Places to visit: Genealogy

EPIC

EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum

Dublin A to Z, Exhibitions, Genealogy, Historical

COVID-19 advice: Please follow current government advice and check opening times before travel.

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.

https://epicchq.com

EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, Unit 1, The CHQ Building, Custom House Quay, Dublin 1

Tel: 01-9060861

Adults €19; concessions. 

Open 7 days a week from 10.00 am to 6.45 pm (last entry 5.00 pm). Closed Dec 24-26. 

EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum is a self-guided visit. Audio guides are available for rent for €2, or are free to use on personal mobile devices via the EPIC App.

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. Consultations start at €55.  

 

Genealogical Resources

Genealogical Resources in Dublin

Dublin A to Z, Genealogy, Other

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”):

National Archives, Bishop Street, Dublin 8.
Phone 01-4072300
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 01-6030200
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 http://registers.nli.ie/

General Register Office, Werburgh Street, Dublin 2.
Phone 090 6632900
http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/GRO_Research.aspx

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.

Glasnevin Trust, Glasnevin Cemetery, Finglas Road, Dublin 11.
Phone 01-8826500.
www.glasnevintrust.ie/genealogy

The Glasnevin 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 0761 001610  or 051 303000
http://www.prai.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 –
http://www.prai.ie/registry-of-deeds-services/#records

Dublin City Library & Archives, 138-144 Pearse Street, Dublin 2.
Phone 01 6744800
http://databases.dublincity.ie/

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 8171000
http://www.valoff.ie/en/Archives_Genealogy_Public_Office/

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 01-4923979
www.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.
Phone01 4998003
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.

http://www.irishgenealogy.ie/en/

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

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