Irish Genealogical Research Society (IGRS)

It’s that time of year again. Enter our free St Patrick’s Day draw…details below.

**IGRS St Patrick’s Day Draw 2026**

Enter our free draw today!

**IGRS St Patrick’s Day Draw 2026**

Enter our free draw today!

**IGRS St Patrick’s Day Draw 2026**

It’s nearly St Patrick’s Day: win a free IGRS membership and a free online genealogy advice session with one of our highly experienced genealogists. Click on the link to read more and to enter the draw… www.irishancestors.ie/paddy-day-dr...

**IGRS St Patrick’s Day Draw 2026**

It’s nearly St Patrick’s Day: win a free IGRS membership and a free online genealogy advice session with one of our highly experienced genealogists. Click on the link to read more and to enter the draw… www.irishancestors.ie/paddy-day-dr...

IGRS Top Research Tip #197: PRONI’s Historic Environment online map viewer for Northern Ireland allows users to search, browse, or navigate to a particular area to view maps and explore local heritage: www.communities-ni.gov.uk/services/his...

In 2006 I told the late (great) Prof. Ray Gillespie that I wanted to publish every surviving scrap from the 1766 religious census, by 2016. I missed the 🎯by 10 yrs, but 😃 to report that on the 260th anniv. it's done. Everything, >50k names & population details, now online.
@maynoothuniversity.ie

A detailed map of Ireland showing which Civil Parishes have surviving names (originals or transcribed copies) and extra information, which have surviving population numbers (originals or transcribed copies) and extra data.

Legend for the map showing colour codes for Civil Parishes with the following types of data: Names of householders, and more (original return) Names of householders (original return) Names of householders, and more (transcript, full) Names of householders (transcript, full) Names of householders, and more (transcript, partial) Names of householders (transcript, partial) Numbers by religion, and more (original return) Numbers by religion (original return) Numbers by religion, and more (transcript) Numbers by religion (transcript)

See this new Hidden Story about the 1766 Census. https://www.virtualtreasury.ie/hidden-stories/the-1766-religious-census-of-ireland-5-march-5-may-1766 Rare surviving census return sent from Tipperary to Henry Baker Sterne, coordinator of the 1766 Census.

https://www.virtualtreasury.ie/gold-seams/1766-religious-census

A 260th Birthday Present from Ireland's first census 🥳 🎁
This detailed map shows parishes with surviving names or population numbers.
Some parishes have a handful of names - others have hundreds!
www.virtualtreasury.ie/gold-seams/1...
New user? See Help Page www.virtualtreasury.ie/help
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M. Comerford, Collections relating to the dioceses of Kildare and Leighlin (Dublin, n.d.), volume 1, p. 271. The original compiled by Reverend Antoine Vinchon des Voeux, provided a full list of householders’ names., including these mixed-marriages.

https://www.virtualtreasury.ie/gold-seams/1766-religious-census

Mixed marriages in1766.
Lea parish, Queen’s Co (Laois) had 145 Protestant households.
The lost list of 'Papists' ran to several pages.
Only the names of 15 ‘mongrels or mixed families’ survived, in Rev. Michael Comerford's history of Kildare and Leighlin.
virtualtreasury.ie/item/VRTI-CE...
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https://virtualtreasury.ie/item/VRTI-CEN-1766-2-696 Information shown: details on spouse. the number of sons above 14 years old, and below 14. the number of daughters above 14 years old, and below 14. the number of male and female servants. the number of male lodgers and female lodgers. the total number of Protestants and Catholics.

https://www.virtualtreasury.ie/gold-seams/1766-religious-census

Newchapel, Co. Tipperary
A wonderful 1766 census return! Rev. F.S.Thomas lists names, marital status and even servants and non-family members.
This sheet was beautifully conserved by Jessica Baldwin, National Archives Ireland.
virtualtreasury.ie/item/NAI-IHP...
@tipperarylive.bsky.social
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Printed transcript of the 1766 return for Castlewellan, '15 families, 2 of whom were papists' and including names such as: Terence and Elizabeth Hagan; Lord and lady Annesley; William and Mary Bridges; Andrew and Rebecca Newell; Cromwell and Anne Nicholson; Joseph and Grace Lascells. Source: James O’Laverty, Historical account of the diocese of Down and Connor, volume 1, p. lxxi

https://www.virtualtreasury.ie/gold-seams/1766-religious-census

The ruined interior of the Public Record Office of Ireland in 1922. Almost all the original 1766 census records were destroyed in the fire.

A route map from Dromore to Castlewellan (1777) https://www.virtualtreasury.ie/item/LBC-mid-348 Taylor and Skinner's Maps of the Roads of Ireland, plate 284-285: Dromore to Castlewellan and Clough-Ballynahinch and Rostrevor-Moira

Prudence Riddle, Elizabeth Hagan, Grace Lascells, Deborah Milligan.
Most 1766 census records for Co. Down were lost in 1922, but this transcript for Castlewellan records some names of adult women, and not just 'elite' women. A rarity in the census returns!
virtualtreasury.ie/item/VRTI-CE....
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Image of a single sheet with a transcribed list of the names from the 1766 Census for the Parish of Inchigeelagh Transcript in possession of Cumann Staire Uíbh Laoire/Ballingeary and Inchigeelagh Historical Society. For a full transcript of this document see https://virtualtreasury.ie/item/VRTI-CEN-1766-6-757

https://www.virtualtreasury.ie/gold-seams/1766-religious-census Home page for the 1766 Religious Census Gold Seam in the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland

Long thought lost this transcript of the 1766 census for Inchigeelagh Co. Cork was generously made available though the VRTI by Cumann Staire Uíbh Laoire/Ballingeary and Inchigeelagh Historical Society.
virtualtreasury.ie/item/VRTI-CE....
@johncreedon.bsky.social
@corkbeo.bsky.social
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Image of a rare surviving original return from the 1766 Religious Census showing the bare minimum totals for Ballymore Parish, Co. Armagh. https://virtualtreasury.ie/item/NAI-IHP-1-651 National Archives, Ireland IHP/1/651.

