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Radford Noone Research Service climbing your family tree |
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Ireland |
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Irish Databases & Information on the Internet
Every few months more useful material for Irish genealogy becomes available on the Internet. Because of the very nature of Irish research, be aware that when databases are created, they are indeed major. It is now possible to find extracted records, indexes, reference material, addresses, archive catalogs, and a wide variety of other material useful to help in Irish research. Some of the more important databases I use in my own research are listed below.
Family History Library
The website of the Family History Library (sponsored by the Genealogical Society of Utah) offers free searchable databases of genealogy that members and non-members have submitted. This also includes extractions of some Irish church registers, and the early years of Irish Civil Registration. .If you find an entry of interest, it will be important to realize that your search has only begun. Now you have prove that the entry is correct and is indeed for your ancestor. Be aware that Irish Civil Registration for early years are on the “Prototype” (Beta Version). (see below) Now saying this, be aware that currently the GSU is extracting or scanning original records on microfilm. This is the future of genealogy as we know it. Currently, there is a “prototype” (Beta Version) that has an Irish collection, AND IT IS A MAJOR ONE. This is the indexes to Irish Civil Registration Index (1845-1958). Now you don’t have to go microfilm by microfilm in the indexes looking for what you want. Once you find an entry you want then you can order the certificate or see if it’s on microfilm at the FHL. However, saying this, what is NOT on this valuable index are the Northern Ireland Civil Registration from 1922-1958. This was an omission that has been brought to the attention of library staff.
Ask About Ireland www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml
This is relatively a new website which has excellent maps to the Griffith’s Primary Valuation properties. The maps are of better quality, and are different, than those found at Irish Origins. This is an important website for tracing ancestral property. You can overlay the historic Griffith’s maps (1847-64) with a modern road map and satellite map. The Place Name Search is not the easiest to use. For this reason, if you don’t find the place you are looking for consult another database with a Place Name Search.
Irish Origins
This is a subscription website which has an index and the images of Griffith’s Primary Valuation, and the accompanying Griffith’s maps for the Republic of Ireland. This site also has a will index to the collections at the National Archives, many of which are on microfilm at the FHL. Other databases are also available. This is a major website, and recently it has become free at the FHL. I use it almost on a daily bases.
Placenames Database of Ireland www.logainm.ie/?uiLang=en (for the English version)
This database was developed by The Placenames Branch (Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs). The site also has scanned on it the historical records for the evolution of each place name. There is an Irish version and an English version to this website.
Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet: Ireland and Northern Ireland www.CyndisList.com/ireland.htm
Cyndi's List is always a place to start your search for Internet sites. It can be overwhelming, but remember, this list will have some of the obscure websites and databases that you may not find inventoried anywhere else. The "Ireland and Northern Ireland" page is an extensive catalog. Categories are: General Resource Sites, History & Culture, How To, Heritage Centres, Libraries & Archives, Mailing Lists & Newsgroups, Maps & Gazetteers, Newspapers, People & Families, Research Services, Publications, Queries & Surname Lists, Records, and Societies & Groups. There are also links divided by county. The best way to use this massive inventory is to either be looking for a specific target subject, or a county. Otherwise, you may get bogged down.
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
The PRONI in Belfast has scanned and indexed the names of people who were qualified to vote based upon the value of their lease or land ownership. Records are pre-1840 and are known as freeholder’s lists. Also they have added major directories for Belfast and Ulster (1819-1900), a calendar of wills (1858-1900), and a “Name Search” to various records held at PRONI. The Name Search includes pre-1858 extant wills and fragments and the diocesan administration bonds, the 1740 and 1766 censuses. For Ulster research, make sure you compare what databases are on the PRONI website, which is free, with the Ulster Historical Foundation website which is a membership. Also, do not forget to look at their “Online Guides” such as the Guide to Church Records.
Irish Ancestors on the Irish Times
This site maintained by Irish genealogist John Grenham has extensive reference material for Irish genealogy including featured periodicals with free articles. Place names are searchable countrywide or by city or county. The “Browse” section gives a general overview of some of the records relevant to Irish family history research. You can get a personalized report for a fee. The civil parish maps and the Roman Catholic maps are particularly helpful. As a professional I find myself going back to this site over and over again for the “Surname” search. It gives me the tally of how many households, by surname, can be found throughout Ireland during Griffith’s Primary Valuation (1847-64). It doesn’t break out the parish in the free search, but sometimes it gives you the clues you need to move forward. The other search I use all the time is the Catholic records search. Aside from providing Catholic parish maps for each county, it tells me when the records start and alternative names of the parishes. I compare this with what is on microfilm at the FHL, and then I know if the microfilming is complete or partial.
Irish Family History Foundation
I’m constantly amazed at this website. It’s the umbrella organization for heritage centres in Ireland and Northern Ireland (Irish Family History Foundation). It has links to each organization by county, where their indexes can be searched if they have been added to this website. Currently, most counties have a presence on this website. It doesn’t mean all the records have been indexed. For example, only Catholic records for some counties have been indexed, and not Protestant. So make sure you click on the “detailed list” to see what is in the database for the county you are interested in. The search feature was recently improved to include an Advanced Search where you can use both the father and mother’s name, including maiden name, and narrow the search by parish. This is a good website, and you can get the results automatically for five Euros. There are always cases where you will not find what you are looking for. In these cases I contact the heritage centre to see if they have access to the originals or if they can maneuver the online index differently than I can. This website is good for bringing up variations of surnames.
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