Ireland Civil Registration

Civil registration is the government recording and registering of births, marriages, and deaths. Because Irish civil registration records are indexed and cover most of the population, they are an important source of genealogical data, particularly of names, dates, relationships, and places. Below is a table showing the information that can be found in each record type.

Search Strategies
Indexes provide the index information necessary to locate the actual registration record; the year or quarter of the year when the event was registered, the registration district, volume number and page number. For early births and marriages, extracted information from the Civil Registration records can be found in the International Genealogical Index (IGI). Extracted records do not contain all of the information on the actual registration record, however extracted records contain all or a portion of the index information as well as some information that will make it is easier to determine if you have located the event for the correct person.

Note: The index information for the records at the General Records Office of the Republic of Ireland (GRO) differs from the index information at the General Records Office of Northern Ireland (GRONI). For the IGI, Family History Library and Center and are based on the GRO index information for 1845 to 1921. After 1921, they are based on the GRO index for the Republic of Ireland and the GRONI index information for Northern Ireland. You must have the corresponding index information for the source you chose to obtain the complete registration information.

Birth Indexes

 * 1) For 1864 -1875, search the IGI to locate person. If the IGI contains the registration index information, proceed to the instructions on locating the actual registration information.
 * 2) For 1864 – 1958, search the computerized registration indexes at . (The microfilm indexes are also available at the Family History Library or through local Family History Centers. The Family History Library or Centers' microfilm indexes are the GRO indexes for 1845 to 1921. After 1921, they are based on the GRO index (1922-1958) for the Republic of Ireland and the GRONI index 1922-1959) information for Northern Ireland.)
 * 3) From 1864 -1921, searches can be made of the indexes at either the General Record Office (GRO) or the General Records Office of Northern Ireland (GRONI). After 1921, the GRO contains the indexes for the Republic and GRONI has the indexes for Northern Ireland.
 * 4) Proceed to the instructions on locating the actual registration information.

Marriage Indexes
Note: If you know the surnames of both spouses, search for both spouses. If the index information matches, then you have the correct marriage.


 * 1) For 1845 -1870, search the IGI to locate person (from 1845-1863; only Protestant marriage are recorded). If the IGI contains the registration index information, proceed to the instructions on locating the actual registration information.
 * 2) For 1864 – 1958, search the computerized registration indexes at . (These indexes are also available on microfilm at the Family History Library or through local Family History Centers. The Family History Library or Centers' microfilm indexes are the GRO indexes for 1845 to 1921. After 1921, they are based on the GRO indexes (1922-1958) for the Republic of Ireland and the GRONI index 1922-1959) information for Northern Ireland.)
 * 3) For all years, searches can be made at the indexes at the General Record Office (GRO) for the Republic of Ireland or the General Records Office of Northern Ireland (GRONI).
 * 4) Proceed to the instructions on locating the actual registration information.

Death Indexes

 * 1) For 1864 – 1958, search the computerized registration indexes at . (These indexes are also available on microfilm at the Family History Library or through local Family History Centers. The Family History Library or Centers' microfilm indexes are the GRO indexes for 1845 to 1921. After 1921, they are based on the GRO index (1922-1958)for the Republic of Ireland and the GRONI index (1922-1959) information for Northern Ireland.)
 * 2) For all years, searches can be made at the indexes at the General Record Office (GRO) for the Republic of Ireland or the General Records Office of Northern Ireland (GRONI).
 * 3) Proceed to the instructions on locating the actual registration information.

Locating the Actual Registration Information:
There are two index systems used to catalog the civil registration information; the GRO index and the GRONI index. If you have GRO index information, you must obtain the registration from a repository that catalogs the information based on this index and vice versa for the GRONI index information. GRO indexed information is shown in bold and GRONI indexed information is shown initalic.

Step 1: Determine where to obtain the actual registration information.

Below is a table showing the civil registration information available at the Family History Library or through Family History Centers, the GRO and the GRONI. Determine whether your index information is based on the GRO or the GRONI catalog system and then identify where you want to obtain the actual registration information.

Step 2: Obtain the actual registration information.

a. Obtaining Civil Registration Information at Family History Library or Family History Center:

The Family History Library (FHL) has microfilms of the actual registration information the years shown above. Click on the link in the above table to see the Family History Library microfilm number that contains the certificate you are looking for based on the index information you have. These microfilms can also be ordered through the local Family History Center. Then find the certificate by looking at the microfilm. First find the appropriate year or quarter of the year and then proceed to the page number found in the indexes to locate the registration information.

b. Obtaining Civil Registration Information at the GRO:

With the GRO index information, you can obtain the registration information through the GRO. Click on this link to see the GRO ordering information.

c. Obtaining Civil Registration Information at GRONI:

With the GRONI index information, you can obtain the registration information through the GRONI. Click on this link to see the GRONI ordering information.

