The Fourth Edition of John Grenham’s popular Tracing Your Irish Ancestors was published in 2012. However, the 605 page volume is still considered the “Bible” of Irish genealogy by many. First printed in 1992, this 4th Edition truly embraces online research. The reader will find spread throughout this book a detailed guide to Irish online records. Grenham covers idiosyncrasies found in digital versions of records as well as helping the reader outline research strategies. The volume and depth of records and research materials is nearly overwhelming, but Grenham has clearly done his homework in identifying some of the best resources, explaining these records, and showing where and how to find them; whether, the records are online, in library, in museum, at an institute, or archive.
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The author suggests, “genealogical research in Ireland has always depended on records that are more fragmented, localized and difficult to access than anywhere else.” Those struggling to find ancestral records in other countries might disagree, but there is no denying the difficulties many face tracing their Irish ancestors to the Emerald Isle. In many ways, this edition is the result of governments, libraries, archives and institutions recognizing genealogists are among their largest and most fervent constituents. Digitizing records in the past was largely an amateurish undertaking with little direction or cohesiveness. Now, more than ever, theses groups and agencies recognize the need for organized and directed digitization projects. All this has led to a dramatic increase in available resources for the researcher.
As with all professional genealogists, Grenham suggests you save time and effort by beginning your research at home. Collect all the family documents you can. Interview family members to learn names and locations. Use this information as your true jumping off point in search. From there the researcher can select where to begin in country research. For example, the book points out that descendants of Catholic tenant-farmers may need to learn when the starting date was for the local parish. This will help provide a parameter in years in which one may expect to find certain documents. With the Internet so readily available, begin ones research online makes sense. Many great research sites provide access to vital records and other key documents; including, National Archives of Ireland, sites www.irishgenealogy.ie and www.rootsireland.ie, and the National Library of Ireland. These are just the beginning of all the sites available today.
The first few chapters cover different record types in detail. Other chapters focus on using the Internet for research, emigration, and additional sources of information like newspapers and directories. The final two chapters look at records and resources by county and by parish. A word of advice to the reader: don’t forget to review the Abbreviations section up front. This is your guide to the resources listed throughout the book.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
List of Illustrations
Preface to the Fourth Edition
Introduction
- Where to start
- What you can expect to find
- Starting research online
- U.S. sources for identifying Irish place of origin
- Canadian sources for identifying Irish place of origin
- Australian sources for identifying Irish place of origin
- British sources for identifying Irish place of origin
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Chapter 1: General Register Office Records
- History
- Access in the Republic
- Access in Northern Ireland
- the Mormons
- Information recorded
- Genealogical relevance
- Research in the indexes
- GRO research online Research techniques
- Living relatives
- Late registrations, army records etc.
- Using civil records with other sources
Chapter 2: Census Records
- Official censuses in Ireland
- 1901 and 1911
- Nineteenth-century census fragments
- Census substitutes
- Sixteenth and seventeenth centuries
- Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries
- Various dates
Chapter 3: Church Records
- The parish system
- Roman Catholic records
- church of Ireland records
- Presbyterian records
- Methodist records
- Quaker records
- Jewish records
- What’s online?
Chapter 4: Property and Valuation Records
- Irish placenames
- Tithe Applotment Books
- Griffith’s Valuation
- Using Griffith’s online
- Other indexes to Griffith’s and Tithe Books
- Valuation Office records
- Estate records
Chapter 5: The Internet
- Research online
- Sources online
- Starting points
- Discussion groups
- Geography
- Surname sites
- Archives and libraries
- Online family trees
- Commercial sites
- Commissioning research
- Lost websites
Chapter 6: Wills
- Part 1: Background
- Part 2: A reference guide
Chapter 7: The Genealogical Office
- Genealogical Office records
- Research in Genealogical Office manuscripts
Chapter 8: Emigration and the Irish Abroad
- Africa
- Australia
- Europe
- India
- North America
- Canada
- Mexico
- USA
- West Indies
- South America
Chapter 9: The Registry of Deeds
- The scope of the records
- Registration
- The indexes
- The nature of the records
Chapter 10: Newspapers
- Information given
- Persons covered
- Dates and areas
- Locations
- Indexes
Chapter 11: Directories
- Dublin directories
- Countywide directories
- Provincial directories
Chapter 12: Occupational Records
- Part 1: Army, lawyers, medics, clergy, teachers
- Part 2: Checklist of sources
Chapter 13: County Source List
- Census returns and substitutes
- The internet
- Local histories etc.
- Local journals
- Gravestone inscriptions
- Estate records
- Placenames
- Antrim
- Armagh
- Carlow
- Cavan
- Clare
- Cork
- Derry/Londonderry
- Donegal
- Down
- Dublin
- Fermanagh
- Galway
- Kerry
- Kildare
- Kilkenny
- Laois (Queen’s County)
- Leitrim
- Limerick
- Longford
- Louth
- Mayo
- Meath
- Monaghan
- Offaly (king’s County)
- Roscommon
- Sligo
- Tipperary
- Tyrone
- Waterford
- Westmeath
- Wexford
- Wicklow
Chapter 14: Roman Catholic Parish Registers
- Antrim
- Armagh
- Belfast
- Carlow
- Cavan
- Clare
- Cork East
- Cork North-West
- Cork South-West
- Derry/Londonderry
- Donegal
- Down
- Dublin
- Dublin City
- Fermanagh
- Galway East
- Galway West
- Kerry
- Kildare
- Kilkenny
- Laois (Queen’s County)
- Leitrim
- Limerick East
- Limerick West
- Longford
- Louth
- Mayo
- Meath
- Monaghan
- Offaly (King’s County)
- Roscommon
- Sligo
- Tipperary North
- Tipperary South
- Tyrone
- Waterford
- Westmeath
- Wexford
- Wicklow
Chapter 15: Research Services, Societies
- Repositories and Publishers
- Research Services
- Societies
- Repositories
- Publishers
Index
Order Tracing Your Irish Ancestors from Family Roots Publishing; Item #: GPC2386.