GuidedResearch:Why Can't I Find the Record - Ireland Church of Ireland

Back to Ireland Guided Research. This page will give you additional guidance and resources to find information in Protestant records. Use this page if a record cannot be found on Ireland Protestant Guided Research page. If researching after 1864 (after 1845 for marriages), see Civil Records.

Additional Online Resources
''Currently, there are no additional databases for Church of Ireland birth records. See, Substitute records below to help locate birth information in other records.''

Additional Records
Substitute records may contain information about more than one event and are used when records for an event are not available. The accuracy of the record is contingent upon when the information was recorded. Search for information in multiple substitute records to confirm the accuracy of these records.

Finding Town of Origin
Knowing an ancestor’s hometown can be important to locate more records. If a person immigrated to the United States, try Finding Town of Origin to find the ancestor’s hometown.

Virtual Genealogy Consultations
Schedule a free online consultation with a research specialist:

Ask the Community
Select a community research group where you can ask questions and receive free genealogy help.

Tips for finding vital records
Successfully finding vital records in online databases or other repositories depends on a few key points. Try the following search suggestions:
 * Add information. For common names, add more information to narrow the search such as approximate birth date or parent's names if known.
 * Spelling variations. Your ancestor's name may be misspelled. Search with spelling variations for the first and last name of your ancestor.
 * Search other party. Search for the parents or spouse.
 * Know county. Because of the abundance of common names, knowing the county is important to narrow down the search. Go to Finding the Ireland County or Parish of Origin to learn how to find the county.
 * Date range. Expand the date range of the search by 5 years.
 * Check back later. There is currently an ongoing digitization project for all surviving Church of England records. If ancestor not found, check the Anglican Record Project again in a few months. Records will be digitized but not indexed.
 * Look up parish. Go to List of Church of Ireland Parish Registers to learn if records for the parish exist and, if so, where to find them. Many were destroyed in 1922; surviving records are largely not online.

Why the Record may not Exist
Records Start Church of Ireland records began in the 1600s, but most parishes began keeping records in the 1700s and 1800s. Records Destroyed Close to two-thirds of all Church of Ireland records were destroyed in a fire in 1922. However, some originals, copies, and transcripts exist for many parishes. For a list of which parish registers exist and how to find them see: List of Church of Ireland Parish Registers.