This includes:
- Board of Guardians Minute Books
The Poor Law of 1838 was aimed at providing accommodation for the destitute poor, and by 1845, there were 123 workhouses in Ireland, paid for by a poor tax levied on local landlords.
The Admissions Registers, which would give the names of the inmates, for the 5 Poor Law Unions in Meath have not survived.
The Board of Guardians Minute Books are the business records of the workhouses. Visit Library Headquarters in Navan to access these. See Form and Procedures below.
- Census Returns
1901 and 1911 census are available at Library Headquarters in Navan on microfilm and digitally at http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/
- Griffith's Valuation
The primary valuation was the first full scale valuation of property in Ireland between 1847 and 1864. It is one of the most important surviving 19th century genealogical sources. A hardcopy is available at Library Headquarters in Navan. You can also go online and use the form to search for a particular family name in Griffith's Valuation http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/
- ‘Diocese of Meath: Ancient and Modern’
Fr. Anthony Cogan (1826-1872) was a priest and scholar of the diocese of Meath. He was born in Slane, Co Meath in 1826 and died there, according to his memorial in Slane Roman Catholic church, at the age of 45 years.
Fr. Cogan was a committed amateur historian. He was well read and largely self-taught. He began writing articles for the Tablet in 1856 and went on to write what his biographer, the scholar Alfred P. Smyth, has described as “the first complete post-Reformation history of an Irish Catholic diocese”. His book ‘Diocese of Meath: Ancient and Modern’ (3 Vols) is available at http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/digital-book-collection/digital-books-by-subject/church-history/cogan-the-diocese-of-meat/index.xml
- AskaboutIreland
Visit http://www.askaboutireland.ie/libraries/, at the search box select Filter by ‘Articles’, and type in ‘Meath’ to access a variety of local studies content.
- Catholic Parish Registers
The website http://registers.nli.ie/ contains images from the NLI’s collection of Catholic parish register microfilms. The registers contain records of baptisms and marriages from the majority of Catholic parishes in Ireland and Northern Ireland up to 1880.
- Graveyard Records
Visit http://historicgraves.com/ - A community based heritage project which digitally records and publishes historic graveyard surveys and stories.
Visit http://www.interment.net/ireland/meath.htm - Interment.net is a publisher of cemetery transcriptions for use by genealogists and local historians. They maintain an online archive of transcriptions that spans tens of thousands of cemeteries across the world. Visitors use the online library to help them locate burials of their family and friends, trace their family history, and learn about local history.
- Newspapers
The Irish News Archive is available online within local library branches. Go to a pc or use your own device at your local branch and access www.irishnewsarchive.com .
- The Drogheda Independent,
- The Meath Herald, and
- The Irish Peasant
are available on microfilm at Library Headquarters in Navan. Ask for the Local Studies Librarian.
- Schools Folklore Collection
The National Folklore Collection of Ireland is one of the largest folklore collections in the world and contains the Schools Folklore Collection. The Schools Folklore Collection for Meath is available at Library Headquarters in Navan on microfilm. Ask for the Local Studies Librarian.
They are also available digitally at http://www.duchas.ie/en/plc (if you allow access to your location it will automatically display information for County Meath.
- Tithe Applotment Books
The Tithe Applotment Books are a vitalpre-famine source for genealogical research. They were compiled between 1823 and 1837 in order to determine the amount which occupiers of agricultural holdings over one acre should pay in tithes to the established church.
The Tithe Applotment Books are available at Library Headquarters in Navan on microfilm and digitally at http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie
- Local history texts on people and places
Books published by local history societies and heritage groups in Meath are available at Library Headquarters in Navan in the Local Studies Collection. Information about these publications can be also accessed digitally at the Library Catalogue https://lgma.iii.com/
- Maps
Maps including the first Ordnance Survey 1827-1842 are available to view digitally at http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V2,578432,756724,0,10.
Some hardcopies are also available from the Local Studies Collection at Library Headquarters in Navan for research purposes.
- Ancestry.co.uk
http://home.ancestry.co.uk/
World's largest online collection of family history records, including:- 16 billion historical records - and more added every day.
- The UK’s largest online collection of family history records with more than 1 billion searchable records including England, Wales and Scotland Censuses.
- The world's largest online collections of military and immigration records.
- Over 200 million historical photos.
- http://www.findmypast.ie/
Trace your ancestry and build a family tree by researching extensive birth records, census data, obituaries and more with Findmypast.
Local Studies / Family History Research information is available in varying formats from printed material, to microfilm or microfiche material.
If you wish to research a particular subject area please contact the Local Studies Librarian on 046 - 9021134 or email: tfrench@meathcoco.ie
The Department's Microfiche and Microfilm readers operate on a booking system so it is recommended to book in advance to avoid disappointment.
Ask a librarian for assistance with any of the above.
All of the above are available on request at our Navan Library. Please note that users are expected to carry out their own research.
Please book in advance, by phoning 046 9021134 or further genealogical records can be found at the Meath Heritage Centre Website - http://meath.rootsireland.ie/