Free Irish Records on FindMyPast

FindMyPast is one of the best online resources for British and Irish records. You need a subscription to access its collections but they do make a few records available for free.

One free collection is Ireland Roman Catholic Parish Baptisms. Create a free account with FindMyPast and you can search and view these Baptismal records without a subscription.

These records will tell you birth and baptism dates, parents' names, and information on the Parish and Diocese. Note that the records are written in Latin but FindMyPast gives you a handy guide Latin phrases.

This collection is made available from the National Library of Ireland. Most of the records date from the 1850s onward but you may find a few older records as well. 

For more free(ish) online Irish genealogy, try IrishGenealogy.ie, RootsIreland, and the National Archives of Ireland.

Irish Research

Find your Irish ancestors this weekend and search Irish records for free on Ancestry.com in honor of St. Patrick's Day!

Don't know where to start? Ancestry's Irish research guide can help you get started finding records in both the US and in Ireland. The guide also highlights their major Irish collections.

You can also visit the Irish American Heritage Center on Saturday for their St. Patrick's Day Festival. Celebrate Irish culture and visit the IAHC Library for genealogy workshops throughout the day.

The Scots and Irish in Canada

We've got some of the best resources for searching for early Scottish and Irish immigrants in Canada: Some Early Scots in Maritime Canada and Erin's Sons: Irish Arrivals in Atlantic Canada both compiled by Terrence M. Punch.

Punch searched newspaper announcements and passenger lists as well as cemetery, probate, and land records to find references to Scottish and Irish immigrants in Canada. The volumes focus on early populations in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and Prince Edward Island.

Many of these record are only available in Canadian archives and difficult to find so these books provide a valuable resource for early Scottish and Irish research in North America.

Online Irish Workshops

The Ulster Historical Foundation presented seven webinars for the Fountaindale Public Library in March. The library has shared the videos and handouts on their blog.

The Ulster Historical Foundation specializes in Irish genealogy research and programming. The webinars presented at Fountaindale covered such topics as:

• Researching in cemeteries, newspapers, and archives
• Using school records, wills, and the Registry of Deeds
• Famine era emigration

Many thanks to the Fountaindale Public Library for sharing these informative lectures!

Free Irish Resources

For Saint Patrick's Day, all Irish resource collections are free on American Ancestors until March 22. Their databases include information on Irish immigrants in America, Catholic parish records, and some record collections from Ireland. You can also watch webinars and read articles on Irish genealogy. Ancestry.com has made their Irish records free for the weekend as well.

Find even more online Irish resources here.

Irish Research at NEHGS

Search for your Irish ancestors for free at the New England Historic Genealogical Society!

When you create a free account with at NEHGS, you will have access to their Irish records.You can also find ebooks and research guides on Irish genealogy.

Irish Genealogy Resources

Here are some resources to help you find your Irish roots this St. Patrick's Day.

Irish Genealogy Websites:

National Archives of Ireland
Digitized archives include: census records, tithe applotment books (essential for pre-famine research), and soldier's wills.

Irish Genealogy
Sponsored by Ireland's Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, this site contains searchable census, church, and civil registration records particularly for Dublin, and Carlow, Cork, and Kerry counties.

Roots Chat
Irish resources and a help forum for research questions.

From Ireland
A compilation of free Irish resources available online.

Ancestor Search from Irish Times
A history of Irish surnames with interactive maps and resources.

Roots Ireland 
Database of the Irish Family History Foundation. A great resource but you must be a member to search their records.

For more websites, visit the FamilySearch Wiki page for Ireland Genealogy Websites.

Irish Genealogy Resources at GPL:

Erin's Sons: Irish Arrivals in Atlantic Canada

A four volume set based on newspaper notices, regimental records, and petitions for land grants. Includes maps of the areas of peak migration, surnames, and an index of ships.

The Dictionary of Irish Family Names
Includes name etymology, related forms, origins, and geographical distribution.

Irish Genealogy: A Record Finder
Learn where to find census returns, wills, directories, land and law records, and much more.

Tracing Your Irish Ancestors
Perfect for beginners. Describes the basics of research and procedures for finding information.

Find more resources in our catalog.

Irish Resources in our databases:
Use Ancestry Library Edition in the library to access Irish Catholic registers; birth, marriage, and death records; Griffith's valuation; and more.

