Ginealas
Genealogy

Kildare is a county in the Irish midlands located in the province of Leinster, bordered by the counties of Carlow, Laois, Meath, Offaly, Dublin and Wicklow. The name Kildare is derived from the Irish Cill Dara, meaning 'church of the oak,' which commemorates St. Brigid and the coming of Christianity to the central plain of Leinster. The region is associated with the ancient kingdom of the Uí Dúnlainge based around the Liffey Plain, and latterly with the Gaelic clans or septs of O'Byrne and O'Toole. Uí Failighe, which was ruled by the O'Connor Faly, stretched from Offaly and Laois into County Kildare and is remembered in two of the Norman Baronies of East Ophaley and West Ophaley.

The county's proximity to Dublin made it a land of settlement and conquest, famously divided by the Pale in medieval times. The Pale was an area including Dublin and parts of the surrounding counties which was ruled by the British crown. Outside the Pale, Gaelic chieftains still held sway. Because of the constant movement of people and the settlement and re-settlement of the county, it was largely anglicised by the seventeenth century. It is a county rich in history and heritage, providing a wide variety of surnames of different ethnic origins. While it retained classic Irish surnames, it also absorbed non-Irish families such as Birmingham, Wall (La Valle) and La Touche.

Originally carved up by Norman lords into thirteen baronies, the county was eventually controlled by the Fitzgeralds, who became Barons of Offaly, Earls of Kildare and Dukes of Leinster, and the rulers of Ireland up to the sixteenth century. Other Anglo-Norman families that settled in the county were Kerdiff, de Burgh, Eustace and Wellesley. The earlier Gaelic clans were forced to migrate eastwards into the barren and impregnable Wicklow mountains, though their impact in terms of local surnames is apparent to the present day. Kildare was established as a county in 1297 and assumed its present borders in 1832.

The seventeenth and eighteenth centuries saw the erection of many of Co. Kildare’s great houses, most notably at Castletown and Carton. The building of the Grand Canal began in 1756, and the Royal Canal in 1789, improving the means for the transportation of goods from Dublin and throughout the county. Despite its relative prosperity, Co. Kildare did not escape the Great Famine of 1845-1849, though it was spared its worst effects largely due to its relatively low population density.

Military barracks were built on the main Dublin to Cork and Limerick roads: at Naas (1813), Newbridge (1819), the Curragh (1855) and Kildare Town (1901). The preponderance of English, Scottish and Welsh names in Co. Kildare attests to the presence of the British army. Co. Kildare is the centre of the Irish equine industry, and is one of the richest counties outside Dublin. Large estates, stud farms and horse racing establishments are obvious features of the county.

The most common surnames in Kildare in 1851 were:

1. Dunne, 22;
2. Kelly, 16;
3. Cleary, 14;
4. Behan, 13;
5. Lee, 11;
6. Fitzgerald, 10;
7. Dempsey, 8;
8. Doyle, 8;
9. Colligan, 7;
10. Cosgrave, 7.

There were some notable differences by the turn of the century.

Church records of all denominations are an excellent source for genealogical research and the best starting point as they include baptisms, marriages and sometimes deaths for all classes of the population. They also pre-date civil registration which began in Ireland in 1864. Co. Kildare Catholic baptismal and marriage records are good in comparison to many Irish counties. There are 23 Catholic parishes in Kildare; the earliest register (Celbridge) starts in 1767, and 7 of the other parishes also date from the late 1700s. A number of the Church of Ireland records that have survived also date from the late 1600s and 1700s, although most start in the nineteenth century. Many of the church records are indexed and accessible on the subscription based service at www.kildare.rootsireland.ie

Tithe Applotment Books 1824-1835 provide a record of the tithable land in each civil parish and were compiled in accordance with the Irish Tithe Composition Acts passed between 1823 and 1838. A tithe was a tax paid to Established Church (Church of Ireland), calculated as one-tenth of the rateable value of one’s agricultural produce. Information was recorded under the following headings: occupier, classification of land, amount of tithe payable, a summary of the townland and parish totals and a list of landowners’ names. Although an excellent genealogical source, it was only concerned with tithe payers, thus excluding other classes such as cottiers, landless people and those living in urban settlements. It cannot be considered a comprehensive record. They can be searched at titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie

Griffith's Valuation (a major listing of land occupiers) was conducted in 1850s and is available at askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation and on some subscription websites. If you are beginning your search and do not know where your family was from, it can be a useful starting point. A search in the Griffith's Valuation, for instance will show whether a surname is associated with a particular local area (e.g. a civil parish or townland). If it is, then you can search the church or other records from that area to find evidence of your ancestors.

Civil records of births, deaths and marriages date from 1864 (1845 for Anglican/Church of Ireland marriages). These can searched freely and the images of the original registers viewed at irishgenealogy.ie Updates are usually made once a year. This site currently gives access to:

• Births: 1864 to 1920
• Marriages: 1845 to 1945
• Deaths: 1871 to 1970

1901 and 1911 Census are available to search and view freely online at nationalarchives.ie. Please note that there are some errors and omissions. The census returns can also be searched via subscription websites. The 1901 or 1911 census may indicate the local prevalence of a surname, although it was compiled long after the major waves of Irish emigration. When you have identified a likely area, or a definite ancestor, one or more of the following types of records can be explored:

Census Substitutes: Although there are no State census records until 1901 surviving for Co. Kildare, there are other local records which can provide evidence of an ancestor. These include lists of voters, freeholders, petitioners, taxpayers, persons charged with crimes and others compiled for a wide variety of reasons. Some will provide a specific address and other useful details as to their circumstances or occupation.

