Finding the Registration District
Back to Ireland Guided Research.
Beginning in 1864, the Irish would register their births, marriages, and deaths in the registration district they were living in. Because civil records are organized by district, it is beneficial to know the registration district in order to find the civil record of an ancestor.
If civil parish or townland is KNOWN:
- The IreAtlas Townland DataBase - search the townland or civil parish and it will list the townland, civil parish, county, and poor law union (PLU), which has the same name and boundaries as registration district.
- Irish Placenames - search the name of the parish or townland and it will list the place, county, civil parish, and poor law union (same name and boundaries as registration district).
- Poor Law Union Maps - map of poor law unions in Ireland that lists all parishes in each union.
If civil parish and townland are NOT KNOWN:
- Go to Finding the Ireland County or Parish of Origin to learn how to find the civil parish or townland.
If only county is KNOWN:
Learn all of the civil registration districts in the county to help narrow down results. See below for a list.
| County | Civil Registration Districts |
|---|---|
| Antrim | Antrim, Ballycastle, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Belfast, Coleraine, Larne, Lisburn, Lurgan |
| Armagh | Armagh, Banbridge, Castleblaney, Dundalk, Lurgan, Newry |
| Carlow | Baltinglass, Carlow, Enniscorthy, New Ross, Shillelagh |
| Cavan | Bailieborough, Bawnboy, Cavan, Cootehill, Enniskillen, Granard, Irvinestown, Kells, Lisnaskea, Oldcastle |
| Clare | Ballyvaughan, Corrofin, Ennis, Ennistimon, Killadysert, Kilrush, Scarriff, Tulla, Limerick |
| Cork | Bandon, Bantry, Castletown, Clonakilty, Cork, Dunmanway, Fermoy, Kanturk, Kilmallock, Kinsale, Macroom, Mallow, Middletown, Millstreet, Mitchelstown, Skibbereen, Skull, Youghal |
| Derry | Ballymoney, Coleraine, Derry (Londonderry), Limavady, Magherafelt, Newtown |
| Donegal | Ballyshannon, Derry (Londonderry), Donegal, Dunfanaghy, Glenties, Inishowen, Letterkenny, Milford, Strabane, Stranolar |
| Down | Banbridge, Belfast, Downpatrick, Kilkeel, Lisburn, Lurgan, Newry, Newtownards |
| Dublin | Balrothery, Celbridge, Dublin North, Dublin South, Dunshaughlin, Rathdown |
| Fermanagh | Ballyshannon, Clones, Enniskillen, Irvinestown, Lisnaskea |
| Galway | Ballinasloe, Ballinrobe, Clifden, Galway, Glenamaddy, Gort, Loughrea, Mountbellew, Oughterard, Portunna, Roscommon, Scarriff, Tuam |
| Kerry | Cahirsiveen, Dingle, Glin (dissolved after 1892 and split between Listowel and Rathkeale in co. Limerick), Kenmare, Killarney, Listowel, Tralee |
| Kildare | Athy, Baltinglass, Celbridge, Edenderry, Naas |
| Kilkenny | Callan, Carrick-on-Suir, Castlecomer, Kilkenny, New Ross, Thomastown, Urlingford, Waterford |
| King's | See Offaly |
| Laois (Queen's) | Abbeyleix, Athy, Carlow, Donnaghmore (dissolved after 1887 and split between Roscrea and Urlingford), Mountmellick, Roscrea, Urlingford |
| Leitrim | Ballyshannon, Bawnboy, Boyle, Carrick-on-Shannon, Castlerea, Manor Hamilton, Mohill, Roscommon, Strokestown |
| Limerick | Croom, Glin (after 1892 split between Listowel and Rathkeale), Kilmallock, Listowel, Mitchelstown, Newcastle, Rathkeale, Tipperary |
| Londonderry | See Derry |
| Longford | Ballymahon, Granard, Longford |
| Louth | Ardee, Drogheda, Dundalk |
| Mayo | Ballina, Ballinrobe, Belmullet, Castlebar, Castlereagh, Claremorris, Killala, Newport (included in Westport after 1886), Swineford, Westport |
| Meath | Ardee, Celbridge, Drogheda, Dunshaughlin, Edenderry, Kells, Navan, Oldcastle, Trim |
| Monaghan | Carrickmacross, Castleblayney, Clogher, Clones, Cootehill, Dundalk, Monaghan |
| Offaly (King's) | Edenderry, Mountmellick, Parsonstown (Birr), Roscrea, Tullamore |
| Queen's | See Laois |
| Roscommon | Athlone, Ballinasloe, Boyle, Carrick-on-Shannon, Castlereagh, Roscommon, Strokestown |
| Sligo | Ballina, Boyle, Dromore West, Sligo, Tobercurry |
| Tipperary | Borrisokane, Callan, Carrick-on-Suir, Cashel, Clogheen, Clonmel, Nenagh, Parsonstown, Roscrea, Thurles, Tipperary, Urlingford |
| Tyrone | Armagh, Castlederg, Clogher, Cookstown, Dungannon, Enniskillen, Gortin (dissolved after 1899 and split between Omagh and Strabane), Irvinestown, Omagh, Strabane |
| Waterford | Carrick-on-Suir, Clonmel, Dungarvan, Kilmacthomas, Lismore, Waterford, Youghal |
| Westmeath | Athlone, Ballymahon, Castletown, Delvin, Granard, Mullingar, Tullamore |
| Wexford | Enniscorthy, Gorey, New Ross, Shillelagh, Wexford |
| Wicklow | Baltinglass, Naas, Rathdown, Rathdrum, Shillelagh |
[1] See Ireland's civil registration districts to learn more.
References
- ↑ "Ireland's civil registration districts," Irish Genealogy Toolkit, https://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/Ireland-civil-registration.html, accessed 7 November 2018.