Preparing for Research in Irish Records

Genealogical research in Irish records can be challenging for the amateur researcher for a number of reasons. 

• Many records were lost in a fire at the Public Record Office in 1922.
• Many Irish first names and surnames occur with very high frequency. For instance, there are over 2,200 John Byrnes in the 1911 Census of Ireland. It can be difficult to establish which household belonged to a particular family line.
• There is a lack of surviving records for research before the early 19th century.
• There are no systematic records of people who left Ireland.

It is therefore important to prepare as thoroughly as possible for research in Ireland by gathering as much information as possible about a family in advance. This is particularly important for the Irish diaspora. It is always recommended to fully explore records relating to an emigrant ancestor in the country to which they moved. Consider the following:

• Are there census returns in the host country that provide more detail than simply “Ireland” as a place of birth?
• Is it possible to identify the ancestor in port of arrival records such as Castlegarden/Ellis Island, New York, or in transportation records for Australia?
• Can a marriage or death record be found for the individual in their new country that might name parents? 
• Is there an obituary for the Irish ancestor in their new home? Obituaries can be a rich source of information about a person’s origins, as they may give an exact place of birth in Ireland or name other Irish family members.
• Did the Irish ancestor serve in the military in their new country?
• Is there an application form for naturalisation or for obtaining a passport?
• Can other Irish family members be found living nearby? Examine census returns and headstones in graveyards. It was common to migrate to communities where connections already existed.