User:Beccac1229/Sandbox54

=Ireland Catholic Births - Why can't I find a record?=

This page will give you additional guidance and resources to find Roman Catholic birth information for your ancestor. Use this page after first completing the birth section of the Ireland Catholic Guided Research page.

Historically, the majority of the Irish population was Roman Catholic. Although the earliest record is from 1671, most parishes began keeping records starting in the early 19th century. After 1864, look for births in Irish civil registration.

Additional Databases and Online Resources

 * 1620-1911:  Ireland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1620-1911  at Ancestry ($)
 * 1655-1915:  Ireland, Catholic Parish Registers, 1655-1915  at Ancestry ($)
 * 1742-1881:  Ireland, Selections of Catholic Parish Baptisms, 1742-1881  at Ancestry ($)
 * 1763-1917:  Ireland, Select Catholic Birth and Baptism Registers, 1763-1917  at Ancestry ($)
 * 1700s-1800s  Catholic Parish Registers at the NLI  - search images by Catholic parish and time period

Substitute records may contain information about more than one event and are used when records for an event are not available. Records that are used to substitute for birth events may not have been created at the time of the birth. The accuracy of the record is contingent upon when the information was recorded. Search for information in multiple substitute records to confirm the accuracy of these records.

Tips for finding births
Successfully finding birth records in online databases depends on a few key points. Try the following search suggestions:
 * Spelling variations. Your ancestor's name may be misspelled. Search with spelling variations for the first and last name of your ancestor.
 * Search parents. Search for the parents, if known, as the child's first name may not be on the birth record.
 * Search given name. Search by given name (leave out the last name) with the approximate date of birth.
 * Add information. For common names, add more information to narrow the search such as approximate birth date or parent's names if known.
 * Date range. Expand the date range of the search by 5 years.
 * Common names.

Surname Distribution Maps
Because of the abundance of common given and surnames, it is important to know the county and, even more importantly, the parish in order to narrow down the search. Use surname distribution maps to narrow down the likely location of your ancestor.
 * Irish Surnames
 * Surname Distribution mid 1800s

Records Start Mandatory birth registration started in 1864. Before this, births and baptisms can be found in church records (mainly the Roman Catholic Church). Historically, the majority of the Irish population was Roman Catholic. Although the earliest record is from 1671, most Catholic parishes began keeping records starting in the early 19th century.

Records Published Records Destroyed Catholic church records have had little record loss. Civil registration records are generally complete.