Ireland Archives and Libraries

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Ireland

Archives and Libraries

Archives collect and preserve original documents of organizations such as churches or governments. Libraries generally collect published sources such as books, maps, and microfilm. If you plan to visit a repository, contact them and ask for information about their collection, hours, services, and fees. Ask if they require you to have a reader’s ticket (a paper indicating you are a responsible researcher) to view the records, and ask how to obtain one. Although the records you need may be in an archive or library, the Family History Library may have printed or microfilmed copies of them. National Archives Both the National Archives (Ireland) and the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland collect records for all of Ireland. Neither staff does major research for patrons, but both may conduct brief searches if you supply them with sufficient information.

National Archives, Republic of Ireland

Bishop Street
Dublin D08 DF85
Ireland (Eire)
mail@nationalarchives.ie
Website

The National Archives was created in 1988 by merging the State Paper Office (created in 1702) and the Public Record Office of Ireland (created in 1867). Records at the National Archives include Church of Ireland parish records, gravestone inscriptions, census returns, probate records, deeds, Tithe Applotment books, rebellion and outrage papers, convict reference files, and other historical and genealogical sources. Some records, or indexes, have been digitized and are searchable on the archives' website.

Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)

2 Titanic Boulevard
Belfast BT3 9HQ
Northern Ireland
proni@dcalni.gov.uk
Website

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland has a fairly complete collection of church records (all denominations) for all of Northern Ireland as well as some records for the counties of Donegal, Cavan, and Monaghan. The office's holdings also include estate papers, gravestone inscriptions, census records, Tithe Applotment books, valuation lists, and other historical and genealogical sources.  Some records, or indexes, have been digitized and are searchable on the PRONI website.

Religious Archives

Church of Ireland RCB Library
Braemor Park
Churchtown
Dublin 14
D14 N735

Tel: +353 (0)1 492 3979
Email: library@ireland.anglican.org

• Request a Search
  
• List of Parish Registers

Libraries

National Library of Ireland

Kildare Street
Dublin 2
Ireland (Eire)
info@nli.ie
Website
Family History Service

The National Library is Ireland's main repository of filmed Catholic parish registers. Other records on deposit at the National Library include newspapers, city and regional directories, estate records, the Householders Index, and Griffith's Primary Valuation. The library's staff does not do commissioned searches. An online database, Sources: a National Library of Ireland database for Irish Research should be searched before visiting the library.

Public Libraries and Museums

• Each county and most major cities in Ireland have a main library. Many of these libraries have a local and family history collection. These collections may include estate records, newspapers, gravestone inscriptions, minute books of various local and county government agencies, poor law records, family pedigrees, and histories. Some libraries have indexed parts of their collections.
• County or specialty museums may also contain genealogical records, including estate, military, tax, church, and business or employment records.
• Other archives also contain information of genealogical value. Three such archives are described below.

Linen Hall Library

17 Donegall Square North
Belfast BT1 5GB
NORTHERN IRELAND
info@linenhall.com
Website

The Linen Hall Library has an extensive collection of genealogical and heraldic material. Some of its holdings are duplicated in other repositories such as the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, the National Library of Ireland, and the National Archives. Others of its holdings, such as its printed family histories, are unique.

Trinity College Library

College Street
Dublin 2
IRELAND (EIRE)
dutylibrarian@tcd.ie
Website

Among other genealogical and historical records, the Manuscripts Department of Trinity College Library has a collection of medieval manuscripts, the 1798 rebellion papers, and some Church of Ireland parish records for Dublin.

National University of Ireland

49 Merrion Square,
Dublin 2,
Tel: +353 (1) 439 2424
Fax: +353 (1) 439 2466
registrar@nui.ie
Website

The Library is associated with the main University campus, and has extended archives and archival services.

The Queen's University of Belfast

University Rd,
Belfast BT7 1NN,
United Kingdom
Website

The Library of the Queen's University has extensive archival records relating to the Northern Counties of Ireland. It is also the repository of most religious records that are Protestant in nature.

General Guides

Grenham, John. Tracing Your Irish Ancestors: The Complete Guide. 5th ed. Dublin, Ireland: Gill and Macmillan, 2019. (Family History Library book Ref Tracing your Irish ancestors.)

