GuidedResearch:Ireland Protestant

Back to Ireland Guided Research. Before 1864, church records are the primary source for birth, marriage, and death information. If researching after 1864, see Civil Records.

Online Records

 *  Anglican Record Project  at Church of Ireland (images only) - currently limited but growing
 *  Ireland Church Records  at IrishGenealogy.ie - currently limited but growing
 *  Search All Ireland Records  at RootsIreland.ie ($)

Did they belong to the Church of Ireland?
Historically, about 10% of Ireland belonged to the Church of Ireland.
 * Most members were located in, what is today, Northern Ireland.
 * Records usually start in the late 1700s or early 1800s, but some date back to the 1600s.
 * About two-thirds of the records were destroyed in a fire in 1922. However, fragments and transcripts of some of these records exist; some can be found online.
 * For a list of which parish registers exist and how to find them: Parish Registers.
 * See Church of Ireland Records for more information.

If record not found, what else you can try:

 * Additional online resources
 * Substitute records
 * Improve searching
 * Why the record may not exist

Online Records

 *  Ireland Church Records  at IrishGenealogy.ie
 *  Search All Ireland Records  at RootsIreland.ie ($)

Did they belong to the Presbyterian Church?
Historically, less than 10% of Ireland belonged to the Presbyterian Church.
 * Most members were located in, what is today, Northern Ireland.
 * Records start in the 1800s.
 * Most records are not online. Most are available at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) but may also be found at the Presbyterian Historical Society of Ireland or in individual congregations.
 * See Ireland Presbyterian Church Records for more information.

If record not found, what else you can try:

 * Additional online resources
 * Substitute records
 * Improve searching
 * Why the record may not exist

Online Records

 *  Search All Ireland Records  at RootsIreland.ie ($)

Did they belong to the Methodist Church?
Historically, about 1% of Ireland was Methodist.
 * Most members were located in, what is today, Northern Ireland.
 * Methodism was introduced to Ireland in the mid-1700s.
 * The majority of records have not been digitized but are mainly in the custody of individual churches and congregations. Records mainly obtained through correspondence with individual ministers.
 * For a list of former and existing churches or meetinghouses: Index of Irish Methodist Churches.
 * See Ireland Methodist Church Records for more information.

If record not found, what else you can try:

 * Additional online resources
 * Substitute records
 * Improve searching
 * Why the record may not exist

Online Records

 *  Ireland, Society Of Friends (Quaker) Births  at FindMyPast ($)
 *  Ireland, Society Of Friends (Quaker) Marriages  at FindMyPast ($)
 *  Ireland, Society Of Friends (Quaker) Deaths  at FindMyPast ($)
 *  Search All Ireland Records  at RootsIreland.ie ($)

Did they belong to the Society of Friends
Historically, less than 1% of Ireland belonged to the Society of Friends (Quakers).
 * Most were found in the provinces of Ulster, Leinster, and Munster.
 * Records start in the mid-1600s.
 * Although the Quaker community was relatively small, they kept a large amount of records (birth, marriage, and death).
 * See Ireland Quaker Records for more information.

If record not found, what else you can try:

 * Additional online resources
 * Substitute records
 * Improve searching
 * Why the record may not exist

Did they belong to the Congregationalist Church?
Historically, less than 1% of Ireland was Independent (also known as Congregationalist).
 * The first Independent church was formed in Ireland in the early 1800s.
 * Because each congregation is independent and autonomous, records are mainly in the custody of individual congregations. Records mainly obtained through correspondence with individual ministers.
 * See A Guide to Church Records (p. 39) for more information.

If record not found, what else you can try:

 * Additional online resources
 * Substitute records
 * Improve searching
 * Why the record may not exist

Did they belong to the Baptist Church?
Historically, less than 1% of Ireland was Baptist.
 * The first Baptist churches in Ireland were formed in the mid-1600s.
 * Most Baptist records have not been digitized; records are likely kept by individual churches or in local archives and libraries.
 * See A Guide to Church Records (p. 40-41) for more information.

If record not found, what else you can try:

 * Additional online resources
 * Substitute records
 * Improve searching
 * Why the record may not exist