The Valuation Office

The Valuation Office (part of Tailte Eireann) holds the Valuation Office Revision Books. These are updated versions of Griffith’s Valuation which date from the 1850s to the 1970s for residential property in Ireland. The Valuation Office is also home to copies of the Griffith’s Valuation maps and the later Union Maps.

The Valuation Office Location & Opening Hours

The Valuation Office is located in the Irish Life Centre on Lower Abbey Street in Dublin 1. If you approach the Centre from Lower Abbey Street, the entrance to the Valuation Office can be found on the right hand side of the large fountain. When you enter the building go to the Public Office located to your left.

The Office opens daily from 10.30am to 12.30pm and from 2.30pm to 4.30pm. It is closed for two hours in the middle of the day, 12.30pm-2.30pm.

While walk in researchers are accommodated if there is space, you should book an appointment to ensure you will be able to access the records. If one timeframe is booked out, make sure you try all of the alternatives.

There is currently a trial in place for the Valuation Office to open over lunchtime on the first Tuesday of each month, in a bid to return to pre Covid opening hours, which were much more flexible. Only those with a late morning appointment on the day, will be accommodated over lunchtime.

Fees and Ordering

You can view most Revision Book on the computer terminals in the Public Office. It is helpful to know the name of the electoral division in which your townland is located, to help you identify the correct set of books. The electoral division is recorded with the name of the townland on the 1901 and 1911 census. This is a quick way to identify the correct electoral division. If you are not sure how to navigate the digital images on the computer terminals, or how to locate the townland you are seeking, do ask a member of staff, they are very helpful. If a Revision Book has not been digitised or it appears that a book is missing, you can request access to the original, which will be brought to your table.

How to use the Revision Books

The Revision Books are bound copies of the original individual notebooks used by the valuators. The earliest book can be found at the back of the bound volume with the most recent notebook at the front. The first page of each notebook will record the name and page number of each townland or street in the notebook. You can sometimes also find a page which lists the date of each revision and the coloured ink used on that date. The digital images have been organised by date range, although they are not always properly labelled. For more information about the Revision Books read our Blog Post.

Photocopying and Photographing

Visitors can freely photograph the Revision Books on screen or the hard copy books, and there is also a facility to make colour or black and white photocpies of the books or prints from the digitised versions. The cost of photocopying or printing copies of the Revision Books is €1 per page. The Valuation Office also hold digitial copies of the Griffith’s Maps, the maps that accompany Griffith’s Valuation, as well as the later revised Union Maps from the 1890s and 20th century. If requested the maps can be printed for you, for the same €1 fee.

Entry Requirements

You do not need a readers’ ticket or any form of identification to visit the Valuation Office. You can find more details about their services on their website.