Directories

The North of Ireland Family History Society (NIFHS) has a large collection of Directories in its Map Room.  Most of these are specific to Ireland with information on the office holders and businesses in each town or village; some have comprehensive street-by-street listings of householders.  There are also many volumes of biographies of individuals, such as the Medical Register or the Dictionary of National Biography.   These books are for consultation in the Library and not for borrowing.  For Members who cannot visit our Research Centre we offer a Look Up Service.

The main shelfmark headings under which the Directories are shelved are as follows.  See the Library List for the shelfmarks of the books under each heading.  In addition there are, in the Randal Gill Library, Church Directories & Clergy (IR 225 to 325) and Directories — Civil & Substitutes and Extracts (IR 475 to 500) and, housed in the Special Collection in the Library, the Peerage/Knightage and Landed Gentry Directories (D 550).

• D 100 — Bassett’s & Lowe Directories
  • Counties Antrim 1888, Armagh 1888, Down 1886, Fermanagh 1880 Kilkenny 1884, Louth 1886, Tipperary 1889, Wexford 1885
• D 150 — Bangor Directories
  • 1959, 1961- 1969, 1970/71
• D 200 — Belfast & Ulster/N.I. Directories
  • 1850 (CD), 1852, 1856 (CD), 1890, 1900, 1904, 1912, 1920, 1923-1926, 1928, 1931, 1932, 1935-1938, 1940, 1942-1977, 1979-1981, 1984, 1986-1993, 1995, 1996
    Many years between 1890 and 1947 are searchable online though the Findmypast Ireland, Belfast & Ulster Directories website.
• D 250 — Biographies
  • Biographical Dictionaries Vols 1 & 2, Biography Almanac Vols 1 A-K, 2 L-Z & Indexes, Universal Biography Vols 1-3
• D 300 — Derry & Antrim Year Books
  • 1944, 1948-1952, 1954-1964, 1966-2011, 2013-2016
• D 325 — English Directories
  • Bury & Rochdale 1818, London 1677-1977, Liverpool 1766, Manchester & Salford 1772 & 1788, Co. Cheshire 1834, London & its Suburbs 1839, National Commercial 1830, Sheffield 1787
• D 340 — Genealogical Research Directory
  • 1982, 1985-1991, 1993-2005, 2007; National Genealogical Directory 1990 & 1992
• D 350 — Irish Town & County Directories
  • for details of the 35 books and 5 CDs see the Library List
• D 400 — Miscellaneous
  • for details of the 43 books see the Library List
• D 425 — Dictionary of National Biography
  • Vols 1-22; Concise D.N.B. Parts 1 &2, 1901-1911, 1912-1921, 1922-1930, 1931-1940, 1941-1950, 1951-1960
• D 450 — Occupational Directories/Registers
  • Ulster Doctors pre-1901 Vols 1 & 2; Authors & Writers 6th ed,; British Journalism 1971; Chartered Accountants 1969, 1982-1983, 1994, 1999-2000; Incorporated Accountants 1957; Irish Medical Doctors; Medical Directory for Ireland 1852 (CD); Medical Directory 1940, 1986, 1990-1993, 1995; Royal Irish Constabulary 1920 (CD), Writers 1974-76
• D 500 — Passenger & Immigration Lists
  • Filby Vol 2 H-N 1981 and Supplements 1983, 1985-1987
• D 550 — Peerage/Knightage & Landed Gentry
  • shelved in the Special Collection in the Randal Gill Library.
• D 600 — Scottish Directories
  • Edinburgh & Leith 1883/84, 1948/49; Edinburgh 1908; Glasgow 1925-26, 1963
• D 700 — Thom’s Directories
  • 1853-1856, 1867, 1872, 1880 (CD), 1884 (CD), 1891, 1892, 1895, 1896, 1902-1904, 1910 (CD), 1920, 1926, 1929, 1931, 1934, 1936, 1941, 1945, 1953, 1964, 1965, 1976, 1978, 1978/79, 1981, 1983-1986, 1989, 1997,
• D 750 — Ulster Year Book
  • 1950, 1956, 1960-62, 1963-65, 1966-68, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976
• D 800 — Whitaker’s Almanac
  • 1907, 1956, 1958, 1964
• D 900 — Who’s Who
  • 1903, 1925, 1937, 1939, 1941, 1943, 1950, 1951, 1954, 1956, 1958, 1960, 1961, 11962, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1980-1982, 1986-1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2005-2007; City 2005; World 1974-75; Southern Africa 1961; Ireland 1973; Catholic 1928; Thom’s Irish (CD); Who Was Who 1897-16, 1951-60, 1961-70, 1971-80, 1991-95, Index 1897-1980

There is also a set of Telephone Directories for Northern Ireland from 1966 together with some from the Republic of Ireland.