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Diane L. Richard goes online in search of the best Internet sites for tracing your Irish ancestor Top Websites For Irish Research!

Remains of the 11th-century Trim Castle in County Meath. The largest Norman castle in .

RESEARCHING YOUR IRISH ancestors then decide which ones work best overview about tracing your Irish is just getting easier and easier! for your purposes and/or budget. Genealogy. The best section on this The last few years have seen an Let me now introduce you to a site is “Irish History.” Learn about explosion on what is more readily mix of 45 free and subscription/ the famine, A History of Ireland; available to those researching Irish pay-per-view websites, large com- 3000BC to 1922, and much more. ancestors — and, many of these mercial ventures and some small resources can be accessed online! personal efforts. What they have in • Sean Murphy’s “A Primer in The following is a summary of common is that any one of these Irish Genealogy” “some” of the online resources that might crack your Irish brickwall. http://homepage.eircom.net/~ you might want to check out when So, sit back, rest your legs and seanjmurphy/epubs/primer.pdf researching your Irish Ancestors! learn about the wonderful world This is a great, easy-to-read This list is not exhaustive! In fact, of online Irish genealogy research. overview on both genealogy and as soon as it’s written, there will the specifics of Irish Genealogy. It probably be a new source that GENERAL RESEARCH INFORMATION will help give you some context could be mentioned! These websites are a mix of tutori- for understanding what records And, some resources, such as als and related resources that are are available (and not) and where the Griffith’s Valuation, are avail- important to your understanding they might be found as you pursue able at multiple sites, whereas oth- of Irish record-keeping and history. Irish ancestry. ers are only available at one. And, Remember that the more you not all Griffith’s Valuation know about these topics, the more • Fianna Guide to Irish Research resources are the same — some likely that your research might be www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~fianna/ might be just an index, one might successful. guide/index.html have a better or easier-to-use Lots of good information on just search engine, one might be linked • Your Irish Roots about any topic related to research- to digitized images, etc. Do www.youririshroots.com ing one’s family that you can think explore the listed resources and This site provides a simple of, as well as some transcriptions

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Top Irish Research Websites of records. that you don’t have to be a mem- Established in 1923 following the ber to access a nice collection of partition of the island into the • Ask About Ireland articles on doing Irish Research — and Northern www.askaboutireland.ie Intro to Research, Starting Your Ireland, the Public Record Office of This site is an initiative of public Irish Research, Records to Search is the official libraries together with local muse- at Home, Problem of Names, Irish repository for public records for ums and archives in the digitiza- Places and Irish History, Digging the six counties of Antrim, tion and online publication of the Deeper in Ireland and Irish Armagh, (Londonderry), original, the unusual and the Sources. And, the Irish Sources Down, Fermanagh and Tyrone. unique material from their local piece provides links to some nice Digital collections (with links to studies’ collections to create a overviews of particular types of digitized images) include The 1912 national Internet resource for cul- documents that may prove useful. Covenant archive and pre- ture. It’s a kind of mix of useful 1840 Freeholder Registers and Poll information about Ireland and IRELAND REPOSITORIES Books. Additionally, an index to researching in Ireland, along with Just like in the US, Canada and the will calendar entries (grants of links to actual resource material. elsewhere, Ireland has a national probate and letters of administra- As a minimum, check out the library, archives, “the keepers of tion) for 1858-1900 is available and Digital Book Collection and the the vital records” and other coun- there are plans to link the index to History & Heritage section — you try-wide resources that are invalu- digitized images of the wills. And, might find those ancestors you are able to the Irish genealogist. there are useful guides, such as the seeking! And, don’t forget to check ones for church records, out the Griffith’s Valuation Index, • The National Archives of Ireland www.proni.gov.uk/guide_to_church www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith- www.nationalarchives.ie _records.pdf and newspapers, valuation/index.xml. Besides the Irish 1901 and 1911 www.proni.gov.uk/newspapers_on_ census records discussed later, microfilm.pdf. • FamilySearch (also see Non- there are other free searchable Commercial Websites with Irish databases, such as the Ireland- • Irish Genealogy Records) transportation database www.irishgenealogy.ie www.familysearch.org (1791-1853). To get the most out of This service of the Department of The long-available (and online) visiting this website, checkout the Tourism, Culture and Sport, con- basic research guides have now page dedicated to genealogical tains a Step-by-Step Guide, The been supplemented with video’s research, www.nationalarchives.ie/ Central Signposting Index (C.S.I) on select topics. Check these out if genealogy/index.html — where there which contains over three million you are looking for a concise and are very useful overviews of the genealogical records from Armagh, informative overview of various various records collections, though Cavan, Derry, Donegal, elements of Irish research and/or note that most records are not Fermanagh, Leitrim, Limerick, want to sit back and enjoy some available online. Mayo, Sligo, Tyrone & Wexford videos. For classic research guides, (details of the included records are at the website, click on the tab • National Library of Ireland at www.irishgenealogy.ie/csi/csi_ labeled “Research Helps.” You will www.nli.ie breakdown.html), and an online find the following (and more) The most valuable resource is its search engine of church records for entries for Ireland — Ireland catalog where you can easily learn Carlow, Cork & Ross, Dublin and 1901/1911 Census Worksheet, about what is available — use a Kerry. For found entries, you can Country/City Maps Register, single interface to simultaneously view a high-quality image of the Research Outline, Historical search across the Library’s printed, church register. Background, How to Find a Place manuscript, visual and digitized Name, How to Find Compiled material. Additionally, there is a VITAL RECORDS Sources, etc. Additionally, there are new digital database — Sources: A Though, anyone born in Ireland is now videos available on such top- National Library of Ireland data- Irish, it is an island governed by ics as Church Records, Civil base for Irish research which con- two distinct governments which Registration and Immigration tains over 180,000 catalogue means that vital records are kept in (Strategies, Famine/Post Famine, records for Irish manuscripts and two different places. Ulster/Scots Irish). To access the articles in Irish periodicals. You videos, on the drop down menu will also find supplementary mate- • General Register Office (GRO) for “Research Helps” click on rials, such as the Newspaper (Republic of Ireland) “Online Classes.” Database, a database of download- www.groireland.ie able Manuscript Collection Lists The GRO in Dublin holds vital • Irish Genealogical Society and more. records for the whole of Ireland International before 1922 (vital records of non- www.irishgenealogical.org/irish_genea • Public Record Office of Northern Catholic marriages began in logical_res_intro.asp Ireland (PRONI) Ireland in 1845; births and deaths, A great feature of this website is www.proni.gov.uk and Catholic marriages in 1864)

