Using the Registry of Deeds wills collection for family history

Dive into the fascinating world of wills and uncover family stories using the Registry of Deeds collection. The Registry of Deeds was established in 1707 by “An Act for the Public Registering of all Deeds Conveyances and Wills”. The Wills are a valuable source for historians and genealogists. For the genealogist these Wills registered have a special importance because they replace some of those destroyed in the Public Record Office, Dublin, in 1922, when virtually all the original Irish Prerogative and Consistorial Wills perished. This seminar will focus on Wills registered between 1708-1832, and the work of Tailte Éireann and the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland to bring these Wills back into public view by linking the Registry of Deeds Wills Indexes published by the Irish Manuscripts Commission (1954-1984) with digital images from the Registry of Deeds Transcript Books. The seminar will give useful background and practical tips on using these important records. The speakers will include Dr. Patrick Walsh, Trinity College Dublin and Nicola Morris, Accredited Genealogist of Ireland, Orla McCartney, Tailte Éireann Senior Archivist. This event is organised as part of Dublin’s Festival of History 2026.