The Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Heather Humphreys TD, and the Minister for Social Protection, Leo Varadkar TD, have today (Thursday) announced that over 2.5 million images of historic records of Births, Marriages and Deaths from the General Register Office (GRO) are now available online for the first time.
The images, which include over 12.5 million individual records dating back as far as 1864, will add considerably to the large volume of historical data already accessible on www.irishgenealogy.ie free of charge.
Among the records are the birth, marriage and death register for Tom Crean, the Antarctic explorer, whose grandson Brendan O’Brien joined the Ministers for today’s event in the National Library. The online database also includes death register entries for the Leaders of the 1916 Rising, including James Connolly, Thomas Clarke, Padraig H Pearse and Eamonn Ceannt.
Speaking today Minister Humphreys said:
“This is the first time that this huge volume of records is being made available online and it is a very important development in family history research for Irish people and Irish descendants both at home and abroad. Anyone wishing to research their family history will have a veritable treasure trove of records available at the click of a button and I've no doubt that these records will help unlock many mysteries that people have been trying to solve for years.
"I am delighted that through the cooperation of our two Government Departments, Minister Varadkar and I can expand the range of records available online for those wishing to find out more about their family history. Genealogy is becoming increasingly popular, and is an important source of tourism. By providing as much information as possible free online, the Irish Government is leading the way internationally and encouraging the Diaspora to come to Ireland to explore their roots.
“The website www.irishgenealogy has grown to be an invaluable resource for historians, researchers and those interested in looking into their family tree. We have re-engaged with our history throughout this centenary year in an unprecedented way, and I am committed to further developing this online resource in the years ahead.”
Speaking today Minister Varadkar:
"These records give us a new insight into our past and our forebears. We are delighted to launch this incredible set of online records, which will help people in Ireland and around the world to reconstruct their own family histories. It is a triumph of exploration, because the records allow us all to explore our own past, and discover new things about our ancestors. What used to require weeks and months of research in dusty archives can now be done online in a matter of minutes.
"Given the theme of exploration, it's fitting that we are joined at this launch by the grandson and great-grandson of one of the greatest polar explorers of all time: Tom Crean. For the first time, the original register entries of Tom Crean's birth, marriage and death are now available to view. These records also provide an incredible insight into the 1916 Rising which helped to create the modern Irish State. We can view the death registers for its leaders, including James Connolly, Patrick Pearse, and Thomas Clarke. It helps to bring the past alive, and we can piece together fragments to create a whole story."
Notes to Editors:
www.irishgenealogy.ie is a genealogy website run by the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.
Following today's launch, the website now contains over 12.5 million Index records linked to 2.5 million historic register images of Births, Marriages and Deaths. Up to now, these historic records were only available by visiting the Public office of the GRO or by placing an order on-line.
The historic records of Births, Marriages and Deaths now available cover the following years:
Births: 1864 to 1915
Marriages*: 1882 to 1940
Deaths*: 1891 to 1965
*The Images of the registers of Marriage (pre 1882) and Deaths (pre 1891) are being updated by the General Register Office (GRO) and further years going back to when registration commenced will be added to the website in due course.
What information can be found on the historic register of Births, Marriages and Deaths?
Early birth registers contained the date and place of birth, name and sex of the child, name, surname and dwelling place of father, name, surname and maiden surname of mother, rank or profession of father, signature, qualification and residence of the informant, when registered and the signature of the registrar.
Early marriage registers contained the date when married, name and surname of the spouses, their age, condition (meaning marital status) rank or profession and residence at time of marriage, their fathers’ names, surnames and ranks or professions, where the marriage took place and by whom the marriage was witnessed and solemnised.
Early death registers contained the date and place of death, name and surname of deceased, sex, condition (meaning marital status), age last birthday, rank, profession or occupation of the deceased, certified cause of death and duration of illness, signature, qualification and residence of informant, when registered and the signature of the registrar.
In total the website contains over 15 million Index records covering the following years:
Births: 1864 to 1915
Marriages**: 1845 to 1940
Deaths: 1864 to 1965
**Roman Catholic Marriages were only recorded from 1864 onwards.
Other records on the website:
The website also contains over 3 million church records from Dublin, Cork and Kerry. Most of those records pre date civil registration. In addition, the website contains a web portal that allows people to do one search which will scan a range of records. The range of records includes the 1901 and 1911 Census Records, Tithe Applotment Records, Military Archives and Ellis Island records and Castle Garden Records (New York).