Tips on Searching the Civil Registration Indexes

 * If you want to narrow your search by using the registration district, you must choose the option of "exact, close &amp; partial matches" otherwise this narrow search will not work.
 * If you don't know the registration district, then the search can be narrowed by using the county. The next section explains how to determine the registration district.
 * When you enter a place for your search, sometimes there are more than one spelling for the same place and you will get different results for a search on each place. If you enter a place and do not find the person, try a different spelling for the place.  For example, if you enter Leix, then the drop down window will give you other spellings for this county, i.e. Laois and Laoighis.  You may need to try all of these spellings for this county.
 * To search again, choose refine search. If you choose new search, you will return to the home page and have to go to the Ireland Civil Records search page again.
 * The search engine is not picking up all of the name varriants. For example, if you search on Hanora, then you get a different set of results than if you searched on Honora.  Thus, you should manually try other name varriants if you do not find the person you are looking for.

Additional Information on Indexes to Civil Registration Records:
Indexes can help you find a registration entry for your ancestor. Before 1878, registration indexes were arranged alphabetically by year. Since 1878, indexes have remained alphabetical but have been divided by each quarter of the years (e.g. 'January, February &amp; March' etc.). Most registration indexes list only the name of the individual registered and the district, volume, and page number of that person's registration entry. The death indexes also list the individual's age at death. In the LDS films the Republic of Ireland post-1927 birth indexes include the mother's maiden name. However, since the LDS filmed the indexes the mother's maiden surname now appears in the Birth Index since 1903. In searching for an index entry, knowing the name of the district and at least an approximate year in which the birth, marriage, or death occurred will reduce your search time.

Place-names in the indexes are for districts. In rural areas, many villages and parishes belong to one district. In urban areas, a city may be divided into several districts.

The registration districts are the same as the poor law unions. If you know the parish name where the event occurred, then you can find the registration district by going to the county map for Ireland at the bottom of the main Ireland page. Just click the county the parish is in and a table showing which poor law union a parish will be at the bottom of this page. Click here to go to the main Ireland page to get to the county map of Ireland.

If you know the townland, you can look up the poor law union by using www.seanruad.com. This website will let you search on partial names and is especially helpful if the townland name is mispelled. The Poor Law Union or civil registration district will be shown for the townland.

If you do not know the parish name, then use the following sources to identify the parish or the district in which your ancestor lived: You can also find more information on locating places in the gazetteers' section.

Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns of Ireland, (1871 Census), which lists Irish localities and the districts that served those localities in 1871.

Ireland, Census Office, General Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns of Ireland, (1901 Census, [London, England: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1901?]; Family History Library book Ref 941.5 X22g1901; film #865092, which lists Irish localities and the districts that served those localities in 1901.

Civil Registration Districts of Ireland, (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Library, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1983; Family History Library book Reg 941.5 V2c; film #6036472, which provides maps and districts' names as they were in 1871.

Tips If You Cannot Find an Individual in the Index:
If you cannot find an index reference, consider the following reasons:


 * Late registrations of births and deaths are indexed separately at the end of each index volume.
 * Surnames are often spelled differently than expected.
 * Surnames with prefixes, such as O'Brien or McDonnell, may be listed without their prefixes (Brien, Donnell).
 * Events are filed by the date they were registered, not the date they occurred and may therefore be indexed in a later volume. (For example, a birth on 20 December 1879 which was registered on 6 January 1880 will be listed in the January-March volume of 1880.)
 * Indexes were hand-prepared and may contain errors, such as copying mistakes (for example, the interchange of T and F) and missed entries.
 * Occasionally, people were registered under a variation of their first name, other than that recorded at the time of their birth or death. For instance Ted for Edward or Molly for Mary.
 * In error, some marriages have been indexed by the name of only one party.
 * If a woman was married previously, then her surname in the marriage index might at a later marriage be her surname from a previous marriage and not her maiden surname.
 * Vital information provided by the family (particularly age at death) is often incorrect.
 * People with prolific first names or surnames are sometimes difficult to distinguish in the index.
 * Children born before their parents were married may be listed under the mother's maiden name.
 * Some children are simply listed as male or female if they were not named by the time of registration.
 * Some events were not registered, even though registration of births, marriages and deaths was required by law.

If, after considering the above factors, you cannot find a civil birth, marriage, or death certificate for your ancestor, you may want to search church or other records.

Additional Information on Death Registrations:
Death certificates give only the name, occupation, age at death, and marital status of the deceased; duration of the illness; date, place, and cause of death; and signature, qualification, and residence of the informant. For a married or widowed woman a spouse's name is sometimes recorded. Where a child has died, the child's occupation is often given as "son or daughter of...". In Northern counties, the father's name of unmarried adult females are often recorded.

Civil registrations of deaths are of limited genealogical value because they:


 * Do not normally contain parentage or birth information.
 * May be inaccurate (the informant may not have known the information requested).
 * May not contain enough information to distinguish your ancestor from others with the same name. This cannot be emphasized enough.

Nonetheless, a death certificate is usually the only civil record for persons born or married before government registration began in 1864.

Since December 2005 death records in the Irish Republic record the deceased's date &amp; place of birth and parents' full names. In Northern Ireland, since 1973 death records have stated the deceased person's date &amp;amp; place of birth.

