Ireland Genealogy

Guide to Ireland ancestry, family history, and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records.

Country Information
Today the island of Ireland  is divided into two countries: (1) the Republic of Ireland, also known as Éire and (2) Northern Ireland, one of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom (together with England, Scotland, and Wales). Prior to 1922 the island of Ireland was one country. The language most widely spoken is English. In the Republic of Ireland, the Irish Gaelic language has official status; in Northern Ireland it has some official recognition along with Ulster Scots.

Counties
The Ireland counties listed below are based on historic boundaries pre-1974. The records dating before 1974 are located within the information found in the historic counties. This practice is best for genealogy, since most research is from before this date. Modern countries, especially in Northern Ireland, are different. In the Republic, administrative changes made to the counties were mostly reverted in 2014.

Ireland Clickable Map
The map below shows the whole of Ireland. The six counties of Northern Ireland are divided from the rest by a heavy black line.

Counties
Click on a county to locate more information about resources in that county.

FamilySearch Resources
Below are FamilySearch resources that can assist you in researching your family.


 * Facebook Communities - Facebook groups discussing genealogy research
 * Historical Records
 * Family History Center locator map

Research Tutorials
Note: Microsoft browser may be required for viewing tutorials.


 * Getting Started in Irish Genealogy
 * Ireland Emigration
 * Irish Emigration to North America: Before, During, and After the Famine - Parts 1 and 2
 * Ireland Beginning Research Series
 * Immigration Part 1: Strategies
 * Immigration Part 2: Famine and Post Famine Sources
 * Immigration Part 3: Ulster and Scots Irish Sources
 * Church Records
 * Civil Registration
 * Ireland Civil Registration
 * Finding Ancestry in Ireland Civil Registration Records
 * Ireland Presbyterian Church Records
 * Ireland Catholic Church Records - Parts 1 and 2
 * Irish Protestant Church Records
 * More Irish than the Irish Themselves: The Hiberno-Norman Families - Parts 1 and 2
 * The Scots-irish: Plantation and Settlement of Ulster in the 17th Century
 * British Resources on FamilySearch.org - Parts 1 and 2
 * British Resources on Findmypast
 * Tracing Irish Roman Catholic Ancestry

Websites

 * GENUKI Ireland links to resources.
 * Irish Genealogy.ie