Pre 1841 Irish records

Question

I seem to have run into a dead end with Mayo parish records

1841 seems to be the earliest birth/baptism records

Does anyone have any tips on where I can go now, the family wasn't noble so peerage documents will be of no help.

Comments

Ireland is one of the hardest places to do genealogy in Western Europe. 

Catholic church records typically go back no further than 1828, except in the eastern urban areas. Persecution of Catholics made it dangerous to keep lists of baptisms and marriages. 

In 1922, during the Irish civil war, the 1831-1851 censuses, many Anglican records and most wills were destroyed in a fire. The 1861-1891 censuses had already been destroyed deliberately. 

Some records that may survive for your family:

1. The Registry of Deeds, which records transactions involving land. But it was a voluntary system, and generally the poor did not record their transactions in the Registry. See https://irishdeedsindex.net/index.php and also https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/185720

2. Cemeteries. Check websites such as Billiongraves and local genealogical societies and websites. 

Answer 1

Only records that have survived are Church Records.If the were

Catholic they kept very good records.But you need too know

precisely where the lived.

Comments

Land records have survived too, and a few probate records and other materials that were stored away from the fire. The Irish Registry of Deeds is a wonderful resource.

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True. But many of our ancestors were tenant farmers, not land owners.

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That is true. My earliest known Irish ancestor was a tenant farmers, but I still found a couple of records about him in the registry of deeds because he was the executor of the estate of a small landowner who lived nearby.

Answer 2

Peter, It may take some digging but you may find something here Sources-Ireland-Province-County

Answer 3

The best surviving records of all are for the Quakers, but that's obviously only any use if your ancestor was one. You can search them free on FindmyPast but have to subscribe or pay to view the details.

Alan

Answer 4

RootsIreland has some church baptisms, marriages and deaths going back to before the beginning of civil records, going back to the 1700s in some cases. It's a subscription site, it's not cheap, and what's survived is spotty, but they add new records from time to time. I have a subscription, so if there's anything in particular you're looking for, let me know and I'll see if they have anything relevant.