Genealogy Links
The Mahonys of Yonkers: some fascinating historical O’Mahony articles http://www.tommahony.com/genealogy/
Irish Ancestral Research Association (TIARA) http://www.tiara.ie/
Irish Roots Cafe http://www.irishroots.com/
Irish Genealogical Society International (IGSI) http://irishgenealogical.org/
General Register Office (GRO), Dublin http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/General-Register-Office.aspx
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), Belfast http://www.proni.gov.uk/
Irish Family History Society http://www.mayo-ireland.ie/General/IFHisSoc.htm
National Archives, Ireland http://www.nationalarchives.ie/
National Library, Ireland http://www.nli.ie/
Valuation Office http://www.valoff.ie/en/
UK + Ireland genealogy http://www.genuki.org.uk/
Ireland Ordnance Survey Maps Online http://www.osi.ie/Home.aspx
History Links
Federation of Local History Societies http://www.localhistory.ie/
Irish Brigade Association: Irish history commemorative group http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Brigade_%28U.S.%29
Wild Geese Today: Irish history, emphasis on Irish military history http://thenewwildgeese.com/
Ireland in general
Browse Ireland: directory of Irish sites, search engine for things Irish. http://www.browse.ie/
Other
Researching the history of a house:
https://www.homeadvisor.com/r/a-guide-to-researching-the-history-of-a-house /
Notes from Nora
Presented at the 60th O MAHONY GATHERING – 21st June 2014
Family Group Sheets, Pedigree Charts, etc may be downloaded from http://www.ancestry.com/download/charts
Church: Baptisms, Marriages & Burials
RC – local access / microfilms in National Library, Dublin / online sources: eg www.irishgenealogy.ie
C of I – local access/ RCB Library / microfilms in National Archives, Dublin / some online sources
Other Denominations – local access / religious libraries, eg. Methodist, Presbyterian
Online: www.irishgenealogy.ie [free]; www.rootsireland.ie [payments]
Private collections: eg Frank Thompson Database – 5 RC parishes east of Kinsale – Tracton/Minane Bridge
Civil Registration [Vital Records]: Births, Marriages & Deaths
Local registration offices – see http://www.groireland.ie / http://www.civilregistrationservice.ie
Online: www.familysearch.org – a free site with millions of Irish records, particularly the Indexes to the Civil Registration Births, Marriages & Deaths. Also www.findmypast.ie [subscription]
National Archive of Ireland: www.nationalarchive.ie
Census of Ireland, 1901 & 1911. [The 1926 will not be online until c. 2026]
Tithe Applotment Books, 1823 – 1837
Soldiers’ Wills, 1914 – 1918
Nineteenth Century Census Survivals, 1821 – 1851
Valuation Office House & Field Book, 1848-1860
Census Search Forms, 1841 & 1851
Ca;endars of Wills & Administration, 1858-1922
National Library of Ireland: www.nli.ie
Catholic parish registers - microfilm
property records such as estate papers and maps
newspapers directories
published family histories
local history society publications
all books published in Ireland
Photographic collections
Also …..Free on-site access to subscription sites: eg
Irish Times Digital Archive
19th Century British Library Newspapers
Dictionary of Irish Biography
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
Burke's Peerage The Times Digital Archive
House of Commons Parliamentary Papers
Irish Origins
Always consult the web pages of your ancestral county libraries.
Some are excellent for family history
Many county libraries have computer access to the archives of local papers, etc.
www.griffiths.askaboutireland.ie
The mid-19th century land tax / rate record – essential research, with maps
One importance aspect of the Valuation information is the access to the actual 6 inch townland maps, showing all the buildings and fields. These are the original OS maps, which the engineers marked the various holdings in the townland, and linked them with the numbers in the first column. The Valuation / Cancellation Books [available through the Family History Centres of the LDS church] show the various taxpayers of each property to almost the present day. These are not online yet, but maybe in the future.
Wonderful source for all manner of Irish resources, including books, eg
Coyne & Bartlett: The Scenery and Antiquities of Ireland
Cole: Memoirs of a Geological Survey of Ireland
Grierson: A Natural History of Ireland
Joyce: Irish Names of Places
Lewis: A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland
Luckombe: A Tour through Ireland
Otway: A Tour of Connaught
Scale: Hibernian Atlas
Taylor & Skinner: Map of the Roads of Ireland, surveyed 1777
Trotter: Walks through Ireland
Twiss: A Tour of Ireland
A website set up by two experts in the field of family history: Eneclann, an award-winning research and publishing house with extensive experience in family history in Ireland, and findmypast, a leading family history website, initially launched in the UK.. [Payment].
If you are also looking for English/Welsh ancestors it might be better to join www.findmypast.co.uk.
Look for online activity in your ancestral county, for example:
http://www.corkrecords.com & http://corkgen.org
http://www.corkgenealogicalsociety.com Cork Genealogical Society
Other helpful websites include http://www.bandon-genealogy.com
Registrar of Deeds & Land Records
http://www.landregistry.ie - Names Index:- is an index of the persons who disposed of an interest in property i.e. by way of conveyance, mortgage, lease etc.