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Top Irish Research Websites and for the Irish Republic from resources, ranging from Walker’s pened to live for about 10 years in 1922 onwards. Hibernian Magazine Irish Marriage Ireland, this was the perfect type lists to Freemen of Limerick (1746- of service for my needs! • General Register Office (GRONI) 1836) to items from the 1823 edi- (Northern Ireland) tions of the Connaught Journal and • Irish Family History Foundation www.groni.gov.uk more. www.RootsIreland.ie The GRONI holds all birth & death The new online record research records for Northern Ireland, as NON-COMMERCIAL WEBSITES WITH system of The Irish Family History well as marriages from 1922 IRISH RECORDS Foundation (IFHF) will eventually onwards. Though much of the newest digi- contain almost 40 million Irish tized content available online is via Ancestral records (currently over CLEARINGHOUSES FOR INFORMATION subscription and/or pay-per-view 16 million are available). The abili- Some websites are just great places websites, they are not the only ty to search country-wide into to go and get the “scoop” on what places providing access to tran- Irish birth and baptism, marriage, types of records might exist and scriptions and/or digital images of death, census or Griffith Valuation where you might find them. These original source documents. records is invaluable. You must are a great way to quickly learn register (for free) to use the web- what may or may not survive in • Familysearch site. You can search the indexes for terms of records and what may or www.familysearch.org free — the indexes list surname, may not be available online for Familysearch has updated its first name, year and county. To you to readily access. Classic search engine with a view a detailed record, you can new version that showcases purchase credit online for instant • Genuki new family history technologies access. A great feature is that the www.genuki.org.uk/big/irl that are now ready for prime time! available records are not necessari- Provides links to hundreds of sites As we go to press, the Irish records ly limited to just those of the that might help your ancestral Available include: Ireland Births Roman Catholic Parishes. research. First are listed resources and Baptisms, 1620-1881, Deaths, applicable to all of Ireland. Then 1864-1870, Marriages, 1619-1898 • Irish Ancestors (via Irish Times), you can select a county of interest andCivil Registration Indexes, www.irishtimes.com/ancestor and see an overview of content 1845-1958. This site contains a plethora of particular to that county —some records, organized by county, and online and a lot of offline resources • Fáilte Romhat includes Census, Local history, are listed. www.failteromhat.com Local journals, Directories, This is the personal website of Gravestones, Estate records, • Ireland GenWeb John Hayes and contains a number Catholic records, Civil parishes www.irelandgenweb.com of online Irish databases and tran- and more. You can browse the cur- As is true for the world-wide scribed documents, including Irish rent holdings, by county, at GenWeb projects, you will find Flax Growers List 1796, Land www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/browse. free resource material, organized Owners in Ireland 1876, Pigot & This page is also important as it by county. The material will range Co’s Provincial Directory of provides a gateway to a series of from databases to mailing lists to Ireland 1824, other directory and articles on Emigration and The historical information and much census record collections, cemetery Records, amongst other topics. more. transcriptions and photographs, a searchable Griffith’s Valuation SUBSCRIPTION COMMERCIAL WEB- • Mary’s Genealogy Treasures — (1848-1864), and much more. SITES WITH DIGITIZED IRISH Ireland and Northern Ireland RECORDS www.telusplanet.net/public/mtoll/ PAY-PER-VIEW (FREE SEARCH) Where a typical pay-per-view serv- ireland.htm COMMERCIAL WEBSITES WITH ice allows you some access to A nice collection of links to DIGITIZED IRISH RECORDS indexes of the available material resources grouped under such A typical pay-per-view service and then you can pay to access headings as Archives, BDM, allows you free access to indexes specific documents, a subscription Cemeteries, Census, Church of the available material and then site is one where you purchase a Records, Databases, Directories, you can pay to access specific doc- subscription and then gain unlim- IGI Batch #s, Immigration, Land uments. These are great if you only ited access to the available records. Records, Libraries, Maps, Military, have a very specific record you are Sometimes, there is a “trial” Newspapers, Research Helps, seeking, or only one family branch option, which gives you free access Societies, Surnames, Tax & that might be Irish — basically, for a limited period of time. Electors, Miscellaneous and others. rather than jumping into to a full subscription service that maybe • Emerald Isle Ancestors • A Little Bit of Ireland more than you need, this allows www.emeraldancestors.com www.celticcousins.net/ireland/index.htm you to dabble. For my one lone This website focuses on the Ulster Another nice collection of Scotsman, who in the 1800s hap- region — counties Antrim,

