Ireland
The Emerald Isle where leprechauns, fairies and magic waters and wells reside. And, the land where millions of folks emigrated to new lives in America, Canada and Australia, leaving behind poverty, religious strife and discrimination, only to find great new challenges in their new land. Left behind were the records of their lives and that of their ancestors. Reach back and learn about their lives, where they lived and loved. Happily, many records of the past still exist and can be found online, but it is a strange, complicated land. Below are short descriptions of my various presentations on Irish topics.
Hands On Ireland
A one-hour presentation aimed at the beginner level of Irish interest. This session catalogs an 18-day trip to Ireland with deep dives into the archives, first in Dublin and then in Belfast. Included are Dublin side visits to Trinity College, the Guinness Brewery and the new high-tech Epic Museum dedicated to the Great Famine. In Belfast, we also toured PRONI and the nearby Titanic Museum. We visited a country church and had the warden open the church safe to capture pages and pages of family records. We were invited for tea at the country home where my grandmother and my father were born. Finally, we became tourists for a few days with a trip to Connemara on the west coast before returning to Dublin, stopping at four castles on the way.
Intended audience: Beginner
Handout: Click Here
Ireland’s Griffith’s Valuation
A one-hour “How To” presentation aimed at the intermediate Irish researcher. This session catalogs three specific examples of how to access these online land tax records which cover the period from 1847 to 1864 where no census records exist (due to the catastrophic fire in Dublin during the civil war of 1922). How to attack the much-tangled Irish land jurisdictions will help anyone interested in Ireland. Attendees should be able to search on their own at the end of this session which includes a live search example.
Intended audience: Intermediate
Handout: Click Here
Ireland’s Tithe Applotment Records
A 45 minute “How To” presentation aimed at the intermediate researcher. This session provides examples of how to access these highly contentious land tax records which were intended to provide funding for the Church of Ireland. Everyone was taxed! Even if they supported another church! The records cover the period from 1823 to 1837, prior to the Great Famine where no census records exist.
Intended audience: Intermediate
Handout: Click Here
Ireland’s Name Books
A “How To” on accessing the mountain of documents produced as a byproduct of the Griffith’s Valuation, specifically the Name Books which detail the source, the variations and background of over 64,000 place names throughout Ireland. The books also include sketches, building details, genealogies, letters, and discussions on related topics. These books are a little-known treasure of Irish history.
Intended Audience: Intermediate
Handout: Click Here
Ireland's Thom's Directories
Another "How To" access the thousands of directory records of Ireland. The records cover the period approximately
from 1844 tgo 1945. These records encompass a broad variety of categories including:
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Parliamentary Directory
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Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage Directory
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Naval and Military Directory
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Statistics of Great Britain and Ireland
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Government Offices' Directory
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University, Scientific and Medical Directory
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Law Directory
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Ecclesiastical Directory
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Banking Directory
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Postal Directory
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County and Borough Directory
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Lieutenancy and Magistracy of Ireland
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Post Office Dublin City and County Directory
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Listings of landowners of 1,000 acres upwards
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Several hundred pages detailing various state officials.
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Civil, military, and religious officials
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Listing of clubs, societies, and institutions.
Intended Audience: Intermediate
Handout: Click Here