The free-to-use Irish Genealogy website has been updated to include even more Irish birth, marriage, and death records.
The historic Irish records being launched are the Birth register entries for 1924, Marriage Register entries for 1949, and Death Register entries for 1974.
These entries show important information that are often vital in helping people to find out about their ancestry, the Department said on Wednesday.
Every year an additional year of Birth, Marriage, and Death entries are added to the Irish Genealogy website which is free to use - no subscription or registration is required.
Following the latest update, the years now covered on the Irish Genealogy website are births from 1864 to 1924, marriages from 1845 to 1949, and deaths from 1871 to 1974.
However, the Department notes that Civil Registration of Marriages in the Roman Catholic Church only commenced in 1864, and the Civil Registration Service is currently working on updating the remaining records of Deaths dating back to 1864.
Minister for Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan, welcomed this latest release: “This release of an additional year of register data by the Civil Registration Service is part of the ongoing partnership between my department and the Department of Social Protection.
“The aim of this continuing project is to make all these historic records freely and easily accessible to all members of the public and broader diaspora via the IrishGenealogy.ie website.
“I’m sure both new and returning visitors to the site, will welcome the addition of these records for continued research.
“I know that this annual update is eagerly anticipated and will be of great benefit to anyone carrying out research on their Irish ancestry.”
Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary added: “I am delighted to make these additional records available to the Department of Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport so that members of the public and the Irish diaspora can access records to support family history research.
“These records of civil registration in the State are a very rich source of information.
“At this time of year we are particularly reminded of our predecessors who have emigrated and established lives across the globe. These valuable records enable that connection to remain strong.”
The Department highlighted some notable additions that are part of this year's refresh:
Birth 1924: Patrick Christopher "Christy" O'Connor (21 December 1924 – 14 May 2016)
Patrick Christopher "Christy" O'Connor (21 December 1924 – 14 May 2016) was an esteemed Irish professional golfer, widely regarded as one of the leading figures in British and Irish golf from the mid-1950s. Over his illustrious career, he won more than 20 tournaments on the British PGA and was a consistent top performer in the Open Championship. O'Connor also achieved significant success in senior golf, winning the World Senior Championship twice, and played in 10 consecutive Ryder Cup matches, contributing to Ireland's victory in the 1958 Canada Cup alongside Harry Bradshaw.
Born in Knocknacarra, Galway, O'Connor developed an early passion for golf, initially caddying at local clubs. He turned professional in 1951 with support from Tuam Golf Club and quickly made a mark with a strong showing in the Open Championship. His first professional victory came in 1955 at the Swallow-Penfold Tournament. Throughout the 1960s, he maintained remarkable consistency, winning at least one professional event each year on the British Tour.
O'Connor’s career was defined by his participation in the Open Championship, where he played 26 times, with his best finish being a tie for second in 1965. He also achieved great success in team events, competing in 15 Canada Cup/World Cup matches and setting a record for the most Ryder Cup appearances (10) by an Irish golfer.
In his later years, O'Connor excelled in senior golf, securing six PGA Seniors Championships and two World Senior Championship titles. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2009. A beloved figure in the golf community, O'Connor was known for his professionalism, consistency, and dedication to the sport.
O'Connor married Mary Collins in 1954, with whom he had six children. He passed away at the age of 91 on 14 May 2016.
Birth 1924: Thomas Joseph Clancy (29 October 1924 – 7 November 1990)
Tom Clancy was one of eleven children born to Johanna McGrath and Bob Clancy in Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary.
Tom Clancy was a key member of the Irish folk group The Clancy Brothers, known for his powerful voice. He was also an actor, performing with Orson Welles in King Lear and in various TV shows and films. he joined the Royal Air Force during World War II and later worked as a radio operator. After the war, he pursued acting and moved to the United States, where he joined his brothers in New York.
In 1956, Tom and his brothers, along with Liam Clancy and Tommy Makem, formed The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. Tom was a lead vocalist in many of the group's famous songs like "The Rising of the Moon" and "Carrickfergus." After the group disbanded in 1976, they reunited in 1977, and Tom continued to perform with them until his death.
Tom also maintained an acting career, appearing in films like "The Killer Elite" and TV shows such as "Little House on the Prairie." His Broadway comeback in 1974 in "A Moon for the Misbegotten" was well-received.
Tom Clancy passed away in 1990, survived by his wife Joan.
Deaths 1974: Austin Clarke (9 May 1896 – 19 March 1974)
Austin Clarke was a prominent Irish poet, playwright, novelist, and memoirist, known for his innovative use of classical Irish poetic techniques in English. He was influenced by W. B. Yeats but distinguished himself by focusing on themes of Irish history, legend, and Catholic guilt. His first book, "The Vengeance of Fionn" (1917), garnered critical acclaim, marking the start of his literary career.
Clarke co-founded the Lyric Theatre in Dublin and wrote several plays between 1938 and 1955, while also working as a journalist and hosting a poetry program on RTÉ radio. After a period of personal crisis, he returned to poetry with the 1955 collection Ancient Lights, shifting toward more modern themes, such as satire of the Irish church and state, as well as explorations of human sexuality and personal experiences. His later works were influenced by avant-garde poets like Ezra Pound and Pablo Neruda, reflecting looser formal structures.
In addition to his poetry, Clarke published three banned novels and two memoirs. His personal life included a marriage to Cornelia Cummins and later, a marriage to Norah Esmerelda Patricia Walker, with whom he had three sons.
Clarke's reputation rests on his poetry, which earned him lasting recognition in Irish literature. After his death, the Templeogue Bridge in Dublin was renamed Austin Clarke Bridge in his honour. Austin Clarke passed away on March 19, 1974, aged 77.
Deaths 1974: Erskine Hamilton Childers (11 December 1905 – 17 November 1974)
Erskine Hamilton Childers (1905–1974) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as the fourth President of Ireland from 1973 until his death in 1974, the only Irish president to die in office. He also held various key governmental positions, including Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister), Minister for Health, Transport, Power, and Posts and Telegraphs, and served as a TD from 1938 to 1973.
Born in London to an Irish republican father, Robert Erskine Childers, and an American mother, he grew up in Ireland after World War I. He was educated at Gresham's School and Trinity College, Cambridge, and worked for Éamon de Valera’s newspaper before entering politics in 1938. Childers’ career was marked by both successes and controversies, including his opposition to Charles Haughey during the Arms Crisis.
In the 1973 presidential election, Childers, nominated by Fianna Fáil, defeated Fine Gael's Tom O'Higgins to become president. During his presidency, he played a significant behind-the-scenes role in Northern Ireland's peace efforts. He died suddenly of heart failure in November 1974 while attending a conference, and his state funeral was attended by prominent world leaders.
Childers was married twice and had five children. His second wife, Rita Dudley, outlived him, passing away in 2010. His presidency remains notable for his personal popularity and the challenges he faced in a largely ceremonial role.
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