Ireland, Civil Registration Births Index, 1864-1958

This database contains records extracted from an index of births registered in Ireland.

Historical Background

Civil registration of all births, marriages, and deaths in Ireland began in 1864 (except for non-Catholic marriages, for which registration started in 1845). Registration produced two sets of records: registers for births, marriages, and deaths and published indexes to these registers. The repositories for the records split in 1922, with the records for Northern Ireland being kept by the General Register Office (GRO) in Belfast, while records for the Republic of Ireland are housed at the GRO in Dublin. But the record set as a whole has survived and provides an invaluable source of vital information for Irish research.

This database contains details extracted from the published indexes of Irish birth registers. Details provided include

• name
• birth year
• mother’s surname (from 1903 forward)
• registration district
• volume and page number for the original record

For some years, records were submitted quarterly, and births were likewise divided by quarter, which can help you narrow a search, but otherwise, births are listed only by year. You can use the information in the index entry to obtain a copy of the entry in the original register from the General Register Office.