County Kerry, Ireland Genealogy
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Guide to County Kerry ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records.
History[edit | edit source]
County Kerry (Irish: Contae Chiarraí) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster. The county town is Tralee, Kerry. The name Kerry is derived from Ciarraighe, or "people of Ciar" the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. In Old Irish "Ciar" (pronounced keer) meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective describing a dark complexion. It comprises 4,746 km² (1,832 square miles) with its greatest length is 69 miles from Tarbert to Bolus Head. Its greatest breadth from Mweelin Mountain east of Kenmare to Ballydavid (Smerwick Harbour) is 53½ miles.
Around 65 AD Ciar took possession of the land from the river Maine in the south and in the north to the mouth of river Shannon and included the Dingle Peninsula. Ciar was the progenitor of the O'Connor Kerry Clan. By the 6th century it was known as Ciarraige or Ciar's Kingdom. In 1329, Maurice FitzGerald became the first Earl of Desmond over the entire county.
Towards the end of the sixteenth century, the English began arriving and laying claim to the county. This began a series of wars between the English Protestants and the Irish Catholics with the English gaining control in 1652 as part of the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. Kerry became increasingly populated by poor tenant farmers in the 17th and 18th centuries and was devastated by the Great Irish Famine of 1845-49.
In 1821, the population was 216,185 and continued to increase until 1841 to 293,880 just before the potato famine. The population was 238,254 in 1851 and decreased to 149,171 in 1926. The population was 139,616 in 2006.
Kerry is predominately Roman Catholic. In 1861, 96.7% of the population were Roman Catholic with 3.1% of the Church of Ireland, 0.10% Presbyterians and 0.10% Methodists. There were small variations over the years. In 1911, 97.26% were Roman Catholic with 2.33% Church of Ireland, 0.17% Presbyterians and 0.17% Methodists.
General County Research Information[edit | edit source]
- Further information about County Kerry is available at the GenUKI site.
Census[edit | edit source]
- 1901 Ireland Census, 1901 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
- 1911 Ireland Census, 1911 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
Church Records[edit | edit source]
- 1545-1960 Ireland, Casey Collection Indexes, 1545-1960 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1623-1866 Ireland, Diocesan and Prerogative Marriage License Bonds Indexes, 1623-1866 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
- 1701-1845 Ireland, Catholic Qualification & Convert Rolls, 1701-1845 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Civil Jurisdictions and Parish Research Information[edit | edit source]
- List of County Kerry Civil Parishes
- List of County Kerry Catholic Parishes
Civil Registration[edit | edit source]
- 1845-1913 Ireland Civil Registration, 1845-1913 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1845-1958 Ireland Civil Registration Indexes, 1845-1958 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Directories[edit | edit source]
- 1880 Ireland, Thom's Irish Almanac, 1880 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, images available on Findmypast
- 1884 Ireland, Thom's Irish Almanac & Official Directory 1884 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Land and Property[edit | edit source]
- 1810-1926 Ireland, Dog Licence Registrations, 1810-1926 at Ancestry — index & images, ($)
- 1831 - 1856 Ireland, Valuation Office Books, 1831-1856 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1847-1864 Ireland, Griffith's Valuations, 1847-1864 at MyHeritage — index & images, ($)
Military[edit | edit source]
- 1914-1918 Ireland, Memorial Record: World War I, 1914-1918 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
- 1595-1858 Ireland, Diocesan and Prerogative Wills & Administrations Indexes, 1595-1858 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
