The civil records are the official state records of births, marriages and deaths in Ireland. The registers of births, marriages and deaths and the related indexes are maintained by the Registrar General in the General Register Office ( (Oifig An Ard-Chláraitheora). The Index books can be viewed at the General Register Office, Werburgh Street, Dublin 8, D08 E277.
The General Register Office (GRO) is the central repository for records relating to births, stillbirths, adoptions, marriages, civil partnerships and deaths in Ireland. The GRO operates under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection and has responsibility for the administration of the civil registration service in Ireland. The General Register Office is located at Government Offices, Convent Road, Co Roscommon, F42 VX53.
The Registrar General is responsible for managing and controlling the system of registration in Ireland, however, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is responsible for the day to day delivery of the civil registration service through a network of local civil registration service offices across the State.
Indexes to the Civil Records of Irish Births, Deaths and Marriages
The Indexes to the Civil Records of Irish Births, Deaths and Marriages date from 1864 with non-Roman Catholic Marriages recorded from 1845.
The years covered by the release of the historic Indexes to the Civil Records of Births, Marriages and Deaths are:
- Births: 1864 to 1924
- Marriages: 1845* to 1949
- Deaths: 1871** to 1974
Register images of the Civil Records of Irish Births, Deaths and Marriages
The years covered by the release of the historic records of Births, Marriages and Deaths are:
- Births: 1864 to 1924
- Marriages: 1845* to 1949
- Deaths: 1871** to 1974
*Non-Roman Catholic Marriages are recorded from 1845, Roman Catholic Marriages are recorded from 1864
**The General Register Office are currently working on updating further records of Deaths dating back to 1864.These will be included in future updates to the records available on the website.
Due to data protection rules this site only provides access to records of Births over 100 years old, Marriages over 75 years old and Deaths over 50 years old. The data is refreshed once every calendar year and the refresh will include an additional year of records and any changes made to the records since the previous refresh.
| Births | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-1900 | Group Registration ID | Childs Forename | Childs Surname | SR District/Reg Area | N/A | Childs Year of Birth | N/A |
| 1900 – 1924 | Group Registration ID | Childs Forename | Childs Surname | SR District/Reg Area | Childs Sex | Childs Date of Birth | Mothers Birth Surname |
| Marriages | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1845*-1949 | Group Registration ID | Party1 Forename | Party1 Surname | Party2 Forename | Party2 Surname | Date of Marriage | SR District/Reg Area | ||
| *1845-1864 Non Roman Catholic Marriages only | |||||||||
| Deaths | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1864-1877 | Forename | Surname | Year of Death | Age at Death | District Registered | Returns Year | Returns Quarter
Volume Page |
||
| 1871 – 1966 | Group Registration ID | Deceased Forename | Deceased Surname | Deceased Age at Death | SR District/Reg Area | Deceased Year of Death | N/A | ||
| 1967-1974 | Group Registration ID | Deceased Forename | Deceased Surname | Deceased Age at Death | SR District/Reg Area | Deceased Date of Death | N/A | ||
What is a copy of an entry?
A copy of an entry contains the same information as a certificate (of birth, marriage, death) but is only of use for research purposes. A copy of an entry in the register costs €5.
How do I get a copy of an entry.
To apply for a copy of an entry, download the form here and email the completed form to the General Register Office (GRO) : [email protected]
What is a certificate?
A certificate is a certified copy of an entry in the register for legal and administrative purposes. A certificate costs €20.
How to get a certificate.
To apply for a certificate, download the form here and email the completed form to the General Register Office (GRO) : [email protected]
The Civil Registers are compiled in local registration districts/offices.
John Grenham’s website provides a useful map of the Historical Registrations Districts as a guide.
Districts contained local registration offices which are referenced on earlier records. These offices covered a particular locality and are not a reference to a specific place of Birth, Marriage or Death. That information is available on the full certificate or copy of the register entry.