County Dublin, Ireland Genealogy

Ireland County Dublin

Dublin (called Baile Átha Cliath in Irish) is located on the east coast of Ireland along the Irish Sea and contains the largest city in Ireland, which is the capital of the Republic of Ireland. It is part of the province of Leinster and is divided into four government administrative areas; Dublin City, Dun Laoghaire – Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin. Its English name comes from the Irish Dubh Linn meaning black pool. The county covers 1,869.9 square miles (4,843.2 sq km). Its length is 32 miles from the Kippure Mountain on the south to the River Delvin near Balbriggan. Its breadth is 18 miles from Clonee near Lucan to Howth Head.

In the eighth century, the Vikings establish a settlement here, which developed into an important Viking base. The Irish took over a portion of the area in 1014 at the Battle of Clontarf. In 1169, Dublin became the center of the Norman’s activities in Ireland. By 1644, the English controlled most of the country and the population of Dublin was about 60,000. Dublin continued to grow with the arrival of English administrators as well as people from all over Ireland. Huguenot, Jewish and other groups also came to Dublin.

The population was 335,892 in 1821 and grew to 372,773 in 1841. Contrary to the population of most counties, County Dublin’s population increased following the potato famine to 405,147 in 1851. The population generally continued to increase until it was 505,654 in 1926. In 2006, the population was 1,187,176 in total, of which 506,211 were living in the City. The predominant religion in the county is Roman Catholic. In 1891, 77.0% of the population was Roman Catholic followed by the Church of Ireland at 18.6% with 1.8% and 1.0% being Presbyterian and Methodists, respectively. Overtime, the percentage of Roman Catholics increased to 95.8% in 1926 and the Church of Ireland also decreased to 10.6% with 1.3% and 0.8% being Presbyterian and Methodist. In 2006, the percentages were 81.4%, 3.0%, 0.5%, 0.4% for Roman Catholics, Presbyterians and Methodists with 12.2% reporting as being another religion or having no religion.

General County Research Information
Further information about County Dublin is available at:


 * GenUKI
 * FamilySearch.org- click "All Record Collections"
 * FindMyPast.ie
 * GenUKIDublin
 * www.ancestryireland.com/

Archives and Libraries

 * The National Library of Ireland
 * National Archives of Ireland
 * Dublin Heritage and Genealogy Centre

Online resources:


 * Irish Times, also lists all county Heritage Centres' addresses
 * Sword's Heritage and Genealogy Centre(Dublin North)
 * Dun Loughaire (Dublin South Heritage Centre)

Cemeteries
Visit the FHL Favorites web site for numerous sites containing online cemetery inscriptions.

The following cemeteries have online data at Internment.Net:


 * Balgriffin Cemetery Ballmadun Cemetery
 * Bohernabreena Cemetery
 * Dardistown Cemetery Deans Grange Cemetery
 * Fingal Cemetery Garristown Cemetery
 * Glasnevin Cemetery Grallagh Cemetery
 * Grangegorman Military Cemetery
 * Kenure Cemetery
 * Kilbarrack Cemetery
 * Kilternan Church of Ireland Cemetery
 * Malahide Castle Graveyard Malahide Cemetery
 * Mount Jerome Cemetery Lusk Old Churchyard
 * Mulhuddart Cemetery
 * Saint Andrew Cemetery
 * Saint Brigid Church of Ireland Churchyard
 * Saint Canice Burial Ground
 * Saint Colmcille Churchyard
 * Saint Fintan Cemetery
 * Saint Macullin Churchyard
 * Saint Maelruain Cemetery
 * Saint Mary Churchyard (Clonsilla)
 * Saint Patrick Cemetery (Donabate)
 * Saint Patrick Holmpatrick Cemetery
 * Saint Margaret Cemetery
 * Saint Margaret Village Cemetery
 * Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery
 * Whitestown Cemetery

Church of Ireland
The Representative Church Body Library has just about all surviving Church of Ireland registers from the 1922 Four Courts, Dublin fire. Some transcript copies are held at:


 * the local parish
 * local archives and libraries
 * Irishgenealogy.ie provides parish register extracts from some of the City of Dublin's Anglican parishes online for free. They update their web site with more data, continually; be certain to check back often.

Presbyterians
The Swords Heritage Centre (Dublin North) and the Dun Laoghaire Genealogy Centre (Dublin South) currently have not posted any Presbyterian register data online. Be sure to check back periodically to determine availability of data.

