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There are three main depositories for documents in Ireland. Unfortunately a researcher needs to know which document and what time scale they are looking for before deciding where to visit. Each office is well documented in research books and in their own literature as well as on their own websites. However a summary of each follows.
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)
This is situated in south Belfast at 66 Balmoral Avenue, Belfast BT9 6NY. It is the official place for public records for Northern Ireland. On a visit to PRONI amongst the millions of documents that you may access are the Griffiths Valuation, 1901 Census for N.Ireland and Estate Records. There are also various indices such as a Geographical Index which will help you locate your County, parish, townland etc and give you a link to the relevant Ordnance Survey Map. Indices also exist for the Presbyterian and Church of Ireland church records that have been microfilmed and are available at PRONI.
Further information is available on their website at www.proni.gov.uk
The General Register Office of Northern Ireland
This is situated in central Belfast at Oxford House, 49-55 Chichester Street, Belfast BT1 4HL. While it holds several important indices, the main ones are the Registers of births and deaths (from 1864) and Registers of marriages (from 1845). In this main office, birth and death registers are available for the period on and after 1 January 1864 and marriage registers on and after 1 January 1922.
(In Ireland, Civil Registration of Marriages started in 1845 while Registration of Births and Deaths started in 1864)
Public search facilities including assisted search and computerised indices (which include the above indices plus World War II Death Indices) are available in Oxford House. Certificates are available not only by personal calling but can also be requested by post and though the Internet.
It is important to say that the GRO do not undertake family research
Further details of the GRO and the method for obtaining certificates can be found at www.groni.gov.uk
The General Register Office for Ireland
This is situated at Joyce House, 8-11 Lombard Street East, Dublin 2. It is the central civil repository for records relating to Births, Deaths and Marriages in the Republic of Ireland. Like PRONI and GRONI, it does not perform family research. The records held include marriages other than Roman Catholic marriages date back to 1st April 1845 and Records of Births, Deaths and Roman Catholic Marriages back to 1st January, 1864.
For the period before 1864, parish registers recording details of baptisms, marriages and burials provide the only source of information relating to births, marriages and deaths. Before using these records, it is of course necessary to be aware of an ancestor's religious affiliation and often the name of the parish in which the baptism, marriage or burial occurred.
These earlier records are not held by the GRO but further information on them can be found at www.groireland.ie/about_us
An excellent history of Civil Registration in Ireland is available on the GRO's site at www.groireland.ie/history
A list of all records held and how and when to access them can be seen at www.groireland.ie/research.htm
18102003