Tracing your Ancestors inin Ireland N O Malin Hd. R T H Rathlin Island Malin C Fanad Hd. Ballyliffen Tory Island Sheephaven Bay Culdaff H Greencastle Inishowen Hd. Fair Hd.A Portsalon Lough Swilly Carndonagh A2 Ballycastle N Dunfanaghy Moville Portstewart Portrush i N Bloody Foreland E Gortahork N56 Buncrana Coleraine Cushendun L Milford A2 i An Bun Beag (Bunbeg) Rathmullen Lough Foyle Cushendall Gaoth Dobhair i Ballymoney N56 Limavady Aran Island (Gweedore) i A29 Bann N13 Carnlough Ailt an Chorráin An Clochán Liath Letterkenny Londonderry Kilrea ANTRIM (Dungloe) Foyle Dungiven (Burtonport) i A2 DONEGAL N14 A5 LONDONDERRY Ballymena Gweebarra Bay N56 N56 Larne Lifford A6 i Glenties Stranorlar i Whitehead Finn Strabane Gleann Cholm Cille N15 Magherafelt Carrickfergus 1 (Glencolumbkille) Ardara Ballybofey Newtownstewart M2 ancestral jigsaw i i Ballyclare Completing the ancestral jigsaw N15 Foyle Completing the Kilcar TYRONE Antrim Bangor Malinmore Cookstown Belfast Lough N56 Donegal Derg A505 A26 i Killybegs L. Derg A5 i Belfast Donaghadee Rossnowlagh Omagh A29 L. Neagh Newtownards i St A32 Dungannon ra Pulsing through Irish veins is an adventurous spirit Donegal Bay i i n A26 g f Ballyshannon Lisburn o Irvinestown i r Lower i d Dromore A5 A4 Hillsborough L M1 . Mullaghmore L. Erne Aughnacloy LurganLagani Bundoran Belleek A32 Portaferry that has inspired millions of Irish people to travel and Portadown A1 N15 L.Melvin Blackwater Tandragee Benwee Hd. Grange i Enniskillen A3 Ballynahinch Downpatrick Hd. Killala Bay Sligo Bay i Banbridge Downpatrick Erris Hd. Drumcliff ManorhamiltonL. Macnean Erne Emyvale Armagh i i roam the globe over the centuries. Their motives ranged A3 A1 Bann DOWN Easkey Strandhill N16 A4 Ballycastle i FERMANAGH ARMAGH Dromahair Monaghan Keady A28 Sligo L.Gill Newcastle St. John's Pt. from the religious fervour of the seventh century Dromore West Derrylin Upper N54 Killala N59 Swanlinbar N54 Clones Newry i Collooney Unshin L. Erne Bangor Erris Inishcrone SLIGO Ballyconnell Castleblayney N59 Crossmolina L. Allen Belturbet MONAGHAN Warrenpoint monks who set out to re-Christianise Europe, to the Deel Ballina Castlebaldwin Cootehill A1 L. Erne Kilkeel Blacksod Bay N57 Tubbercurry Carlingford N59 L. Ballymote Arrow Ballinamore N3 N2 i N4 IRISH Conn N17 Drumshanbo Iniskeen Carlingford L. disillusionment of the Irish nobility who departed in Achill Hd. Keel Foxford L Key L. Oughter Shercock i Dundalk MAYO Moy Boyle LEITRIM Achill Island Charlestown Cavan Carrickmacross Dundalk SEA Mulrany L.Gara N52 Swinford CAVAN Kingscourt Bay the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries after a series N5 Carrick-on-Shannon Newport N5 N55 N3 LOUTH Clare Island Castlebar Ardee Dunany Pt. Clew Bay ROSCOMMON L. Gowna Virginia Dunleer i Westport N60 Knock Strokestown L. Sheelin Blackwater of disastrous wars. Many Presbyterians from the Roonah Quay Granard N52 M1 Castlerea N5 Louisburgh LONGFORD Drogheda Inishturk Claremorris N60 Ballyhaunis Edgeworthstown Kells Slane L. Carra Longford i N60 i N51 Northern counties looked to the New World for the Inishbofin N59 N17 Newgrange Castlepollard Navan Boyne Renvyle Leenáun N83 Roscommon Lanesborough L. Derravaragh N51 Ballinrobe N4 Balbriggan L. Mask N55 Athboy MEATH religious tolerance denied them at home, while other Cleggan Letterfrack N84 Skerries Clonbur Cong Ballymahon Trim N2 M1 Tuam N63 N61 