Newspapers can be a great source of information. While the births or marriages prominent citizens will be noted, other people may be mentioned because of appearances in court or local incidents. Local newspapers also printed lists of persons attending meetings, or signing petitions, and there are also advertisements for local businesses, auctions etc. The main newspapers relevant to Co. Kildare research are the Leinster Express (1831), Leinster Leader (1881), Kildare Observer (1880) and Nationalist (1883). The Leinster Express, The Nationalist and Leinster Leader are available on the subscription site irishnewsarchive.ie. The Kildare Observer can be searched freely at archive.irishnewsarchive.com

Gravestone inscriptions which have been recorded are available in a range of local and national journals and books, most of which are available in the Kildare Archives and Local Studies department, and also via the subscription service at kildare.rootsireland.ie. Please visit the Archives page for information on holdings of burial grounds in Co. Kildare.

Commercial Directories: During the 18th century local directories were published by private companies. These contain listings of tradesmen, professionals, public officials, and sometimes the local gentry. For example Slater’s National Commercial Directory of Ireland, 1846, covers the towns of Athy, Celbridge, Leixlip, Lucan, Kilcullen, Kildare, Maynooth and Kilcock, Monasterevin, Naas, and Rathangan. It is searchable by surname, occupation and location.

Estate Papers: Co. Kildare has a good collection of Estate papers and rentals, many of which are in public archives, particularly the National Library of Ireland (NLI)& and in the Kildare County Archives. The NLI collection can be searched through their Sources database (sources.nli.ie) which is also a goldmine of other local material, e.g. the Registers of leases of the Dukes of Leinster in the Manors of Kildare, Rathangan, Knocknegalla and Tipper, Co. Kildare, late 18th century-mid. 19th century. Please visit the Kildare County Archives page for information on its holdings of estate papers for Co. Kildare.

Local and Family Histories: The evidence of your ancestors in the records is determined by local events, and by local practices and customs. Awareness of local history and culture is therefore useful in revealing useful sources of information. There are a range of local histories of Kildare towns, parishes and associations which provide such background information. Co. Kildare has been particularly fortunate in having some excellent local historians and publications, including the County Kildare Archaeological Society (1891). These can be accessed at Kildare County Archives and Local Studies and online.

Free Websites

Civil records of births, deaths and marriages irishgenealogy.ie

Catholic Parish Registers registers.nli.ie

Church of Ireland (Representative Church Body Library) ireland.anglican.org

Griffith’s Valuation askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation

National Archives of Ireland provides access at genealogy.nationalarchives.ie to:

• Census of Ireland, 1901 and 1911, and pre-1901 survivals
• Census Search Forms, 1841 – 51
• Tithe Applotment Books, 1823 – 37
• Soldiers’ Wills, 1914 – 1918
• Calendars of Wills and Administrations, 1858 – 1922
• Prerogative and diocesan copies of some wills and indexes to others, 1596 – 1858
• Diocesan and Prerogative Marriage Licence Bonds Indexes, 1623 – 1866
• Catholic qualification & convert rolls, 1700 – 1845
• Valuation Office house, field, tenure and quarto books 1824 – 1856
• Shipping agreements and crew lists, 1863 – 1921
• Will Registers, 1858 – 1900

Family Search holds a large variety of records from many countries at familysearch.org

Kildare Observer newspaper online at archive.irishnewsarchive.com

War Graves - Commonwealth War Graves Commission cwgc.org

National Library of Ireland sources.nli.ie

Historic Maps from the Ordnance Survey Ireland geohive.maps.arcgis.com

Registry of Deeds Indexing Project with links to memorial volumes pages irishdeedsindex.net

Tailte Éireann Valuation Office tailte.ie/services/valuation

Co. Kildare Federation of Local History Groups kildarelocalhistory.ie

Co. Kildare Archaeological Society kildarearchsoc.ie/

National Archives UK www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

Public Record Office of Northern Ireland www.proni.gov.uk/

Logainm (Placenames Commission), Irish and English version, www.logainm.ie

Subscription Services

Rootsireland.ie All Ireland county genealogy centres' database of church, civil, land, census and gravestone inscriptions http://www.rootsireland.ie/

Irish Newspaper Archive http://www.irishnewsarchive.com/

Worldwide genealogical records Ancestry.co.uk and FindMyPast

Scotland's People scotlandspeople.gov.uk

Irish Times Archives irishtimes.com/archive

It is likely that you will discover a relative with a military or police connection when researching your ancestors in Co. Kildare given its martial history. Throughout the ages Irishmen have served in the armies of Great Britain and the Commonwealth; and in the armies of other European nations like France, Spain, and Italy (the Papal Army), and the United States of America. There were numerous British Army barracks in Co. Kildare, one of which, the Curragh Camp, is used by the Irish Army today. The availability of the records for the different military forces varies.

Biographical details of Kildare men who died, and women who died or participated in World War I can be found here.

Downloads (PDF documents)

• Researching your Military ancestors
• Researching your police ancestors
• Kildare Black and Tans