The vast majority of Ireland's Presbyterian denominational chapel registers have never been centrally archived, and thus are found in various locations. [Regretably, these precious records and the rich local Presbyterian heritage as well as the descendants they represent worldwide, are at risk unless and until such time when these registers are all copied into at least microform or, better--a digitized format.]

To find your ancestors in extant registers, you must conduct exhaustive, thorough studies to determine to which Presbyterian denomination your ancestor belonged; and to then, determine the whereabouts of surviving registers--if any. The following most likely places to find and search Presbyterian registers starts with checking the following locations:


 * The local Presbyterian congregation/church (if still in use)
 * Distant Presbyterian chapels (if the local chapel closed)
 * Town libraries
 * County archives/libraries
 * PRONI (Public Record Office of Northern Ireland)
 * The National Archives, Dublin
 * The National Library of Ireland
 * Civil Registration of Marriages - beginning 1845

Other:


 * 1) The excellent rootsireland web site for County Dublin currently has no Presbyterian chapel registers data available online. Keep checking back to see if this status changes.
 * 2) The FHL (Family History Library) has but very few transcription copies of Presbyterian chapels.

Methodist
The rootsireland web site for County Dublin currently does not have any Methodist data online. In the future this web site might have some Methodist data available to researchers online. Keep checking back often.

Roman Catholic
The National Library, Kildare Street, Dublin, is the custodian of all available Roman Catholic parish registers from throughout the country--including County Dublin.

The FHL (Family History Library) has very few copies of some of Roman Catholic parish registers of County Dublin parishes in its collection. You can identify these listed online at FamilySearch.org. If you know the name of the civil parish in which your Catholic ancestor resided or was from, click "Catalog" and type in the name of the parish and then highlight/click on "Church Records".

Irishgenealogy.ieis a marvelous website which holds numerous Roman Catholic parish register transcripts for many City of Dublin parishes--all at no cost. Eventually, scanned images will become available and connected to the indexed entries, shortly.

Society of Friends
Goodbody, Olive C. Quaker Inventories. Deaths of some Quakers in Co. Kildare, Dublin and Offaly. James Taylor of Dublin 1687, with interest in his dealings with London and Pennsylvania. Samuel Watson of Dublin 1731, inventory with trade to London and Philadelphia. John Stevens of Dublin, 1731, attestation of his hadwriting and inventory. Article The Irish Ancestor, vol.III, no. 1, 1971 pages 52-63, Family History Ref. 941.5 B2i

Useful Church Records Web Sites

 * 1) Family History Library (see the Family History Library Catalog; search under "Dublin, Dublin - Church Records")
 * 2) GenWeb Ireland - has numerous online links to data-rich lists of Dublin County families
 * 3) John Grenham's web site has several helpful links for Dublin names
 * 4) Dublin County Surname Query board is here
 * 5) CMCRP Project (Dublin) - has a few records for the county

Civil Registration

 * 1) FamilySearch.org - Index to 1864 - 1959; Protestant (only) marriages from 1845; Civil Registration of births, marriages and deaths in Ireland
 * 2) Civil Registration of births marriages and deaths for County Dublin, online, 1864

Civil Jurisdictions and Parish Research Information
A map of the Civil Parishes of County Dublin is available at Irish Times site.

Civil Registration of Births, Marriages &amp; Deaths
Government-sponored registration of births, marriages and deaths began in 1845 (Protestant marriages only) and 1864 (whole population). To find information on the vital events of your irish ancestor, here are some helpful websites for obtaining critical information:

1.FamilySearch.org- has online databases for births, marriages and deaths; click "All Records Collections", then scroll down to and click "Ireland Civil Registration Indexes, 1845 to 1959".

2. To obtain certificates of birth, marriage or death for your ancestor[s], write to or contact the following record office; the cost is €10 (about $13) per certificate:

General Register Office, Government Offices,  Convent Road Roscommon. Tel: +353 (0) 90 6632900  LoCall: 1890 252076   Fax: +353 (0) 90 6632999   Fax: +353 (0) 90 6632988

There are fees for performing particular searches; see their website for further information.