Mullingar Rush Clare L. Ree Clifden Headford N55 i Boyne N3 Lambay N59 Sraith Salach Mount Bellew i Swords Ballyconneely (Recess) L. Corrib WESTMEATH Island adventurous souls left for South America and the N59 N63 L. Ennell Malahide Slyne Hd. Oughterard N17 Athlone Kinnegad Roundstone GALWAY N52 M4 DUBLINHowth i N6 M50 Howth Hd. Moate Maynooth i Dublin Caribbean as seafarers, traders and merchants. The Galway Kilbeggan Athenry Ballinasloe Brosna Clane Dublin Bay An Cheathrú Rua (Carraroe) Salthill i Shannon Edenderry Inverin N6 Tullamore i Dun Laoghaire i KILDARE LiffeyN7 i i 19th century saw the greatest mass exodus from Ireland Ros an Mhil (Rossaveal) Oranmore Tallaght An Spidéal N6 Kilreekill OFFALY Droichead Nua Golam Hd. (Spiddal)Galway Bay Banagher N52 Portarlington (Newbridge) Naas Enniskerry Bray N18 Loughrea Blessington Greystones to America and Australia, driven out by famine, poverty N66 Kilcormac Lacken Inishmore Portumna M7 Shannon Birr N7 Reservoir A i Ballyvaughan Kildare N11 r ATLANTIC a Inishmaan N67 Gort Portlaoise N9 Glendalough and disease. The practice of emigration continued up n Inisheer Doolin Terryglass i Stradbally Ashford I s Lisdoonvarna N62 Wicklow OCEAN l a M9 N81 n d s Athy WICKLOW MountshannonL. Derg Barrow i Wicklow Hd. Hags Hd. Ennistymon N52 Roscrea LAOIS Rathdrum to the middle of the twentieth century, especially to N18 Scarriff Dromineer Abbeyleix Baltinglass Lahinch N7 N78 Miltown Malbay N85 Nenagh Avoca i Tulla N62 Durrow i England. There are up to a million people of Irish Ennis N8 Carlow Tullow Derry N18 Killaloe Arklow N67 CLARE Templemore N77 Castlecomer Donegal Pt. N9 N11 N68 N7 Urlingford descent in Great Britain, many of whose children Kilkee Shannon N18 CARLOW i Gorey Kilrush i i Thurles i Bagenalstown Bunclody Killimer Limerick N8 Kilkenny N10 Courtown N80 and grandchildren are delighted to renew their N69 N20 Holycross Ferns Kilbaha KILKENNY Graiguenamanagh Loop Hd. Foynes TIPPERARY Callan Cahore Pt. Shannon Estuary Adare N10 N9 WEXFORD Ballybunion Tarbert Cashel Rathkeale LIMERICK Enniscorthy ST. GEORGE’S Irish connections. The descendants of all N74 N76 Thomastown Slaneyi Listowel Nore N79 Feale Newcastle West N8 Kerry Hd N21 Tipperary N9 CHANNEL Ballyheige Deale Clonmel New Ross N11 Wexford Bay these disparate groups will be equally N20 Kilmallock Abbeyfeale Cahir N24 Carrick-on-Suir N69 N25 Tralee i Wexford Brandon Point Rath Luirc (Charleville) N8 Suir N24 N25 Bay Tralee N21 Ballyhack Wellington welcomed on the ancestral trail. Mitchelstown i N25 Rosslare Castlegregory N21 Waterford Bridge i Castleisland i Fethard Buttevant Passage East Kilmore Quay Rosslare Camp N73 N25 An Daingean Kanturk Harbour Clogher Hd. N70 N22 N72 Fermoy WATERFORD Tramore Dunmore East (Dingle) Mallow Lismore Cappoquin Carnsore Pt. Killorglin KERRY N72 Blackwater N72 Hook Hd. Killarney i Dungarvan Waterford Blasket Islands Dingle Bay Lakes of Millstreet Watergrasshill N25 Harbour Glenbeigh i N20 Valentia Killarney Youghal CELTIC N71 N22 CORK Island i N8 Cahirciveen Blarney i Ardmore SEA Bray Hd. Macroom Lee N25 Midleton Sneem Kenmare Cork N22 Knockadoon Hd. N71 Cobh Waterville N70 Inchigeelagh Crosshaven Ballycotton Carrigaline Glengarriff Bandon Cork Harbour Kenmare River Dunmanway Cods Hd. Bantry Bandon N71 Kinsale Castletown Bere Clonakilty Bantry Bay Courtmacsherry Dursey Island Bere Island Rosscarbery KILOMETRES N71 i