Places to visit: Genealogy

EPIC

EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum

Dublin A to Z, Exhibitions, Genealogy, Historical, Museums

You won’t find leprechauns or pots of gold here, but you’ll discover that what it means to be Irish expands far beyond the borders of Ireland through the stories of Irish emigrants who became scientists, politicians, poets, artists and even outlaws all over the world.

At EPIC, which was recently awarded Europe’s Leading Tourist Attraction at the World Travel Awards for the third year in a row (2019, 2020 and 2021), discover Ireland from the outside in and find out why saying “I’m Irish” is one of the biggest conversation starters, no matter where you are.

EPIC tells the moving and unforgettable stories of those who left the island of Ireland, and how they influenced and shaped the world. EPIC embraces the past and the future with 1,500 years of Irish history and culture housed in its atmospheric vaults.

Ireland’s only fully digital museum, experience this breath-taking story in state-of- the-art interactive galleries, complete with touch screens, motion sensor quizzes and a feast of powerful audio and video that bring Irish history to life. Watch characters from the past tell one-of-a-kind tales of adventure and perseverance, conflict and discovery, belief and community.

Adjacent to EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum is the Irish Family History Centre, a way for visitors to discover their family story and explore their Irish heritage. The Centre allows visitors to sit with a genealogy expert for a 30-minute consultation and use interactive display screens to engage and uncover more about their Irish roots.
Genealogist consultations start at €60.

Opening Hours:
Open 7 days a week from 10am – 6.45pm, last entry 5pm.
Early opening from9am through July and August.
EPIC Museum is a self-guided visit.
Tour Guides are only available on request at least 1 week prior to the group’s visit.
There is an additional cost of €65 per EPIC Tour Guide
Closed Dec 24-26.

Contact & Pricing:
epicchq.com
Tel: 01-9060861
Unit 1, The CHQ Building, Custom House Quay, Dublin 1
Adults €19; concessions

Genealogical Resources

Genealogical Resources in Dublin

Dublin A to Z, Genealogy, Historical

There is a wide range of resources available in Dublin for people who wish to trace their ancestry. From census records and marriage certificates to land deeds and church records, not to mention many helpful genealogy specialists, Dublin is a key place to begin your family research for anywhere in the country.

Here is a brief overview of Irish genealogical resources (information largely taken from the Fáilte Ireland “Dublin Pocket Guide”):

Official Irish Genealogy Website
www.irishgenealogy.ie

This website is operated by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, and allows users to search a wide range of record sources. The website is home to the on-line Indexes of the Civil Registers (GRO) of Births, Marriages, Civil Partnerships and Deaths; and to Church Records of Baptism, Marriage and Burial from a number of counties.

On the church records front, you can search all pre-20th century Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland baptism, marriage and burial registers for Dublin City; and you can do similar searches for a small number of additional counties.

The site also operates as a search portal that allows users to search the following record sources:

  • 1901/1911 Census records and pre-1901 survivals
  • Census Search Forms from 1841/1851
  • Tithe Applotments
  • Soldier’s Wills
  • Griffith’s Valuations
  • Ireland – Australia Transportation database
  • Military Archives
  • Ellis Island
  • National Photographic Archive from the National Library of Ireland

National Archives, Bishop Street, Dublin 8.
Phone 01 407 2300
www.nationalarchives.ie

The National Archives hold many records that are relevant to Irish genealogy and local history, including the surviving census records. Members of the public are welcome to visit and explore the sources available, and can avail of an in-house Genealogy Service, which offers a free, short personal consultation with a professional genealogist. The complete 1901 and 1911 census records are also available online on the National Archives website.

National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
Phone 01 603 0200
www.nli.ie

The National Library offers a free Genealogical Advisory Service, making it the perfect place to start your research. The Genealogist on duty will provide you with an overview of Irish genealogical records and explain how to locate search tools and how to access the records. Resources available include civil records, microfilm of Catholic Church records, and land and property records.

