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Latest Irish Genealogy News

Rolling news for Irish family historians
Last updated on 4 April 2026

Irish Genealogy News: April 2026

FindMyPast has updated a tiddler-sized collection of employment records - Ireland, Dublin Port Employment Records, 1862-1925. Absolutely no information about this collection is provided. Maybe some will come along after Easter.

(I'm assuming this is an extended version or sister register of the Names Book held by Dublin Port, which was launched online a few years back. However, that Book covers only those manual workers (but not dockers) employed between 1906 and 1925. You can search the Name Book here. It's free and there are also historical maps and photos of the port on the website.)

The FindMyPast record set consists of 1,636 employment records dating back to 1862. An example is a record of one William Byrne who entered service at the Port aged 32 in 1874. He was a Lightkeeper on the North Wall. He must have been thrilled when his pay of 4 shillings was increased in 1911 to 4 shillings and sixpence when he was promoted to Principal LightKeeper. He was suspended from duty from 3-17 August having been absent on 1 August and then retired with a pension on 19 August 1915.

Nice savings for Spring on Ancestry DNA (for UK researchers). The standard price of a test kit has dropped to £49 plus shipping until 11:59pm (BST) on 17 April 2026. Take advantage of this discount while it's around.

Nice savings for Spring on Ancestry DNA (for UK researchers).

The standard price of a test kit has dropped to £49 plus shipping until 11:59pm (BST) on 17 April 2026.

Take advantage of this discount while it's around.

FindMyPast (UK only) is offering a range of discounts across its subscription offers. These reduce the costs as follows:

20% off 1-month subscription was £24.49, now £19.59

20% off 3-month subscription, was £59.99, now £47.99

30% 0ff 12-month subscription, was £169.99, now £118.99.

FindMyPast UK Easter Sale ends 13 April2026

For more details, click the image above.

The offer is available until 11.59pm BST on 13th April 2026. Terms and conditions apply.

Over the course of March, Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives (IGPA) uploaded new or additional materials to the following record sets:

Donegal - Headstones Christ Church, Buncrana - Updated
Londonderry - Headstones Alla Municipal Cemetery, Claudy
Roscommon - Miscellaneous Labourers in Stokestown - 1820-21
Wexford - Headstones St. Munn's Graveyard, Taghmon

IGPA is free to explore. The records are donated by Irish family historians for the benefit of other researchers and is entirely managed by volunteers.

Irish Genealogy News: March 2026

If you have medical ancestors who studied/worked in England, you may find FindMyPast's latest additions of interest. Across two collections, these records provide an annual account of every individual legally entitled to practice medicine, surgery, and midwifery in Britain. They are:

Britain, The Medical Registers, 1859-1895: Following the Medical Act of 1858, steps were taken to distinguish qualified practitioners and quacks. This brand-new set of 393,288 records will help you uncover more about their qualifications and career.

London (and Provincial) Medical Directory 1847-1869: This collection holds more than 511,000 records providing the names, addresses, qualifications, and appointments of every surgeon, physician, and general practitioner residing in London and its immediate vicinity.

During the last year or so, MyHeritage.com has significantly increased the number of records from Ireland held in its database. I haven't commented on these developments here because the collection is predominantly made up of Irish record sets that are freely available elsewhere.

The company also has two habits that irritate me: a regular failure to provide expiry dates for discounts offers or free access periods, and a tendency to mix Irish and UK records into a single record set.

However, to celebrate St Patrick's Day, MyHeritage has opened up its Ireland collection to free access, and has taken the rare step of announcing an end date. So, since I don't like to be a meanie, here's the link you need: MyHeritage's Irish collection. Free access ends on 18 March.

The BritishNewspaperArchives.co.uk (BNA) and sister company FindMyPast have updated their shared databases with a wonderful swathe of new and updated Irish newspaper additions. The links below are to the BNA. For FindMyPast, go to the Newspaper Collection landing page and scroll down to Specific Title.

10 New Titles

World (Dublin) 1840-1851

Saturday Record (Ennis) 1898-1929, 1931-36

PAT (Dublin) 1881-1882

Magee's Weekly Packet 1777-85, 1787-90, 1792-93

Kilkenny People 1895, 1898, 1905-19

Cork Free Press 1910-15

Blarney 1886

Western News and Galway Leader 1878-92, 1899-1903, 1905-26

Ulster Times 4738 pages , updated 23 days ago new title 1836-1843

Updated titles:

