The fire in the Public Record Office complex in the Four Courts during the Irish Civil War (1922-1923) resulted in the severe damage and destruction of records. Although not all records from the Chief Secretary's Office in Dublin Castle survive, especially from the period before 1836, sufficient material has survived to make the transportation records held in the National Archives a major source for Australians researching Irish convict ancestors. The transportation records of interest include the following:
- Transportation Registers, 1836-1857
- Prisoners' Petitions and Cases, 1788-1836
- State Prisoners' Petitions, 1798-1799
- Convict Reference Files, 1836-1856: 1865-1868
- Free Settlers' Papers, 1828-1852
- Male Convict Register, 1842-1847
- Register of Convicts on Convict Ships, 1851-1853
- Transportation records database
For more detailed information on the transportation database and other sources, please consult the following pages elsewhere on our site:
* The article 'Sources in the National Archives for research into the transportation of Irish convicts to Australia' (1791-1853) by Rena Lohan (also available to download in .pdf format)
* Transportation records database
* Frequently Asked Questions on Transportation to Australia