Centuries of parish registers go online from today

The National Library of Ireland has officially launched a new web-repository of parish records, dating from the 1740s to the 1880s, enabling people to trace their ancestors back 275 years.

The Library said that the digitisation of its holding of parish records should transform and greatly enhance genealogy services in Ireland.  

The Library’s holding of parish records is considered to be the single most important source of information on Irish family history prior to the 1901 Census.  Up to now, they have only been accessible on microfilm and, as such, those interested in accessing the records had to visit the National Library.  This new web resource now provides unlimited access to all members of the public to records covering 1,086 parishes from throughout the island of Ireland.

The parish records website will contain more than 370,000 high-quality, digital images of microfilm reels. The National Library microfilmed the parish records in the 1950s and 1960s. 

As a result of this work, the NLI holds microfilm copies of more than 3,550 registers from the vast majority of Catholic parishes in Ireland and Northern Ireland. The start date of the registers varies from the 1740/'50s in some city parishes in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Waterford and Limerick, to the 1780/'90s in counties such as Kildare, Wexford, Waterford and Kilkenny. Registers for parishes along the western seaboard generally do not begin until the 1850/1860s. 

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said that given the devastating fire in the Four Courts in 1922, in which so many records were lost, these registers are considered the single most important record of Irish life prior to the 1901 Census.  

 “They will be of great value to experts in the areas of history and genealogy, but also of tremendous interest to people here in Ireland and the Irish diaspora around the world. No doubt the registers will contribute to the number of genealogical tourists to Ireland, as people of Irish descent access these records online and decide to visit their ancestral home place,” he said.

Online access to the new website is free of charge at http://registers.nli.ie/.