Anglo-Celt 1850-57, 1871-73, 1890-96

Belfast Linen Trade Circular 1852-56, 1858-77, 1880-84

Belfast Telegraph 2015-18

Catholic Standard 1963

Cork Weekly Herald 1874-81, 1883-84, 1887-96

Donegal Vindicator 1950

Drogheda Independent 1950

Drogheda Argus and Leinster Journal 1860

Dublin Evening Telegraph 1883-85

Dublin Hospital Gazette 1845-46, 1854

Evening Irish Times 1918

Evening News (Dublin) 1863-1864

Flag of Ireland 1873, 1877-1880

Free Press (Wexford) 1950

Galway Weekly Advertiser 1830-1839

Irish Field 1870-1880, 1888-1896, 1911

Kerry News 1930

Larne Reporter and Northern Counties Advertiser 1885

Limerick Chronicle 1768-70, 1776-78, 1780, 1790

Morning Mail (Dublin) 1871-79, 1896

Nenagh Guardian 1878-79, 1885-99

North Antrim Standard 1890-1906, 1908-20, 1922

Northern Standard 1872-80, 1882-84, 1887-90, 1892-96, 1914, 1916-19

Northern Whig 1858-1928

Meath Herald and Cavan Advertiser 1860

Munster Express 1871-80, 1882-85, 1887-96, 1899-10, 1912, 1914-19

Munster News 1890-1905, 1907-09

Northern Whig 1858-1928

Penny Despatch and Irish Weekly Newspaper 1868-75

Skibbereen & West Carbery Eagle 1870, 1872-74, 1876-82, 1884-85, 1887-1921

Tipperary Free Press 1871-81

Tuam Herald 1873-1878, 1883-1909, 1911

Ulster Weekly News 1873-81

Warder and Dublin Weekly Mail 1902-09

Waterford Mail 1870, 1872-96

Waterford Mirror and Tramore Visitor 1808-09, 1813, 1827-36, 1841-43

Waterford News 1872-80, 1882, 1884, 1886-96

Weekly Freeman's Journal 1889

Western People 1913-20

Westmeath Guardian and Longford News-Letter 1835-40

Western People 1913-20

Wexford Independent

Wexford and Kilkenny Express 1901

Whiskey Trade Review (Dublin) 1896

Wicklow News-Letter and County Advertiser 1858-1859, 1875-1876, 1879-1884, 1887-1896, 1901, 1922

It's the only home-grown and totally independent publication dedicated to helping your learn more about your ancestors from Ireland.

It's published in both digital and hard copy. You'll find more details about the contents of this edition and how to order a copy in your chosen format by clicking the front cover image, right.

The latest edition of Irish Roots Magazine has been published and is packed with advice about genealogical records and archives, how to progress your research using DNA, and understanding Irish history. It's the only home-grown and totally independent publication dedicated to helping your learn more about your ancestors from Ireland.

It's published in both digital and hard copy. You'll find more details about the contents of this edition and how to order a copy in your chosen format by clicking the front cover image above.

With St Patrick's Day just around the corner, a number of DNA and database suppliers have announced some mighty useful discounts for researchers to enjoy.

To save yourself a few euros/pounds/dollars, check out Toolkit's Special Offers page.

London Society for Promoting Christianity, 1885-1889

Britain, Directory of Women Teachers, 1927

Surgeons’ Case Books, University College London, 1836-1851

Britain, Register Of Anaesthetics 1909-1911

University of London School Register 1831-1890

College of Preceptors, Student Registers and Diploma Examinations, 1881-193

Military historian Damian Shiels has announced that the Andersonville Irish Project has recently undergone a major update with extensive detail now available on more than 1,060 Irish Americans who died at Andersonville aka Camp Sumter, the largest military prison of the American Civil War and the conflict’s deadliest location.

The Project aims to gather and digitise primary historical documents relating to the Irish American men who were interred at the Camp. Already thousands of documents have been explored, including associated pension files and military service records, and reveal considerable detail about the men's service and imprisonment, and the wider Irish American emigrant experience.

You'll find more information about the updated interactive database here.

The Genealogist has announced a major expansion of its fully searchable National Probate Calendar (England and Wales) with the addition of the years 1880 to 1899. This is an essential source for uncovering ancestors’ details, family relationships, and social history across late Victorian Britain, including Ireland.

This latest update comprises 1,097,915 searchable probate records and names 2,596,550 individuals.

Alongside the deceased, the index captures executors and other named parties, which can reveal close relatives, married daughters under a new surname, in-laws, business partners, employers, employees and trusted friends who might otherwise be missed.

Find more details here.

Ancestry's Newspaper.com has received a major update to its Ireland collection. The new Irish titles now searchable in the Database are listed below.

Republic of Ireland

Bray and South Dublin Herald
Bray People
Enniscorthy Guardian
Gorey Guardian
Sunday World
The Argus and Leinster Journal
The Argus, Meath Herald and Leinster Journal
The Bray Herald and Arklow Reporter
The Bray Herald, and Kingstown and Dalkey Advertiser
The Champion, or Sligo News
The Drogheda Argus and Leinster Journal
The Guardian
The Kerryman (Kerry North ed.)
The Kerryman (Killarney and South Kerry ed.)
The New Ross Standard
The People
The Sligo Champion
The Sligo Nationalist
The Wicklow People
Wexford People

Northern Ireland

Belfast Evening Telegraph
Belfast Telegraph

Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives has continued to upload researcher-donated materials to its free-to-access database. During February, the following files were added:

Headstones: