Ireland Church Records: Difference between revisions

=== Church of Ireland  ===

The Anglican Church became established in Ireland in 1536 and was the religion of many plantation settlers in the 17th century. It's records start quite early, but unfortunately many were destroyed in 1922. Surviving records are either held by the RCB (the Library of the Church of Ireland) or are kept by the churches. The RCB has a [https://www.ireland.anglican.org/news/7250/church-of-ireland-parish-record List of Church of Ireland Parish Registers], clearly indicating the dates for each parishes, whether records survive and where they can be found.  

=== Catholic Church  ===

Roman Catholic parish registers for most rural areas were not kept until the 1820s or much later. However, records for urban areas often start earlier; sometimes much earlier and as far back as the mid-eighteenth century or occasionally before. Registers in the City of Limerick for example begin in 1745, those for Cork Cathedral in 1766.Most parishes (a church unit with geographical boundaries) kept their own records. Some parish buildings were erected and used merely for baptising and worshiping chapels and kept no parish registers and the registers of same were kept at the main parish.

There are very few Catholic burial records. The registers for baptisms and burials may use Latin, English or Gaelic interchangeably, and be abbreviated or otherwise hard to interpret.   

=== Presbyterian Records  ===

In 1605 Scottish Presbyterians began a massive migration into Northern Ireland. Congregations were organized at that time, but only a few congregations, mostly in County Antrim, kept early records. Most congregations started keeping records in the early 1800s.   

=== Methodist Records  ===

A Methodist society began in Dublin in 1746.  

=== Quaker (Society of Friends) Records  ===

In 1654, the Quaker faith (Religious Society of Friends) began in Ireland. Its roots can be found among English soldiers, farmers, and merchants who arrived in Ireland after the English Civil War (1641-1651). These immigrants converted to the new religion from a variety of other nonconforming protestant faiths.<br>By 1750, there were 150 Quaker meetings across Ireland within the provinces of Ulster, Leinster, and Munster.  

The Quaker faith kept its records separate and apart from those collected by the Church of Ireland or the State. As a result, many of its original records exist and are located in the repositories.&nbsp;   

=== Other Churches  ===

Records of other churches are primarily in local custody (except for Latter-day Saint records, which are mainly in Salt Lake City, Utah). Huguenot church records have been published in:  

More and more of the records are going online. However some, especially Protestant records are not yet available online.  

* [http://www.rootsireland.ie/ RootsIreland] ($) has records from all religions. Their website has detailed lists of exactly what is and what is not available. No images are available.  

* The RCBL [https://www.ireland.anglican.org/news/7250/church-of-ireland-parish-record Lists access arrangements] for Anglican records. It may not mention which records are on other websites.  

* The IGI includes a selection of records from all religions.  

* The FamilySearch Catalog contains many records.  

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) has published:

=== Online Databases ===

*[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3876 Irish Records Extraction Database, 1763 - 1912] ($)

*[https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/217297?availability=Family%20History%20Library Index to Church of Ireland diocesan marriage licenses, 1630-1845], index only.

*[http://search.findmypast.com/search-world-Records/ireland-diocesan-and-prerogative-marriage-licence-bonds-indexes-1623-1866 Ireland Diocesan and Prerogative Marriage Licence Bonds Indexes 1623-1866], index, ($).

*[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=9141 Ireland, Marriages in Walker's Hibernian Magazine, 1771-1812], index and images, ($).

  <center><span style="color: #cc9999">'''''Non-Conformists''''''</span></center>

*[http://search.findmypast.com/search-world-Records/ireland-non-conformist-births-and-baptisms Ireland, Non-Conformist Births & Baptisms], index, ($).