Course: 2025-05
Irish Research III: Ireland Law & Government
Faculty:
- Coordinator and Instructor: David E. Rencher, AG, CG, FUGA, FIGRS, FNGS
- Other Instructors: Rick Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA
Tuition:
- Regular Price: $585.00
- NGS Member Price: $550.00
Description:
This course is designed for more advanced Irish genealogical researchers who have a good understanding of localities and the multiple record-keeping jurisdictions in Ireland. The course will cover law and governmental records in the major archives and explore a deeper understanding of records created by local governments, ecclesiastical entities of the State Church, and Parliament.
Student Prerequisites:
This course requires completion of either Irish Research Part I or Part II offered by GRIP, or attendance in a similar course at IGHR.
Recommended Readings:
The following resources are not required, but may be helpful to you during the course:
- Board for Certification of Genealogists. Genealogy Standards. 2nd ed. Revised. Washington, DC: Board for Certification of Genealogists, 2021.
- Grenham, John. Tracing Your Irish Ancestors: 5th Edition. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 2019.
- Helferty, Seamus, and Raymond Refaussé. A Directory of Irish Archives: 5th Edition. Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2011 (Kindle).
- Hutchison, Brian W. Researching Irish Court Records including State Papers & Parliamentary Record Collection. Toronto: Heritage Publications, 2004.
- Mitchell, Brian. A New Genealogical Atlas of Ireland: 2nd Edition. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 2006.
- Moore, Susan T. Tracing Your Ancestors Through the Equity Courts – A Guide for Family & Local Historians. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword, 2017.
- Paton, Chris. Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet: A Guide for Family Historians. 2nd Edition. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Family History, 2019 (Kindle).
- Roulston, William J. Researching Scots-Irish Ancestors: The Essential Genealogical Guide to Early Modern Ulster, 1600-1800: 2nd Edition. Belfast: Ulster Historical Foundation, 2018.
All times are listed in Eastern Time.
Live sessions may be subject to schedule adjustments by your course coordinator.
| Day | Session | Time | Session Title | Description | Instructor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday 23 June |
Intro | 10:00 – 10:30 AM | Class intros | Meet and greet your fellow classmates | Rencher |
| 1 | 10:30 – 11:45 AM | Introduction to the Irish/English Courts & Legal Records: An Overview for Genealogists | This presentation lays the foundation for understanding the records of the Irish legal systems from Brehon Law to the present day. Ireland’s legal system is a blend of the Manorial court and the English common law systems. | Rencher | |
| 2 | Noon – 1:15 PM | The Four Courts of Equity in Ireland | This session provides an understanding of the role of each of the Four Equity Courts of Chancery, Exchequer, Common Pleas, and King’s (Queen’s) Bench along with the officers of these courts and the records each created. A summary of the records available in the Family History Library is included for reference. | Rencher | |
| 3 | 2:15 – 3:30 PM | Beyond the Four Courts: Auxiliary Courts and their Records | This session focuses on the records of other legal jurisdictions in Ireland than the Four Courts of Equity. Courts included are Admiralty, Assize, Bankruptcy, Insolvency, Incumbered & Landed Estates, Baron, Leet, Piepowder, Manor, Petty Sessions, Quarter Sessions, Star Chamber, Tholsel, and Ward & Liveries. | Rencher | |
| 4 | 3:45 PM – 5 PM | Ecclesiastical Law and the Family Historian | This session establishes the basis for ecclesiastical law and its application to the family historian. The organization of the ecclesiastical court system and a strategy for searching these priceless records is included. | Rencher | |
| Tuesday 24 June |
5 | 10:30 – 11:45 AM | Introduction to Irish Law Libraries and their Records ( | In this session we discuss how to locate libraries with Irish law collections. We explore the kind of records and their genealogical value. You will also acquire knowledge of the internet resources available. The creation and use of a research plan will be discussed. | Sayre |
| 6 | Noon – 1:15 PM | Incumbered Court Estates | The Poor Law Act of 1836 set the stage for the downfall of many of the landed estates. During the Great Famine, the demands of the poor law unions could not be met by many landlords and their estates fell into insolvency. The Incumbered Estates Court was established to handle the sales and forfeitures of the great landed estates. | Rencher | |
| 7 | 2:15 – 3:30 PM | Government Departments and Record Classes | Much like government departments in the United States and Canada, the government departments in England and Ireland are required to transfer their records to the National Archives of Ireland and The National Archives, London. Understanding how these records are divided into record classes leads to successful searches for information on individuals and families. | Rencher | |