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Top Irish Research Websites Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, that this website also has a pay- the Irish census records, including Londonderry and Tyrone. It con- per-view option. most of the 19th century ones, tains baptism, marriage, death, have NOT survived to the present burial and census records for over • FindMyPast day. Fortunately, the 1901 and 1911 one million Irish ancestors. Most of www.findmypast.co.uk censuses have survived and are the results are indexes or partial Though this site doesn’t currently accessible online. transcriptions. To learn about what have a lot of Irish records, it is in is included, visit www.emerald the process of expanding its collec- • Census of Ireland 1901 and 1911 ancestors.com/databases. tion and it does have two databas- www.census.nationalarchives.ie es that you might want to check These two census collections for all • Irish Origins out: Outbound Passenger Lists for 32 counties in Ireland include digi- www.irishorigins.com long distance travel (encompasses tized images of the original forms. Like the other subscription servic- Irish ports) and Civil Service The 1901 is the earliest surviving es, you will find that new material Evidence of Age records 1752-1948 complete Census of Ireland and is constantly becoming available. (28 percent are Irish born, many enumerates some 850,000 house- Check out the main page to see before civil registration was man- holds. You are able to search on all what resources await you. The site features an Irish Wills Index (1484- 1858), the 1851 Dublin City Census, Irish Royal Garrison Artillery Records, Griffith’s Valuation, Directories of Ireland, Griffith’s Survey Maps & Plans 1847-1864, etc. You will also find some helpful articles at www.origins network.com/Help/resarticles-io.aspx.

