Document
Registry of Deeds Search
Search Historical Property Records in Ireland
Quick Answer
Historical Property Records trace how a property in Ireland has been owned over time, drawing on the Land Registry folio and the older deeds and memorials in the Registry of Deeds, both held as the official record. They draw together earlier registered owners, the memorials of old deeds, and the instruments behind them. It is a research and genealogy service, distinct from a search for the current owner.
Historical Property Records assemble the recorded ownership history of a property in Ireland from the two official registers. This page explains what the records draw together, how the Land Registry and the Registry of Deeds each contribute, and how they support research, genealogy and title work.
Send what you have - address, townland, or the names of the parties. The deeds search is delivered electronically, with the timeframe confirmed when we scope the search.
Buy Registry of Deeds SearchKey Facts
Coverage
All of Ireland
Delivery
Electronically, timeframe confirmed on scoping
Needed to order
An address or Eircode is normally enough
Registered land
Recorded on a folio, identified by number and county
Unregistered land
Evidenced through the Registry of Deeds instead
Boundaries
General boundaries - mapped approximately, not conclusively
What Is This Document
Historical Property Records assemble the recorded history of how a property or holding in Ireland has been owned over time. They draw on the two official registers: the Land Registry, which records earlier registered owners in the dealings on a folio, and the Registry of Deeds, which records the older deeds and memorials affecting property before and outside registration.
The value of the records is the chain they reveal. A folio shows who owns a registered property now and the dealings lodged against it, while the Registry of Deeds records memorials – summaries of deeds – that reach back long before the Land Registry existed. Read together, they trace ownership across generations rather than at a single moment in time.
Research moves between the two systems depending on the property. Where a property is registered, earlier owners appear in the folio dealings; where it was long held by deed, the memorials in the Registry of Deeds carry the story, and the deeds themselves, obtained as Instrument Copies, set out the terms. The records show which thread to follow next.
The picture varies across the country. Dublin and the cities carry deep urban leasehold and estate records; the west and border counties hold much unregistered land traced through deeds; and former landed estates everywhere left chains of dealing as tenancies became ownership. Historical records are suited to all of these, at national scale.
These records serve research, genealogy and title investigation rather than a current-owner enquiry. Where you only need to know who owns a property today, a Property Ownership Search or a Folio Search is faster and cheaper. Historical Property Records are for tracing the past of a property, not confirming its present ownership.
Which Document Do I Need
Researching a property’s history? Use this guide:
- Trace the ownership history of a property → Historical Property Records – /historical-property-records/
- Search the old deeds and memorials for unregistered property → Registry of Deeds Search – /registry-of-deeds-search/
- Obtain the wording of a particular old deed → Instrument Copy – /instrument-copy/
- Read the current registered title and its dealings → Folio Search – /folio-search/
- Find out who owns the property today → Property Ownership Search – /property-ownership-search/
If you are unsure, our team can advise before you order.
| Need | Product | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Trace the ownership history of a property | Historical Property Records -> /historical-property-records/ | — |
| Search the old deeds and memorials for unregistered property | Registry of Deeds Search -> /registry-of-deeds-search/ | €349.99 |
| Obtain the wording of a particular old deed | Instrument Copy -> /instrument-copy/ | €349.99 |
| Read the current registered title and its dealings | Folio Search -> /folio-search/ | €32.99 |
| Find out who owns the property today | Property Ownership Search -> /property-ownership-search/ | — |
What Information Is Included
Historical Property Records draw together:
- Earlier registered owners: the owners recorded in the folio dealings over time.
- Registry of Deeds memorials: summaries of the older deeds affecting the property.
- Instrument references: the deeds and dealings identified for further ordering.
- Historical land descriptions: the property or holding as described in the older records over time.
- Chain of ownership: how the property has passed between owners across the folio and the deeds.
- Next-step guidance: which deeds or documents to obtain to continue the research.
What Is Not Included
Historical Property Records trace the past, but an enquiry often needs more. To confirm who owns a property today, order a Property Ownership Search [/property-ownership-search/] or, where the folio is known, a Folio Search [/folio-search/]. To search the older deeds affecting unregistered property, a Registry of Deeds Search [/registry-of-deeds-search/] is the record. To read a particular old deed, order an Instrument Copy [/instrument-copy/]. And for certified proof of a registered title, a Certified Folio [/certified-folio/] carries that standing.
Why People Order
- Researching family history: Genealogists tracing an ancestor’s property follow ownership across generations, connecting a family to a house or holding through the folio dealings and the older deeds recorded in the Registry of Deeds.
- Tracing the history of a house: Owners and researchers curious about a property’s past establish who held it before, drawing the chain together from earlier registered owners and the memorials of older deeds.
- Researching a former estate: Much Irish land was once part of a landed estate. Historical records trace a holding’s transition from tenancy to ownership through the deeds that recorded the break-up of the estate.
- Establishing a chain before first registration: Where unregistered land is to be registered for the first time, the chain of deeds must be shown. Historical records assemble the memorials and deeds that support the application.
- Understanding an old right or covenant: A long-standing right of way, ground rent or covenant often originates in an older deed. Historical records identify the memorial and instrument that created it, so its background and terms are clear before a purchase or a dispute.
- Building a documented property story: Researchers, writers and local historians use the records to assemble a documented account of a property’s ownership over time, drawn from the official registers rather than anecdote, and reliable enough to publish or to put before a client.
Not sure whether the property is registered or unregistered? A folio search settles that within 24 hours.
Order Registry of Deeds SearchReal World Use Cases
Home Buyers: A buyer of an older or unregistered property uses historical records to understand how it has passed between owners before committing, alongside the current-title checks a purchase needs and often to explain an unusual right or boundary feature on the ground.
