Ireland Civil Registration Indexes - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
Irish civil registration indexes begin in 1845 for non-Catholic marriages. Civil registration indexes to births, deaths, and all marriages (including Catholic) begin in 1864. Indexes for all of Ireland continue from these beginning dates through 1921, when Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland became separate countries. Separate civil registration indexes continue for births, marriages, and deaths for the two countries from 1922 to the present.

Record Description
All of Ireland, pre-1922. For 1845–1877 the national civil registration indexes are yearly and are arranged alphabetically by an individual’s family and given name. For 1878–1921, each year is divided into quarters, resulting in four index volumes per year. The March quarter indexes events from January through March; the June quarter, events from April through June; the September quarter, events from July through September; and the December quarter, events from October through December. The General Register Office created a second index for the years 1903–1921. This index is arranged by year and is available only at the office.

Republic of Ireland, 1922–present. For the years 1922–1927, 1933, and 1966 to the present, the General Register Office’s copy of birth indexes is filed by year while the Family History Library’s microfilm copies (1922–1958) are all filed by quarter. Indexes for all other years and all other events through 1966 are by quarter.

Northern Ireland, 1922–present. Physical description not provided at this time.

Record Content
All Ireland to 1922:


 * Listed next to each name is the district where the event was registered (also known as the registration district, poor law union, county district), the volume, and the page number.
 * Death indexes also give the age at death.
 * The yearly birth indexes for 1903–1921 at the General Register Office include a birth date and the mother’s maiden name. Family History Library microfilm copies for this time period are of the quarterly indexes, which do not include a birth date or the mother's maiden name.

Republic of Ireland after 1922:


 * The General Register Office for the Republic of Ireland (GRO) has registered and indexed events for the Republic of Ireland only. For 1922–1927, GRO copies of the birth index include a birth date and the mother’s maiden name. Family History Library microfilm copies for this time period are of the quarterly indexes, which do not include a birth date or the mother’s maiden name.
 * For 1928–1965, all birth indexes are quarterly and give the mother’s maiden name but not the birth date of the newborn.

Beginning in 1966, Republic of Ireland birth indexes include the birth date, marriage indexes include the marriage date and the spouse’s family name, and death indexes include the death date and the deceased’s marital status.

Those using Record Search indexes should note that the microfilm which are of the General Register Office for the Republic of Ireland Indexes of Birth, Marriage and Death contain only index entries and do not contain further genealogical information. In order to obtain further information it is necessary to apply for either photocopy or certificate to the General Register Office.

How to Use the Records
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 in one name index for the period through 1921 and in either of two indexes after 1921.

How to Use the Index to Locate Original Records on Film
Original records were microfilmed and can be ordered into FamilySearch Centers, affiliate libraries or viewed at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.


 * 1) To locate the number of the film you would like to order, click on the Library Catalog link on the FamilySearch website - http://www.familysearch.org/.
 * 2) Enter 'Ireland' in the Place-name search field.
 * 3) Scroll down the list until you come to "Ireland - Civil Registration - Indexes (5)" and click on it.
 * 4) Next, click on "Quarterly returns of births in Ireland, 1864-1955, with index to births, 1864-1921". Do  not click on the red text that says 'Ireland civil registration indexes are available online in Record Search. (This link will take you back to Civil Registration Index in FamilySearch)
 * 5) Scroll past the indexes to the births, looking for the matching event, year and volume found in the FamilySearch index.
 * 6) The corresponding film number for the original record will be displayed; this is the number to use when you order the film.
 * 7) When you are viewing the film, use the page number that you found on the the FamilySearch record to scroll quickly through the microfilm to locate the original record.
 * 8) To locate a marriage record or a death record, carry out the instructions in #1, 2 and 3 and follow the same procedures, except you are looking for marriage or death collections.

''Note: When any collection is sorted by quarters, the records for January, February and March will be found in the March quarter. The same pattern is used for the June, September and December quarters.''

Record History
Ireland kept two sets of registrations, one local and the other national. This document describes the national indexes, not the local ones. Prior to the separation of Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland in 1922, all national civil registration records and indexes for the island were kept by the General Register Office in Dublin. Beginning in 1922 there were two General Register Offices, one in Dublin for the Republic of Ireland and one in Belfast for Northern Ireland. Irish civil registration indexes begin in 1845 for non-Catholic marriages. Civil registration indexes to births, deaths, and all marriages (including Catholic) begin in 1864. Indexes for all of Ireland continue from these beginning dates through 1921, when Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland became separate countries. Separate civil registration indexes continue for births, marriages, and deaths for the two countries from 1922 to the present.

Why This Record Was Created
Civil registration indexes were created to provide name access to the records.

Record Reliability
The indexes are made from the national set of civil registration records, which in turn are copies of the local registration records. Accidental omissions and mistakes have been made in the copying and indexing processes. Otherwise, the data is quite reliable. This section of the article is incomplete. You can help FamilySearch Wiki by supplying links to related websites here.

Related Web Sites
Certificate Exchange

Related Wiki Articles
Ireland Civil Registration

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should also list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection:
"Ireland, Civil Registration Indexes, 1845-1958." index, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org): accessed 11 March 2011, entry for Ellen Donlevy. age at death: 74; citing Civil Records, FHL microfilm 101,739; General Register Office, Belfast, Ireland

Sources of Information for This Collection:
“Ireland, Civil Registration Indexes 1845-1958,” index, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org), from General Register Office. "Quarterly returns of births in Ireland with index to births." Ireland, General Register Office, Belfast. FHL microfilm, 132 reels. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.