National Library of IrelandThe National Library of Ireland is one of the most wonderful buildings to visit and start researching your Irish roots. The Library was established under the Dublin Science and Art Museum Act of 1877 and was initially the repository for the Royal Dublin Society and the Joly library. The domed reading room, which opened in 1890, is a pleasure to work in and the staff are always friendly and helpful. There are exhibitions throughout the building as well as a great cafe and outdoor terrace with benches, tables and chairs, from which you can watch the comings and goings of the business of government in Leinster House next door. The National Library of Ireland is located on Kildare Street beside Leinster House.
What You Will Find in the National Library of IrelandFor someone interested in tracing their Irish roots, the National Library is an important destination. The Library has a dedicated staffed Genealogy Room where you can access websites such as the Irish News Archive, Ancestry.com, Findmypast.ie, Irishgenealogy.ie and many many other resources, catalogues and guides. This room is found on the left hand side when you reach the mezzanine level in the main building.
Roman Catholic parish registers are an essential source for anyone researching their 19th century Irish ancestors. If your ancestor was Roman Catholic and born in Ireland prior to 1864, this may be where you should start your research. Many visitors plan to research parish registers in the local church where their ancestors originated. Unfortunately, the church is under no obligation to facilitate your research and you may be refused access to the records if they are held in local custody. It is also important that these registers are preserved. Now researchers can search digital images of every surviving page of parish registers from the earliest (about 1740) up to 1880 on the website of the National Library of Ireland. You will need to know the name of the Catholic parish (as opposed to the civil parish). You can find links to each parish as well as to other online databases of parish registers at John Grenham’s Irish Ancestors site which has a very helpful map of Roman Catholic parishes in Ireland. The National Library has a dedicated room with computer terminals where you can access this vital collection on the mezzanine level, directly across from the Genealogy Room.
The National Library also hold microfilm copies of the Tithe Applotment Books. Checking the original Tithe Applotment Books is important because the online collection hosted by the National Archives of Ireland is unreliable.
Other Useful Genealogical Sources at the National Library of IrelandThe National Library of Ireland also holds the largest collection of Irish newspapers on the Island. Although some Irish newspapers have already been digitized, there is still a very significant collection that are not yet online. A local newspaper from the area where your ancestors originated could be very valuable to your research. You can search the National Library of Ireland catalogue of newspapers by name, county or town of publication on their online Newspaper Database.
The library is home to a large collection of estate papers from all over the country. Estate papers can contain rent rolls, leases and tenant records that can be very valuable for family history research. You can locate estate papers using the National Library’s online manuscript catalogue Sources. The manuscripts can be accessed via the Manuscript Reading Room, which is located near the bottom of Kildare Street at nos. 2-3, above the exhibition space and beside the Alliance Francaise.
The library also houses an extensive collection of street and trade directories as well as published local histories and genealogical guides. The main catalogue for the library collections can be found on their website. The remainder of the National Library of Ireland holdings can be found on their main catalogue and accessed in the Reading Room of the Main Library building.