Ireland Civil Registration Indexes - FamilySearch Historical Records

Ireland

What is in This Collection?
Civil registration indexes were created for most of Ireland as a common-name repository for records of births, marriages, and deaths between the years of 1864 and 1958.

Civil registration indexes provide the easiest access to civil registration records. Rather than searching district by district (where names are not in alphabetical order), you can look at a name index.

From 1922 onward, this index excludes all records for Northern Ireland after the formation of that territory.

Between the years of 1845 and 1877, the indexes are annual, arranged alphabetically by family names.

Between the years of 1878 and 1921, the indexes are quarterly (4 per year).

For 1897, there are many marriage records missing.

This collection is considered a national index.

There are Northern Ireland records kept by the General Register Office in Dublin, Ireland. See the external link on the bottom right of this page.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Birth:
 * Child’s Name
 * Birth Date and Place
 * Location/Registration District
 * Marriage Status of Parents

Marriage:
 * Names of Bride and Groom
 * Marriage Date and Place
 * Location/Registration District

Death:
 * Name of Deceased
 * Death Date and Place
 * Location/Registration District
 * Age of Deceased
 * Birth Year of Deceased

Coverage Table
To see which counties are included in the collection, the type of record, and the years covered see: Coverage Table for Ireland Civil Registration Indexes, 1845-1958

Coverage Map
Maps showing the number of records per county and year are available.
 * Births
 * Marriages
 * Deaths

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the person you are looking for
 * The approximate date of the event

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the archive information in the index to search for the original record
 * If a birth date is found, look for the individual in census records as a child
 * If a marriage record is found, continue to search in census records for the new family
 * If a death record is found, estimate the birth year and look for other vital records
 * Use all the information obtained to search in church records

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Check for variants of given names, surnames, and place names
 * Transcription errors could occur in any handwritten record
 * It was not uncommon for an individual be listed under a nickname or an abbreviation of their name
 * Vary the search terms. For example, search by either the given name or surname to return broader list of possible candidates which can then be examined for matches
 * Search the records of nearby locations
 * Look at the actual image of the record to verify the information found in the online description, if possible

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Ireland.
 * Ireland Guided Research
 * Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.