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When You're Researching Your Irish Family Tree
One of the most important things to know is where your ancestors lived.
Townlands
A townland is the smallest place unit in Ireland. It’s been used for centuries—even before the Norman invasion in 1169. Knowing the townland is more helpful than just knowing the county or parish, especially if your family name is common. You can explore townlands using the Ordnance Survey of Ireland maps.
Parishes
Ireland has two types of parishes:
- Church (Ecclesiastical) Parishes – run by churches like the Roman Catholic Church or Church of Ireland.
- Civil Parishes – older administrative areas used in government records.
Some records (like Griffith’s Valuation and the Tithe Applotment Books) use civil parishes, not church parishes. So if you know your ancestor’s church parish, it might not match the civil parish in those records.
Tip: If an emigrant listed a parish as their place of origin, it’s usually a church parish.
Other Place Terms You Might See
- DED (District Electoral Division): used in the 1901 and 1911 Census. You don’t need to know this to search by name.
- Barony: a group of parishes. Not often used in family history.
- County: a larger area that includes many baronies.
- Registration District: used in civil records for births, marriages, and deaths (from 1864 onward).
