FOR anyone engaged in assembling a family tree during lockdown, they will be heartily encouraged with the news this week (1 February) that the Department of Social Protection has added three more years of complete records to its online database of births, deaths, and marriages.
The year 1920 has been added to the birth records, including the details of such notables as Liam Cosgrave, Maureen O’Hara and Christy Ring, with 1945 added to the marriage register, and 1970 to the register of deaths in the State.
This means that all birth certs from 1864 to 1920, all marriage certs from 1845 to 1945, and all death certificates from 1864 to 1970 are now available to peruse online at www.irishgenealogy.ie.
Traditionally Ireland has had a bit of a hole in its central records after an artillery shell torched millions of documents in the Public Records Office in the Four Courts during the War of Independence in June 1922.
This meant that genealogists and researchers would have to visit the original parish to search for relevant records, however over recent years the Department has been painstakingly trying to restore this loss.
“This release of register data by the Civil Registration Service is part of the ongoing partnership between my Department and the Department of Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands,†said Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, T.D.
“I know that this annual update is eagerly anticipated and will be of great benefit to anyone carrying out research on their Irish ancestry,†said the sister of our Senator Vincent P.
The website now provides access to 6,694,516 Civil Birth Register entries; 1,921,886 Civil Marriage Register entries; and 6,911,000 Civil Death register entries.
The website is free to use and no subscription or registration is required to use it.
A separate joint project between the two Departments will allow the publication of a number of other registers held by the Civil Registration Service.
These registers include a record of Irish personnel killed during World War 1, army registers relating to births, deaths and marriages; similar registers maintained by the consular services.
Further details on this project will be announced in due course.