Ireland, Civil Registration Guide, County/Volume Arrangement

IRISH CIVIL REGISTRATION Guide to Arrangement of Certificate Volumes and Counties
The primary arrangement of the Irish civil registration certificates on film is by time period: first by year, and then by quarter of the year (even in the early years when the quarters are not identified as such in this register).

The secondary arrangement of the The years listed in the following charts are those for which the Family History Library has certificates on microfilm.

The tables showing the volume numbers for each county are divided into these categories: 

All of Ireland


 * 1) Births, 1864-1877; Marriages &amp; Deaths, 1864-1870
 * 2) Births, 1878-1881 &amp; 1900-1913
 * 3) Marriages, 1845-1863

Republic of Ireland


 * 1) Births, 1930-1955

Northern Ireland


 * 1) Births, Marriages &amp; Deaths, 1922-1959 

ALL IRELAND  -   BIRTHS, 1864-1877; MARRIAGES &amp; DEATHS, 1864-1870

                             Volume Numbers by Quarter:

ALL IRELAND - Births, 1878-1881 &amp; 1900-1913

                      Volume Numbers by Quarter:

ALL IRELAND - Marriages, 1845-1863

(Unlike the post-1863 years, the early years are not arranged by quarter or by county - arrangement is strictly alphabetical by registration district. During this earlier time period, there were not as many districts as there were later.)

Volume Numbers by Quarter:

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND - Births, 1930-1955

                            Volume number the same for all four quarters 

NOTE: When Ireland divided into two separate countries in 1922, registration volume 1, covering most of present-day Northern Ireland, ceased to exist.

NORTHERN IRELAND - Births, Marriages &amp; Deaths, 1922-1959

The arrangement of certificates for Northern Ireland for the above years is very simple. The volumes of certificates on microfilm are arranged first by year, then by quarter, then in alphabetical order by Superintendent Registrar District. Page numbers run consecutively through each volume. Unlike earlier years, volume numbers run consecutively through the thirty-seven year time period and do not at all relate to the districts or counties.

SUPERINTENDENT REGISTRAR'S DISTRICTS BY COUNTY AND VOLUME NUMBER
The following volume numbers apply to all quarters of the years beginning with 1878, and to the first quarter of the years 1864-1877. These arrangements are the same for the other quarters of 1864-1877, but with progressively larger volume numbers. (See county list under 'Guide to Arrangement of Certificate Volumes and Counties'.) Districts some times over-lapped county boundaries.

In 1922 the southern part of Ireland separated from the six northern counties and became a separate country known as the Republic of Ireland, or Eire. The six remaining counties, Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry, and Tyrone, are known as Northern Ireland and are still a part of the British Commonwealth. Because of this division the records for births, marriages, and deaths are divided also.

ALL IRELAND - Birth Certificates, March 1900 – December 1913
For certificates between 1881 and 1900, contact the GRO by correspondence.