A new online resource for researching family history from the 18th and 19th centuries was launched in July 2015 – the National Library’s parish records website. This site contains digitised details of births, deaths and marriages in most Catholic parishes during the 1700s and 1800s. The details available on the website provide an invaluable stepping stone for anyone trying to complete a family tree, given that all pre-1901 census records were destroyed during the Four Courts fire of 1922. To get the most from searching the site, please find out (if you can) the exact parish where your family member was born, as well as the year of birth.
See registers.nli.ie

General Register Office, Werburgh Street, Dublin 2.
Phone 090 663 2900
https://www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/af7893-general-register-office 

The General Register Office holds all civil birth, marriage and death records from 1864 onwards (records for the six counties of Northern Ireland are only held as far as 1921). All of the Office’s records are now searchable online – see the entry below for www.irishgenealogy.ie for more details.

Dublin Cemeteries Trust, Glasnevin Cemetery, Finglas Road, Dublin 11.
Phone 01 882 6500.
dctrust.ie

The Dublin Cemeteries Trust has about 1.5 million records available for Glasnevin, Dardistown, Newlands Cross, Palmerstown and Goldenbridge cemeteries, as well as Glasnevin and Newlands Cross crematoria.

Registry of Deeds, Henrietta Street, Dublin 1.
Phone 051 303 000
https://www.tailte.ie/

The Registry of Deeds was established in 1708 to regulate land and proprty transactions. Registration of deeds was not obligatory and was mainly carried out by property-owning classes such as landowners, merchants and traders. Please consult this link for more precise information about requesting searches –
tailte.ie/registration/registry-of-deeds/visit-the-registry-of-deeds

Dublin City Library & Archives, 138-144 Pearse Street, Dublin 2.
Phone 01 222 4999
https://www.dublincity.ie/residential/libraries

The Dublin City Library provides several archive collections, including historical maps of Dublin, Dublin City Council records, local parish records and online access to historic electoral rolls and electoral lists, and a directory of Dublin graveyards.

Valuation Office, Block 2, Irish Life Centre, Lower Abbey Street, Dublin 1.
Phone 01 817 1000 or 1800 304 444
https://www.tailte.ie/valuation/archive-research/genealogy

The Valuation Office houses maps and cancelled and current land books which are based on Griffith’s Primary Valuation. The cancelled and current land books document all changes of occupancy of land and property from the time of the original survey (1848-1864) to the late 20th century.

Representative Church Body Library, Braemor Park, Dublin 14.
Phone 01 492 3979
www.library.ireland.anglican.org

The Representative Church Body Library is the principal repository of archives and manuscripts of the Church of Ireland (Anglican Church). It holds the registers of over 600 parishes from counties now in the Republic of Ireland, as well as microfilm copies of many others.

Religious Society of Friends Library, Stocking Lane, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16.
Phone 01 499 8003
www.quakers-in-ireland.ie

The Society of Friends (Quakers) has been keeping records since the 17th century. Of particular interest are the transcribed registers of births, marriages and deaths held at this library.

The Irish Jewish Genealogical Society, Jasonia Centre, 76 Dame Street, Dublin 2.
Phone 00 44 788 979 4757
www.irishjewishroots.com

Individual entries cover over 105 fields of information such as date and place of birth, school, marriage and occupation details where available, as well as links to parents, children and siblings.

Accredited Genealogists Ireland (formerly Association of Professional Genealogists in Ireland)
www.accreditedgenealogists.ie 

You can find additional helpful information in the guide, “Tracing your Ancestors in Ireland”, which you can download from www.familyhistory.ie 

Glasnevin Cemetery

Glasnevin Museum and Cemetery

Dublin A to Z, Gardens, Genealogy, Historical, Museums, Tours

Wittily dubbed “Croak Park” by local wags, over 1.5 million people are buried here. Visit the graves of famous people and hear about Irish history on a guided tour. Trace your roots in the Genealogy Area (all the records are available online at www.glasnevintrust.ie/genealogy).