Sellers: Owners of a long-held property assemble the chain of title a buyer’s solicitor will investigate, which matters most where the property is unregistered and proved through deeds rather than a folio, and where any gap is better found before marketing.
Solicitors: Solicitors investigating an older or unregistered title use historical records to trace the chain of deeds and earlier owners, identifying the memorials and instruments needed to establish good title on conveyancing and first-registration work where the folio does not reach back far enough.
Investors: Investors assessing an older holding or former estate land use historical records to understand its ownership history and any long-standing rights before committing to a purchase, since old encumbrances can affect value.
Developers: Developers dealing with older or unregistered land use historical records to establish the chain of title behind a site, since a gap in the deeds can hold up a scheme until it is resolved and is better found early.
Land Registry Context
Ireland’s property history is recorded across two official registers. The Land Registry is a register of title organised by folio, and its dealings record who has owned a registered property over time; the Registry of Deeds records the deeds affecting unregistered land, reaching back long before registration. Historical Property Records draw on both.
The two registers contribute in different ways. A folio shows the current registered owner and the dealings lodged against a property, while the Registry of Deeds records memorials – summaries of deeds – indexed by the parties and the land. Where a folio shows only the present position, the deeds carry the earlier chain that led to it, often across several generations of owners.
The national picture is uneven, which shapes research. Dublin and the cities carry a deep urban record of leaseholds, ground rents and estate development; the west and border counties hold much unregistered land whose history lives in the deeds; and former landed estates across the country left long chains of dealing as tenancies became freeholds.
Historical records do not prove title. They trace the chain of deeds and earlier owners for research, genealogy and title investigation, but establishing good title from that chain is work for a solicitor, and certified proof of a registered title is a separate Certified Folio. The records inform the enquiry; they do not certify the ownership.
The research sequence is practical and national in scope: Historical Property Records assemble the earlier owners and the memorials of old deeds; a Registry of Deeds Search pursues the deeds affecting unregistered property; an Instrument Copy provides a particular deed’s wording; and a Folio Search reads the current registered title. Together they turn an address anywhere in the country into a documented ownership history rather than a guess.
Common Mistakes
Ordering historical records when you only need the current owner: Where the question is simply who owns a property now, researching its history is unnecessary. For the current registered owner, a Property Ownership Search is faster and cheaper. Order a Property Ownership Search – /property-ownership-search/.
Expecting historical records to prove title: Historical records inform research; they do not certify ownership. They trace the chain of deeds and earlier owners, but establishing good title is work for a solicitor reading them in full, and certified proof of a registered title is a separate Certified Folio issued under seal by post.
Searching only the Land Registry for older history: Much older ownership predates registration, so it lies in the Registry of Deeds rather than on a folio. Searching only the Land Registry misses the deeds and memorials that carry a property’s earlier history before it was ever registered, which is where the research usually lies.
Assuming a single record holds the whole story: A property’s history may span both registers and several deeds. Treating one folio or one deed as the complete account risks missing part of the chain, so the research should follow the record wherever it leads across both systems.
Found the memorial you need? The registered instrument itself is a separate order.
Order Registry of Deeds SearchHow To Order
Send the address and any description of the property, together with the folio number where you have it and any names, townlands or approximate periods that help identify the ownership you are researching.
Tell us what you are trying to establish – a family connection, the history of a house, or a chain of title for a first registration – and we will trace the records and point you to the deeds or documents to obtain next.
Turnaround & Delivery
delivered electronically, with the timeframe confirmed when we scope the search
The result is sent to you as a report by email, setting out the earlier owners and the memorials found and identifying the deeds to obtain next. A Registry of Deeds Search, Instrument Copy or Folio Search for the same property can then be ordered to take the research further.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are historical property records in Ireland?
They are the recorded history of how a property has been owned over time, drawn from the Land Registry folio dealings and the older deeds and memorials in the Registry of Deeds. They support research, genealogy and title investigation rather than a current-owner enquiry.
How far back do the records go?
As far as the records allow. The Land Registry shows earlier registered owners through the folio dealings, while the Registry of Deeds records memorials lodged long before registration existed, so the traceable history depends on when a property was dealt with and registered.
How is this different from a Property Ownership Search?
Historical Property Records trace how a property has been owned over time, drawing on the folio and the older deeds. A Property Ownership Search finds who owns it today from an address. Use historical records for research and genealogy; use an ownership search for the current owner.
How will I receive the records?
The result is sent to you as a report by email, setting out the earlier owners and the memorials found and identifying the deeds to obtain next. It is delivered digitally because it is a research report rather than a certified document.
Can these records help with unregistered property?
Yes. Where a property is unregistered, its history is recorded in the Registry of Deeds rather than on a folio, and historical records trace that chain through the memorials and deeds. This is common for older holdings and in the west and border counties.
Can I research a property anywhere in Ireland?
Yes. Both registers are national, so historical records can trace a property in any county. To trace a property's ownership history, use the order link on this page.
What does a Registry of Deeds search actually return?
Memorials - registered summaries of deeds, not the deeds themselves. A memorial records the parties, the date, the nature of the dealing and the lands affected, and is the route to identifying the original deed.
How far back do the deeds records go for property in Ireland?
Memorials have been registered since 1708, so the record can run considerably further back than land registration. Coverage depends on whether the parties chose to register a memorial at the time.
Trace an Unregistered Title
Memorials, priority and chain of title from 1708. Scoped and quoted before work begins.
Order Registry of Deeds SearchProperty Records Team
Last reviewed:
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