Findmypast explains how to find your Irish ancestors' marriage records

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Marriage records are important sources for all family historians. Not only do they mark one of the most important events in your ancestors’ lives but they usually contain fantastic details to add to your family tree like addresses, occupations and both spouses’ father’s names.

Civil registration of marriages in Ireland began in 1845 for non-Catholic marriages with Catholic marriages only being recorded from 1864 onwards. The civil registers are the first place you should start looking for your Irish ancestors’ marriage records. Save time by using the index on Findmypast which dates from 1845-1958 and contains over 4.5 million records from all over Ireland. These indexes will provide you with the details you need to order a copy of the original marriage certificate from Ireland’s General Register Office.

For marriages that happened before 1845, you’ll need to look to other sources. If you know where in Ireland your ancestors’ nuptials took place you should search for the parish record of their marriage. You can also try some of Findmypast’s other comprehensive collections including:

Farrar's Index of Irish Marriages 1771-1812

Irish Marriage Notices in American Newspapers 1835-1860

Over 860,000 Irish Marriages 1619-1898 – a new collection of marriage records from various sources.

Historical Irish newspapers are also a useful source for marriage announcements as at the time they were seen as major community events and were reported in local publications.

A marriage record represents the union of two families in your family tree – a fascinating memory of your forebears. Start your search today for your ancestor’s today and see what you can discover.

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