Ireland Vital Records - Civil Registration

Government registration of births, marriages and deaths in Ireland began January 1, 1864. Registration of marriages for non-Roman Catholics began in 1845. Information on births, marriages and deaths in Northern Ireland from 1922 to the present day can be found under Northern Ireland Vital Records. Many of the early years of the civil registration of births, marriages and deaths have been microfilmed by the Latter-day Saints and are available through a Family History Center near you. Check the Family History Library Catalog online for details on what is available.

Birth | Death | Marriage | Adoption

Address:
Office of the Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages
(General Register Office)
Joyce House
8-11 Lombard Street East
Dublin 2, Ireland
Phone: (011) (353) 1 6711000
Fax: (011) (353) 1 6354440

The General Register Office of Ireland has records of birth, marriage, and death occurring in all of Ireland from 1864 to December 31, 1921 and records from the Republic of Ireland (excluding the six north-eastern counties of Derry, Antrim, Down, Armagh, Fermanagh and Tyrone known as Northern Ireland) from January 1, 1922 on. The GRO also has records of non-Catholic marriages in Ireland from 1845. The indices are arranged in alphabetical order, and include the following information - Surname, Christian name, name of the registration district (also known as the 'Superintendent Registrar's District') in which the birth, marriage or death took place, volume and page number of the register in which the entry is recorded. Up to the end of 1877 the indices were arranged alphabetically, by year. From 1878 onwards each year was divided into quarters, January-March, April-June, July-September and October-December. The surnames for each quarter are listed alphabetically.

Enclose the correct fee by Euro cash or international money order made payable to The Registrar General. Payment is also accepted in Sterling cash or cheques, Postal Orders and US$ cash or Cheques (the minimum amount for a check drawn on a non-Irish bank is 12.70 Euro). Records are available by applying in person at the General Register Office or from the relevant local Registrar's offices or County Superintendent Registrar's Offices, or by postal mail with the completed application form. Please call or check the Web site before ordering to verify current fees and other information.

Web Site: General Register Office of Ireland

Event: Birth

Dates: From 1864

Cost of copy: €6.98 (Euro) which includes applicable search fees. A photocopy from the register (good for genealogical purposes) is €3.81 (Euro), €1.90 when reference information from the index is supplied.

Comments: Be sure to request a "full certificate" or a photocopy of the original birth record, both of which contain the date and place of birth, given name, sex, father's name and occupation, mother's name, informant of birth, date of registration and the signature of the Registrar. With your request include as much as possible of the following: full name of the person whose birth is begin requested (including maiden name for women), date of birth (or approximate age), place of birth, full name of both parents (including maiden name of mother), the reason for your request, your full name and address, phone number, and your signature.
Application for Birth Certificate

*Birth information prior to 1864 may be available from parish baptismal records which are kept at the National Library, Kildare Street, Dublin, 2.

Event: Death

Dates: From 1864

Cost of copy: €6.98 (Euro) which includes applicable search fees. A photocopy from the register (good for genealogical purposes) is €3.81 (Euro), €1.90 when reference information from the index is supplied.

Comments: Be sure to request a "full certificate" or a photocopy of the original death record, which may contain the following info: date and place of death, name of deceased, sex, age (sometimes approximate), occupation, cause of death, informant of death (not necessarily a relative), date of registration and Registrar's name. Even today, Irish death records do not include a maiden name for married women or date of birth for the deceased. With your request include as much as possible of the following: full name of the deceased, date of the event, place of the event, age of deceased, whether single/married/widowed, the reason for your request, your full name and address, phone number, and your signature.
Application for Death Certificate

Event: Marriage

Dates: From 1845 (Protestant marriages), From 1864 (Roman Catholic marriages)

Cost of copy: €6.98 (Euro) which includes applicable search fees. A photocopy from the register (good for genealogical purposes) is €3.81 (Euro), €1.90 when reference information from the index is supplied.

Comments: Marriage records in the GRO are cross-listed under the surname of both the bride and groom. Be sure to request a "full certificate" or a photocopy of the original marriage record, which contains the date and place of marriage, names of bride and groom, age, marital status (spinster, bachelor, widow, widower), occupation, place of residence at time of marriage, name and occupation of father of bride and groom, witnesses to marriage and clergyman who performed the ceremony. After 1950, additional information provided on marriage records includes: dates of birth for the bride and groom, mother's names and a future address. With your request include as much as possible of the following: full names of the bride and groom (including maiden name for bride), date and place of marriage, the reason for your request, your full name and address, phone number, and your signature.
Application for Marriage Certificate

*Marriage information prior to 1864 may be available from parish marriage records which are kept at the National Library, Kildare Street, Dublin, 2.

Event: Adoption

Cost of copy: N/A

Comments: There is currently no central location of adoption files in the Republic of Ireland. The best place to start your search is with the agency that arranged your adoption. You can contact the Adoption Board for help with determining which agency handled the adoption.

More Adoption Resources:

Ireland Adoption Search & Reunion Resources

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