Digitisation of Ireland's Registry of Deeds volumes

Irish genealogy news blogger Claire Santry has reported that Ireland's Registry of Deeds is being considered for digitisation by the Property Registration Authority, which has recently hosted the first meeting of the Registry of Deeds Digitisation Strategy Steering Group. Claire's report is at https://www.irishgenealogynews.com/2019/07/irelands-registry-of-deeds-step-closer.html, with the original news release available at https://www.prai.ie/inaugural-meeting-of-the-registry-of-deeds-digitisation-strategy-steering-group/.

COMMENT: There is already some access available online to the Registry of Deeds records via FamilySearch, through its Transcripts of memorials of deeds, conveyances and wills, 1708-1929 collection available on the catalogue at https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/185720. There are, however, several problems with this presentation. The images have been digitised from early microfilmed copies of the records in black and white, with many of the images illegible and difficult to make out due to poor photography, and they are not indexed via a keyword search facility, although the original indexes for granters and places have been digitised also and placed on the same page. A separate volunteer based indexing prject is also available online at https://irishdeedsindex.net.

The opportunity to see images digitised in full colour from the originals, in a more modern and accessible manner will certainly help, and this is the welcome part of the news release: "The Property Registration Authority has a long term vision to make the historical records of the Registry of Deeds available and discoverable online for research and the enjoyment of all"

It will take time, but this is one that will most certainly be worth the wait!

(With thanks to Claire Santry)

Chris

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