Ireland Catholic Church Records: Difference between revisions

[[Image:Catholic Church in Ireland 1.jpg|thumb|right|163x222px|<center>Catholic Church in Ireland</center>]]  

Catholic parish registers for most rural areas were not kept until the 1820s or later. Records for urban areas and the eastern part of the county generally started earlier. Each parish kept its own records. Catholic parish registers mainly include christening and marriage records. Few registers contain death or burial records. Occasionally a register will contain a parish census. Some Catholic registers are written in Latin [[Latin in Irish Roman Catholic parish registers|(click here for some Latin terms and their meanings)]]. The registers contain the following information.

These are the records that provide the most vital information.  

Catholic christenings (baptisms) took place as soon as possible after children were born, sometimes even on the same day. Christening records nearly always include the date of baptism and the names of the child, the father, the mother (including maiden surname, although not always included on earlier records), and the sponsors or godparents. Sponsors or godparents were often related to the child. Some christening records also include the child's birth date and the family's place of residence.

Catholic marriage records normally provide the date of the marriage, the names of the bride and groom, and the names of the witnesses. Occasionally, places of residence are listed. If the bride and groom are related, the degree of relationship is often given as well. Original parish registers are in local custody. Later marriage records, e.g. 1870s, especially in cities and larger towns,&nbsp;may include additional details not included in civil records such as names of both parents, their current address and addresses for witnesses.&nbsp; Sometimes a priest will search parish records for you.&nbsp;  

*[http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/ChurchRecords.html www.genuki.org.uk/big/ChurchRecords.html]<br>

These records give the name of the deceased, date of burial and sometimes an occupation or residence (townland). Later years often include the age at death and for children at least one of the names of the parents, usually the father. Burials were restricted for the Catholic clergy and many are to be found in the Church of Ireland. Others are scattered throughout the countryside and may require the Ordinance Survey maps to identify. Prior to 1880, only 214 Irish Catholic parishes recorded burials compared to 1042 that recorded records of baptisms.

'''Payment of Parish Dues'''  

Records relating to the lives of priests and/or nuns in the Catholic church are to be found primarily in two sources. The Irish Catholic Directory (published annually since 1836) and the published list Maynooth Students &amp; Ordinations Index 1795-1982 by Patrick J. Hamell (Maynooth: no date) covering the first 100 years of those who entered the seminary at Maynooth.  

Original parish registers are in local custody. Sometimes a priest will search parish records for you. Names, addresses, and parishes of priests are listed in the Irish Catholic Directory and Diary.  

<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Filmed copies of pre-1880 parish registers for Northern Ireland are also kept by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. </span>

Many catholic parish records, some as far back as the 1790's, as well as records of other churches, and census records, are being indexed by county Heritage Centers. Heritage Centers are part of a country-wide system, the Ireland Family History Foundation, which has begun to index millions of the records.  

Transcriptions:  

*[http://www.findmypast.com/?gclid=CPaw6933ob8CFdNzMgodEggANA findmypast.com]

The Family History Library has microfilm copies of many Catholic parish registers.&nbsp;  

#Click '''View Film Notes''' to find the film numbers.

Maps showing Catholic parish boundaries for every county in Ireland can be found in:  

Grenham, John. ''Tracing Your Irish Ancestors: The Complete Guide''. Dublin, Ireland: Gill and Macmillan, 1992. (Family History Library {{FHL|941.5 D27gj|disp=book Ref 941.5 D27gj}}.)

1. Betit, Kyle J. “Priests, Nuns and Brothers in Ireland.” ''The Irish at Home and Abroad'', 5:2 (1998).