Ireland Record Loss

Ireland

There has been a great deal of destruction of the major Irish genealogical record sources. A fire in the Public Record Office in Dublin in 1922 destroyed many records. Additional records were destroyed by the government. The following records have been destroyed: two-thirds of The Church of Ireland original parish registers; most pre-1900 probate records, marriage bonds and allegations; census returns for 1813, 1821, 1831/4, 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, and 1891. Coupled with government oppression of the Roman Catholic Church record keeping practices, this loss has resulted in only one in seven, 14%, pre-1800 churches still having parish registers available.