| 8 | 3:45 PM – 5 PM | State Papers of Ireland | The State Papers are a key resource for studying the social and religious history in Ireland for the years 1509-1782. The records cover the cross-section of religious denominations and early settlers to Ireland. These are considered a key resource for tracing genealogies in Ireland back into the 16th century. | Rencher | |
| Wednesday 25 June |
9 | 10:30 – 11:45 AM | Local Government—Incorporated Boroughs | Local government went through an extensive period of reform, particularly during the 19th century, primarily led by Daniel O’Connell. Representation by Catholics as town commissioners, entry into municipal corporations and the poor law unions changed the political face of Ireland. This session explores the framework and records of local government. | Rencher |
| 10 | Noon – 1:15 PM | Introduction to the Penal Laws in Ireland | A century of penal laws in Ireland had a lasting ripple effect into later centuries and even today. Understanding how the laws impacted all three major religious groups is key to understanding the behaviors they drove. This session helps identify the major laws impacting the Irish population. | Rencher | |
| 11 | 2:15 – 3:30 PM | The Poor Law Unions and Board of Guardians | Poor Law Unions were established in 1839 Under the Irish Poor Law Act. This led to the establishment of workhouses. The records (Board of Guardians Minute Books, workhouse registers, etc.) of the unions identify paupers, staff, teachers, and contractors. These may be the only records we find on the poor and the landless. FMP has a large online collection of Minute Books. | Sayre | |
| 12 | 3:45 PM – 5 PM | Petty Sessions and Quarter Sessions | Petty sessions were the lowest level courts in Ireland in the nineteenth century. They tried cases such as drunkenness, assault, tax issues and other small crimes. Quarter Sessions (they met four times a year) heard more serious criminal cases. Petty Session Courts were set up the 1820s but the records largely date from 1851 to 1924 and are held by NAI. However, FMP has scanned these records. Currently they hold over 23 million records. These records are useful for social history and discovering where people lived. You can expect the names of the defendant, complainant, and witnesses. Northern Ireland records are not digitized and are held in PRONI. Quarter Session records are held at NAI within the records of the Offices of the Clerks of Crown and Peace. | Sayre | |
| Thursday 26 June |
13 | 10:30 – 11:45 AM | Introduction to Parliament and the Acts of Parliament | This session outlines the historical relationship between the English and Irish Parliaments and the events that led to the Act of Union of 1801 and the ultimate establishment of the Irish Free State in 1921. | Rencher |
| 14 | Noon – 1:15 PM | British Parliamentary Papers Relating to Ireland I | The British Parliamentary Papers are analogous to the records of Congress in the United States. In this case, the fact that Ireland was always a challenge to manage is a boon to Irish genealogists due to the wealth of records created because of centuries of addressing these challenging issues, most notably the famine and emigration. | Rencher | |
| 15 | 2:15 – 3:30 PM | British Parliamentary Papers Relating to Ireland II | With over one-thousand printed volumes, there is a wealth of information to explore in addition to the many petitions made to Parliament. This session will identify complete printed collections and the content of interest to genealogists | Rencher | |
| 16 | 3:45 PM – 5 PM | The National Archives of England and Ireland | There are three major national archives with materials relevant to research in Ireland, e.g., The National Archives, London; the National Archives of Ireland, Dublin; and the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Belfast. Understanding their records and catalogues will be the focus of this session. | Rencher | |
| Friday 27 June |
17 | 10:30 – 11:45 AM | British Military Records with Irish Focus | The Irish played a major role in the British military. Many families had at least one or more sons who served in the military and the associated identifying information may give valuable clues to validating or extending your Irish pedigree. Participants will learn how to identify the necessary regiment to explore the wealth of data in these records. | Rencher |
| 18 | Noon – 1:15 PM | Petitions to Parliament and Petitions to Ecclesiastical Leaders | In the nineteenth century people petitioned parliament for a variety of reasons such as divisions of inheritance and other personal matters. People also petitioned their ecclesiastical leaders. Often it was about clergy and their actions. We may find kinship information in these records. | Sayre |