Estate Records
Estate records may provide names of households in such records as leases, rents, and mortgages. These ought to be consulted and used when extant, especially when church registers do not exist for the time period being researched. Here are some web sites which hold estate records and some transcriptions of same:


 * FindMyPast
 * Connacht Province Landed Estate Database (online)
 * Freeholders Records - many Irish freeholders

Web Sites for Dublin Genealogy

 * Jane Lyons' website for Dublin records online&amp;nbsp;


 * Morris' website for Dublin genealogy ($)&amp;nbsp;


 * John Grenham's Dublin webpage

Book Articles at FHL
Smith, Patrick Montague. The Dexters of Dublin and Annfield Co. Kildare. The article covers the Genealogy of the Dexters of Dublin and Co. Kildare, Annfield, also the Dexters of Dexterville, Co. Tipperary covers years 1709-1940. Article in The Irish Ancestor vol.2, no.1, 1970 pages 31-42. Family History Library 941.5 B2i

De Breffny, Brian. Speranza's Ancestry Elgee - The Maternal Lineage of Oscar Wilde. Article covers genealogy of Elgie/Elgee - the maternal line of Oscar Wilde, son of Sir William Wilde, an eminent Dublin Surgeon, covering Durham, England, and Dublin, and Co. Wexford, years 1655-1918. Article in The Irish Ancestor, vo. IV, no. 2, 1972 pages 94-103 Family History Ref-. 941.5 B2i. Also correction of dates that were supplied in Vol.no.2.1972, Corriegenda 1744-1787, The Irish Ancestor vol.V.no.2.1973 page 127. Family History Library Ref.941.5 B2i v.5-6.

De Breffny, Brian. The Paternal Ancestry of Oscar Wilde. Genealogy of the paternal side of Oscar Wilde covering 1728-1877 Dublin, and Castlereagh, Co. Roscommon. The Irish Ancestor vol.V.no.2.1973, Family History Library Ref. 941.5 B2i v5-6.

De Breffny, Brian. The Vereker Family. Genealogy and pictures of Vereker Family. John Varicar or Veracre, yeoman at Co. 1671, family extends over to Cahernarry and Roxborough, Co. Limerick and Dublin. covering years 1671-1905. Article in The Irish Ancestor vol. V.no.2.1973, Family History Library Ref. 941.5 B2i v.5-6.

Armytage, Walter contributor.Entries From The Lyons Prayerbook. These entries came from The Lyons Prayerboo, Ledeston which was F.C. Lyon's house. Birth, marriages for Lyon's, some of Dublin, others no place. covers years 1680-1754. The Irish Ancestor page 83. vol.V. no.2.1973 Family History Library 941.5 B2i v5-6.

Conway, O.P.M. Entries From the Family Bible of Joshua Porter Conway. Genealogy of Joshua Porter Conway from a Bible which carries imprint Liverpool, but many interred at Donamore, and some births New Ormond Quay, Dublin 1820-1865, Article in The Irish Ancestor, vol.VI.no.1.1974, page48-49. Family History Library Ref. 941.5 B2i v5-6.

contributor, Ffolliott, Rosemary. James Holme's Family Notebook. Genealogy entries from James Holme's Notebook surnames of Robinson, Holmes, Waring, Jellett, Orr, Neville, Colvill, Jellett covering years 1741-1804, for Dublin and Co. Down. The Irish Ancestor vol.VI.no.2.1974, page 74-79, Family History Library Ref. 941.5 B2i v5-6.

Contributed by Robinson, Rev. J.K. Margaret Gallagher's Notebook. Births and Deaths of Gallagher from a notebook, mainly Dublin, covers years 1790-1880. The Irish Ancestor, vol. VII. no.2. 1975, page 87, Family History Library Ref. 941.5 B2i v7-8.

Contributed by Melnick, Louis D. Entries from Elizabeth Mettrick's Family Bible. BMD of Warren and Mettrick Family covering years 1695-1758 of Dublin. The Irish Ancestor. Vol.VIII, no.1.1976 page1-3 Family History Library Ref. 941.5 B2i v7-8.

Contributed by Crookshank, Anne. Entries From the Family Bible of Alexander and Esther Crookshank. Genealogy of Crookshank from the Family Bible originally given by William Kennedy of the City of Londonderry to his daughter Esther 1763, who in turn gave to her son Charles H. Crookshank 1810. Years covered 1768-1893. Article in The Irish Ancestor, Vol.IX, no.1.1977, Family History Library Ref. 941.5 B2i v9.

Moorhouse, B-Ann. A Moorhouse Family of Dublin, Carlow and Kildare. Pictures and genealogy of Moorehouse Family in Ireland,,Dublin, Carlow, Kildare and small amount in Worcester, Massachusetts, and New York. covering years 1672-1945. Article in The irish Ancestor vol.IX, no.1.1977 pages 15-18, Family History Library Ref. 941.5 B2i v9.

