The following is a chronological list of street and commercial directories covering more than one county and it is followed by lists arranged by county.

1819 - Thomas Bradshaw’s General Directory of Newry, Armagh, Dungannon, Portadown, Tandragee, Lurgan, Waringstown, Banbridge, Warrenpoint, Rosstrevor, Kilkeel and Rathfryland gives alphabetical lists of traders but does not include local gentry.

1820 - J. Pigot’s Commercial Directory of Ireland is laid out alphabetically by towns and the traders are arranged, also alphabetically, under their various trades. The names of nobility and gentry resident in or near each town are also included.

1824 - Pigot & Co’s City of Dublin and Hibernian Provincial Directory is similar in layout to that of 1820 but it has the important addition of a composite alphabetical index of all the nobility, clergy and gentry listed under each town. There is also a separate alphabetical index of the merchants and tradesmen of Belfast.

1841 - Matthew Martin’s Belfast Directory contains a house-to- house list of the principal streets of Belfast, a list classified by professions and trades, an alphabetical list of gentry, merchants and traders and a list of noblemen, magistrates, etc. resident in Cos. Antrim and Down. The provincial towns in the province of Ulster have alphabetical lists only. A further edition appeared in 1842.

1846 - Slater’s National Commercial Directory of Ireland follows the layout of Pigot in 1824 but is more extensive. However it omits the composite index to the country gentry.

1852 - James Alexander Henderson’s Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory contains three lists for Belfast: a good house-to- house street list, an alphabetical list of the ‘principal inhabitants’ and a list arranged by trades and professions, together with a list of country residents in the vicinity of each town. Further editions appeared in 1854, 1856, 1858, 1861, 1863, 1865, 1868, 1870, 1877, 1880, 1884, 1887, 1890, 1894 and 1900 with only a few minor additions to the list of towns and no alterations to the layout.

1856 - Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland was arranged by province as in the 1846 edition with each town beginning with a list of nobility, clergy and gentry and showing the business people under their trades along with the names of the National, Parochial and Free schoolmasters for each town. It includes some villages along with their neighbouring towns.

1865 - R. Wynne’s Business Directory of Belfast contains an alphabetical list of merchants, manufacturers and traders in Belfast and a further list is arranged under professions and trades. These lists also cover the suburbs of Ardoyne, Ballysillan, Dundonald, Dunmurry, Greencastle, Hannastown, Ligoniel, Newtownbreda, Sydenham, the Knock, Whiteabbey and Whitehouse. Other towns are listed by trades only.

1870 - Slater’s Directory of Ireland follows the previous layout arranged by province with trade lists for each town. There are also lists of nobility, gentry and clergy although there is no composite alphabetical index to these. Belfast has an alphabetic index to both its traders and nobility, gentry and clergy.

1881 - Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland also follows the standard layout but this edition also carries lists of farmers arranged by parish adjoining their nearest town, although it is lacking the farmers’ individual townland addresses.

1882 - The Omagh Almanac contains four alphabetical lists: a list of National Schools in the Omagh district together with the names of managers and teachers, lists of local clergy - Anglican, Catholic and Presbyterian, a list of medical and surgical practitioners and a list of country gentry. For the town of Omagh there is both a street directory and an alphabetical list. The directories of Cookstown and Strabane are arranged under trades while Fintona has an alphabetical list of traders and Dungannon has a street directory. Similar Omagh Almanacs were issued in 1885 and 1888.

1883 - S. Farrell’s County Armagh Directory and Almanac includes street directories for Armagh and Newry but the other towns only have alphabetical lists. There is also a list of judicial rents in Co. Armagh for 1882, showing tenant and landlord but not address.

1887 - In the Derry Almanac and Directory there are both street lists and lists arranged under trades for Londonderry while the other towns are listed under trades only. This Almanac was produced annually from 1891.

1888 - The Book of Antrim by George Henry Bassett is arranged by postal district but omits the city of Belfast. It contains history and local information.

1891 - In the Omagh Almanac there is both a street list and an alphabetical list of the inhabitants of Omagh. Aughnacloy and Drumquin have alphabetical lists only, Augher has a street list only while the other towns have lists arranged under trades only.

1894 - Slater’s Royal National Directory of Ireland has a different layout, being arranged by province as previously, but then alphabetically by parish, town or village. It lists the names of National schoolmasters, police head constables and sergeants, private residents, commercial persons and farmers. It includes every parish in Ireland. There is also a list of magistrates for each county as well as an alphabetical list of the ‘principal seats’ throughout Ireland.

Directories for Towns and Cities listed by County

Co. Antrim Co. Armagh Co. Down Co. Fermanagh Co. Londonderry Co. Tyrone