The 1766 Religious Census gold seam on the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland. https://www.virtualtreasury.ie/gold-seams/1766-religious-census

Ballymore parish, Co. Armagh
A rare surviving original census return! 🤩
But - instead of listing 901 names Rev. Sacheverell only sent
615 Protestant families
206 Popish (Catholic) families
'2 reputed Popish priests' 😩
virtualtreasury.ie/item/VRTI-CE...
virtualtreasury.ie/item/NAI-IHP...
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IGRS Top Research Tip #196: Were any of your ancestors part of the 17th century plantation of Ulster? The Ulster Settlers Database brings together a variety of surviving sources which identify many of the early settlers: ulster-settlers.maynoothuniversity.ie

IGRS Top Research Tip #196: Were any of your ancestors part of the 17th century plantation of Ulster? The Ulster Settlers Database brings together a variety of surviving sources which identify many of the early settlers: ulster-settlers.maynoothuniversity.ie

A selection of books form the Fagel Collection

TCD Library is recruiting a Senior Bibliographer to help catalogue the Fagel Collection! This is a fabulous professional opportunity to work on one of Europe's great early modern private libraries. Closing 10 March at noon. Full details available at www.tcd.ie/hr/vacancies

https://virtualtreasury.ie/item/NAI-PRIV-M-5036-A-9 Handwritten copy of the Irish House of Lords resolution on 5 march 1766 ordering the 1766 Religious Census to be taken. Source: National Archives, Ireland, PRIV/M/5036A, p. 13.

https://www.virtualtreasury.ie/gold-seams/1766-religious-census The homepage for the 1766 Religious Census on the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland. Every surviving copy census records from over a dozen archives are gathered together and fully searchable here.

Countdown to the 260th anniversary of Ireland's first census. 🕰️ 7️⃣
5 March 1766 the Irish House of Lords orders a census of all householders noting 'which are protestants and which are Papists' (Catholics).
They gave only 61 days to cover the whole country!
virtualtreasury.ie/item/NAI-PRI...
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Irish ancestors / relatives who migrated to New Zealand? Here ye go…

IGRS Top Research Tip #195: Did some of your Irish family migrate to New Zealand? The NZ Ancestor Search Helper draws together data from a range of online NZ resources: ash.howison.co.nz

IGRS Top Research Tip #195: Did some of your Irish family migrate to New Zealand? The NZ Ancestor Search Helper draws together data from a range of online NZ resources: ash.howison.co.nz

59 items from the 1766 religious census, Ireland's 1st census, survived the destruction of the Public Record Office in 1922.

This return, for the Union of Abington, in east County Limerick, dated 9 April 1766, is one of the finest of these very rare survivors.

virtualtreasury.ie/item/NAI-IHP...

Excerpt from PROI PUB/Statutes/2/17 Statutes, Ordinances and Acts in a Parliament held at Naas, 35 Henry VI.

Ah! the romance of the middle ages 💘 St Valentine's Day 1450: John de la Hyde seized Ballyburley, Co. Offaly, from Geoffrey, Bishop of Kildare. King Henry VI ordered John to give it back. Offaly romantic, no? www.virtualtreasury.ie/item/PROI-PU...

@offalyhistory.bsky.social

IGRS Top Research Tip #194: Did your ancestor serve in the Irish police? This link lists all the stations across Ireland for the Royal Irish Constabulary (to 1922) and the Dublin Metropolitan Police (to 1924): www.swilson.info/m/ricdmp1890...

IGRS Top Research Tip #193: There are around 2 million gravestone transcriptions (many with photos) from all across Ireland on the Findagrave website. Have you used it, it’s free: www.findagrave.com

Good news - The annual update on the Irishgenealogy site is launched today: births 1925, marriages 1950, deaths 1975 have been added: www.irishgenealogy.ie/search/

IGRS Top Research Tip #193: There are around 2 million gravestone transcriptions (many with photos) from all across Ireland on the Findagrave website. Have you used it, it’s free: www.findagrave.com

IGRS Top Research Tip #192: Street names in civil and church registers can sometimes be hard to locate on modern maps. For Cork city there’s a handy online list linking together old and new street names, 1750-2013: digital.corkpastandpresent.com/Documents/De...

IGRS Top Research Tip #192: Street names in civil and church registers can sometimes be hard to locate on modern maps. For Cork city there’s a handy online list linking together old and new street names, 1750-2013: digital.corkpastandpresent.com/Documents/De...

Have some fun with your morning cuppa and try the St Bridget’s Day quiz compiled by Accredited Genealogists Ireland… accreditedgenealogists.ie/wp-content/u...

AGI Publishes New Resource on the Social Context of Ireland’s 1901 and 1911 Census Records: accreditedgenealogists.ie/agi-publishe...