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The term parish in Ireland includes civil parishes, Church of Ireland parishes and Roman Catholic parishes. Names and boundaries of Church of Ireland parishes largely coincide with civil parishes. Roman Catholic parishes, however, often have different boundaries, and can cross county lines. Listings on ePodunk are of civil parishes. These can be an important source for genealogical and historical research. Until 1864, records of baptism, marriage and burial were kept by the parishes. Unfortunately, many primary records, stored in Dublin's Four Courts during the late 19th century, were destroyed by shelling and fire during the Irish Civil War in 1922. Much of the information survives, however, in abstracts and transcripts. The Church of Ireland's Representative Church Body Library holds records from more than 900 parishes in the Republic of Ireland. In Northern Ireland, parish registers are kept at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. Although it's helpful to know the parish name, it's not necessary for an online search of Ancestry records. Search ePodunk by parish name.