Tracing Your Irish Roots

Tracing Your Irish Roots

It's often said that people are Ireland's most important export.

Finding Your Irish Roots: How to Begin

Starting to trace your roots can seem a daunting task, but there are two things that make it quickly seem more manageable.

Making Sense of Names, Places and Dates

Official records in the past were not in the language of the people, Irish, but in either English or Latin, which can lead to a lot of confusion over names.

Understanding Irish Land Divisions

There is no doubt that land division in Ireland is complicated.

Finding and Searching Irish Records

An overview of the major genealogical and other records of interest to you while tracing your ancestors in Ireland - with links to more detailed …

Census Records in Ireland

Sadly none of the Irish census records from the 19th century remain other than a few isolated fragments.

Births, Marriages & Deaths: Civil Records

Extensive civil records exist recording the births marriages and deaths in Ireland after 1864.

Baptisms, Marriages and Burials: Church Records

Churches of all denominations hold a wealth of valuable genealogical information for anyone who is researching their roots in Ireland.

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Researching Irish Property & Land Records

Property and land holding records in Ireland are more important than they might otherwise be because of the absence of 19th century census records.

Trade & Occupational Records

If an Irish ancestor was involved in a trade or profession, worked for the government or was in the church or military, chances are they appear in a …

Other records: Newpapers, Wills and Graves

Newspaper archives, registries of wills and cemetery records and grave inscriptions can be valuable information sources for genealogical research in Ireland.

Genealogy Software: Do you need it?

You don't absolutely need any special software, but having an easy method of storing and cross referencing information can be extremely useful, …

Getting Help to Trace Your Irish Roots

A network of family history centres in Ireland, plus many professional genealogists, provide a range of services to people researching their Irish roots.