In Ireland, civil registration of births, marriages and deaths did not start fully until 1864 and, unfortunately, most Irish census records and parish records prior to 1900 have not survived. UK civil registration records began in 1837 and there are good census records back to 1841. Prior to this date one needs to rely on the limited surviving parish records. However, there are often other alternatives, including DNA testing. The following is a list of the main sources of family history data that the author has found useful.
UK birth, marriages and death index, 1837 onwards(free, online searchable database)
Most of the UK civil registration indexes for births, marriages and deaths up to about 1940 have been
transcribed by volunteers and are available to search on-line for free at www.freebmd.org.uk. The
current coverage by year can be checked at http://www.freebmd.org.uk/progress.shtml
UK census records 1841 onwards(free, online searchable database)
The UK census records for 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, and 1891 are being transcribed by volunteers nd
are available to search on-line for free at www.freecen.org.uk. You can check the current database
coverage by year and county at http://www.freecen.org.uk/statistics.html
1881 UK census(free, online searchable database)
The 1881 census records are available to search on-line for free at Family Search. This facility is
maintained by the LDS church.
1911 UK census
The 1911 census records have recently been made available on-line. However, this is a commercial
site run in conjunction with the National Archives. It is free to search for the names, but costs about
£3 to view each record.
UK Parish records(free, online searchable database)
The available UK parish records are being transcribed by volunteers and are available to search on-line
for free at freereg.rootsweb.com.
Family Search (LDS)(free searchable database, including some Irish data on-line)
Many parish records are on microfiche only, and can be ordered to view at your local LDS center for a
nominal fee.
New Family Search facility from LDS focused on genealogy(free searchable genealogical database)
This is being continuously updated with a range of world-wide genealogical records including Ireland,
UK and USA. Now includes the Irish civil registration records 1845 - 1958.
Ellis Island USA immigration records(free, online searchable database) Most immigrants entering New York from 1892 to 1924 are recorded here.
Easy to search online, and it's free.
Genes Reunited(online searchable database)
Searchable UK web site with over 500 million names where you can post your family tree. It includes
mainly British and Irish families. Free to post your family tree and to search, but you pay a six-month
fee (£10) to contact the owners of other family trees.
Ancestry.com and Ancestry.co.uk
One of the most comprehensive collections of family history records, including Irish. The subscription
costs from about £7 to £19 per month (2009 prices).
UK Telephone Directory
If you know the town and county that your ancestors came from, this is a
quick way to check if any descendants still live there. Of course,
not all telephones numbers are listed. Don't forget to click the
"Residential name" button before you start the search.
Rootsweb Discussion Board(free)
A popular discussion board (supported by Ancestry.com) where you can search for messages by
family name or country and county, and post your own inquiries for free.
People Search Genealogy Resources(free) A introduction to genealogy and the various approaches (thank you to Mary and her 8th grader)
Headstones from Ballycastle area(free, online searchable database)
There are very few surviving records of deaths or 'residents of old graveyards' in Ireland
prior to the 20th century, so this searchable catalogue of legible headstones from
graveyards and cemeteries in north-east County Mayo provides a unique resource.
1901 Irish census(free, online searchable database)
1901 is oldest surviving complete census record in Ireland. As of January 2009, this database
includes 300,000 individuals for seven counties: Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo, Wexford
and Westmeath, and is free to search.
1911 Irish census(free, online searchable database)
Currently being digitised by the Irish National Archives, Mayo came on-line on 28th August 2009.
Nice search facilities. Original census forms can also be viewed.
Mayo Ancestors(online searchable database)
Free to search for Mayo births and marriages, but it costs 3 - 10 Euros to view the details from each
search. Includes civil records 1864-1900 and the limited surviving 19th century parish records. Run by
the North & South Mayo Family History Centres.
1838 Ordnance Survey Map of Co. Mayo(free, searchable on-line) You can search for the location of your ancestor's parish or
townland. It contains detailed information down to the level of
individual houses and field boundaries, and important historical
and topographical features, and is provided as a free service by
Mayo County Library. (map display requires Internet Explorer)
Griffith's Valuation of Ireland 1848-1864(free, online searchable database)
Griffith's Valuation can be used as a census substitute for the years after the Great Famine, as very
little census data prior to 1901 has survived.
Irish Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates(1864 onwards)
You can download application forms to mail or Fax to the GRO in Roscommon for all events from 1864
onwards. The fee is about 10 Euros per certificate (2009).
Ireland, Civil Registration Indexes 1845-1958(free, online searchable database)
Part of new pilot database from the LDS Familysearch.org (see above). The indexes for Irish birth,
marriage, and death records came on line 23 January 2009.
Representative Church Body Library, Dublin
Church of Ireland (protestant) original parish registers (BMD records). Available to view by visiting in
person or by requesting a paid search (no records on-line).
Irish Telephone Directory
If you know the townland that your ancestors came from, this is a
quick way to check if any descendants still live there. Of course,
not all telephones numbers are listed. Don't forget to click the
"Residential" button before you start the search.
National Archives of Ireland
Offers various genealogy resources and further links to other genealogy sites. They are very helpful if
you visit in person.
If you can't find the necessary records, then a simple
DNA test might help. By comparing your DNA (from a
cheek swab) with a genealogical database, it may be
possible to determine if you share a recent common ancestor with another person in the database. Several such databases are now on-line, including the Ireland Y-DNA project. Also, by comparing the DNA from two living individuals it is possible to get an indication of how closely related they are. DNA tests can also be used to determine your ethnic origins. The two most popular tests are Y-chromosome DNA (Y-DNA) and Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) which start from about $99 USD from FTDNA if you order through a surname project, e.g. the Gallagher DNA Project. The Y-DNA results for "Edward Gallagher 1857-1919" are posted on the Gallagher DNA Project web-site.
Y-DNA is passed through the direct male lineage only, unchanged over many
generations, and is used to trace male (surname) lineage. Females need to test
Y-DNA from a close male relative such as a brother, father or paternal uncle.
mtDNA is passed down virtually unchanged through the direct female line only, but
males inherit their mother's mtDNA. So, both males and females can use their own
mtDNA to track their maternal lineage.
A free version of Legacy Family Tree is available for download. There is also a paid version with extra
features. The free version seems adequate for most users and was used to create the descendant
charts, etc. on this web site.
Books & documents on Irish history Ballycastle Seventy Years Ago (article) by Thomas Langan
Thomas Langan's childhood memories of Ballycastle about the time of World War I
(1914-1918) written in his own words circa 1990. Kindly provided by Ena Langan-
Gleeson, this article was originally published in the North Mayo Historical and
Archaeological Society about 1990 and is reproduced here by kind permission of Maureen Langan-Egan.
Ancient Ireland
An interesting summary of Ireland's history and colonisation since the last ice age
20,000 years ago up until the famine in 1845, also depicted in a series of maps.
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