Search Results

Record Collections

Browse our curated databases spanning centuries of Irish history

Parish Registers

Baptism, marriage and burial records from Catholic & Church of Ireland parishes across all 32 counties.

3.2M records
Census Returns

Surviving census fragments from 1821–1911 including household schedules and statistical summaries.

2.1M records
Emigration Lists

Passenger manifests and emigration records to America, Canada, Australia and beyond.

1.8M records
Griffith's Valuation

Primary land valuation of 1847–1864 listing every landholder and leaseholder in Ireland.

1.5M records
Wills & Testaments

Probate records, wills and administrations from ecclesiastical and civil courts.

890K records
Tithe Applotment Books

1820s–1830s tithe records listing occupiers of agricultural land by parish.

950K records

Reference Databases

Explore the occupations, religions and social structures of historic Ireland

Religions
Roman Catholic6.4M
Church of Ireland (Anglican)1.2M
Presbyterian840K
Methodist310K
Society of Friends (Quaker)42K
Baptist28K
Congregationalist18K
Jewish12K
Moravian6K
Huguenot (French Protestant)4.5K
Reformed Presbyterian (Covenanter)3.8K
Non-Subscribing Presbyterian2.9K
Unitarian2.1K
Plymouth Brethren1.8K
Palatine (German Protestant)900
Occupations
Farmer3.8M
Labourer2.9M
Servant1.1M
Weaver420K
Blacksmith180K
Cooper95K
Schoolmaster / Teacher88K
Shoemaker / Cordwainer76K
Publican / Innkeeper64K
Carpenter / Joiner58K
Tailor52K
Fisherman44K
Mason / Stonecutter38K
Constabulary (RIC / DMP)32K
Nailer18K
Land Status
Tenant at Will2.8M
Leaseholder (31 years)1.4M
Fee Simple Owner680K
Cottier / Cottar520K
Conacre Holder380K
Squatter210K
Leaseholder (Lives Renewable)190K
Middleman / Sub-letter86K
Head Landlord12K
Church Lands Tenant9.4K
Crown Tenant4.2K
Absentee Landlord3.1K

Latest Articles

Expert guides and stories to help your research

Famine Studies
Tracing Famine-Era Ancestors: A Guide

How to find records of family members displaced during An Gorta Mór (1845–1852) across workhouse, emigration and relief records.

Parish Records
Catholic Parish Registers Before 1830

Understanding the surviving registers, their gaps, and Latin terminology you'll encounter in pre-emancipation parish books.

Surname Origins
The Great Irish Surname Map

Mapping the origins and migration of Gaelic, Norman, Scots and English surnames across Ireland's four provinces.

Emigration
Coffin Ships: Tracking Atlantic Crossings

A practical guide to passenger manifests, port records and quarantine registers for Irish emigrant voyages.

Military
Irish Soldiers in the British Army

Researching ancestors who served from the Williamite Wars through the Great War using WO records and pension files.

DNA & Genetics
DNA Testing for Irish Genealogy

How autosomal DNA, Y-DNA and mtDNA tests can break through brick walls in Irish family research.

Key Dates in Irish History

Events that shaped the records your ancestors left behind

1607
The Flight of the Earls — Gaelic aristocracy departs Ulster, triggering the Plantation.
1695
Penal Laws enacted — Catholics barred from education, land ownership and public life.
1798
United Irishmen Rebellion — widespread rising across Wexford, Antrim and Mayo.
1829
Catholic Emancipation — Daniel O'Connell's campaign succeeds; parish record-keeping improves.
1845
An Gorta Mór begins — the Great Famine devastates Ireland; mass emigration follows.
1864
Civil Registration begins — births, marriages and deaths recorded by the state.
1922
Four Courts fire — centuries of irreplaceable records destroyed during the Civil War.

Browse by Province

Each of Ireland's four provinces holds unique records and histories

Ulster

9 Counties
3.1M Records

Connacht

5 Counties
1.8M Records

Leinster

12 Counties
4.2M Records

Munster

6 Counties
3.3M Records

Stay Connected to Your Past

Get weekly research tips, newly digitised records, and stories from Ireland delivered to your inbox.