Historical Directories
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Historical directories are also a great resource in which you can chart the growth of your ancestors' businesses and professions over time.  They also usually have some excellent descriptions of the amenities and services to be found in the principal towns.  Several different versions have existed mostly covering the 19th century.  You will often find them prefixed with the publisher's names e.g. Thom's, Bassett, Slater, Pettigrew & Oulton, Pigot's & Co. spring to mind. FindMyPast probably has the biggest collection of directories on-line to search via their on worldwide subscription (FMP=£);

Shane Wilson also has some excellent free pages for Irish Directories and he has created a searchable Directories Database too.

However, you may also find a few directories available for FREE on-line in a number of guises (see below.)  They may not be indexed to search like those on FMP, but with a bit of dexterity with the text search function or even just settling down for a good read, you may find much buried in their pages to help you paint a picture of late Georgian and Victorian business life in Ireland. 

To browse as e-books and / or download;
Pigot & Co's Provincial Directory of Ireland, 1824
Pettigrew & Oulton Dublin Almanac, 1842
Slater's Commercial Directory of Ireland, 1846
Thom's Irish Almanac and Official Directory, 1850
Thom's Irish Almanac and Official Directory, 1862 (selected city, county & borough transcripts)