The first 25 of 176 Irish directories, covering the years 1636-1900, are now online at Irish Origins
Irish Origins says: “Ireland’s turbulent history not only affected those living in Ireland, but also affects those of us researching Irish ancestors today.
“From the 12th century, the English crown had a claim on Ireland, and from 1801 (Act of Union) until 1922, the whole of Ireland was officially ‘British’. Additionally, although the vast majority of the population was Roman Catholic, the penal laws discriminated against these and others who were not members of the established church: the Church of Ireland.
About the Dublin Directories collection
“This has dramatically affected the records generated within Ireland – many records generated at a more local level on the ‘British mainland’ where never generated in Ireland. This coupled with the loss of many records in the destruction of the Irish Public Records Office (Four Courts) in 1922 (during the ‘troubles’) has created important subsets of printed Irish material that have achieved a higher level of importance than their English counterparts. Irish Directories fall into this category.
“Irish directories are an excellent source, often supplying information not readily available elsewhere. These directories are often the only source that actually states someone’s exact occupation. A will may describe them as a ‘merchant’ whereas the directory will identify them as an ‘ironmonger’, ‘grocer’ or ‘wine merchant’ etc. Precise address and parish of residence are also commonly given. The only people generally excluded from these directories are the poorest members of society: small tenant farmers, landless labourers and servants.”