Foster, Janet, and Julia Sheppard. British Archives: A Guide to Archive Resources in the United Kingdom. 3rd ed. New York, New York: Macmillan Publishers, 1995. (Family History Library book Ref 942 J54f 1995;) This guide lists the addresses, major records, and publications of several repositories in Northern Ireland. The guide is indexed by county and by type of collection.

Grenham, John. "Research Services, Societies and Repositories." In Tracing Your Irish Ancestors: The Complete Guide. This chapter lists the names, addresses, phone numbers, and hours of various repositories in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Helferty, Seamus, and Raymond Refausse, eds. Directory of Irish Archives. 5th ed. Blackrock, Ireland: Irish Academic Press, 2011, (Family History Library book Ref Directory of Irish Archives.) This book alphabetically lists for both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland each repository, its address, its major record holdings, and any guides to its collections. The book is indexed by county and by record subject.

Inventories, Registers, Catalogs

Many archives have inventories, registers, catalogs, guides, directories, or periodicals that describe the archive's records and how to use them. If possible, study these guides before visiting an archive so that you can use your time there more effectively.

Some indexes to holdings in Irish archives are:

Hayes, Richard J. Manuscript Sources for the History of Irish Civilisation. 11 vols. Boston, Massachusetts: G. K. Hall & Co., 1965. (Family History Library book Ref Q 941.5 A5h; film 1,440,939-43.)

Hayes, Richard J.Sources for the History of Irish Civilisation: Articles in Irish Periodicals. 9 vols. Boston, Massachusetts: G. K. Hall and Co., 1970. (Family History Library book Ref Q 941.5 A5ha; film 973,222-30.)

Hayes, Richard J. Manuscript Sources for the History of Irish Civilisation: First Supplement, 1965-1975. 3 vols. Boston, Massachusetts: G. K. Hall & Co., 1979. (Family History Library book Ref Q 941.5 A5h 1st supp.)

These volumes index manuscripts, periodicals, and major collections of Irish interest deposited at the National Library before 1975. They also index many records in other repositories, public and private, in Ireland, Britain, and elsewhere. The indexes are arranged by person, subject, place, date, and manuscript. Throughout the rest of this article, these volumes will be referred to as Hayes's Sources.

A growing microfiche collection of guides and finding aids (including many unpublished finding aids) for various Irish archives, libraries, and museums is:

National Inventory of Documentary Sources in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Cambridge, England: Chadwyck-Healey, 1986-87. This inventory gives a description and the exact reference numbers of the collections in many repositories throughout Ireland. The inventory can thus help in locating documents that pertain to your research. The Family History Library's copy of the inventory is listed in the Author/Title Search of the microfiche catalog under NATIONAL INVENTORY OF DOCUMENTARY SOURCES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND IRELAND.

A name and subject index to the National Inventory is on microfiche (London, England: Chadwyck-Healey, 1995-; Family History Library fiche 6341118). This index includes a list of finding aids and an alphabetical list of repositories.

Additional archive and library inventories, guides, catalogs, and other finding aids available at the Family History Library are listed in the Place Search of the catalog under the following headings:

IRELAND - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES - INVENTORIES, REGISTERS, CATALOGS

IRELAND, [COUNTY] - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES - INVENTORIES, REGISTERS, CATALOGS

IRELAND, [COUNTY], [CITY] - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES - INVENTORIES, REGISTERS, CATALOGS

English Repositories

Because England ruled Ireland for much of its history, many records pertaining to the Irish are found in English repositories. The major English archives that have Irish records are:

The National Archives

Bessant Drive, Kew
Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU
ENGLAND
Internet: Archives

British Library,
Department of Western Manuscripts

96 Euston Rd,
London NW1 2DB,
United Kingdom
Customer-Services@bl.uk
Internet: British Library (then click on collections and then any Manuscripts button)

British Library,
India Office Library and Records

197 Blackfriars Road
London SEI 8NG
ENGLAND
Customer-Services@bl.uk
Internet: India Office Library and Records

British Library, Newspaper Library

The British Library
96 Euston Road
London
NW1 2DB
Customer-Services@bl.uk
Internet: Newspaper Library (then click on collections and then Digitized British newspapers)

Records dealing with the Irish may be found in other English archives as well.