The highly popular Irish History tour gives an insight into Victorian and later times. Visit the final resting place of men and women who have helped shape Ireland’s past and present, such as Daniel O’Connell, Charles Stewart Parnell, Michael Collins, Maud Gonne and Roger Casement. Explore the high walls and watchtowers surrounding Glasnevin and learn about the colourful history of Dublin’s grave robbers.

A particularly dramatic attraction is the once-a-day re-enactment of famous speeches (e.g. Patrick Pearse delivering the graveside oration at Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa’s funeral or James Larkin’s famous speech made at the front gates of Mountjoy Prison). These take place at 2.30 pm every day.

Padraig Pearse’s 1915 oration [“The Fools, the Fools, the Fools! – they have left us our Fenian dead – And while Ireland holds these graves, Ireland unfree shall never be at peace”] roused Irish republican feeling and was a significant element in the lead-up to the Easter Rising of 1916.

Museum attractions include the City of the Dead (an exhibition covering the burial practices and meticulous record-keeping regarding the 1,500,000 people buried in Glasnevin); the Religion Wall (illustrating different beliefs about the after-life); the Milestone Gallery (which houses a succession of special exhibitions on key historical figures, starting with Glasnevin’s founder, Daniel O’Connell); and the Timeline (a 10- metre long digitally interactive table containing details of the lives and relationships of hundreds of the most famous people buried here).

You can now climb the O’Connell Tower – Ireland’s tallest round tower – for the first time in over 45 years. As you pass through the ornate crypt of Daniel O’Connell, you begin the journey to the top of the monument built in his honour. After a comprehensive restoration programme, the staircase in the tower is now accessible, complete with an exhibition about the legendary figure himself and the fascinating history of the tower. Once at the top, you will enjoy 360 degree panoramic views of the sprawling grounds of the cemetery, the city of Dublin, Wicklow and the Irish Sea (see www.dctrust.ie AND www.dctrust.ie).

An article in the Irish Times weekend magazine in November 2021 contained a number of surprising facts about Glasnevin Cemetery.

There are more people buried in Glasnevin Cemetery (1,500,000) than there are currently alive in Dublin. 800,000 of these people are buried in “poor ground” or unpurchased graves.

Glasnevin Cemetery was founded by Daniel O’Connell in 1832. As noted in the book “Dead Interesting: Stories from the Graveyards of Dublin” (by Shane MacThomáis), the guiding principle behind the establishment of the cemetery was that those with no money at the end of their days would be able to find a place to be buried (whether from workhouses, tenements, Magdalene laundries or industrial schools). A plot for those who cannot afford a burial still exists today.

One more anecdote – when the famous political leader, Charles Stewart Parnell, was buried, his coffin left City Hall at midday. But his burial had to take place under moonlight such was the extraordinary number of mourners who turned out to pay their respects.

https://www.irishtimes.com/

When planning a visit to the Cemetery, remember that you can now access the Botanic Gardens via the cemetery. A gate access to the “Botanics” from within the cemetery has been re-opened. The gate is located along the wall at the far side of Glasnevin Cemetery (the Prospect Square entrance).

Opening Hours:
Open 10am – 5pm, 7 days a week.
A variety of tours and exhibitions are available, which may change seasonally.
The signature attraction is the Irish History Tour, with optional addition of the O’Connell Tower Climb. This tour is subject to availability, but usually starts at 11.30am, 1.30pm and 2.30pm. Booking is recommended.
Women in History Tour available on the last Sunday of the month at 1.00 pm.
Self-Guided and audio tours also available.

Trace your roots in the Genealogy Area (all the records are available online at dctrust.ie/genealogy/home).

There is limited car parking space on the main road opposite the cemetery. However, a convenient but hard to find car park is available within the housing estate opposite the cemetery (a fee is payable as you leave this car park).

Contact & Pricing:
dctrust.ie/experience-glasnevin.html
info@dctrust.ie
Tel: 01 882 6550
Finglas Road, Dublin 11
Tickets start at €9 for Adults; concessions