Ancestry has added a collection of Thom’s Irish Almanac and Official Directory published from 1850 to 1946. These publications provide more than six million records, with names, places of residence, and sometimes occupation, provided for most.
The collection includes some gaps; the missing volumes are 1860-62, 1873, 1895, 1900, 1905, 1920, 1923, and 1927.
From its first publication in 1844, Thom's directories grew to include a Dublin street directory, and listed the names, addresses, and occupations for residents of other towns and districts in the country, They included a wide range of detail about state institutions and businesses, including Members of Parliament, the Civil Service and legal profession, the church, navy and army, educational establishments, and the peerage, as well as county fairs and markets, county and borough listings and postal directories.
With Ancestry giving free access to its Irish records this week (see blogpost), you'll be able to dip into these directories without charge until Sunday.