Ireland Research Outline
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Ireland Research Outline Table of Contents Introduction Ireland Search Strategies Records At The Family History Library Familysearch™ The Family History Library Catalog Archives And Libraries Biography Cemeteries Census Church Directories Church History Church Records Church Of Ireland Records Catholic Records Presbyterian Records Methodist Records Quaker (Society Of Friends) Jewish Records Other Churches Locating Church Records Civil Registration General Historical Background Information Recorded In Civil Registers Locating Civil Registration Records Court Records Directories Emigration And Immigration Gazetteers Genealogy Heraldry History Land And Property Language And Languages Maps Military Records Names, Personal Naturalization And Citizenship Newspapers Nobility Occupations Periodicals Poorhouses, Poor Law, Etc. Probate Records Schools Societies Taxation Other Records For Ireland For Further Reading Comments And Suggestions INTRODUCTION This outline introduces records and strategies that can help you discover your Irish ancestors. It teaches terms associated with Irish genealogy and describes the contents, uses, and availability of major genealogical records. Use this outline to set meaningful research goals and to select the records which will help you achieve them. Usually, you will need to know the specific parish or town in Ireland where your ancestor was born before beginning your Irish research. Tips for finding your ancestor's place of origin are in the “Ireland Search Strategies” section of this outline. You will also need some basic understanding of genealogical research procedures before you begin to look for your ancestors. To help you understand the basics, the booklet, Guide to Research, are available at the Family History Library and at Family History Centers. Using This Outline Since several factors can affect your choice of records to search, this outline will help you evaluate the contents, reliability, availability, ease of use, time period covered, and the likelihood that your ancestor will be listed in these records. The “Ireland Search Strategies” section explains the basic steps to follow to effectively research your Irish family history. This section is particularly valuable if you are just beginning your research. The “Records Selection Table: Ireland” helps you select records to search. The section “Records at the Family History Library” describes the library's Irish collection. The “Family History Library Catalog” section explains how to use the catalog to find specific records in the library's collection. This outline discusses in alphabetical order the major records used in Irish research. The records are discussed in this outline under the same subject headings they appear under in the Family History Library Catalog. For example, you will find Tithe Applotment books discussed in this outline under the heading “Taxation,” and you will find the library's holdings of Tithe Applotment records listed in the Family History Library Catalog under the same heading. Related records and concepts are discussed under the same outline heading. For example, parish registers, marriage licenses, and vestry minutes are discussed under the heading “Church Records.” This outline discusses many but not all sources of Irish genealogical information. At the end of the outline, in the section entitled “Other Records for Ireland,” you will find a brief list of additional Family History Library Catalog headings under which you can find Irish genealogical information. In the “For Further Reading” section you will find a short bibliography of other sources on Irish research. IRELAND SEARCH STRATEGIES Step 1. Identify What You Know about Your Family Begin your research with family and home sources. Look for names, dates, and places in certificates, family Bibles, letters, obituaries, diaries, tombstones, and similar sources. Ask your relatives for information they may have. It is possible that your second cousin, great-aunt, or other relative already has some family information. Organize the information you find and record it on pedigree charts and family group record forms. Step 2. Decide What You Want to Learn Select a specific relative or ancestor born in Ireland for whom you know at least a name, the town or parish where he or she lived in Ireland, and an approximate date when he or she lived there. Additional information, such as your ancestor's religion and the names of other family members, will also be helpful. If you do not have enough information on your Irish ancestor, review the sources mentioned in step one that may give your ancestor's birth date and birthplace or date and place of residence. See also the “Records Selection Table: Ireland” or the Tracing Immigrant Origins Research Outline for more suggestions on how to find this information. Next, decide what you want to learn about your ancestor, such as parents' names or marriage date and place. You may want to ask an experienced researcher or a librarian to help you select a goal that you can achieve. Step 3. Select a Record to Search Effective researchers first search for background information. Next they survey compiled records. Then they search original documents. Background Information Sources. Learning about the geography and history of Ireland will save you time and effort by helping you understand the circumstances that influenced both the lives of your ancestors and the records written about them. In studying the history of Ireland, for example, you will learn that there was a civil war in Ireland in 1921 and 1922 that caused the creation of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. To gain necessary background information, do the following: • Learn about parishes or townlands of your ancestor's residence. Examine maps, gazetteers, particularly townland indexes, and other place-finding aids to learn as much as you can about each of the places where your ancestor lived. Record the names of governmental and ecclesiastical jurisdictions; nearby parishes, cities, and counties; and other geographical features. See the “Gazetteers” and “Maps” sections of this outline for more specific sources that can help you find this information. • Review histories. Study a history of the specific area where your ancestor lived. Look for clues about the people, places, religions, and events that may have affected your ancestor and his or her records. For example, you may read that French Huguenots immigrated to Ireland and settled in a particular county. If your ancestor was a Huguenot, this would suggest that you might find your ancestor in that county. Sources that you can read to learn of such migrations, settlement patterns, government jurisdictions, and historical events are described in the “Church History,” “Gazetteers,” and “History” sections of this outline. • Learn about Irish jurisdictions. You will need to know about Irish civil and ecclesiastical boundaries. A brief overview of Irish jurisdictions can be found in “Historical and Administrative Divisions of Ireland,” in Donal F. Begley, ed., Irish Genealogy: A Record Finder (see “For Further Reading”). For more information about Irish jurisdictions, see the “Gazetteers” section of this outline. Previous Research Sources. Check for research done previously by others. This can save you time and reveal valuable information. Consult: • Printed family histories and genealogies. • The International Genealogical Index. • Ancestral File. • The Family Group Records Collections. • Biographies. • Compiled Irish pedigrees. • Family history societies' lists of members' interests. Records containing previous research are described in the “Biography” and “Genealogy” sections of this outline. Remember, information in previous research sources may contain some inaccuracies. Verify it by checking original documents when possible. Original Records. After surveying previous research, you will be ready to search original documents. Many of these documents have been copied on microfilm or microfiche. Original documents can provide dependable, firsthand information recorded at or near the time of an event. To do thorough research in original documents, you should search records of: • Your ancestor's church in each place he or she lived. • The jurisdictions that may have kept records about your ancestor (parish, city, county, and country). This outline will describe many types of original documents. Most Irish researchers, however, begin with the following types of records: • Civil registration • Church records • Land records • Probate records Step 4. Find and Search the Record Suggestions for Obtaining Records. You may be able to obtain the records you need through the following places: • Family History Library. You are welcome to use the records at the Family History Library. The library is open to the public, and there are no fees for using the records. If you would like more information about the library's services, write to the following address: Family History Library 35 North West Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84150-3400 USA • Family History Centers. Copies of most of the microform records at the Family History Library can be loaned to more than eighteen hundred Family History Centers worldwide. Small duplication and postage fees are charged for this service. The library cannot lend its books to the centers, but copies of many books not protected by copyright are available on microfilm or microfiche. To get a list of the Family History Centers near you, write to the Family History Library. • Archives and churches.