Registry of Deeds Services
Registration of Deeds
When a Deed is lodged in the Registry of Deeds it must be accompanied by the relevant ROD Application Form (as prescribed by the Registration of Deeds Rules 2008).
The ROD Application Form contains the date of the deed, details of the parties to the deed and a description of the property affected by the deed. Each application is given a serial number in order of the date and time of lodgement and the priority given to registered documents is based on the serial number allocated. When the application is completed, the original deed is returned to the lodging party and the ROD Application Form (formerly the Memorial) is filed as a permanent record with the Registry of Deeds Archive Services. Maps are not held as part of the Registry of Deeds record.
Searching Services
There are two systems for recording land ownership in Ireland, the Land Registry and the Registry of Deeds. Customers should initially establish whether the property is registered with Land Registry by using the “Search” option on the landdirect.ie main menu. In the event that property is not registered with the Land Registry, information may be available from the Registry of Deeds.
Registry of Deeds records date from 1708 to present date and are available to the public. They can be searched in a number of ways depending on the time period which you are interested in and the information you already have about the property transaction.
A search in the Registry of Deeds will disclose only whether documents have been executed dealing with the property transaction in question. To discover the effect of these documents, the deeds themselves (which are not retained by the Registry of Deeds) will have to be examined.
To request an Official Search, you must submit a completed Registry of Deeds Application Form 11 by post, by email or via landdirect.ie (account holders only) to the Registry of Deeds. The search is conducted and checked by Registry of Deeds searching staff, and the results will be issued by post. The fee is €20 per name, for each specified lands or premises, for each period of ten years or part thereof. An official search can be conducted for the period 1833 to present day. You must know the name of the Grantor, the address and approximate time period of the transaction to request an official search.
Where the grantor’s name is unknown, you may be able to discover the name by consulting other public records. The usual sources for such records are:
Probate Office: Probate | The Courts Service of Ireland
Registry of Deeds online searching is available to all landdirect.ie registered account holders from 1970 to date.
A user-friendly guide to online searching entitled “Registry of Deeds Help File” is available in landdirect.ie when logged on as an account holder. Select the Registry of Deeds option in the Main Menu and then select Help at the top of the screen. This information is not visible when accessing landdirect.ie as a guest user.
Further information on opening a LandDirect account is available via landdirect.ie. You can also order Official Searches and Copy Memorials/Application Forms with a LandDirect account.
Records prior to 1970 are held in hardcopy format at the Registry of Deeds, and if you do not wish to request an official search, you can make an appointment to view pre-1970 records in person at the Registry of Deeds. There are two indexes that can be searched, the Names Index (1708-1969) and the Land Index (1708- 1949).
Further guidance on our appointment service to access records 1708-1969 is available in the Visit the Registry of Deeds.
The Registry of Deeds does not offer a genealogical research service to customers. The National Library of Ireland has compiled a list of individuals and organisations who can be commissioned to carry out professional research on a fee-paying basis. The Registry of Deeds does not sponsor or endorse the individuals or organisations named and will not be responsible for research arrangements, payments or results.
Copying and Digitisation Services
You may apply for a certified copy of a Memorial/ROD Application Form under Rule 9(2) of the Registration of Deeds Rules 2008 provided you can supply the registration serial number. The standard fee of €20 will apply for each Memorial/ROD Application Form as per the Registry of Deeds Fees order 2008. The copy will be issued to you by post.
The Memorial/ROD Application Form is the fullest statement of the relevant elements of a Deed the Registry of Deeds can supply. The information contained in a Memorial/ROD Application Form includes the date of the deed, nature of the deed, details of the parties to the deed and a description of the property affected by the deed. The Memorial/ROD Application Form will not contain a map.
If you do not have the registration serial number, it will be necessary to carry out a Registry of Deeds search in advance of ordering copies.
If a copy of a Memorial/ROD Application Form is required for information purposes, and not legal purposes, a plain copy can be ordered. This service is available for Memorials/ROD Applications dating from 1930 to present only. The fee for a plain copy of microfilm of a memorial or application is €1.00 per page.
Historical researchers are permitted to photograph records older than 100 years for the purposes of private research only. The service is available free of charge and enables researchers to use small handheld cameras or their mobile devices to capture images of records relevant to their research. Please speak with a member of staff in our reading room prior to imaging. The full terms and conditions governing use can be found on the Self-Service Photography Application Form.
To request permission to reproduce an image from our collections in a publication or online, please apply to the Archives Manager by email or by post outlining details of publication request.