News From The World Of Irish Genealogy!

     

     There are some exciting developments I want to tell you about today.  According to John Grenham who writes the genealogy column for the Irish Times, Rootsireland will be adding to it's database of Wexford parish records.  Some are already online, but more are on the way.  I will find you yet James White!  This is a pay site by the way.

     This next one is a freebie, irishgenealogy.ie plans to put online the GRO index of births, marriages and deaths.  Yes, I know Family Search has already done that, but this database will include the previously unpublished indexes from 1903-1927 which include the mother's maiden names.  And it never hurts to have two sets of eyes doing the indexing.  Currently, church records from Kerry, the diocese' of Dublin, and Cork & Ross along with COI records from County Carlow are available here at no charge.

     Also, early in the coming year all of the 19th-century testamentary records at the National Archives, and their Valuation Office records will be available through Family Search.  The valuation records are really cool, by using them and the revisions that occurred over the years you can track the owners and/or occupiers of your ancestor's home.  I've spent quite alot of money at the Valuation Office, and could easily spend alot more; this will be wonderful.  

     The testamentary records as you might imagine have to do with the administration of wills.  You can actually go to the National Archives website and view the indexes, or calendar, for the years. 

1858-1920 and 1923-1982

Search box for 1858-1920

     I did a search for my 3rd great-grandfather John Gunn of Kerry, clicked on the image button (seen in the lower left in blue above), and this appeared:

     I can tell by the address this is probably not my grandfather, oh well.  The images are most easily viewed at 50% magnification, not the 100% they pop up in.

     I saved the best, (to me anyway) for last--  the National Archives of Ireland, in partnership with Family Search will be putting transcripts and images of the surviving fragments of the 1821-1851 censuses online. I'm sure you know the early census records for Ireland no longer exist, but there are a few portions that survived.  Segments of the 1821 census, an every person census, exist for counties Cavan, Kilkenny, Galway, Meath, Offaly, Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford.  The other years survivors are mostly for the north of Ireland.  I'm coming for you James White!