National Library of Ireland website

Family History Research pdf

The National Library of Ireland, which was established in 1877, houses the country's collection of literary and illustrative works of Irish interest. The aim of the Library is to collect, conserve, and present these works, which include collections of printed books, periodicals, manuscripts, prints and drawings, photographs and maps.

The NLI holds a wealth of information that can be used to trace the history of a family. The main record sources include Catholic parish registers, property records such as estate papers and maps, newspapers, directories and heraldic records. We also hold published family histories and local history society publications, and provide free on-site access to a number of useful subscription websites.

Catholic Parish Registers at the NLI

Kildare Street
Dublin 2
Ireland (Eire)
info@nli.ie
Website

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2 Kildare Street
Dublin 2
Ireland (Eire)
genealogy@nli.ie
Website

The National Library is Ireland's main repository of filmed Catholic parish registers. Other records on deposit at the National Library include newspapers, city and regional directories, estate records, the Householders Index, and Griffith's Primary Valuation. The library's staff does not do commissioned searches. An online database, Sources: a National Library of Ireland database for Irish Research should be searched before visiting the library.

The records of the Genealogical Office are now in the National Library. They deal mainly with heraldry. The office's holdings include information extracted from records that were destroyed when the Public Record Office burned.

The records of the Genealogical Office are not available to the public. Some of the records, however, have been microfilmed and these films may be available at other repositories. The office does not do commissioned research. The office does provide a consultation service that gives detailed guidance, for a fee, to people who are doing research on their own families. FamilySearch Wiki

The National Library’s holdings constitute the most comprehensive collection of Irish documentary material in the world and offer an invaluable representation of Ireland’s history and heritage. Material acquired through Legal Deposit, donations and purchases is subsequently processed for storage and access. Providing appropriate storage and care for all collections is a vital part of our work and ensures its preservation for future generations.

The National Library collections comprise a number of formats; to facilitate easy navigation of this section of the website, collections have been grouped into four categories: Printed, Manuscripts, Visual, Digital. See the Accessing Material section to find out how to consult these collections.

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The National Library of Ireland

Introduction to the Online Catalogue

An increasing number of our collections are searchable online, however in some cases manual catalogues housed in the Library may still be the only means to locate material. Readers who intend to visit the Library in person should consult the Collections section for full details on all catalogues, manual and online, available for the different categories of material. Readers should also check the Accessing Materialsection to find out how to consult items from the collection.

The National Library is located on Kildare Street in the centre of Dublin.

This map shows the location of the Main Library Building on Kildare Street, the Library building at 2/3 Kildare Street and the National Photographic Archive in Meeting House Square, Temple Bar and the Seamus Heaney - Listen Now Again exhibition. The Library’s administrative headquarters are also located at no. 4 Kildare Street.

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The National Library of Ireland collects and makes available the shared memory of the Irish Nation at home and abroad, caring for more than 10 million items, including books, manuscripts, newspapers, prints, drawings, ephemera, photographs, and increasingly, digital media. Readers using the reading rooms have access to a wide range of web resources including the Irish Newspaper Archive, JSTOR Ireland collection and the Dictionary of Irish Biography online. A reader’s ticket is not required to access newspapers or other items on microfilm.

Anyone over 16 years of age who wishes to use NLI collections should apply for a readers’ ticket. A reader’s ticket is valid for three years and gives readers access to all our collections. You must bring your ticket with you when using the reading rooms, as original material will not be issued to you without it.

Wi-Fi access in the reading rooms is available to registered readers.

Readers Ticket Office opening hours:

Monday: 5.00pm-7.45pm

Tues-Fri: 10.30am-12.30pm & 2pm-4pm

Saturday: 9.30am-12.45pm

What you should bring

All applicants must produce a form of photographic identification. Acceptable forms of identification include a passport, driver’s licence, student card, social security card, travel pass and employment ID.

Applying for a reader’s ticket and using the Reading Rooms

You can apply for your ticket in the Readers Ticket Office in our Main Building. It only takes a few minutes to process an application and issue a ticket. You will need to complete an online registration form. We will then check your form of identification, take your photograph and provide you with a reader’s ticket.

Use of our Reading Rooms is at all times conditional on observing the Rules for Readers.

• Rules for Readers (0.03 MB, Adobe PDF)

Please note that the NLI is not a lending library. You must consult our material in the reading rooms. See Accessing Material for information about consulting our collections.