Genealogy Centres in Dublin


Open daily Monday to Friday

Dublin City and County is divided into three areas for genealogical research purposes under the Irish Genealogical Project.

So far only two are offering services:

 

Carnegie Library
North Street
Swords
Co Dublin
Ireland

Famous People from North Dublin

Among the famous people who hailed from the north Dublin area were Blessed Francis Taylor, Fr. J. Kettle and the famous General Montgomery (of American War of Independence fame).

Services Fingal Heritage Group offer a Full Service to enquirers.

The main records include:

  • Roman Catholic records, the earliest of which date from 1731
  • Church of Ireland records (Anglican/Episcopalian) commence in 1703
  • Methodist records date from 1870
  • Census records available from as early as 1901

The Fingal Heritage Group also have records of:

  • Internment for all cemeteries in their area
  • Vaccination records
  • School roll books
  • Gravestone inscriptions for some local cemeteries

Attached to the Research Centre is a museum which reflects aspects of local and national culture.

Visitor Attractions in Dublin

Howth Head, The Royal Dublin Golf Course, Malahide Castle and Dunsink Observatory are among the tourist attractions of this area. Dublin Airport (with its famous duty-free shopping facilities) is located in the catchment area of this centre

The Great Famine in North Dublin and Resultant Emigration

Prior to the failure of the potato crop people here were largely self sufficient. The advent of potato blight left large numbers without sufficient food. Unemployment increased dramatically and rents were left unpaid. Large numbers were forced to emigrate to England and Canada but chiefly to the United States.

Main Towns in the Fingal Area

The chief towns in the centre's designated area are: Balbriggan, Malahide, Howth, Clontarf, Blanchardstown, Portmarnock, Donabate, Baldoyle, Skerries, Rush and Lusk.

Publications

Publications currently available from the Fingal Heritage Group (prices are in U.S.$ and do not include postage) include:

  • "Rest in Peace" - Fingal Cemeteries - St Colmcille's at $2.50
  • "In Ford Remembrance" - Headstone Inscriptions from St. Columba's at $2.50
  • Swords Heritage Trail at $1.50
  • Working Life in Fingal - Recollections from North County Dublin at $6.00
  • Swords Voices Parts 2 & 3 at $5.50

 

Moran Park House
Dun Laoghaire
Co Dublin
Ireland

The area covered by this centre now lies in the hinterland of Dublin City but was, in the last century, a collection of rural towns and villages.

Chief Surnames of South Dublin

Byrne, Doyle, Kelly, Murphy, Kavanagh, Neill, Brien, Connor, Farrell and Toole.

Services

The Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Heritage Society offer a Partial Service for enquiriers seeking information on their ancestors from south County Dublin. Typically an Initial enquiry receives a reply from this Centre within two weeks.

To date the Centre has computerised over 145,000 and the main records include:

  • Roman Catholic records, the earliest of which date from 1755
  • Church of Ireland records (Anglican/Episcopalian) commence in 1694
  • Presbyterian records date from 1843

The Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Heritage Society has also computerised the pre-1900 gravestone inscriptions at the extensive Deansgrange Cemetery (from 1868) and St. Begnet's Cemetery in Dalkey.

The Great Famine in South Dublin and Resultant Emigration

The effects of the Great Famine were less severely felt here than in many parts of Ireland but the area did not go unaffected by the famine.

The records indicate that the number of inmates at Loughlinstown Workhouse increased rapidly at the start of the Great Famine and the number of burials in the Workhouse Cemetery reflect a sad period in the history of south county Dublin.

Loughlinstown Poorhouse is now the site of St. Colmcille's Hospital. While the population of this area has greatly increased in the present century there was a large amount of emigration from here to the US and England in former times.

Main Towns in Dun Laoghaire - Rathdown Heritage Society's Area

Ballybock, Booterstown, Cabinteely, Dundrum, Kingstown (now called Dun Laoghaire), Blackrock, Dalkey, Glasthule, Monkstown and Donneybrook.

The port of Dun Laoghaire and Joyce's Tower at Sandycove are of world renown.

Famous People from South Dublin

The area covered by the centre once included the residences of many famous Irish figures including:

George Bernard Shaw, John Millington Synge, James Joyce, Flann O'Brien, all famous writers, renowned politicians Michael Davitt, Edward Carson, Artist Evie Hone, actor Cyril Cusack and Christian Brothers founder Ignatius Rice.

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Heritage Society

Fingal Heritage Group, Co Dublin