10 Websites to Assist in Irish Research

If you are researching your Irish heritage it is a given that you have stumbled at some point. Here is a list of various websites that can assist you, (some have records and some are for informational purposes).

Gold top 10 winner

  1. Irish Lives Remembered – This is a website has a monthly digital magazine dedicated to Ireland, genealogy and history. What’s not to like?
  2. Ireland Reaching Out – Ireland is looking to make contact with descendants of all those that emigrated. They call it reverse genealogy. Once you join the website for free, you can join the parish your family was from and post messages  about your ancestors or what you are looking for. Each parish is led by volunteers looking to assist others. They are looking for more volunteers, so if your family is from the Emerald Isle, this just might be the project for you.
  3. Roots Ireland – This is a paid website where you might be able to find records on your ancestors.
  4. Ask About Ireland – Great website to find Griffith’s valuation for free.
  5. Find My Past – Another paid website that you can hopefully find records on your Irish ancestors.
  6. Irish Genealogy This is a free website where you can search for church records, some of the indexes have the original attached and some do not. This website is where I found my link into Ireland.
  7. Irish Genealogy Toolkit – This site has tips for starting out on your Irish research,  they list is as free tools, free information and free advice. I love FREE!
  8. FamilySearch – Free website with Irish Civil Registration records, Deaths, Births and Baptisms, and Marriages.
  9. National Archives of Ireland – 1901 and 1911 Census Records, Tithe Applotment Books, Wills and Testimony Records, Ireland – Australia Transportation Records, Estate Records and more.
  10. Ancestry.com – Paid subscription required, many records from immigration to vital records.

By no means is the list exclusive, there are many sites out there to assist those researching their Irish roots.

Is there a favorite site that you utilize for researching your Irish Ancestors?

If you are interested in other Top 10 lists, please see Many Little Blessings each Tuesday where bloggers of different subjects link together all of their lists.

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8 Comments

  1. I had two uncles emigrated to USA in late 19th early 20th Century. also had three aunts. one of my uncles was burned in a fire. what website or what way would i get that record.

    1. Peter, depending on what information you are look for is going to depend on where you need to look. For the fire, I would check local newspapers and depending on where that happened would depend on where I would advise you to look for that. If you still live local to the event, try your local library. If not, you can try NewspaperArchives.com or GenealogyBank.com, both of these websites are subscription based.

      As for the immigration records, that is a hard one. Start with finding out as much as you can about the families in the United States and work backwards. It took me 10 years to find my link into Ireland. It is not an easy or quick process. I am a true believer in leaving as much information as possible, in different places across the internet. That is what worked for me. Everyone has a different experience when it comes to this.

      At this point in my research, I have a time frame for when my ancestor naturalized and still cannot find his papers, which is because of his common name. I do not want to order naturalization records for every John O’Connell, so I have to be patient and know that one day, I will find it.

      I hope these few pieces of advice are enough to help you get started.

      Thanks for taking the time to read and comment. It is greatly appreciated.

  2. I am wondering where to find info on the RMF that was stationed in Tralee…looking for info on my Graet Grandfather who was a SGT in I believe The Royal Muenster Fussiliers.
    Thanks
    Coleen

  3. I’d agree the News Archives are very helpful. Obituaries may often provide Irish County and Townland information as well as extended family member clues and US addresses and parish information. Many local libraries provide online or onsite access to these websites as well as some of the subscription sites you listed in the post.

    Given the limited resources for Irish ancestry, I’ve found that the best resources are other researchers. I’ve used several message boards on the internet. You can post your family details and use the search engine to find others who may be related . There are Surname and Location Boards that can help narrow down the search. I’ve found numerous “relations” including some living in neighboring towns. We’ve shared pictures, letters and other family history. Rootsweb which is part of Ancestry is the best I’ve found.

    http://boards.rootsweb.com/?o_iid=33216&o_lid=33216&o_sch=Web+Property

    On Facebook there are also several Irish County Groups/Forums. Members are from all over the world and are extremely helpful. Here are a couple that I’ve been using for Clare and Mayo. You have to request to be added to the Group.

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/countyclare/
    https://www.facebook.com/groups/clansofmayo/

    1. Thanks Cathy,

      I do agree that the surname boards are very helpful. But, personally I have not had much luck with my Irish line on the boards. Other lines, I have gotten breakthroughs, though!

      Facebook has many great groups that are helpful. I did not add them to this post, because I plan one specific to facebook.

      Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment, it is truly appreciated.

  4. I’ll keep a lookout for your Facebook group. I really love those groups. I thought of another site. The Leitrim-Roscommon 1901 Census site is another good one. There are several additional counties beyond the site name. I’ve used it for Mayo searches . The search criteria and display of info is a little nicer than the National Archives.
    http://www.leitrim-roscommon.com/1901census/

    1. Cathy, I will not have a group. But, I will be blogging in the future about using Facebook Groups for your research.

      Thanks again for visiting.

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