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Burial Registers

As ‘Sanitary Authorities’, the Board of Guardians in the Poor Law Unions, who ran local workhouses, also became responsible for the operation of some of the burial grounds in the City and County.

Digitised Burial Registers

The City Council also operated as Sanitary Authority, as were the Grand Jury and Dungarvan Town Commissioners. In the early twentieth century, the new County Council, Rural District Councils and Urban District Council established under the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898, acting as Sanitary Authorities, opened new burial grounds or took over responsibility for some older grounds. These burial grounds became the responsibility of Waterford County Council or of the Town Councils when the Rural District Councils were abolished in 1925.

Waterford City and County Archives has digitised the burial registers that survive from these authorities. The burial registers have been provided as PDF documents (there is not a search facility) but where there is an index in a register, this can be used to locate specific entries. Maps of some of the burial grounds have also been provided.

St. Otteran's Burial Ground

St. Otteran’s Burial Ground, also known as Ballinaneeshagh Burial Ground, is operated by Waterford City & County Council.

It was in use from the early 19th century but only enclosed and laid out in 1877. There were a number of burials prior to the attempt to provide a plan for the burial ground. There is no register for these earlier burials. The first 426 plots on the burial register were left blank in the hope that the ‘Burial Board’ could fill in the details later but this never occurred.

The first record from the burial register dates to 12th September 1862 and Waterford City and County Archive holds the original burial registers from 1862 until 1966 but there are some gaps. Unfortunately, burials did not always strictly adhere to the plan of burial plots laid out so further investigation may be required when searching for a plot found in the register.

The Burial Registers are very large files and downloading the full register may take some time. They have also been broken down into sections.

Please note you can enlarge the text on the PDF document for clearer viewing, but some entries are faded in the original register and may be difficult to decipher.

To search, you will need to open the index first to get the plot number and then open the PDF for the location of that plot number.

St. Declan's, Ardmore

St. Declan’s Burial Ground in Ardmore was part of the Youghal Poor Law Union until its abolition when it was transferred to Waterford County Council. In 1913, Youghal Poor Law Union began to keep a ‘Register of Burials’ for St. Declan’s Burial Ground in Ardmore.

A map of new burial plots was drawn up and a local registrar was responsible for recording burials in the Burial Register.  A register from 1913 to 2006 is available below.

St. Carthage's, Lismore

St. Carthage’s Burial Ground in Lismore was the responsibility of the Lismore Rural District Council and later the responsibility of Lismore Town Council.

The Rural District Council drew up a map of plots for the burial ground and a local registrar was appointed to record the burials in the Burial Register. Unfortunately, burials did not strictly adhere to the burial plots as laid out on the map so further investigation may be required when visiting the burial ground with the details provided in the register.

In addition to the Register of Interments (Burial Register) there is also a ‘Register of the Purchase of Grave Spaces’ for St. Carthages beginning 8th June 1919.  As the Register of the Purchases of Grave Spaces contains information on those still living it cannot be made generally available but if you have a query in relation to your own personal information please contact the Archivist.

A register from 1916 to 1999 is available below.

St. Patrick's, Tramore

St. Patrick’s Burial Ground in Tramore was the responsibility of Waterford Poor Law Union and later the responsibility of Tramore Town Council.

A map of the plots for the burial ground was drawn up and a local registrar appointed to record the burials in the Burial Register and purchase of grave spaces. Waterford City and County Archives Service holds a digital copy of the Record of Grave Purchases 1936-2012.

As the Record of Grave Purchases contains information on those still living it cannot be made available online but if you have a query in relation to your own personal information please contact the Archivist.

Waterford City and County Archives Service has collated information on the ownership of burial grounds and continues to try to locate surviving burial registers. If you have any information on any burial registers please contact the Archivist at jrothwell@waterfordcouncil.ie

St. Mary's Burial Ground

The graveyard and 19th century Roman Catholic church of St.Mary’s are on an east facing slope, on a corner site beside the road. The graveyard is rectangular, (c.110m E/W x c.100. N/S) and the church is set in the SE corner.

The earlier graveyard extends west of the church, terraced into the slope, with 19th and 20th Century headstones. Several memorial plaques (Hartery family) are on walls of a ruined building on the south boundary.

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