• Ancestry.com www.ancestry.com Some of the records currently found in the ever-growing Irish collection include the 1766 Religious census, Irish Marriages, 1771-1812, Irish Passenger lists, 1847-1871 and the Irish Emigrants in North American series, The Royal Irish Constabulary 1816- The Bridge of Tears in West Donegal, Ireland. Family and friends of immi- 1921, Index to Griffith’s Valuation, grants would accompany them as far as the bridge before saying goodbye. 1848-1864, Famine Relief Commission Papers, 1844-1847, dated). And don’t forget to check fields — this means more than just Tithe Applotment Books, 1824- out the “specialist records” tab to names, county, address, age, etc., 1837, Irish Flax Growers List, 1796, see what other Irish research — and includes religion, occupa- Railway Gazette Worldwide records are listed. tion, relationship to head of family, Historical Data, 1860-1930, The literacy status, county or country Public Register or Freemans Journal • Irish Family History Research, of origin, proficien- (Dublin, Dublin, Ireland) and www.irishfamilyresearch.co.uk cy, specified illnesses, and child much more. A smorgasbord of databases can be survival information. Be sure to found on this site — the most pop- read the detailed guide at • Family Relatives ular database features transcrip- www.census.nationalarchives.ie/help/ www.familyrelatives.com tions of gravestones from old about19011911census.html. For a current listing of the Irish churches and graveyards. Other records available, check out interesting databases include the GRIFFITH’S VALUATION www.familyrelatives.com/post_search various directories, electoral regis- This was the first full-scale valua- .php?sr=Ireland. Some of the Irish ters, yeomanry arms lists, tion of property in Ireland and is a records found include Return of landowners lists and more. A full primary substitute for the lost cen- Owners of Land as well as Indexes listing of what’s available (many suses for landed individuals in the to Irish Wills, Quaker Records unique databases only found here) mid-19th century (it also lists any- Dublin Abstracts of Wills, Alumni can be found at www.irishfamily one leasing land from the owner). Dublinense 1593-1846, Irish research.co.uk/dbshortlist.htm. It was overseen by Richard Griffith Immigration records 1846-1850, (hence the name) and was pub- Index to Prerogative Wills of CENSUS RECORDS lished between 1847 and 1864. It is Ireland, select directories, etc. Note For a variety of reasons, many of available, in various forms, at a

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Top Irish Research Websites multitude of websites which have Given an island split under two county to generate a list all of the already been mentioned previous- governments, never mind the large civil parishes, poor law unions, ly. number of churches sometimes and townlands in a particular area. close to a community, complicating COUNTY & REGIONAL-FOCUSED factors of ecclesiastical versus geo- NEWSPAPERS RESOURCES political boundaries and that it’s Newspapers, both those produced As when researching any locale, not unusual to have several locales in Ireland or where the emigrant there are some local groups, indi- in the country that share similar settled, can be very important viduals, authorities, etc., which names, e.g., Miltown Malbay and when researching Irish Ancestry. strive to make their historical Miltown [near] Tulla, both in Given the complexity of Irish records available online. Let’s talk County Clare. Geography is records, you want to have a very about a few of these and make important. good idea of what county and sure that you look and see if your hopefully townland is pertinent. county of interest might also have • Past Homes undertaken such an initiative. www.pasthomes.com • Irish Death Notice Index A collection of the First Edition 6- www.irelandoldnews.com/obits • County Clare inch-scale Ordnance Survey maps An index of 54,500 obituaries of www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/ of Ireland, 1829 and 1843. These people who were born and/or genealogy/genealog.htm are extremely detailed maps of died in Ireland, or whose deaths Having researched my lone Ireland’s townlands. You can pur- were mentioned in Irish newspa- Scotsman with Irish roots who just chase access to individual maps or pers. The actual obituaries are not happened to settle in County take out a one year subscription. necessarily available online. They Clare, you will understand, once have been indexed from newspa- you see this website, why I felt for- • Ireland’s Historical Mapping pers all over the US and Canada, tunate! There is a lot of invaluable, Archive as well as Ireland and elsewhere, freely-available material for those www.irishhistoricmaps.ie/historic including 25,056 entries from The researching County Clare ances- This site provides access to Irish Cork Examiner of the 19th and early tors. maps from 1829-1913, including 20th century, and 1,947 entries the first ever large-scale survey of from the 19th century [New York] • Limerick Digital Archives an entire country, between 1829 Irish-American. www.limerick.ie/DigitalArchives and 1842. You purchase credit to A great collection of unique view the available maps for one • Digital Archive resources have been put online by day, three days, one week, one 1859-2009, the Limerick City Council — these month or one year. www.irishtimes.com/search/index.html include various and unusual This is an archive of the Irish Times, Limerick resources, such as the • Irish Maps Online [via the the newspaper of record for Private Papers and Business collec- National Archives (UK)] Ireland. You can search for free tion [Limerick Chamber of www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ and then access any found articles Commerce 1807-1946, Bedford documentsonline/irishmaps.asp via a one-day, one-week, one- Row Lying-In Hospital, 1868-1971, Digitized collection of early Irish month or one-year subscription Rentals and Particulars of Sale, Maps (c. 1558- c. 1610) from the type. 1808-1923, Devon Estate Rentals, State Papers of Ireland. You can 1774-1893, Fair Rent Tribunal, search and download more than 60 • Irish Newspaper Archives, 1881-1916, etc.,], the City Council different maps depicting planta- www.irishnewsarchive.com and other local government docu- tions, fortifications and townships A subscription service to more ments [Limerick Corporation (Pre- in Ireland during the reigns of than two million pages of newspa- Reform), 1719-1917, Limerick City Elizabeth I and James I. per content for 23 newspaper titles Council Minute Books, 1841-1972, such as: The Freeman’s Journal Commissioners for the • Placenames Database of Ireland (1763-1924), , Improvement of St. Michael’s www.logainm.ie Sunday Independent, The Connaught Parish, 1810-1851, Limerick Union Make sure to click in the upper Telegraph, (1905- Board of Guardians Minute Books, right hand corner on “English ver- 2003), , The Anglo- 1842-1922 and Rate Valuation sion” and you’ll have immediate Celt (1908-2001), The Tuam Herald Books, 1893-1971], as well as burial access to the official translation of and more. records covering 1855-1961 for approximately 100,000 Irish place- Mount Saint Lawrence (Limerick’s names. Some names have sound • Information Wanted: A Database largest cemetery). files associated with them and of Advertisements for Irish sometimes informative notes. Immigrants Published in the MAPS, PLACENAMES, ETC • IreAtlas Townland Database Boston Pilot When researching any place in www.seanruad.com http://infowanted.bc.edu Ireland, make sure you understand Search for a particular Irish place- From October 1831 through “where” your ancestors lived. name, or enter a townland or October 1921, the Boston Pilot

