Online Genealogical Sources
Page Updated: 6th August 2010.
Note: Loss of Records and Complications. Poor survival rate of records.
1921 - destruction of the Public Records Office at Four Courts, major and famous archival disaster
1711 – fire at Custom office
1758 – fire at Dublin Castle
IrishOrigins.com
This site likely has the most searchable indexes on the net. Unfortunately, it is a paid service for most of these resources. The search engine has the ability to search both by name (with the option to also search variants) and place. However, it is a subscription only site, which does not become apparent until after searching and being teased with the number of results. However, prices do vary. If it’s the Scots in your family you’re trying to track down, you’re in luck, as access to the Scottish origins section of the site is free. For the British and Irish sections, you’ll be paying 7.5 pound or 4.5 pound for 72 hours of access, respectively. There are monthly and annual charges as well. The search feature is very easy to use, as it gives the listings by type (marriage records, for example) with the number of records the query appears. The collections include Griffith’s Valuation (1847-1864), the William Smith O’Brien Petition (October 1848-May 1849), electoral registers, marriage records, the Index of Irish Wills (1484-1858), World War I military records, as well as passenger lists from 1858-1870.
Contents:
- Resources for tracing British, Scotch and Irish origins
Collections:
- Griffith’s Valuation, 1847-1864
- Dublin City Census for 1851 and 1901
- The William Smith O’Brien Petition
- Circled during the end of the Great Famine (October 1848-May 1849)
- Useful as a census substitute or a cross-check with Griffith’s valuation
- Electoral Registers for Ireland, 1832-1838
- Marriage records via Dublin Will and Grant Books Index, 1270-1858
Index of Irish Wills, 1484-1858
- Burial Records
- Counties Galway and Mayo
- Brian J. Cantwell’s Memorials of the Dead
- 11 volumes of graveyard transcriptions from Co. Wicklow, Co. Wexford, and South Dublin county
- Available in journals from Co. Galway, Kildare
- Unpublished from Co. Clare, Cork, Sligo
- Available both on index and as digitized images
Military Records
- Militia Attestations Index, 1872 – 1915
- Memorial Records, 1914-1918
Passenger lists
- Both British and Irish from 1890
- Transatlantic Migration, 1858-1870
Directory of Ireland, 880,000 names
Genealogy.ie
This site recently changed ownership, and so it is still under construction. It claims to be seeking an increase in usage by those of Irish descent in the United States, Australia and New Zealand, as well as Britain and Canada. It does not currently have any searchable records, but gives a great listing of instructions for ‘getting started,’ as well as a listing of various resources and locations.
IrishGenealogy.ie
The first phase of this site is complete, with more data to be added in the coming months. This site currently has the indexes for the Roman Catholic diocese of Kerry, as well as a subset of Church of Ireland parishes in Kerry (including parishes in the west and northwest of Co. Cork). It also currently has a downloadable PDF on how to best trace ancestors, which is handily printable. According to the site, Church of Ireland records for Dublin City, more of Co. Kerry and Co. Carlow are set to be added, as well as a subset of Roman Catholic parishes in Co. Cork and Co. Ross. They are also set to add digital images of the originals. The records contain baptism, marriage and burial information, which may differ from parish to parish or church to church, as different clergymen may have been more or less specific than others. It is also important to note that in many cases, Roman Catholic burial records may contain less information than those from the Church of Ireland. This site also gives a step-by-step guide for getting started on research, which is satisfactory, but not very detailed. The site seems crowded, and the font is very small. The search box is evident on the home page, but one will need to access the advanced search in order to research with success.
Census.nationalarchives.ie
This site has digitized and made searchable the 1901 and 1911 national censuses, in partnership with the Library and Archive of Canada. All 32 counties are present, searchable by not only the typical queries, but also contains information about the occupation, literacy status, county or country of origin, proficiency in the Irish language, and illnesses or child survival of those censured. It is arranged and searchable by townland (the smallest division of land) and by street name, for those in the urban areas. This is a very handy research tool, especially where it offers so much information and is very easily searched.
Familysearch.org
This service is provided y the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, offering online searching as well as free downloadable software (a genealogy/family history program). They also offer free online classes, either to view online or download. The search engine has the ability to search not only by name or place, but also by life event and date ranges. What makes this site unique is the ability to cross search with names of spouses or parents. Once a family member, or potential family member, is selected, the information is drawn up on the right hand side of the screen, where the search results remain available on the left. This is extremely convenient and is a very organized way to view many results on one page. This site is likely the easiest and most convenient way to search.
Ancestry.com | Ancestry.co.uk
This site has the option to either register for a paid subscription or use limited resources for free. Unfortunately, the limited access is quite limited, and in order to reap the benefits of the many indexes and records, the paid subscription is a must. However, the site does offer the option to build a digital family tree without the subscription, a very handy and convenient way to organize information. Records and data can be added to the tree without the subscription if you so choose, with fees based on national or international access. The subscription service, however, provides hints to advance the data collected on the tree, both from their own archives and from other members’ trees. The option to send DNA to be mapped is also offered. Many of the files offered are also scanned and digitized, as to allow viewing of the actual documents.
These reviews were compiled by Kady D’Addario from Boston University, Massachusetts, USA. Kady was an intern at Dublin City Public Libraries, in summer 2010. She was funded by the EUSA (European Study Abroad) programme.