When researching the Irish roots of your family tree, many issues can pop up. Personally, I have found that even knowing the exact place where your Irish ancestors came from fails to increase the likelihood of finding vital records and information before the mid-1800′s. All of the families from my familial hometown (Kiltimagh, County Mayo) named their children the same names, making it difficult to pinpoint which ancestor is yours. Also, the families all married into each other making it difficult to figure out exactly who is related and how. My great-great-grandfather is Michael Walsh. Searching the 1901 and 1911 Ireland census records for County Mayo returns 280 Michael Walsh records and 74 results within a 10 year span of his birth year just for the 1901 census alone.
Also, many records have been lost or destroyed from this small little town and records weren’t kept before the 1800′s which can be so disappointing for someone trying to trace my Irish family roots from the US. I can’t wait for the day when I can take a trip to Ireland and see the area for myself.
Making that homeland voyage to the countries and areas where your family came from is a dream for all family tree researchers. To stand on the land that your family came from brings out this feeling of awe that is indescribable. I have been able to do this in the US but making the trek to Ireland is merely a dream at this point.
In the last few years, more and more of the records that do exist are being digitized and made available to the public online which is invaluable to a US researcher of Ireland. In fact, Glasnevin Trust has digitized and released 1.5 million Ireland burial records including deaths dating back to 1828! This online database includes each deceased name, address, date of burial and photographs for all interments at Glasnevin and other Dublin cemeteries including Dardistown, Goldenbridge, Newlands Cross and Palmerstown.
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Read the full article on the release of these records.
