🇮🇪 Ireland · English/Irish
Ireland Family Tree
Irish genealogy is both rewarding and challenging. The destruction of the Public Record Office in 1922 during the Civil War destroyed centuries of census and church records, but many alternative sources survive.
Ireland naming patterns
Irish surnames use prefixes: "O'" means "grandson of" (O'Brien, O'Connor) and "Mac/Mc" means "son of" (McCarthy, McDonald). Many Irish surnames were anglicized during British rule.
Common Ireland surnames
Where to find Ireland records
- IrishGenealogy.ie (free civil records)
- National Library of Ireland (Catholic parish records)
- RootsIreland.ie
- FindMyPast Ireland
- Ancestry Ireland
Migration history
The Great Famine (1845-1852) caused massive emigration. Ireland's population dropped from 8.2 million to 4.4 million. Over 70 million people worldwide claim Irish descent today.
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