A significant number of Americans feel the urge each year to find out exactly who their Irish ancestors are. And those who are prepared to make the effort, can find themselves involved in a fascinating hobby.
One of the many joys of family research is that it allows you to put your family into a historical context. A great number of the Irish in America are there because of events of history that caused their ancestors to leave Ireland. Finding out what those events were and what part your ancestors may have had in them is where the fun comes in.
Ironically, because most people get the urge to research their ancestors later in life, the elder members may not be alive to help in the teasing out of family associations. Many researchers spend precious hours in archives trying to answer the questions which their parents or grandparents could have answered immediately had they been asked.
Therefore, the first message to the interested researcher is a simple one. Ask your relatives, in particular the elderly members, what they know about the family ancestry. Combine information with any that you know yourself and note it down.
Give copies to various members of the family. Even if there is nobody interested in doing the research at the moment, the chances are that there will be in time.
Perhaps reading your information may even spark off that interest!
Before you try to find the roots of the family in Ireland, you must first trace the American history of the family, which can be no less fascinating. By using the very extensive U.S. networks of societies, databases and research periodicals, you can have literally hundreds of researchers all over America helping you in your search for your roots. Having worked back to the immigrant ancestor, some researchers find it difficult to establish where in Ireland an ancestor may have come from. Shipping or naturalization records may only state “Ireland” rather than a specific part of Ireland. This is a major problem if your name is a widespread one such as Murphy or Ryan.
The common nature of such names makes it very difficult to determine precisely where any individual may have originated. If the name is relatively rare, then some progress may be possible by searching general Irish records from the period at which the ancestor left Ireland.
For ancestors with common names, perhaps the best option is to research further on the U.S. family until you find a reference to the place of origin. This may not be in the records generated immediately after arrival. You should also look at the obituaries, biographies or gravestone inscription of the immigrants, or even of their children, since these will often contain more information than the official records.
Presuming that you can make a connection with a particular part of Ireland, your options for research are various. There are several guidebooks available which describe the various records available and how best to use them. These include Irish Records-Sources for Family & Local History, available for $34.50, from Ancestry Inc., P.O. Box 476, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110; and Irish Genealogy A Record Finder, by Donal Begley, for $25.00, available from Heraldic Artists, Nassau Street, Dublin 2, Ireland.
If you wish to do as much of the research as possible yourself, you can go to one of the excellent archives that are available in the USA. In particular must be mentioned the “Mormon” or LDS Libraries. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) maintains the finest single collection of genealogical material anywhere in the world. This collection, based in Salt Lake City, is also accessible through branch libraries in many parts of the USA.
There are also other excellent archives and collections available depending on where you live —ask at your local library.
If you have exhausted the sources of American material, then you may need to use the Irish sources. To do so you obviously need to either visit yourself, or else hire an Irish researcher.
Those who wish to learn about Irish records and how to use Irish archives, may be interested in attending one of the six-day courses held in Dublin by Irish Ancestry Research Courses, Stratford House, Barnhill Road, Dalkey, County Dublin which are run each fall.
Heritage centers are a relatively recent development located in many Irish counties. Their strength is that they have indexed on computer some of the major local records, particularly the church records.
The longer-established centers have also moved on to indexing of other types. The list of current heritage centers is given in Table 1.
The types of records available for researching Irish ancestry are many and various. For the period before civil registration begins in 1864, the most significant single source is church records. However, the start date of these records varies and most begin after the 1820’s. There are other sources including land records, tenant lists, commercial directories, local censuses, gravestone inscriptions, deeds, etc. The books above will provide a description of what these are and how they can be used.
Because comprehensive national records are sparse, concentration on local records in a particular area can be very rewarding.
There is extensive interest in local history in Ireland and consequently there are many local history journals. Some of them have been publishing for over a century and contain a vast amount of information about the area of origin of your ancestor. Knowing as much as possible about that area is a significant advantage in finding the relevant records.
Whether or not you have found your Irish family “on paper,” you may be interested to meet some of your fellow clansmen in person. An excellent opportunity is provided by the Clan Gatherings which are an increasing feature of the Irish tourist season. These clan gatherings are organized by committees of clan members, and usually occur at some venue that is historically associated with the clan. Some of the 1991 clan gatherings are detailed in Table 2.
In May 1992, a major gathering of clans, the Irish Ancestors Homecoming Festival is planned. This will be a program of events associated with different clans at different venues around the country. Details on these clan gatherings, and the 1992 festival, are available from the Clans of Ireland Office, c/o Genealogical Office, 2 Kildare Street, Dublin 2, or from the Irish Tourist Board in New York Tel. (212) 418-0800 ог 800-223-6470.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in the May 1991 issue of Irish America. ♦
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