Ireland Civil Registration

Online Resources

 * 1845-1958 at FamilySearch - index
 * IrishGenealogy at Irishgenealogy.ie - index, images. Births: 1864-1921, Marriages: 1845-1946, Deaths: 1871-1971
 * RootsIreland ($) Limited coverage for both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
 * GRONI ($) Official government website. Access to both indexes and originals for Northern Ireland, 1922-present.

Births

 * 1620-1881 at FamilySearch - index
 * 1864-1958 Irish Births 1864-1958 at Findmypast - index ($)
 * 1864-1958 Ireland, Civil Registration Births Index, 1864-1958 at Ancestry - index ($)

Marriages

 * 1619-1898 at FamilySearch - index
 * 1845-1958 Irish Marriages 1845-1958 at Findmypast - index ($)
 * 1845-1958 Ireland, Civil Registration Marriages Index, 1845-1958 at Ancestry - index ($)

Deaths

 * 1864-1870 at FamilySearch - index
 * 1864-1958 Irish Deaths 1864-1958 at Findmypast - index ($)
 * 1864-1958 Ireland, Civil Registration Deaths Index, 1864-1958 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * 1989-2020 Scotland and Northern Ireland, Death Index, 1989-2020 at Ancestry - index ($)

Historical Background

 * Before civil registration, Church Records were kept on the island of Ireland to keep track of baptisms, marriages and burials. Protestant records often stretch back to the 18th century, while most Catholic records begin around the time of emancipation in 1829.
 * In 1845, civil registration was begun in Ireland for non-Catholic marriages only, before being extended to births, deaths and marriages for people of all religions in 1864.
 * A unified system of civil registration then operated until the partition of Ireland, after which Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland kept their own records with different formats and information.

Registration Districts
The basis for civil registration in Ireland is the registration district, and all records are arranged by these districts. They usually include many villages, meaning the Index data alone cannot determine the precise place of an event. However the original may mention more specific localities, especially for residences.

The website of John Grenham has a Place Search Feature that gives information about which administrative subdivisions a place is located in, including Registration Districts.

S. Wilson has a registration district search function, by county or district name, which will provide information on the district boundaries, parishes within the district, and adjacent districts with a map.

Ireland, Civil Registration, County/Volume Arrangement. and Ireland, Civil Registration: Additional Information About the Indexes. are useful articles for further information about using indexes and the way records are arranged in FamilySearch films.

1850 Civil Registration Districts
Click to see a larger image.

Research Tutorials

 * Irish Civil Registration
 * Finding Ancestry in Ireland Civil Registration Records
 * Strategies for Using Civil Registration in the British Isles Part 3: Ireland



Naval Records: Marriage Certificates
These can be used to locate marriages where location is hard to establish. The records cover about 4% of the population.

Record type:


 * Transcripts of marriage certificates. Note:  A regulation required married officers to submit marriage certificates as a condition of eligibility of their wives for widow's pensions.
 * Time period: 1801-1902.

Contents:


 * Name of bride and groom
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Information about naval service (PRO-classes ADM 30/57, ADM 13/70-71 and ADM 13/186-192).

Location: The National Archives Ruskin Avenue Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU England

Overseas and Military Civil Registration
For guidance in searching for Irish ancestors who were born, married, or died overseas, please see the "Overseas and Military Civil Registration" section under England Civil Registration.

Additional Information
For more information about the indexes, see Ireland, Civil Registration: Additional Information About the Indexes. For tips on searching the indexes, go to Tips on Searching the Civil Registration Indexes.