Tracing roots in County Mayo
Contae Mhaigh Eo · Province of Connacht
Mayo is on the west coast of Ireland, in the province of Connacht.
It was one of the counties hardest hit by the Great Famine of the 1840s, and very large numbers of people emigrated from Mayo in the decades that followed.
Free records for County Mayo
- 1901 & 1911 census – search Mayo
- Civil birth, marriage and death records
- Catholic parish registers (National Library)
- Griffith’s Valuation
- Tithe Applotment Books – browse Mayo
Tips
- Griffith’s Valuation (1850s) is very useful in Mayo for placing a family in a townland after the Famine.
- Catholic parish registers for some Mayo parishes start late, so the census and civil records may be your best route.
Not yet confirmed:
- Start dates of individual Mayo parish registers vary – check registers.nli.ie for your parish.
Sources
- National Archives of Ireland
- askaboutireland.ie – Griffith’s Valuation
Townland and place-name details: see logainm.ie (Placenames Database of Ireland).