Start with a place precise enough to distinguish parish, county and registration district. A migration record saying only “Ireland” calls for further research in the destination country.
Prepare your research
County, parish or district, denomination if known, event type and established relationships. Retain place variants from migration records.
The method, step by step
- Search IrishGenealogy by choosing civil or church records. Compare dates, places and relatives in the record instead of taking the first matching name.
- For Catholic registers, locate the parish in the National Library of Ireland service. Check volume dates and browse images if you have no index.
- Consult current National Archives of Ireland information before following old links. Record collection, scope and access alternative; Northern Ireland services belong to another jurisdiction.
Choose the right repository
Distinguish civil district, parish and denomination. IrishGenealogy, NLI and National Archives offer different collections; check the latter’s maintenance notice.
Choose a route from the record you have
- Choose civil records, church registers or other files. IrishGenealogy and NLI registers have different coverage; identify registration district and parish separately.
- When an old microsite is unavailable, read the National Archives of Ireland notice and alternatives. Keep references and completed searches; an outage does not prove a record absent.
Find archives
IrishGenealogy.ie →
Search portal for Irish civil records and church collections. Use event type, period and district to distinguish results.
Coverage varies by collection and period. A registration district is not necessarily a parish; check places in the record.
National Library of Ireland — Parish Registers →
Images of Irish Catholic parish registers, browsable by parish. Identify the parish and covered dates before browsing the volume.
Does not represent every denomination or period. Check legibility, gaps and whether the parish matches your location.
National Archives of Ireland →
Guidance to National Archives of Ireland genealogy collections. Choose a document type and check the indicated search service.
Genealogy microsites are reported offline for maintenance, without a reopening schedule. Consult the reading-room alternatives offered.
Sources & references
- IrishGenealogy.ie ↗ (Resource review date : )
- National Library of Ireland — Parish Registers ↗ (Resource review date : )
- National Archives of Ireland ↗ (Resource review date : )