Townland Index:- is an index of all transactions compiled in order of Names of Townland affected (discontinued in 1946)
All the documents of the Registry of Deeds from 1708 are on LDS microfilm, and so can be consulted in your local Family History Centre – see https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/results?count=20&query=%2Bkeywords%3ARegistry%20%2Bkeywords%3Aof%20%2Bkeywords%3ADeeds
Landed Estates
Estate papers can provide much information about tenants, leases, holdings and agriculture. Some of these collections are in the County Record Offices of the UK; others are in the PublicRecord Office of Northern Ireland [PRONI]. More are still in private hands. NUIGalway published a database for Connaught and Munster estates: www.landedestates.ie/
Maps – Ordnance Survey of Ireland
http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer: Both historic 6” and modern maps
University Collections, eg.Trinity College, Dublin – TCD:
Many online manuscripts, eg 1641 Depositions - http://www.1641.tcd.ie & 1851 Dublin City Census
http://www.bureauofmilitaryhistory.ie - The Bureau of Military History
Information includes the Witness Statements of The Troubles, Army Census 1922?
www.historicgraves.com – includes many in West Cork
A work in progress – a nationwide project, plotting, photographing and transcribing all headstones
NOTE: Do not forget the British Dimension in Irish research
www.proni.gov.uk – a must for those with Northern Irish ancestry
Wills & Probate, 1858-1943 1912 Ulster Covenant
Freeholders’ Records 19th cent street directories, etc.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk - National Archives of the UK at Kew
Military records, Royal Irish Constabulary [RIC], Naval, Coastguard & Merchant Marine
http://www.cwgc.org – Commonwealth War Graves Commissions
A record of those who commemmorated during the two World Wars, including civilians.
A section of FreeUKGEN family, including Census data and Parish Registers
fee paying resource for England & Wales, BMDs & Census, etc
a virtual reference library of genealogical information of particular relevance to the UK and Ireland.
It is a non-commercial service, maintained by a charitable trust and a group of volunteers.
Use this website to search: 300,000 births, baptisms, marriages, deaths and burials in the India Office Records; biographical notes from a variety of sources.
http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
the resource for all Scottish records – fee paying
a pay site, but be careful, as the search engine is expansive and some of the Irish material on this site is available free elsewhere, eg. www.familysearch.org
Other Webpages of Irish Interest
There are many, many more
www.buildingsof ireland.ie
Nationwide architectural survey
online journals - access free with a subscription to History Ireland
https://www.irishnewsarchive.com
including most of the local newspapers – fee paying, but check availability in your local library
http://www.rte.ie/centuryireland
Various news clippings, in collaboration with Boston College
60th O MAHONY GATHERING – 21st June 2014
A RESEARCH PROGRAM TO FIND & IDENTIFY YOUR EMIGRANT ANCESTOR
Marriage Certificate:
LEGAL records firstly, because there is usually more family information than in the Church records, especially names of parents – and possible location in Ireland clues. CHURCH records are usually less informative.
Death Certificate:
Names of Deceased Parents; Probably Age of Ancestor but mostly this is incorrect
Funeral Director
Burial Place
Newspaper Obituaries-- and be sure to read all the newspapers published in the locality
Census:
Gives information such as years of entry into the USA and naturalization. NB: ALL possible censuses should be found to compare ages and answers to questions
Naturalization:
The Petition, rather than Declaration of Intention, or the final grant. This application - stage two of the process - is often the only place where the locality information is shown. The townland will probably be spelled phonetically, so care will be needed to identify the name correctly. Use any available index to the townlands of Ireland, now on
microfiche [1901] and reprinted [1851]
Shipping Lists:
Many emigration lists are now available on fee-paying web sites, such as Ancestry.com. The earlier shipping lists do not show location of origin, but the port of embarkation.
Check published sources, such as the William Filby volumes, Glazier’s Famine Emigrants, the NEHGS series Missing Friends [now online from Boston College http://infowanted.bc.edu/], and a new publication, Irish Relatives & Friends: From ‘Information Wanted” Ads in the Irish-American, 1850-1871. GPC, 2001
Remember that Ellis Island was not opened until 1892 and it closed in 1924.
The Castle Garden records, 1830-1912. http://www.castlegarden.org/
Remember: Irish emigrants also landed at Boston, Philadelphia. New Orleans, and Canada. See: http://goo.gl/1NeFO for Canadian emigration information.
Headstones & Graves:
Often the only place where the locality of origin is listed. If damaged - repair them. [Believe me, this has worked!]
Family:
Talk to ALL Relatives, young or old; check and cross-check the stories you are told.
No one will tell you the exact same information.
Miscellany:
Were any of the emigrant’s siblings in religion? If so, check the archives of the order or diocese to see if the baptismal certificate has survived.
Search through all available photographs and family papers; it is surprising where there are clues to location, such as a family poem, a song or story.
Search Documents, Wills, Leases, Family Bible
Memories of any visitors from Ireland? Any letters from Ireland?
ANY, ANY, ANYTHING, eg:
Words used in speech can identify a location. Photographs (style of dress, etc.)? Family poetry? You may have the vital location among your family information and folklore without realising it.
REMEMBER: Send exact copies of your documents to the genealogist, if you are consulting one, rather than you analysis of researches. There could be clues there in that you have ignored.
IMPORTANT: There are two rules: If it seems easy, it ain’t!
Think outside the box.
THERE IS HELP NEARBY:
Consult your local library/telephone book for:
[1] Local/county/state Genealogical Society or Family History Society
[2] Nearest Family History Centre [under Church of the Latter Day Saints]
The INTERNET:
Use the Internet - but be sure what you are collecting is good information about your ancestor.
NB: Check it with all other possible sources, particularly the original records.
N O R A M. H I C K E Y
Church Square, Kinsale, Co. Cork.
Tel: +353 21 477 3679 Email: nmhickey2014@outlook.com
Updated 29 August 2024