Another slice of 19th-century life in Ireland (plus a good portion of early 20th-century, too) has been revealed today in FindMyPast Ireland's latest batch of online records from the Irish Petty Sessions Courts. These records represent one of the greatest untapped resources for Irish genealogists.
The first tranche of the 15 million record set, which relates only to courts in the 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland, was released back in February (see report). That release consisted of 1.2million records, and was hugely enjoyed by Irish genealogists for the colour it added to their research.
So it is great to have a second batch to play with! This set of entries dates from 1851 to 1910 and consists of more than 2 million cases from counties Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Galway, Kerry and Kilkenny (see the list of counties and courts below). Comprehensive details of each case typically include the names of the complainant, defendant and witnesses, the cause of complaint, the judgement, and details of any fine or sentence.
Another 10 million cases, originally scheduled for release by this summer are to follow throughout 2012.
Brian Donovan of FindMyPast Ireland recently admitted that the Irish Petty Sessions Order Books digitisation programme had been knocked off schedule because there are rather more records than originally expected. (Never mind. We can wait. The more records, the merrier.)
Find out more about the value of this huge record collection, which stretches from 1850 to 1924, on my website's Irish Petty Sessions Courts page.
Courts and years covered by today's release:
County of Court | Court | Year |
CARLOW | CARLOW | 1910 |
CARLOW | HACKETSTOWN | 1902-03 |
CARLOW | MYSHALL | 1860-69, 1884-1910 |
CAVAN | BALLINAGH | 1852-1910 |
CAVAN | BAWNBOY | 1851-68, 1883-1910 |
CAVAN | BELTURBET | 1851-87 |
CAVAN | CAVAN | 1851-1910 |
CAVAN | KILLESHANDRA | 1862-1910 |
CAVAN | KINGSCOURT | 1882-1901 |
CAVAN | SWANLINBAR | 1877-99 |
CLARE | BALLYVAUGHAN | 1910 |
CLARE | COROFIN | 1910 |
CLARE | CRUSHEEN | 1873-1910 |
CLARE | ENNIS | 1866-1910 |
CLARE | KILDYSART | 1885-86, 1898-99 |
CLARE | KNOCK | 1860-73 |
CLARE | NEWMARKET-ON-FERGUS | 1851-1910 |
CLARE | QUIN | 1851-52, 1868-1910 |
CLARE | SIXMILEBRIDGE | 1880-1910 |
CORK | AGHERN | 1904-10 |
CORK | AHADALLANE | 1864-65, 1877-78, 1884-1907 |
CORK | CASTLETOWNROCHE | 1897-1902 |
CORK | COBH | 1851-58 |
CORK | FERMOY | 1891-99, 1910 |
CORK | KANTURK | 1851-1910 |
CORK | QUEENSTOWN (COBH) | 1853-1910 |
DONEGAL | ARDARA | 1865-1910 |
DONEGAL | DUNFANAGHY | 1877-1901 |
DONEGAL | GLENTIES | 1852-1910 |
DONEGAL | LETTERKENNY | 1859, 1871-72, 1878-79 |
DONEGAL | STRANORLAR | 1859-1910 |
DUBLIN | BALBRIGGAN | 1878-87, 1894-96, 1906-10 |
DUBLIN | LUCAN | 1861-76 |
GALWAY | ARDRAHAN | 1851-1910 |
GALWAY | ATHENRY | 1851-66, 1871-91, 1895-1910 |
GALWAY | BALLINASLOE | 1851-53, 1863-66, 1896-1910 |
GALWAY | BALLYMOE | 1891-1910 |
GALWAY | CASTLETOWN | 1860-63, 1866-1910 |
GALWAY | GORT | 1851-1910 |
GALWAY | GURTEEN | 1851-79, 1889-1910 |
GALWAY | SPIDDAL | 1868-71 |
GALWAY | WILLIAMSTOWN | 1851-1910 |
KERRY | CAHERCIVEEN | 1879-1910 |
KERRY | CAHERDANIEL | 1851-58, 1868-76 |
KERRY | COOLMAGORT | 1861-66, 1872-78 |
KERRY | KILLARNEY | 1857-60, 1866-67, 1880-87, 1899-1910 |
KERRY | VALENTIA | 1906-10 |
KILKENNY | BALLYRAGGET | 1858-62, 1885, 1892-99 |
KILKENNY | GORESBRIDGE | 1854-1909 |
KILKENNY | GOWRAN | 1865-67, 1893-1910 |
KILKENNY | GRACES OLDCASTLE | 1856-71, 1881-88, 1894-1910 |
KILKENNY | KILKENNY | 1854-1910 |
KILKENNY | KILMOGANNY | 1891-1910 |