Cork County Library HQ

The Cork County Library is home to a specialist Reference and Local Studies department which answers requests daily for information on a wide range of topics, mainly local studies, genealogy and general reference queries.

This department has an extensive collection of

• specialist reference works,
• encyclopaedias,
• almanacs,
• yearbooks,
• atlases and
• other reference tools.

It is also the County Library's main repository for local history materials, including

• books,
• newspapers and
• maps.

For further information about Cork local history and to view our local digital collection which includes previous exhibits, photographic collections, digitised material from our Cork and Irish Collections as well as a selection of local history journals, please visit www.corklocalstudies.ie 

 Genealogy

With advance booking, Cork Library's Reference and Local Studies department  can assist you with your research when you come to use Family History resources. Please email or phone (as per the above contact details).

A very helpful guide to the subject called Walking in the Footsteps of Your Ancestors; a beginner's guide to family history in Cork has been compiled by the Local Studies Library. The online version of this book can be accessed by clicking HERE. We hope researchers will find this useful.

 Newspaper Collections

The Cork County Library Newspaper Archive is located in the Reference and Local Studies Library on Floor 2 of the County Library Building on the Carrigrohane Road. The bulk of the collection is stored on microfilm. To access items held on microfilm, it is advisable to pre-book a microfilm reader. Bookings can be made well in advance of an anticipated visit.

For a list of the newspaper titles held in our Newspaper Archive, see below:

Avondhu  From 1995 (ongoing).

Carrigdhoun Weekly   March 1993 to March 1995; January 1996 to December 1997.

Celtic Times (copy) February to December 1887.

Constitution or Cork Morning Post Jan 1912 - July 1922 13th December 1822 to 30th June 1823; 2nd July 1823 to 31st December 1823; 2nd January 1824 to 31st December 1824.

Cork Daily Advertiser  October 1836 to 21st January 1837.

Cork Evening Herald 9th September 1833 to 7th October 1836.

Cork Examiner (now Irish Examiner) From 30th August 1841 (ongoing).

Cork Gazette and General Advertiser 1795.

The Corkman From 1995 (ongoing).

Cork Merchantile Chronicle 1801 to 1818; 1823; 1825 to 1828; 1832 to 1835.

Cork Sentinel19th January 1831 to 3rd September 1831.

Cork Sportsman　　30th May 1908 to 9th October 1911.

Cork Standard　1837.

Cork Sun　18th April 1903 to 1905.

Cork Total Abstainer1841.

Cork Weekly Times　　4th October 1833 to 26th September 1834.

Dublin Evening Post　1828 to 1830; 1851 to 1853.

Fáinne an Lae　1898 to 1899.

Freeman's Journal　4th December 1792 to 3rd April 1798; 1st January 1848 to 17th March 1851; 20th December 1890 to 17th February 1892; 17th December 1919 to 7th January 1922.

The Guardian (London)1878.

Hibernian Chronicle (Cork　1769 to 1800.

Illustrated London News　January to June 1848; 1849; July 1850 to June 1851; January to June 1853; July 1855 to June 1856; 1858 to 1859; January to June 1877.

Imokilly People　January 1993 to April 1995; February 1998 to October 1999; From September 2002 (ongoing)

Inside Cork　1999.

Irish Freedom　November 1910 to December 1914 (incomplete).

Irishman　July 1859 to June 1864; 1877.

The Irish Times　From 30th march 1859 (ongoing).

Limerick Chronicle　1831.

Morning Register (Dublin)　23rd January 1833 to 31st December 1833.

Munster Advertiser　20th April 1839 to 8th May 1841.

Muskerry Leader　September 1987 to 3rd February 1989; May 1992 to 2000.

The Nation　October 1843 to 1847 (incomplete); 1849 to 1850; 31st August 1850 to 23rd August 1851; 1854 to 1856 (incomplete); September 1857 to August 1858; 1858 to 1859; November 1865 to August 1867; 1875; 1879.

The New Era　1899.

The Patriot (Dublin)　August 1821 to July 1822.

People's Press and Cork Weekly　20th September 1834 to 10th February 1836.

Province of Munster　27th January 1849 to 29th December 1849.

Sinn Féin　22 June 1912 to 29 November 1913.

Skibbereen and West Carbery Eagle; later West Cork Eagle and County Advertiser; later Eagle and Cork County Advertiser; later Cork County Eagle and Munster Advertiser　7th September 1861 to 8th July 1922; August 1927 to December 1928.

Southern Cross (Buenos Aires)　1997 to 1998.

Southern Patriot (Mallow)10th February 1844 to 13th March 1844.

Southside News (Cork)1996 to 1998.

Southern Reporter (Cork)1817 to 1819; 1823 (bound vol.); 1824; 1826 to 1827; 1830 to 1836; 1847.

Southern Star (Skibbereen)June 1921 to 1935; From 1978 (ongoing).

United Ireland (Ireland)August 1893 to July 1895.

Vale Star (Mallow)From 26th September 1991 (ongoing).

Weekly Freeman (Dublin)October 1883 to February 1884.

The West Cork People29 Jul-30 Dec 1905, 1906, 1907, 4 Jan–25 Jul 1908

The Youghal Tribune1940 - 1957

Historic Graves

20,000 grave memorial records from 127 historic graveyards were digitally submitted to Cork County Library by the Historic Graves project, funded by Cork LDC’s including South and East Cork Area Development (SECAD). The project provided training by archaeologists from Eachtra Archaeological Projects to more than 420 community volunteers in the recording of historic graveyards, enabling volunteers to photograph and record 27,000 headstone epitaphs all over the county. This can be viewed here.

Digital Collection

The Cork local digital collection, which includes previous exhibits, photographic collections, digitised material from our Cork and Irish Collections as well as a selection of local history journals, can be viewed here.