Several months ago FamilySearch launched their powerful full-text search capability for the Ireland, Properties, 1298–1975 collection. One can now search these records—including those held by the Registry of Deeds in Dublin—by name, location, occupation, and more. 

While the Registry of Deeds mainly documented property transactions of Protestant landowners and leaseholders in the 18th and early 19th centuries, the deeds often name tenants, witnesses, family members, and neighbors.

You can enter a townland, parish, or surname of interest and retrieve results that mention the term in any part of the document. This is especially helpful for tracing:

• Long-term family landholdings
• Intergenerational leases and trusts
• Connections between families through marriage or inheritance
• Occupations and residences of ancestors over time

If you haven’t used the full-text feature before, start at the FamilySearch Help Center. Remember you must sign into your FamilySearch account to view images. Spend some time looking at all the filters available! More are added regularly.

Tips for Success

• Try variant spellings: Names and places may have changed or been spelled inconsistently.
• Use broad terms: Searching by parish or county can reveal unexpected connections.
• Combine search terms: Entering a surname and a townland narrows results.
• Browse images: When in doubt, viewing the original document often reveals more context.

As an example, in the Ireland, Properties, 1298–1975 collection, you might find an entry for your ancestor, Patrick Kavanagh of County Monaghan. Here's a (made-up) transcribed snippet:

“A memorial of an indenture bearing date the 14th day of March 1829 between John McKenna of Monaghan, Esq., and Patrick Kavanagh of Drumhillagh, farmer, whereby the said McKenna leases lands at Drumhillagh to said Kavanagh for the term of 31 years at the yearly rent of…”

From this record, you could learn:

• Patrick Kavanagh's residence (Drumhillagh)
• His occupation (farmer)
• His landlord (John McKenna)
• The date and length of the lease
• Possibly names of witnesses or family members, which can lead to further clues

This lease example shows that Patrick held land—a key fact that can help trace him in Griffith’s Valuation or tithe applotment books. If you're super-lucky, it might even lead to earlier generations, e.g., if the lease refers to “Patrick Kavanagh, son of…”