Irelandseye.com guide to Tracing Your Irish Roots

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Christine Kinealy

Headings

Starting off
Surnames
Places and Place Names
Useful Depositories
- In the Republic of Ireland
- In Northern Ireland
- In London

Record Depositories In Northern Ireland

Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)

This office provides an excellent resource for family historians. Apart from the more obvious genealogical records such as Griffith's Valuation, Tithe Applotment Books, will calendars and church records, this office also has an excellent collection of:

school registers
business records
emigrants' letters
copies of most pre-1900 registers of baptisms, marriages and burials for all denominations in Ulster.

This office frequently holds records relating to the historic nine counties of Ulster rather than just the six counties that constitute Northern Ireland.

The full address is:
The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
66 Balmoral Avenue, Belfast, BT9 6NY
Telephone: 01232 251318
Fax: 01232 255999
Web site: http://proni.nics.gov.uk/index.htm

The Registrar-General's Office (General Register Office of Northern Ireland)

This office contains records of the births, deaths and marriages of all people who resided in Northern Ireland after 1921. The records date back to 1864, although registers of non-Catholic marriages commenced in 1845. Family historians can visit the office although they must book in advance. The Registrar-General's Office also operates a postal enquiry service. If your ancestor was from Northern Ireland but his or her birth, death or marriage took place before 1921, the appropriate records are kept in the Registrar-General's Office in Dublin (see above).

The full address is:
Oxford House, 45-49 Chichester Street,
Belfast BT1 4HL
Telephone: 01232 252000.
Fax: 01232 252044
Web site: http://www.groni.gov.uk/index.htm

Presbyterian Historical Society

The Presbyterian tradition has been strong in the north east region of Ireland since the early seventeenth century. Some of the oldest surviving registers have been deposited in the Presbyterian Historical Society. Although searchers can visit the society's premises, they may not be allowed access to the oldest registers. The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland does, however, have copies of these registers on microfilm. The Presbyterian Historical Society does not undertake genealogical searches. The library is open for a limited time each week.

The full address is:
The Presbyterian Historical Society
Church House, Fisherwick Place,
Belfast
Telephone: 01232 322284

> > > More resources in Northern Ireland

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