Old Head of Kinsale Schull Skibbereen 020406080km Galley Hd. Dunmanus Bay Baltimore Mizen Hd. Goleen 01020304050mls MILES Clear Island Whilst every care has been taken to ensure accuracy in the compilation of this map, Tourism Ireland cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions Because of the small scale of this map, not all holiday centres can be shown. The information on this map is correct at the time of going to press. © October 2001 Tourism Ireland Photography for cover courtesy of David Cantwell. courtesy for cover Photography 2 FollowingFollowing thethe footstepsfootsteps ofof ourour forefathersforefathers GettingGetting toto thethe rootroot ofof youryour familyfamily treetree 3 If you are planning a trip to Ireland in the near future The first and most important task is to seek out and hope to combine your holiday with a little information from your own immediate family. family history research, now is the time to make good Encourage older relations to recount their stories and preparation. tales. Gather all written material such as letters, wills, diaries, photographs, certificates and other family Before deciding to rush off and book a flight to the documents. Family burial plots should also be visited, land of your ancestors, it is important for you to take as gravestone inscriptions can sometimes yield some time to study the history of your family. In order valuable information. to make good progress with research in Ireland, you must first gather as much basic information as If however, you have no older relatives to consult possible on your ancestor, such as: Ireland. of Library National of Courtesy about family history, or if the family archives do not contain vital clues regarding your Irish born ancestor, 1. Name of ancestor who left Ireland do not be disheartened. It should be possible for you 2. Approximate date of birth to access records within your own country and thus 3. County and parish of origin in Ireland gain the necessary clues to help you further your 4. Religious Denomination research. Civil marriage certificates often contain the 5. Names of ancestor’s Parents names of at least one parent. Gravestone inscriptions 6. Name of ancestor’s spouse, and obituary notices can record valuable information and date and place of marriage such as precise place of origin in Ireland and names of parents. Other clues may be extracted from documents such as naturalisation papers, census returns etc. Courtesy of National Library Ireland. Courtesy 4 GenealogicalGenealogical ResearchResearch inin IrelandIreland 5 Once you have verified the facts of your ancestor’s Once you have taken your search from your homeland Irish origins, you may then enhance the preparation to Ireland, you must decide how you will complete the for your visit by further study of the history of Ireland. research in Ireland. Many people all over the world enjoy conducting their own research and are happy to Today’s technology means that there is a spend their vacation doing so but successful research wealth of information at one’s fingertips. may take a number of years. Information on Ireland and its history can be accessed at the mere touch of a button If you do not wish to conduct your own research via the Internet. One can also avail or spend your entire vacation on research you can of the many videos on Ireland avail of professional research services.