Self service microfilm room

The Self-Service Microfilm Room is located on the ground floor of the main Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) building. These microfilms are held in cabinets and can be retrieved by visitors on the completion of a simple Document Request Form.

The Self-Service Microfilm Room contains most of our frequently used microfilm collections. For a full listing see microfilm and microfiche available in the Self-Service Microfilm Room.

Also located in the Self-Service Microfilm Room are:

Will Calendars (1858 – 2000)
PRONI reference library

Most frequently used microfilm collections

Church Records

PRONI has microfilm copies of church records (including registers of baptisms, marriages and burials and various other church records) for most of the churches in Northern Ireland and for many churches in Counties Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan. The records available for each church are listed in PRONI’s Guide to Church Records available in the Self-Service Microfilm Room and in the Search Room.

Microfilms bearing the following reference numbers are held in the Self-Service Microfilm Room:


MIC1	Church of Ireland Records
MIC16	Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
MIC1B	Non-Subscribing Presbyterian records
MIC1C	Reformed Presbyterian records
MIC1D	Roman Catholic records
MIC1E	Methodist records
MIC1F	Moravian records
MIC1G	Congregational Church records
MIC1H	Baptist Church records
MIC1P	Presbyterian records
MIC583	Church of Ireland records (formerly T/679)

All other church records, including those bearing the reference numbers D,T, DIO, and CR, can be consulted in the Reading Room.

1901 Census of population

A microfilm copy of the 1901 census of population for the six counties of Northern Ireland is available under the following reference numbers:


MIC354/1	Antrim
MIC354/2	Armagh
MIC354/3	Down
MIC354/4	Fermanagh
MIC354/5	Londonderry
MIC354/6	Tyrone

Civil Births Index

A microfilm copy of the printed indexes to civil births registers in Ireland from 1864 to1922 is held under the main reference number MIC165. Please note, PRONI does not hold the original civil registers of births, deaths or marriages. These are kept by the General Register Office of Northern Ireland (GRONI)

Copy Will Books

Although the pre-1900 original probated wills were destroyed in the Four Courts fire in Dublin in 1922, fortunately, the District Probate Registries had kept copies of most of them. The books into which the originals were copied have been microfilmed and are available under the following reference numbers (covering dates given in brackets).

MIC15C/1 Armagh District Registry (1858-1900)

MIC15C/2 Belfast District Registry (1858-1899)

MIC15C/3 Londonderry District Registry (1858-1899)

MIC499 Cavan District Registry (1858-1919)

Rev. Dr. D. Stewart Papers

This is a microfilm copy of D1759, the papers of the Rev. Dr. D. Stewart. The papers contain extracts and transcripts from mainly Presbyterian Church records in Ulster; genealogical information on a number of Co. Down families; and extracts from a number of sources concerning the history of the Presbyterian Church in Ulster and the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Ireland. The microfilm copy is held under the reference number MIC637.

Using the Self-Service Microfilm Room

Find the unique reference number of the microfilm reel containing the information you want to view by using the catalogues, guides and indexes available in the Self-Service Microfilm Room and the Search Room.
Complete a white paper Document Request Form, including the unique reference number of the microfilm (for example MIC1P/261/1) and your Visitor Number (for example E/2001/1234).
Give the completed form to the member of staff on duty. They will return the bottom part of the form to you in a plastic holder. You can then select your microfilm from the cabinet, leaving the bottom part of the form in place of the microfilm reel.
You can view the microfilm using any available microfilm reader.
When you are finished with the microfilm, return it to the member of staff on duty. Please do not return the microfilm directly to the cabinet.
You may have only one reel of microfilm in your possession at any one time. Please return your microfilm to the staff member on duty before selecting another.
Readers must not attempt to remove microfilms from the Self-Service Microfilm Room. If there are no viewers available, please contact the member of staff on duty who will make the necessary arrangements to transfer the microfilm to the Reading Room, where other viewers may be available.