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Top Irish Research Websites newspaper printed a “Missing Friends” column with advertise- ments from people looking for “lost” friends and relatives who had emigrated from Ireland to the United States. This collection of 35,159 records is available as a searchable online database, which contains a text record for each ad that appeared in the Pilot.

EMIGRATING Obviously, many of us are researching Irish records because we had ancestors who had emi- grated from that country to the US or Canada. If you haven’t yet found a passenger record for your Irish emigrant, it is definitely worth the effort to try and do so!

• Irish Passengers Research Guide www.genealogybranches. Old postcard of Dublin, early 1900s. com/irishpassengerlists/ The resource lists created by Joe almshouse, funeral home, letters, birth, marital condition, occupa- Beine are unparalleled in provid- newspapers, as well as a source for tion and whether a member of the ing you excellent guidance about many of those emigrants, over armed forces or reserves. This what records may or may not be 6,000, the Fitzwilliam Estate information (for a fee) can only be available online (and off-line). For Emigration Books (County accessed for those individuals who Irish ancestors, do check out his Wicklow) and more. are deceased and, if like me, you helpful guide on Irish Passenger had parents, grandparents, or records. MISCELLANEOUS grandparents alive — it provides a There are always some sites that great snapshot of your family. • Passenger Records and Ship List defy pigeon-holing. This list fea- - Irish Famine (via the National tures those gems that simply don’t CONCLUSION Archives and Records seem to fit in with the previous After reading this article, trawling Administration) sections, and yet you want to be the Internet, hopefully discovering http://aad.archives.gov/aad/series- sure to check them out. your Irish ancestors and/or possi- description.jsp?s=639 bly other wonderfully relevant If your ancestry includes someone • Irish Mariners databases, I hope you will agree who emigrated during the Irish www.irishmariners.ie that researching your Irish ances- Famine, check out the two data- Contains an index of Irish-born tors is easier-than- ever! Éirinn go bases here, Famine Irish Passenger merchant seamen contained in the Brách! (Ireland Forever!) Record Data File and List of Ships CR10 series of index cards that Arrived at the Port of New (270,000) in the Southampton Civic York During the Irish Famine, both Archives covering the multination dated 1/12/1846-12/31/1851, work force of the British Merchant which collectively contain over Marine during the period from late 600,000 records. 1918 to the end of 1921. If you find a relevant card, you can then order • Irish Famine Migration to New a copy of the found card — many Brunswick, of which contain photos! IG http://archives.gnb.ca/Irish/IWDP/en/ Default.aspx • 1939 “War Time” National Diane L. Richard has been doing What used to just be a list of pas- Register genealogy research for over 23 sengers who traveled from Ireland www.ic.nhs.uk/services/1939-register- years. Besides researching her one to New Brunswick during the Irish service Scottish branch with connections to Ireland she has researched many Famine (1845-1852) has now In 1939, for the entire UK, includ- Irish families for clients. She is expanded to not only include these ing Northern Ireland, all house- Currently a professional passenger records, but it has exten- holds were documented. genealogist and can be found online sive information about the Irish in Information gathered for each per- at www.mosaicrpm.com/Genealogy New Brunswick, including son was their name, sex, date of

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