The General Register Office (GRO), holds vital records and is generally the first stop for family historians visiting Dublin. To be precise, there are three General Register Offices on the island of Ireland. Since the beginning of civil registration of births, marriages and deaths, the General Register Office of Ireland was located in Dublin. Beginning in 1922, all civil records for the six counties of Northern Ireland are found at the General Register Office in Belfast.
Under a government decentralization programme, the General Register Office was moved from Dublin to Roscommon town in 2005. A campaign, spearheaded by genealogists and family historians, convinced the Irish government to guarantee a full research facility in the city of Dublin. This research facility, the third General Register Office, provides photocopies of records while the GRO in Roscommon issues certificates. So, Dublin is the place to go to research your family history after 1845.
What Am I Looking For?
Civil registration of births, marriages and deaths for the whole population of Ireland began in 1864. Marriages of non-Catholics began on 1 April 1845. Indexes up to 1877 are annual and from 1878 onward they are done on a quarterly basis. From 1903, the index to births includes the maiden name of the mother of the child which is a great help in identifying the correct record. (Remember that after 1921, records for the six counties of Northern Ireland are found in the GRO in Belfast.)
Format of GRO Indices
Indexes to the vital records held at the GRO are compiled on a yearly/quarterly basis in alphabetical order by surname. Some maternity hospitals registered children simply as male or female, while parents provided given names in baptismal registers. Check male and female entries as well as the given name.
Beginning in 1903 in Dublin, the motherâ€™s maiden name is included in the index to births. When searching for a marriage, ensure that the names of the bride and groom cross reference to the same volume, page and quarter.Â
The LDS church has filmed the indices to births, marriages, and deaths up to 1958. These are available on microfilm through your local Family History Centre. In addition they have filmed the certificates of birth from 1864 to the first quarter of 1881. Births from 1900 to 1913 have also been filmed. Marriages and deaths up to 1870 are also available. Check the FamilySearch website (www.familysearch.org) for the International Genealogical Index.
While many Irish records have not been microfilmed by the LDS, you can still do preliminary research in your local FHC before you come to Ireland. Become familiar with the area you ancestors came from. The index shows the Superintendent Registrarâ€™s District, not the county or town so identify the correct SRD for you family. A short bibliography has been provided to assist you.Â Â
Â Continue reading