Rathdowney Civil Parish, County Laois, Ireland Genealogy

Guide to Rathdowney Civil Parish, County Laois ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Parish registers, transcripts, baptism records, marriage records, and burial records.

The following information is a starting point for records about the civil parish of Rathdowney. The information is based on locations and records before 1922.

History
Add a brief statement about historical background, including a Web site link if available.

Localities
List the names of townlands in this civil parish List the names of the surrounding parishes List the names and give a description of a district, poor law union, etc.

Maps and gazetteers
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Cemeteries
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Census
The purpose of a census was to gather information about people who lived in an area. While the government began census taking in 1821, only fragments exist before 1901. Censuses for 1901 and 1911 are available. Read more about the records in the Ireland Census article.

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Church records
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Catholic
Name(s) of ecclesiastical parish, records, availability, archive, online indexes, notes.

Church of Ireland
Name(s) of ecclesiastical parish, records, availability, archive, online indexes, notes.

Presbyterian
Name(s) of ecclesiastical parish, records, availability, archive, online indexes, notes.

Methodist
Name(s) of ecclesiastical parish, records, availability, archive, online indexes, notes.

Society of Friends
Name(s) of ecclesiastical parish, records, availability, archive, online indexes, notes.

Others
Name(s) of ecclesiastical parish, records, availability, archive, online indexes, notes.

Civil Registration
Government registration of births and deaths began in 1864. Registration of Protestant marriages began in 1845, with all marriages being registered by 1864. Go to the Ireland Civil Registration article to read more about these records.

Land records
The Registry of Deeds started in 1708. Land transactions were recorded, including immovable property passed on in a will and property given to a daughter at her marriage. Read more about these records in the Ireland Land and Property article.

Probate Records
Probate dealt with the property of a deceased person. Read more about these records in the Ireland Probate Records article.

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School records
Read more about these records in the Ireland Schools article. Add records for this parish.

Tax records
The valuation of property for tax purposes was started in the 1840s by Richard Griffith. A tax paid to the church, call Tithe Applotments, began in the 1820s. Read about these records in the Ireland Taxation and Ireland Land and Property articles. Add records for this parish that you know about.

Websites
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