Irish American Heritage Center

The library at the Irish American Heritage Center will be open from 1-7 pm on Saturday, March 14 for Saint Patrick's Day. Take advantage the library's collection of Irish genealogy resources and volunteer genealogists. Also, enjoy Irish music, dance, crafts, and food at their Saint Patrick's Day Celebration!

Irish Family History Day

This Friday, January 23, celebrate Irish Family History Day with Findmypast!

They will be hosting a free webinar with Irish family historian Brian Donovan. Donovan will be discussing Irish records and can answer any questions you have about Irish research. The webinar will start at 11 AM.

Sign up for the free webinar here.

Local Genealogy Societies

If you're looking to join a genealogical society this year or want to plan ahead for upcoming genealogy programs, here's a roundup of nearby societies and their 2015 events calendars:

North Suburban Genealogical Society
Northwest Suburban Genealogy Society
Chicago Genealogical Society
Lake County Genealogical Society
McHenry County Illinois Genealogical Society
Illinois State Genealogical Society

And don't forget to put the DuPage County Genealogical Society's annual meeting on your calendar!
Or if you're willing to travel, the National Genealogical Society's Family History Conference will be held in St. Charles, MO!

And for ethnic genealogy:

Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois
Polish Genealogical Society of America
Irish American Heritage Center
Afro-American Genealogical and Historical Society of Chicago
Czech & Slovak American Genealogy Society of Illinois
Swedish American Museum
Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture
National Hellenic Museum
Casa Italia

New Irish Records Available

Recently, the Irish Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht allowed all pre-1901 Irish census records to be released online.

You can find the census collection and other searchable Irish archives here. Unfortunately, the pre-1901 census records are not complete. Here's a little bit of information from the Irish Times:

True censuses were taken in Ireland every 10 years from 1821, a full two decades before anywhere else in what was then the United Kingdom.  

By the time the 1911 census had been completed, there were full sets of no fewer than eight censuses in existence, the earliest four transferred to the Public Record Office, the others still held by the Office of the Registrar-General, the body responsible for census-taking after 1851.
Then things started to go horribly wrong. 

First, at some point during the first World War, the Registrar-General ordered the 1881 and 1891 returns to be pulped, for reasons that are still murky. (The 1861 and 1871 returns had already been destroyed, shortly after the censuses were taken, again for reasons that remain unclear.)  

And then, of course, in June 1922 the Public Record Office was destroyed and every single item held in its Strong Room, including the four earliest censuses, was obliterated without trace. 

All that survived of them were the few bits and pieces that happened to be in use in the reading room or out for conservation: 29 parishes in Galway, Offaly and Meath (1821); 42 parishes in Derry (1831); part of Killeshandra (1841); parts of 14 parishes in Antrim (1851).

 So you can't search for census records for all of Ireland but it's still a great collection to have digitized and searchable (for free!) online. The National Archives of Ireland have a lot of other resources on their website to help with your Irish genealogy.

Irish Ancestors

Searching for Irish ancestors this St. Patrick's Day? Try these free online archives:

National Archives of Ireland
Public Records Office of Northern Ireland
Irish Genealogy

Also, search the Irish Records Collections on FamilySearch and visit the FamilySearch Wiki to learn more about tracing Irish ancestors.

European Genealogy Websites

The following links were taken from GenealogyInTime. GenealogyInTime also posts links to genealogy record collections from all over the world that have been recently digitized.

Here are few free European websites that GenealogyInTime included in its 100 Best Websites of 2014 list.

Denmark
Dansk Demografisk Database: Includes Danish census records from 1787-1930, emigration records, probate, church records, and more.

France
GeneaNet: The largest French genealogy database that includes links to online municipal archives and information to help you get started with French research.

Germany
Ahnenforschung: Contains databases, digital archives, dictionaries, and forums related to German genealogy.

Ireland
Irish Genealogy: Online resources, church records, and Irish research tips hosted by the Irish Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht.

The Netherlands
Wie Was Wie: This database includes vital records, population registers, Dutch family trees, and more.

Norway
Arkivverket Digitalarkivet: Digital archive that includes census records, parish registers, property and legal records and much more.
DIS-Norway, Slekt og Data: Norway's largest genealogy organization whose site contains forums, helpful links, and digital projects.

