North Cork and West Cork graveyards have been included in the latest burial record release by Skibbereen Heritage Centre, with its searchable database attracting strong interest from diaspora and locals alike.
Nearly 100,000 burial register records from 143 graveyards across Co. Cork are now available online for free, following the latest update to a long-running digitization project – the Cork Graveyards Database – led by Skibbereen Heritage Centre.
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Hosted on the centre’s website, the project’s database offers searchable burial register records as well as the results of several graveyard surveys. An interactive map shows the graveyards currently included in the project, each marked with a cross – most are cemeteries owned and managed by Cork County Council. By clicking on a cross, users can read a short description of the graveyard and check the date span covered by its burial registers – a helpful step before beginning a search. You can access the Cork Graveyards Database here or visit the search page directly here.
Each burial register record typically includes the name of the deceased, address, date of death and date of burial. Some entries also provide additional details such as age at death, occupation, the name of the informant (often a close relative), the name of the registrar and the section or marker – indicating the grave’s location within the cemetery, sometimes precisely, sometimes more generally (e.g. “west side”). Where available, the original register pages can be viewed and downloaded as PDFs by clicking “View Register”.
Video tutorial: quick guide to using the Cork Graveyards Database
Press play on the video below to learn how to search for your ancestors using the Cork Graveyards Database.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
2025 release
The project’s most recent release, in March of this year, focuses on graveyards in North Cork, along with three in the Bandon area. The newly added graveyards are: Abbeyswell / KIlgobnet; Aglish; Araglen / Araglin; Ballyhea New Cemetery; Ballylough; Banteer; Castlemagner; Castletownroche, Kilsane / Kilsone; Clonfert; Conna; Cooline / Cooliney; Drishane; Holy Cross, Charleville; St Brigid’s, Buttevant; St Lachteen’s, Grenagh; St Mary’s, Millstreet; and three Bandon graveyards: St Peter’s, Ballymodan; Kilbrogan; and Ballymodan Old Graveyard. Scroll down to see the full list of graveyards included in the database.
In total, 97,923 burial register records are now accessible online – many for the first time. These records are expected to be of particular interest to genealogists, local historians and members of the Irish diaspora who are tracing their family roots in Cork.
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The records have already sparked significant interest in North America, where many descendants of those who fled the Great Famine – particularly devastating in West Cork – live. This resource is expected to provide a major boost to genealogy tourism in Co. Cork.
The project has had other tangible effects too. Now aware of ancestors and relatives buried in unmarked plots, families have erected new headstones in the graveyards featured in the project.
A F F I L I A T E A D
The digitization project began in an ad hoc manner in 2010 but has gathered real momentum over the past four years. Volunteers and staff at Skibbereen Heritage Centre have transcribed burial registers provided by Cork County Council, which operates the centre, contributing thousands of hours to the effort. This includes Terri Kearney (manager and curator at the centre), Margaret Murphy (genealogist), William Casey, Lauren Halstead, Barry McMahon and Deirdre Collins. Additional survey data shared by the Droichead na Banndan Community Co-Operative made it possible to include the Bandon graveyards in the most recent update.
Skibbereen Heritage Centre hopes to expand the project further over the 2025–26 winter period, with a new tranche of records from North Cork scheduled for release next spring. Please note that Skibbereen Heritage Centre does not hold the burial registers.
Quick links
- Explore the Cork Graveyards Database project here
- Search Cork Graveyards Database here
- Watch video tours of several West Cork graveyards here
- Visit HistoricGraves.ie here
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Full list of graveyards in the Cork Graveyards Database
The full list of graveyards currently included in the database (as of May 2025) are: Abbeymahon, Courtmacsherry; Abbeymahon, Skibbereen; Abbeystrowry; Abbeyswell / Kilgobnet; Aghabullogue; Aghinagh; Aglish; Allihies; Araglen / Araglin; Ardagh, Rosscarbery; Ardagh, Youghal; Aughadown Lower Graveyard; Aughadown Upper Graveyard; Ballaghboy, Beara; Ballinaboy; Ballyclough; Ballyhea New Cemetery; Ballylough; Ballymartle, Riverstick; Ballymodan Old Graveyard; Ballymoney; Ballynacallagh, Dursey; Ballyquirke, Killeagh Old Graveyard; Banteer; Bantry Abbey; Barnahely, Ringaskiddy; Bawnaknockane; Bere Island; Bohillane, Youghal; Brade; Burnford; Caheragh Church of Ireland; Caheragh Old Graveyard; Caherlag; Cahermore Allihies; Cape Clear Island; Castlehaven New Cemetery; Castlehaven Old Graveyard; Castlemagner; Castletown Kinneigh; Castletownroche, Kilsane / Kilsone; Chapel Lane Graveyard; Clogagh; Clonakilty, St Mary’s; Clondrohid; Clonfert; Clonpriest; Clontead; Conna; Cooline / Cooliney; Coronea, Skibbereen; Creagh 1810 Graveyard; Creagh Old Graveyard; Cullen; Dangan; Darrara; Drimoleague Old Graveyard; Drinagh West Graveyard; Drishane; Droum, Castletownbere; Dun Dá Radharc; Dunbeacon; Dunbullogue; Dunderrow; Dunmanway, St Finbarr’s; Dunmanway, St Joseph’s; Durrus; Eyeries, Gortnabulliga; Fanlobbus; Farnivane Graveyard; Foildarrig, Castletownbere; Garrycloyne, All Saints; Garrycloyne, St Mary’s; Glandore; Glengarriff; Holy Cross, Charleville; Ightermurragh; Inchigeelagh Old Graveyard; Kilbonane, Aherla; Kilbrogan Graveyard; Kilcaskan; Kilcatherine; Kilcoe 19th-century Roman Catholic Church; Kilcoe Church of Ireland; Kilcoe Old Graveyard; Kilcredan; Kilcrohane; Kilfaugnabeg Old Graveyard; Kilgarriffe; Kilheangul; Kilkerranmore; Killbarry; Killingley; Kilmacabea; Kilmacdonagh; Kilmahon, Shanagarry; Kilmeen; Kilmichael; Kilmocomogne; Kilmoe; Kilmurry, St Finbarr’s; Kilmurry, St Mary’s; Kilnaglory, Ballincollig; Kilpatrick, Carrigaline; Kilquane; Kinure; Lisavaird; Liscleary; Lisheen; Lislee; Little Island; Macloniegh; Marmallane; Matehy; Milltown, Rathbarry; North Abbey, Youghal; North Kilmurry; Old Church Graveyard, Cobh; Rathbarry Old Graveyard; Ross Abbey; Rossmore; Schull; Sherkin Island; Skibbereen (funeral register); St Brigid’s, Buttevant; St Colman’s, Macroom; St Eltin’s, Kinsale; St Fergal’s, Killeagh; St John’s, Carrigaline; St John’s, Coachford; St Lachteen’s, Grenagh; St Mary’s, Carrigaline; St Mary’s, Millstreet; St Mary’s, Passage West; St Patrick’s, Crosshaven; St Patrick’s, Nohaval; St Peter’s, Ballymodan; Stouke Burial Ground; Templebodan, Midleton; Templebridget, Crosshaven; Templecurraheen; Templequinlan; Templerobin, Ballymore; Templetrine; Templeusque, Glanmire; Timoleague Abbey; Timoleague, St Mogala’s; Tullagh, Baltimore; and Whiddy Island.
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