In 2012, the Government approved plans for the implementation of a national policy for genealogy by way of a phased approach. Under Phase 1, it was proposed to make available online the genealogical records of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and of key agencies within its ambit, namely, the National Library of Ireland and the National Archives of Ireland, by developing the website www.irishgenealogy.ie as a virtual entry point and a portal for those wishing to search for genealogical records.
Under Phase 2, it was proposed, among other things, to advance agreement with other State entities, notably the General Register Office, to facilitate access to its primary historic records, which are register entries of births, deaths and marriages, through the www.irishgenealogy.ie website.
Under Phase 3, it was proposed to enter into negotiations with non-State bodies holding genealogy records, with a view to enabling access to them through the www.irishgenealogy.ie website.
To date, my Department has concentrated its resources on implementing Phases 1 and 2 of the national policy.
The www.irishgenealogy.ie website has been developed as a virtual entry point and a portal for those wishing to search for Irish genealogical records. This includes the following record sets, which are provided on an all-island basis:
- The 1901 and 1911 census records and partial census returns for parts of the 19th century;
- The tithe applotment records from 1823 to 1837;
- The Griffiths valuations published between 1847 and 1864; and
- A number of other smaller sets of records.
There are also plans to provide on-line access on this site to the indexes and registered images of civil records, covering all of the island of Ireland for the pre-1922 period.
The site also has a useful links page to allow visitors access to all of the main record repository websites on the island of Ireland. This includes the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland and the General Register Office, Northern Ireland. The site has proved very popular since the upgrades which began in 2009 and has facilitated research on an all-island basis.
While there are no plans at present to formally implement an all-island approach to facilitating genealogical research and heritage, my Department remains open to examining further ways of advancing such matters, within the available resources.
