of Ireland and the National Library of Ireland’ by Sean Murphy which is available in PRONI.

General Register Office (Republic of Ireland)

In addition to those held by the General Register Office in Northern Ireland , the General Register Office (ROI) also hold a set of births, marriages and deaths from 1864-1921 and non –Roman Catholic marriages from 1845-1921 for Northern Ireland.

The Representative Church Body Library

The Representative Church Body Library (RCB) holds both printed and archive material relating to the Church of Ireland.  They hold extensive collections relating to bishops and the clergy and to organisations and societies (including missionary organisations) connected to the Church of Ireland.

Of particular interest are their collections of copy wills and pedigrees and a set of JB Leslie’s biographical succession lists (copies of which are also available in the PRONI library).

At the RCB library you can consult the records of most Church of Ireland parish churches in Northern Ireland that have been microfilmed (if you are looking for the administrative records relating to parishes and dioceses in Northern Ireland, most of these will be found in PRONI rather than in the RCB Library).

The Representative Church Body Library website will give details about access to their material and how to contact local clergy if the parish records you require are still held in local custody.

The Valuation Office, Dublin

Contact the Valuation Office, Dublin for further details of their holdings.