De Breffny, Brian. Roundwood and the Sharps. Written history of the house - Roundwood, and Genealogy of the Sharps, both of Tetbury Goucestershire and Dublin. covering years 1642-1859. Article in The Irish Ancestor, vol.IX, no.2.1977, pages 59-67, Family History Library Salt Lake City Ref. 941.5, vol. 9.

contributed by Davidson, Norris. Entries From the Cathrew Family Bible. Genealogy from the Cathrew Family Bible of James Cathrew who married Elinor Graves 19 Nov. 1803. Entries cover 1803-1918, article in The Irish Ancestor, vol.Xno.1.1978, pages 13-15, Family History Library Salt Lake City Ref. 941.5 B2i v.10-11

De Breffny, Brian. The Pembertons of Dublin. Pictures and Genealogy of Pemberton and descendants from the Pemberton Family Bible covering years 1731-1932. Article in The Irish Ancestor, vol. XI. no. 1. 1979, page 14-27, Family History Library Ref. 941.5 B2i v10-11

Strutt, Hon. Guy. Did Richard Castle, the Palladian Architect, Have Family Connections in Ireland. Discussion and suggestion that Richard Cassel (or Castle) the Palladian arcitect who came to Ireland in 1728, was not the only member of his family to leave Germany for Ireland. covers mainly 1750. The Irish Ancestor, vol. Xi. no. 2. 1979, pages 119-120. Family History Library Ref. 941.5 B2i vol10-11.

Newspapers
Ffolliott, Rosemary. Some Connecting Links between Ireland and the New World From Old Newspapers. Article contains alphabetical listings of births, marriages and deaths in the Munster Newspapers covering U.S.A, Canada, West Indies and England, covering years 1765-1826 Article found in The Irish Ancestor. vol. 2 no. 1. 1970 pages 62-69, Family History Library Ref. 941.5 B2i

Occupations
Goodbody, Olive C. Inventories of Five Dublin Quaker Merchants in the Late Seventeenth Century. Attached to some of the Wills and Deeds are Inventories of William Barnard, John Inglefield of Dublin, John Johnston of Chapelizod, Co. Dublin,  Isachar Wilcocks of Dublin, Josephine Deane of Meath St. Dublin. covers years 1684-1695. Article in The Irish Ancestor, vol X. no.1. 1978. pages 38-48, Family History Library Ref. 941.5 B2i vol.10-11.

De Breffny, Brian. Businessmen Who Issued Tokens in Ireland 1653-1679. Due to an acute shortage of small change after the death of Charles 1, tradesmen, innkeepers and some local authorities began minting their own substitutes in the form of private tokens. This list of 800 names, gives occupation and place. Article in the Irish Ancestor, vol.X. no.1. 1978, pages 51-60. Family History Library Ref. 941.5 B2i vol.10-11

Place-Names
Here are two important place-name aids/tools for locating your Irish place and its parish jurisdiction[s]:&lt;br&gt;


 * 1) List of All Townlands, Towns and Townships in County Dublin. - under the County, click "Dublin"; then click "Submit" to view a complete alphabetical listing of all townlands, towns and townships and the parishes in which they reside
 * 2) Topographical Dictionary of Ireland by Samuel A. Lewis; at LibraryIreland.com - provides a rich 1837 historical perspective of each Ireland parish and large township; great for determining which churches existed in each parish--Church of Ireland and Nonconformist

Probates
Abstracts of Wills. Collection of Will Abstracts, gathered from many sources. Includes Samuel Garre of Ranelogh, 1 Jan. 1837. Article found in The Irish Ancestor, vol.II, no. 2, 1970 pages 117-127, Family History Library Ref. 941.5 B2i. Also Anne St. John of Dublin - Will proved Prerogative 10 Dec. 1790, The Irish Ancestor, vol. VIII, no.1, 1976, page 51, Family History Library Ref. 941.5 B2i vol.7-8.

FindMyPast.ie - has will indexes Act or Grant books from 1220 A.D. to 1858

Societies
Family history societies often publish helpful journals, transcripts, compiled genealogies and host helpful websites. They may have ongoing projects to transcribe records and create indexes. Most societies publish queries in their journals and maintain lists of members’ research interests that may be helpful to you. You may want to join one of these societies, reap the benefits of their expertise and resources or support its efforts. "Members' Interests" are usually published which cite those county surnames which are being pursued and researched by researchers from around the world. Visit a large university library, a major archive or research library to determine availability of a family history or genealogical society's quarterly journal.

Web Sites
To view a helpful list of Dublin web sites, visit FHLFavorites.info for some great sites.