Created by IGRS Vice-President Roz McCutcheon FIGRS, the Early Irish Death Index includes records which pre-date the introduction of the Civil Registration System in 1864.
It points researchers to the actual resource, which may hold additional details. However, where possible, the Index may provide details of the deceased's age, county of death or residence, occupation, name of a close relative, and the maiden name of married women and widows.
This first upload to the Index draws mainly on death notifications in newspapers and details from headstones, wills, Registry of Deeds memorials, Clergy Succession Lists and Chancery & Exchequer Bills.
The Early Irish Death Index joins the Early Irish Birth Index, launched earlier this year, as an IGRS Members-only resource (although non-members can search the Index to see if may hold an entry for a named-individual). Each of these Indexes holds more than 5,000 entries at this stage, and more will be added on a regular basis.
The Early Irish Marriage Index was the first of Roz's trio and is a 'public' resource ie everyone can search it and view the results. Launched three years ago, it now holds more than 70,000 entries.