Land records are valuable genealogical sources, because they may reveal where and when your ancestor lived; where your ancestor lived previously; family information, such as the names of children, heirs, spouse, other relatives, and neighbors; the occupation your ancestor pursued; other records that may mention your ancestor; and the progression of estate ownership or tenancy from one generation to another.

Deeds

Deeds are often valuable land records. Registration of deeds began in 1708. However, many did not register their deeds, because deeds had to be registered in Dublin and a fee was required. Marriage settlements, leases, mortgages, and wills are also found with deed registrations.

Two separate indexes to Irish deeds exist: surname and county. The surname index is arranged by grantor (seller or transferor of land). The county or land index is arranged alphabetically by county and then by the place-name (town or townland) within the county. Larger cities have their own indexes within the county index. Irish deeds and their indexes are stored at the Registry of Deeds in Dublin (Henrietta Street, Dublin 1, Ireland). For an excellent overview of records at the Registry of Deeds, see:

Begley, Donal F., ed. “The Registry of Deeds for Genealogical Purposes.” In Irish Genealogy: A Record Finder (see the “For Further Reading” section).

Grenham, John. “The Registry of Deeds.” In Tracing Your Irish Ancestors: The Complete Guide (see the “For Further Reading” section).

The Family History Library's copies of Irish deeds are listed in the Locality Search of the catalog under the following headings:

IRELAND - LAND AND PROPERTYIRELAND, [COUNTY] - LAND AND PROPERTY