County Monaghan, Ireland Genealogy

Guide to County Monaghan ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records.

History
In 1585, the English lord deputy of Ireland, visited the area and met the Irish chieftains. They requested that Ulster be divided into counties and land in the kingdom of Airgíalla be apportioned to each of the McMahon chiefs. A commission was established to accomplish this and County Monaghan came into being. The county was subdivided into five baronies, which was left under the control of the McKenna chieftains. After the defeat of the rebellion of Hugh O'Neill, The O'Neill and the Ulster chieftains in 1603, the county was not planted like the other counties of Ulster. The lands were instead left in the hands of the native chieftains. In the Irish Rebellion of 1641 the McMahons and their allies joined the general rebellion of Irish Catholics. Following their defeat, some colonisation of the county took place with Scottish and English The population of County Monaghn is roughly [NUMBER] people.

General Information about this county

 * The county of Monaghan is an inland county of the province of Ulster. It is bounded by counties Louth, Armagh, Tyrone, Fermanagh, Cavan and Meath.
 * The county is completely within the diocese of Clogher and province of Armagh. The civil jurisidiction divides Monaghan into the baronies of Cremorne, Dartree, Farney, Monaghan, and Trough. It contains the disfranchised borough, market and assize town of Monaghan; the market and post towns of Carrickmacross, Castle-Blayney, Ballybay, Clones, and Newbliss; and the post towns of Emyvale and Glaslough. The principal villages are Smithsborough, Ballytrain, Ballinode, Glennon, and Rock-Corry. The county court house and gaol are in the town of Monaghan, where the assizes are held; general quarter-sessions are held four times in the year at Monaghan and Castle - Blayney. There are 23 constabulary police stations. In military arrangements the county is in the Belfast district, and contains a barrack at Monaghan for cavalry; the barrack has accommodations for 3 officers, 54 privates, and 44 horses, and hospital accommodation for 4 patients, but is generally occupied by a detachment of infantry from Londonderry or Newry.
 * Few of the farms on the larger estates are tenanted in perpetuity; the usual term is 21 years and a life, or 60 years and three lives.
 * The larger farms throughout the county do not average 25 acres; smaller, which are much more numerous, not six, so that ten acres may be adopted as the general average.
 * The linen manufacture was established here at a very early period, and several towns and villages owe their origin to this branch of national industry. Both spinning and weaving declined considerably until the last few years, within which period the trade has revived.

Information provided by the 1847 edition of Samuel Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland".

Archives and Libraries

 * The National Library of Ireland
 * National Archives of Ireland
 * Pronior Public Record Office of Northern Ireland

Civil Jurisdictions and Parish Research Information

 * List of County Monaghan Civil Parishes
 * List of County Monaghan Catholic Parishes

Civil Registration

 * 1845-1913 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1845-1958 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Genealogy

 * Ffolliott, Rosemary. Some Connecting Links between Ireland and the New World from Old Newspapers.  Alphabetical listings of births, marriages and deaths in the Munster Newspapers covering U.S.A. Canada, West Indies and England, years 1765-1826.  Article found in The Irish Ancestor vol.2, no. 1. 1970 pages 62-69. Family History Library Ref. 941.5 B2i

Land and Property

 * 1831 - 1856 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Maps

 * 1885 County Map Courtesy of London Ancestor

Probates
Abstracts of Some Ardagh, Clogher and Kilmore Diocesan Wills. List of Wills proved in these Diocese, covering years 1739-1810, article in The Irish Ancestor, vol.VI.no.2.1974, pages 112-121, Family History Library Ref. 941.5 B2i v5-6.

Societies
Family history societies often publish helpful journals, transcripts, compiled genealogies and host helpful websites. They may have ongoing projects to transcribe records and create indexes. Most societies publish queries in their journals and maintain lists of members’ research interests that may be helpful to you. You may want to join one of these societies, reap the benefits of their expertise and resources or support its efforts.

Monaghan Ancestry Clogher Historical Society 6 Tully, Monaghan, County Monaghan, Ireland Tel: +353 47 82304 E-mail: Monaghanancestry@eircom.net Internet: http://www.monaghan.ie/en/services/heritage/ Heritage] Member of the Irish Genealogical Project.

Clogher Historical Society St Macartan's College, Mullaghmurphy, Monaghan County Monaghan, Ireland Tel: +353 47 71984 E-mail: info@clogherhistory.ie Internet: Clogher History

Monaghan County Library The Diamond, Clones, County Monaghan, Ireland Tel: +353 47 51143 E-mail: clennon@monaghancoco.ie Internet: http://www.monaghan.ie/en/services/library/

Websites

 * Irish Times, also lists all county Heritage Centres' addresses
 * FHLFavorites.info
 * RootsChat Monaghan Resources and Help pages. (Free).
 * RootsIreland baptism records County Monaghan.
 * FamilySearch.org- click "All Record Collections"
 * GenUKI
 * GenUKIMayo
 * www.ancestryireland.com/