Ireland, Select Catholic Marriage Registers, 1778-1942

Source Information

Ancestry.com. Ireland, Select Catholic Marriage Registers, 1778-1942 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.
Original data: Celtic Catholic Registers. Digitized images. Dublin, Ireland: E-Celtic, Limited.

About Ireland, Select Catholic Marriage Registers, 1778-1942

This collection includes Catholic marriage registers from 62 parishes in Ireland, with dates ranging from 1778 to 1942 (noninclusive; coverage will vary by parish). The details found in marriage registers vary but can include:

  • names of bride and groom
  • residences of bride and groom
  • parents’ names
  • parents’ residences
  • marriage banns
  • any impediments to the marriage (e.g., consanguinity, age, previous marriage, etc.)
  • marriage date
  • name of officiant
  • names of witnesses and their residences

Although the Church of Ireland was the established state church from 1536 to 1870, Ireland’s population remained overwhelmingly Roman Catholic. According to the 1861 census, almost 78 percent of the population was Catholic; by 1891, this had risen to 89 percent. This fact makes Catholic parish registers, where available, particularly valuable sources for Irish family history, both before and after civil registration began in 1864.

Registers from the following parishes are included in this collection:

  • Addergoole
  • Allen
  • Annacarty
  • Armagh
  • Aughrim
  • Backs
  • Ballina (Ardnaree)
  • Ballina (Kilmoremoy)
  • Ballinakill
  • Ballon and Rathoe
  • Ballyadams
  • Ballybricken
  • Ballycastle
  • Ballyconneely
  • Ballyfin
  • Baltinglass
  • Bangor Erris
  • Caherlistrane (Donaghpatrick and Kilcooney)
  • Canice's (Finglas and St Margaret)
  • Cappawhite
  • Carlingford
  • Carlingford and Omeath
  • Carnaross
  • Castleconnor
  • Clifden
  • Cooley
  • Crossmolina
  • Darver
  • Donaghmore
  • Easkey
  • Emly
  • Golden and Kilpack
  • Inishboffin
  • Kilcommon Erris
  • Kilcurry (Faughart)
  • Kilglass
  • Kill
  • Killala
  • Killursa
  • Knockbridge
  • Knockmore and Rathduff
  • Lackagh
  • Lacken
  • Louisburgh
  • Louisburgh (Kilgeever)
  • Louth
  • Magherafelt
  • Malahide
  • Mountrath
  • Moy
  • Moy (Clonfeacle)
  • Naas
  • Portlaoise (Maryborough)
  • Rathvilly
  • Skreen and Dromard
  • Solohead
  • Summerhill
  • Termonmaguirc
  • Tinryland
  • Tourlestrane
  • Tourlestrane (Kilmactigue)
  • Tullow

Updates: Jun 2020: Changes were made to improve the performance of this collection. No new records were added.