Divorce Information:

Although judicial divorce became possible in England &amp; Wales from 1857 this was not the case in Ireland. Divorce continued to be available only through a private act of parliament, which was in itself a rare occurrence and one only available to the well-off. After the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922 (later simply called 'Ireland' and now commonly referred to as the Republic of Ireland) this situation continued until judicial divorce was finally legislated following a referendum in 1995.

In Northern Ireland judicial divorce became available in 1939.

Divorce records usually contain very brief details about the names of the parties and the date and place of the marriage being dissolved. However, court files relating to divorce proceedings may contain additional information on family members, their marital history (including marriage date and place), property, residences, and sometimes dates of events such as children’s births.

Given the restriction upon divorce in Ireland some people chose to divorce in the jurisdiction of England &amp; Wales. Searches can be made for records there at:

'Divorce Registry of the Family Division Somerset House, Strand London W.C. 2 England

Records of UK parliamentary divorce acts (up to 1921) can be found at:

House of Lords Library London, SW1A 0PW England

As mentioned above, judicial divorce began in England &amp; Wales in 1858. Files relating to the court proceedings for divorce records are confidential for 75 years. Records older than 75 years can be consulted at the National Archives in London and indexes for the period 1858 to 1937 are available there.

To learn more about divorce records, visit the following Web sites.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/Leaflets/ri2289.htm www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/Leaflets/ri2289.htm *http://www.1837online.com/Trace2web/resources/divorcerecords/ www.1837online.com/Trace2web/resources/divorcerecords/ *http://www.genealogy.about.com/cs/vitaluk/index.htm www.genealogy.about.com/cs/vitaluk/index.htm

Additional Collections in Registrar's Office:
There are numerous other collections in the Registrar General’s Office. Each of them relates to various circumstances that impact the registration of births, marriages and deaths relating to Irish citizens.

Adopted Children's Register
This was introduced by the Adoption Act of 1952. Registration began on 10 July 1953 and only allowed couples of the same religion as the child to adopt illegitimate and orphaned children. The Adoption Act of 1974 removed the same religion requirement. These are considered public records, but give no indication of the birth parents.

Births and Deaths at Sea
These were recorded beginning 1 July 1837 when the registration of births, and deaths was initiated in England and Wales. Persons of Irish heritage were registered as well and copies were later provided to the Irish Registrar General where at least one parent had been born in Ireland. Unfortunately, the Irish Free State discontinued the registration in 1922. The registration continues in Northern Ireland.

British Consular Births and Deaths
The Consular Civil Registers were maintained on British subjects beginning in 1849. Obviously only the births and deaths that occurred in foreign countries were recorded when the British consulate or embassy was notified. Again, as with births and deaths at sea, the Irish Free State discontinued the registration in 1922, but it continues in Northern Ireland.

Great War Deaths
This is a register of the men who died in His Majesty King George V’s service during the Great War. Deaths are recorded for the period 1914 – 1921. The information included in each entry includes the army number and rank, name, country of birth, date and cause of death. Obviously, this trail would lead to other military records that may give additional details about the soldier or living family members.

Army Births, Marriages and Deaths: 1879 Army Act
Created by the Parliamentary Act of 1879 in provided for the registration of all army births, deaths and marriages outside the United Kingdom that were submitted to the registrar. Births where at least one parent was born in Ireland and deaths where the principle was born in Ireland. The registration was continued until 1930 for births and 1931 for deaths and marriages. The death index for the year 1902 also contains an index to the deaths in the South African War for the years 1898 – 1902.

Further Reading:
Irish Civil Registration - Where Do I Start? (No. 2 in 'Exploring Irish Genealogy' series) by Eileen O'Duill Steven C. ffeary-Smyrl. Published by the Council of Irish Genealogical Organisations, Dublin, 2000. www.cigo.ie

External Links:

 * http://www.ireland.com/ancestor/ *http://www.groni.gov.uk/ *http://www.ireland.com/ancestor/browse/records/state/ *http://www.from-ireland.net/gene/district.htm *http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliamentary_Archives&amp;nbsp; History and holdings of the House of Lords Library and the Parliamentary Archives.

Selected Bibliography:
1. Falley, Margaret Dickson. Irish and Scotch-Irish Ancestral Research. Evanston, Illinois: privately printed, 1962.

2. Grenham, John. “Civil Records” in Tracing your Irish Ancestors, 3d. edition. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2006.

3. Ó Dúill, Eileen and Steven C. ffeary-Smyrl, Irish Civil Registraion – Where Do I Start?, Council of Irish Genealogical Organisations Exploring Irish Genealogy Series. Dublin, Ireland: Council of Irish Genealogical Organisations, 2000. [The definitive guide on the subject.]

4. Radford, Dwight A. and Kyle J. Betit. “Civil Registration” in A Genealogists Guide to Discovering Your Irish Ancestors. Cincinnati, Ohio: Betterway Books, 2001. [Includes a list of the Superintendent Registrar’s Districts.]