Leinster genealogy relates to the study of family history research in the province of Leinster in Ireland. The historical territory is located across the eastern part of Ireland, including the coast.
The city of Dublin, the capital of Ireland, belongs to Leinster province. Major technology and retail companies have developed a presence in Dublin and they have become significant employers.
Leinster is the most populated province in Ireland today with approximately 2.8 million people.[1] The territory covers a land area of about 19,800 square kilometers (7,600 square miles).
Research your ancestors on MyHeritage
History of LeinsterHistory of Leinster
The ancient Irish Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster, and Osraige all had territory in what is Leinster today. After the 12th century Norman invasion, Leinster and Meath merged, and the ancient kingdoms were broken into a number of smaller pieces of land for administrative purposes.[2]
Leinster became virtually independent under the earls of Kildare in the 15th and 16h centuries.[3]
The O'Byrne and Kavanaugh families are well-known clans that rose to prominence in Leinster.[4][5]
Originally known as the Kildare House, named after James Fitzgerald the Earl of Kildare, the Leinster House is a significant tourist attraction in the province of Leinster.[6] After the founding of the Irish Free State in 1922, it became the seat of Ireland's parliament.[6]
Geography of LeinsterGeography of Leinster
Leinster's borders are also defined by the River Shannon to the west and the Irish Sea to the east.[7] The River Liffey flows in the northern part of the province, including through the center of Dublin.
Leinster is a mostly flat and fertile territory, though it is home to the Wicklow Mountains south of Dublin[7] and the Slieve Bloom Mountains in the west.[3]
Companies in the fishing and green energy industries are numerous in modern-day Leinster.[8]
Administrative divisions of LeinsterAdministrative divisions of Leinster
The province of Leinster is divided into 12 counties, more than any other province:
- Carlow
- Dublin
- Kildare
- Kilkenny
- Laois
- Longford
- Louth
- Meath
- Offaly
- Wexford
- Wicklow
Identifying the county of origin is important as records are often kept at the county level. If you have ancestry in Leinster, you should study maps to locate neighboring counties to your ancestral homeland, especially for those who lived in border areas.
The counties of Leinster are divided into more than 13,000 townlands and 900 civil parishes, which are fully listed by county at Irish Townlands.
Popular surnames in LeinsterPopular surnames in Leinster
Notable people from LeinsterNotable people from Leinster
The following well-known people are from Leinster:
- Edmund Burke, Anglo-Irish statesman, political theorist
- William Dargan, railway engineer
- Colin Farrell, film actor, television actor
- James Hoban, architect of the White House
- James Joyce, novelist, poet
- Peter Rice, engineer, architect
- George Bernard Shaw, playwright, journalist
- Bram Stoker, novelist, short story writer
- Jonathan Swift, essayist, poet, writer
- Oscar Wilde, poet, writer
Famous people who have ancestry in Leinster include Walt Disney (County Kilkenny) and U.S. President John F. Kennedy (County Wexford).
Types of records in LeinsterTypes of records in Leinster
The primary records of genealogical value in Leinster are church records and civil registration records.
Digitized images of Catholic church records in Leinster are browsable by county level through the National Library of Ireland. For Church of Ireland records, check this website.
Civil records for all of Ireland, including Leinster, are indexed at IrishGenealogy.ie. These records begin in 1864. It is easier to search if you know the the civil registration district or office, but you can also search by name and date filters.
Here are MyHeritage collections for the province of Leinster:
- 1851 Dublin City Census on MyHeritage
- Diocese of Dublin Marriages, 1634-1858 on MyHeritage
- Note: The Diocese of Dublin goes far beyond the modern county of Dublin. It includes most of County Wicklow, large parts of County Kildare, and smaller portions of Counties Carlow, Laois (Queen's County), and Wexford.
- Diocese of Dublin Wills, 1634-1858 on MyHeritage
- Bassett's Kilkenny Guide & Directory, Ireland 1884 on MyHeritage
- Bassett's Wexford County Guide & Directory, Ireland 1885 on MyHeritage
- Bassett's Louth Guide & Directory, Ireland 1886 on MyHeritage
- 1901 Dublin City Census, Rotunda Ward on MyHeritage
This is a list of broader Irish collections that include people from Leinster:
- 1766 Ireland Religious Census on MyHeritage
- Ireland Births, 1864-1958 on MyHeritage
- Ireland Marriages, 1619-1898 on MyHeritage
- Ireland Deaths, 1864-1958 on MyHeritage
- Ireland Tithe Defaulters, 1831 on MyHeritage
- Ireland, Griffith's Valuation, 1847-1864 on MyHeritage
- Slater's Directory of Ireland, 1881 on MyHeritage
- 1901 Ireland Census on MyHeritage
- 1911 Ireland Census on MyHeritage
Search family trees on MyHeritageSearch family trees on MyHeritage
Research your ancestors on MyHeritage
See alsoSee also
Explore more about Leinster genealogyExplore more about Leinster genealogy
- The Leinster Modal (Ancient Kings of Leinster Ireland DNA) on Adams Family DNA
- Tracing Your Immigrant Ancestor to Ireland by Maurice Gleeson on Legacy Family Tree Webinars
- My ancestors were Irish - or were they? by Natalie Bodle on Legacy Family Tree Webinars
- The Three Cs of Irish Research: Civil Registration, Church Records, and Census by Judith Eccles Wight, AG on Legacy Family Tree Webinars
References
- ↑ Central Statistics Office, Ireland. Leinster population, per census, 2022: 2,858,501. https://data.cso.ie/
- ↑ Carlow; Dublin; Kildare; Kilkenny; Laois; Longford; Louth; Meath; Offaly. "Leinster Facts for Kids". kids.kiddle.co. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Leinster | Ireland, Map, & History | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2024-08-09. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
- ↑ "Clan O'Byrne of Leinster | Finte O'Broin". Retrieved 2024-09-28.
- ↑ "Kavanaugh surname history". www.johngrenham.com. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Leinster House | Historic Sites & Buildings | Attractions Ireland". www.irishtourism.com. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Irish Geography". Peter Sommer Travels. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
- ↑ "Ireland's Cities and Clusters". www.idaireland.com. Retrieved 2024-09-28.