Tracing Your Irish Ancestry with the Irish Family History Centre
Are you beginning to trace your Irish ancestry but are overwhelmed or don't know where to start? My guest, genealogist and historian Declan Brady from the Irish Family History Centre in Dublin has tips to help you!
This article is based on a podcast episode featuring Declan Brady, from the Irish Family History Centre. If you prefer to listen to the podcast, you can find the player at the bottom of the page.
Finding Your Irish Roots
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Recorded live at the Irish Family History Centre in Dublin
The Irish Family History Centre
Located in the CHQ building and part of the EPIC Irish Emigration Museum
Declan Brady is a genealogy consultant and historian at the Irish Family History Centre
For a nominal fee you can have access to all online paid services including Find My Past, Ancestry, Roots Ireland, all the government sites, and Family Search.
Private consultations are also offered in 30 and 60 minute blocks on site and via Skype.
What to Bring to a Genealogy Consultation
Bring whatever information you have. But if you don't have any information the history detectives can still help you.
Never bring original documents- only copies!
Tips Tracing Your Ancestors
Be very careful of second hand information – especially if there is no documentation to back it up!
Ireland has records that are fairly unique including Griffith's Valuation land records which capture 85-90% of all occupants in Ireland.
Landlord estate records are also highly valuable.
Widen your focus to find your ancestor. Marriage, death, and land records all have clues.
Identify an area and dig in!
The Biggest Misconceptions About Finding Your Irish Ancestry
While a lot of records were lost, not everything is gone. There are many census substitutes.
If it's not online it doesn't exist. Not true! If it's not online it just hasn't been found or shared yet!
People lied about their age. Maybe not! They may never have known!
Top Genealogy Tips
Write things out on paper instead of typing it into a web template. It's easier to find mistakes (especially dates!)
Many Irish immigrants to the US came through Canada!
The biggest proportions of Irish Americans are of Ulster-Scots Protestant heritage, arriving between 1760-1840.
The Catholic, southern Irish tend to come from the Famine on.
On the Irish Family History Centre Website
Book research and consultation online
Stories, podcasts, and Irish ancestry tips.
Upcoming courses.
Places to Add to Your Ireland Itinerary
Go to the county library or county archives of the your family's county of origin.
The National Museum in Collins Barracks.
The National Library of Ireland.
The Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
Traveling In Ireland | Podcast Episode 88
- Unveiling the Secrets of County Kerry (get off the tourist trail) - January 21, 2025
- The Best Time to Visit Ireland - January 14, 2025
- Hiring a Driver in Ireland {2025 Guide} - January 11, 2025
