Genealogy Chat

This is a little story of mine which won't be much help but might give a bit a encouragement to how things can turn out sometimes. I've only just started researching my family tree this year and having an irish mother means getting info on that side is very difficult. We were over in Ireland in Mayfor a get together for a family birthday, so while we are there me and my mum decided to visit the village where her mother lived as a child. We looked in the graveyard (that wasn't very big) but couldn't find my great grandparents graves or the grave of their son who we knew was definately buried there. Infact we couldn't find anyone of the family name. So coming out of the graveyard we saw a man walking with his dog down the street, i would say he was about 70 or 80. Mum asked him how long he'd lived in the village and he'd lived there all his life, she explained we were looking for the graves. Hang on he said i'll just get the book, goes into the house opposite (which turned out to be his) and comes out with a book recording all the details of people buried. Names, dates of death and buriel, ages, size of grave, how much the grave cost, even who dug the grave!! He then showed us where the graves where but they didn't have headstones. He also gave us other bits of useful info and has put us in touch with other people that would have known my grandmother. He also informed us that my great grandparents moved to that village from a nearby village after receiving a new farm from the land commission, we wouldn't have had a clue that they came from the other village so would never have thought to look there. Weren't we lucky he just happened to be walking past!!

If you know where in Ireland your relatives came from you can do reasonable research based on parish registers and Griffiths Valuations. Only the centralised records were destroyed in 1922. Localised reocrds still exist.

If you take a look at the home page, there is a heading for Irish Research. It will give you an insight into what is available to search, and where it may be. There are also a few threads about Irish Research on different boards. Don't forget that BMD registrations did not start here until 1864, except for non-catholic marriages, and that little or nothing is kept outside of Belfast and/or Dublin. Paul

Most of my family goes back to Ireland, which is a nightmare to research! I know we all have a good old moan about how heard it is to find stuff out about Irish ancestors but was wondering if anyone had any amazing tips or stories of finding ancestors to help and inspire those of us that are losing the will to live!! Amy x