United Kingdom
GENUKI: Online gazetteer, parish maps, and many useful links for UK research.
RootsChat: The UK's largest family history forum.
FreeBMD: Search transcriptions of the Civil Registration Index of births, marriages and deaths for England and Wales.

Several of these sites are in the language of the host county. Google Translate can translate whole webpages into English for you if you need help.

The Gathering: Ireland's Family History Year

According to the latest census information, more than 35.5 million Americans claim Irish ancestry. In fact, more than an estimated 70 million people around the world claim to be of some Irish descent.  In honor of those with Irish heritage, Tourism Ireland has announced 2013 to be Ireland's Family History Year. There are plenty of talks, seminars, clan gatherings and activities scheduled to keep an Irish researcher busy. And in October, you can attend Back to Our Past--a large genealogy conference in Dublin.

Visit The Gathering and Ireland.com for more information about Irish heritage activities and other pertinent tourist information.

If you cannot make it to Ireland this year, a great Facebook page has been created in honor of the event. They have been posting great links to digitized materials and the site hosts expert Q&As where you can send in your Irish family history questions.

ORDERING IRISH CERTIFICATES

ORDERING CIVIL REGISTRATION CERTIFICATES

FOR NORTHERN IRELAND AND THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

Certificates for the whole of Ireland before 1922 are at the Republic of Ireland General Register Office.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
General Register Office
Government Offices
Convent Road Roscommon
Ireland (Eire)

to order by FAX using Visa or MasterCard,:
011-353-90-6632999


NORTHERN IRELAND (1922 to present)
General Register Office
Oxford House
49/55 Chichester Street
Belfast BT1 4HL
Northern Ireland

To order by telephone with Visa or MasterCard:
011-44-289-0252000
Phone: 011-353-90-6632900

http://www.groireland.ie/aboutus.htm has information and forms online/
To order online, or to print application for ordering by mail, go to:
http://www.groni.gov.uk/index.htm

(A photocopy of the register entry is less expensive than a full certificate.)

Ordnance Survey Ireland

Here is information shared by Brian Mitchell of the Derry Genealogy Centre:

"View, free of charge, the historic 19th-century mapping archive of Ordnance Survey Ireland.

Simply pan across the map, select map series (such as Historic 6", Historic 6" B&W or Historic 25") and zoom in to view the townland in greater detail. Historic 6" refers to 6-inch mapping series, both color and greyscale, of 1837-1842, and Historic 25" to 25 inch mapping series, greyscale, of 1888-1913."

(Thank You to Genealogical Publishing Company)

Maps for Irish Research

A New Genealogical Atlas of Ireland / by Brian Mitchell
R911.415 MIT GENEALOGY

This book maps, by county, Ireland's network of civil parishes (Church of Ireland parishes normally conform to the civil parish), Roman Catholic parishes and, for the nine northern counties of Ulster, its network of Presbyterian congregations.

(Thank You to Genealogical Publishing Co.)

Irish Place Names

To gain insight into the economic and social landscape of 19th-century Ireland you can consult A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, published in 1837, by Samuel Lewis.

Arranged in alphabetical order by place, this dictionary provides an overview of the geography and history of Ireland's villages, parishes and towns, as they existed at the time of publication (1837).

(Thank You to Genealogical Publishing Co.)

Townland Location for Irish Genealogy

General Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns, Parishes and Baronies of Ireland, Based on the Census of Ireland for the Year 1851 / by Alexander Thom, Dublin, 1861.
R929.3415 GEN GENEALOGY


This is an important tool for identifying Irish place names.


The Townland Index is a record of townland names, their size and location--by county, barony, civil parish, poor law union, and 1st edition Ordnance Survey map number--as recorded in the 1851 census and as they have been officially spelled and designated ever since.
The "Placenames" search option at www.irishtimes.com/ancestor  enables researchers to search the Townland Index, together with street listings from Dublin, Cork, and Belfast cities, to pinpoint county, civil parish, and poor law union locations for more than 65,000 place names.
(Thank You to Genealogical Publishing Co.)

Top Sites For Irish Genealogy

The website About.Com.Genealogy is featuring Top Web Sites For Researching Irish Ancestors.

Erin Go Bragh!