Newspapers began to be published in Ireland from the late 17th century. However, it is not until the middle of the 18th century that they start to become useful for researching family history.
From the 1750s, the publication of birth, marriage and death notices, generally pertaining to the landed gentry and professional classes, can sometimes bridge the gap left by the destruction of church, testamentary and court records in the 1922 fire at the Public Record Office in Dublin during the Civil War.
Birth announcements during this early period are the least informative, stating that the unnamed wife of a gentleman gave birth to a son or daughter. The location and father's name are published, but little else.
Marriage notices can sometimes be more detailed, with references to the name and address of the bride's father or parents,
