Ireland Research Guidance: Death 1619-1863

For deaths 1864-present, click here.

Search Strategy
Search the following records in the order given.

1. Church Records: Church records
Church records are the christenings or baptisms, marriages, and burials recorded in registers by church officials at the time of an event. Burial records give the name of the deceased and the date and place of burial. If the deceased was a child, the father's name may also be listed in the record.

Before searching church records, it is vital to know the religion of your ancestors.

Read more about Ireland Church Records.

2. Census: Census
A census is a count and description of the population. Government census records are especially valuable because they list the majority of the population and are available at many repositories. In these records you may find names of the members of a household, gender, and each person's religion, marital status, relationship to the head of the household, age, address, occupation, and county of birth. Though many Irish census records have been destroyed, those that survive can provide clues that may lead you to other records.

Read more about Ireland Census.

3. Monumental Inscriptions: Cemeteries
Gravestone or monumental inscriptions can be a useful source of family history information. Sometimes, multiple family members are buried in the same vault or burial plot and the inscription will give information on all that are buried there. Inscriptions may give birth, marriage, and death information. They may also give clues about military service and occupation, or family members buried in the same area. Sometimes they give more information than the parish burial register or civil certificate of death. Monumental inscriptions are especially helpful for identifying ancestors who are not recorded in other existing records, and may give a birth date that cannot be found elsewhere.

Read more about Ireland Cemeteries.

4. Census Substitutes: Census
Census substitutes are lists of individuals in a specific place at a given time. Various lists have been compiled by church and civil authorities to determine such things as the religious makeup of the population, an assessment of military readiness, the number and identity of eligible voters, or those persons receiving charity from the church or government. Due to the loss of many government census records, census substitutes are especially valuable.

Read more about Ireland Census Substitutes.

5. Marriage Certificate: Civil registration
Civil registration is the government registration of births, marriages, and deaths. In these records you may find the names of the bride and groom, ages, marriage date and place, marital status, fathers' names and occupations (and sometimes whether they are deceased), the occupations and residences of the bride and groom, and the names of witnesses. Protestant marriages were recorded from 1 January 1845. All marriages were recorded from 1 January 1864. Civil registration marriage records cover most of the population and are indexed countrywide. Use the national index to identify and obtain a copy of a marriage certificate.

Read more about Ireland Civil Registration.