Churches and Church History In Ireland
- Brief Outline of Church History
- Introduction to Church Records
- Church of Ireland Records
- Catholic Church Records
- Presbyterian Church Records
- Methodist Church Records
- Quaker Church Records
- Jewish Church Records
- Other Church Records
- Selected Reading List on Church History
The following table outlines the major religious movements and events effecting Ireland.
Date Event 1537 King Henry VIII declared himself supreme head of the new church, the Church of England (Anglican) 1541 King Henry VIII becomes King of Ireland 1560 The Anglican Church (Church of Ireland) became the state church under Elizabeth I 1605-09 The plantation of Ulster was started. Scottish presbyterians wer sent to Ireland to displace Irish catholics and strengthen English rule 1619 The earliest known Church of Ireland parish, St. John's in Dublin, is started 1634 Church of Ireland began keeping parish registers - required by law 1637 Presbyterian worship is suppressed by the Church of Ireland 1600s Quaker, Congregationalist, and Baptist movements begin. Huguenot migrations to Ireland also begin 1674 Antim, County Antrim, oldest known Presbyterian register begins 1695-1728 Penal Laws against Catholics begin. Catholic clergy was bannished, forbidden to keep registers, and catholics in general were not allowed to hold office, own property or vote. 1719 The Toleration Ace was passed, protecting Protestant dissenters 1726 Non-conforming Presbyterians separate from the main body and form the presbytery of Antrim 1747 Methodist movement begins 1750s Many Church of Ireland parish registers are kept. Some Catholic parish registers start 1772-95 Catholic Relief Acts gradually restore rights taken away under the Penal Laws 1782 Presbyterian marriages are validated 1816 Methodists divide: Primitive Methodists and Weslyan Methodists 1819 Presbyterian ministers required to keep registers 1829 Irish Catholics are free to worship without penalty of law. Many catholic registers begin 1869 Church of Ireland ceases to be state church 1876 All Church of Ireland registers are to be stored in the Public Record Office in Dublin 1878 Law is amended to allow some ministers to store records in local archives. The Primitive and Wesylan Methodists unite 1922 A separate records repository is created in Belfast for Northern Ireland records. The Public Record office in Dublin is burned, destroying many Church of Ireland records and registers Church records can provide names, dates and places and are considered a primary source for researchers seeking ancestors before civil registration begins in 1864.
Ryan, James G. ed., Irish Church Records Glenageary, County Dublin, Ireland: Flyleaf Press, 1992. (FHL Ref 941.5 K27rj)
Edition Available from Flyleaf Press!
Falley, Margaret. Irish and Scotch-Irish Ancestral Research
Grenham, John. Tracing Your Irish Ancestors: The Complete Guide
Since the Church of Ireland was the state church, parish records were considered to be civil documents. In 1876, a law was passed stating that all parish registers needed to be stored in the Public Records Office in Dublin. However, in 1878, the law was amended allowing some church parishes to keep copies locally in archives. In 1922, the records were destroyed in Dublin but some of the larger parishes have copies in their own county archives.
Note: It is wise to search Church of Ireland parish registers even if your ancestor did not belong to this church. Since it was the state church, many people were included in the parish registers even though they were not participants in the Church of Ireland.
Church of Ireland records include christenings, burials, and marriages.
Christenings: Children were usually christened shortly after birth. Though some parish records contain records of adults or older children.
Marriages: Pre-1845 marriage registers usually only provide the name of the bride and groom and the date. Register after this date, may contain more information. Note: Couples were usually married in the bride's parish. Permission to marry was obtained through either by banns or a license.
Burials: Burials usually took place in the parish of the deceased within a few days of the death. Sometimes death registers will give a lot of family information.
Requesting a Church of Ireland record: You can either write to the Representative Church Body Library, Braemor Park, Rathgar, Dublin 14, Ireland or Request a copy from the National Archives, Public Record office of Northern Ireland or write to the minister of the actual parish to see if he will search his parish vestry minutes or registers.
Parish records were recorded as early as 1820s. Records were kept locally. You can contact a local parish Priest to see if he will search the registers for you or you can request copies of filmed registers through the National Library of Ireland or PRONI (Public Records Office of Northern Ireland). The LDS church also has many catholic parish registers filmed -- see their library catalog holdings for specific details.
Protestant records in Northern Ireland began in the 1800's. Even though mass migrations to NIR began as early as 1605, many records were not kept by local churches. In the late 1700's and early 1800's many presbyterian congregations split off from the main church -- later they were reunited as the main body of Irish Presbyterians. However, individual congregations kept their own records.
Finding Presbyterian records: The PRONI has copies of most Presbyterian records in NIR. They also have records for Donegal, Cavan and Monagahan. You can also contact the Presbyterian Historical Society for information on other records (they are not complete) at room 218, Church House, Fisherwick Place, Belfast BT1 6DW, Northern Ireland. The LDS church also has some copies of Presbyterian records on film and fiche.
Methodist records can be obtained locally by writing to the local church. Copies of some registers are held at the PRONI and through the LDS Church.
Quakers emigrated from England to Ireland about 1653. These records are kept in two Quaker repositories in Ireland. Contact the appropriate repository for assistance with their records collections.
Dublin Friends Historical Library
Religious Society of Friends in Ireland
Swanbrook House
Morehampton Road
Donnybrook
Dublin 4 IrelandReligious Society of Friends
Ulster Quarterly Meeting
Friends Meeting House
Railway Street
Lisburn, County Antrim BY28 1EP
Northern IrelandPRONI and the National Library in Dublin have some copies of Quaker records as does the LDS Church.
Ireland has very few Jewish synagogues. For information on Jewish records, write to: Irish Jewish Museum, 3/4 Walworth Road, South Circular Road, Dublin 8, Ireland.
For records on other churches within Ireland (LDS, Huguenots, Baptist) see local parishes for details. Some copies of other church records have been filmed at the LDS Church.
Selected Reading in Church History
- Kathleen Hughes, The Church in Early Irish Society (1966, reissued 1980)
- Ludwig Bieler, Ireland, Harbinger of the Middle Ages (1963; originally published in German, 1961), on the Irish religious missions and their influence in Europe
- Robert Dudley Edwards, Church and State in Tudor Ireland: A History of Penal Laws Against Irish Catholics, 1534-1603 (1935, reprinted 1972)
- J.H. Whyte, Church and State in Modern Ireland, 1923-1979, 2nd ed. (1980)
- Robert G. Crawford, Loyal to King Billy: A Portrait of the Ulster Protestants (1987)
