SWilson.info - >Ordering Irish BMD Certs

(Updated - October 2016)

Sample :

You can search for references to Irish Civil Birth, Marriage and Death records using the Irish BMD Index available free on Irish Genealogy website : GRO BMD Index or on the FamilySearch website. These Indexes provide the details required to order certs by post from the General Registers Office (G.R.O) Headquarters in Roscommon. The GRO can also accept orders for certs by fax - the number is included on the order form.

Note - the Irish Genealogy website now includes links to register images for Births from 1864, marriages from 1882 and deaths from 1891, the usual 100/75/50 year cutoff applies, so for exmple births are included up to abt 1915.

To order research certs, download the new order form from the IrishGenealogy website, here (pdf) , and print out a copy. Fill in your name, address etc, and select the delivery method for your cert(s). You can opt for delivery by post or email. Enter the details of the certs required, type of event B(irth), M(marriage) or D(eath), name details and index references details. Older entries in the GRO index use the year/quarter (no quarter is included on the index for records before 1878) volume and page, while newer entries use a group registration Id. The version of the index on FamilySearch and some other systems only show the older index format with volume and page number.

Make sure to enter your credit card details in the lower section of the form and sign. When ordered with full references the research certs cost € 4 each. Research certs are a photocopy of the entry in the GRO register. (The GRO do not usually charge any extra for postage to places outside Ireland)

Post or fax the completed order form to the GRO head office in Roscommon - address and fax number are on the form.

The older order form is still available at this link

The other references on the FamilySearch version of the BMD Index, i.e. Film, Image and Folder numbers etc, are their internal references and not relevant to the GRO Ireland.

GRO Ireland covers certs for all of Ireland up to the end of 1921, and the Republic of Ireland after that. The GRO Northern Ireland website (NIDirect) allows access to civil BMD records for counties in Northern Ireland as both transcripts and images from the start of civil registration. Credits are required to view record details. Note : the GRO Ireland online Index and the GRONI system restricts searches based on the 100/75/50 rule, i.e. birth 100 years or more ago, marriages 75 years or more ago etc. The FamilySearch version of the BMD index covers up to 1958 for counties in the Republic of Ireland, but only to and of 1921 for counties in Northern Ireland.

The following details are included on a Birth Cert

     Registration District, County etc
     Date & Place of Birth
     Name (of Child)
     Sex
     Name and Surname and Dwelling Place of Father
     Name and Maiden Surname of Mother
     Rank or Profession of Father
     Signature, Qualification and Residence of Informant
     Date of Registration
     Registrars name

Births were registered from 1864, but some were missed out in the early years. If the informant is a parent, or relation this is usually mentioned as the qualification - e.g. 'Jane Murphy, Mother, Ballymahon'

Sample Research Birth Cert (with some details obscured)

Details on a Marriage Cert

     Registration District, County etc
     Name of Church
     Date of Marriage
     Name & Surname of bride & groom
     Ages of bride & groom
     Condition of bride & groom
     Rank or Profession of bride & groom
     Residence of bride and groom at time of Marriage
     Fathers names and occupations
     Name of priest/minister
     name of witnesses
     (plus 'signature' of bride & groom)

All marriages were registered from 1864. In addition to this Non-Catholic marriages, (i.e. Church of Ireland, Registry Office) were registered from 1845. Age is often entered as 'full', other possible options include an age given in years, or minor if under 21. Condition is usually one of Bachelor, Spinster, Widow, Widower etc

Sample Research Marriage Cert (with some details obscured)

Details included on a Death Cert

     Registration District, County etc
     Date and Place of Death
     Name and Surname
     Sex
     Condition
     Age at last birthday
     Rank, profession or occupation
     Certified cause of death and duration of illness
     Signature, Qualification and Residence of Informant
     Date of registration
     Registrars name

Deaths were registered from 1864. Condition is usually one of Bachelor, Spinster, Widow, Widower etc In the case of a married woman or child, the husband/father's occupation is sometimes given - e.g. Theresa Reilly, wife of Farmer. If the informant is a family member this is usually mentioned as the qualification - e.g. on the death of a child 'Patrick Kelly, Father, Dunmore'. In the case of a death in a Hospital, Institution etc - the usual residence (townland or street) is sometimes entered under the name.

Sample Research Death Cert (with some details obscured)

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