Those who research historic catholic parish registers on a regular basis will lament the disappointing lack of burial/death records from this source. The RC records of county Wexford are a notable exception, with 22 Wexford parishes retaining extensive burial records for its 19th century parishioners.
Most of these surviving death/burial records predate Irish Civil Records by many decades.They also cover the key years of the Great Famine in stark detail. Several even date back to much earlier times in the 18th century.
Perhaps the jewel in the crown of death /burial records from this source is Clongeen Parish, located in the south of the county, the diocese of Ferns. These span the years 1847-1880. From 1864 the priest routinely recorded the names of the parents of the deceased if known, both mother and father. Since many people died at an advanced age in this parish, the relevant parents identified were born as far back as the mid 18th century.
Historyeye compiles a short survey of the RC death/burial records for county Wexford below.
A reminder too that historic Irish Catholic parish registers are available to research online at the National Library’s website :
https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000634046#page/1/mode/1up
