Ireland Compiled Genealogies

In this outline, the heading genealogy is used to describe


 * (1) sources that contain family history information gathered by individuals, societies, and archives and
 * (2) sources that discuss how to do family history research. Genealogical records may include pedigree charts, compiled family information, correspondence, ancestor lists, research exchange files, record abstracts, and collections of original or copied documents.

These are excellent sources that can save you time. However, they may contain inaccuracies. You should verify the information found in them.

With the destruction of many precious original documents in the Public Record Office in 1922, (now known as the National Archives) the genealogical collections accumulated prior to that date became vitally important. Collecting them into the Public Record Offices in Dublin and Belfast and the Genealogical Office, Dublin became a major area of focus for the archival staff. The administrators of these facilities pleaded with the public at large and with noted antiquarians, historians and genealogists to bequeath their transcripts, notes, correspondence and official copies of documents to their various facilities. Many of these collections resemble our notes today. They are often handwritten on scraps of paper and have little or no organization - others are well-organized typed transcripts with indexes. Thus, the researcher who investigates the various collections will find the complete spectrum of organization, material and content.

Handbooks and Manuals
Handbooks and manuals on how to do Irish research can also save you time. They often suggest additional sources and techniques that will facilitate your Irish research. Some handbooks focus on specific localities in Ireland, such as Dublin. Such specific handbooks mention records and sources for their locality that are not mentioned in more general handbooks. Specific handbooks may also alert you to problems or situations that you may encounter when doing research in the targeted locality. These handbooks can thus be very helpful.

Some genealogical handbooks and manuals are mentioned in this outline, but many others exist. The genealogical handbooks and manuals specific to Ireland and its localities that can be found at the Family History Library are listed in the catalog under the following headings:

IRELAND - GENEALOGY - HANDBOOKS AND MANUALS

IRELAND, [COUNTY] - GENEALOGY - HANDBOOKS AND MANUALS

IRELAND, [COUNTY], [CITY] - GENEALOGY - HANDBOOKS AND MANUALS

Major Indexes and Databases
The Family History Library has several sources that can help you access previous research or refer you to others who are interested in sharing research:

International Genealogical Index. The International Genealogical Index provides names and vital information for more than 1.4 million deceased people who lived in Ireland. This valuable tool lists birth, christening, and marriage dates and places. The index for Ireland includes names extracted by volunteers from parish registers and civil registration and names submitted by other researchers.

The International Genealogical Index is available on microfiche and on compact disc as part of FamilySearch™.

Ancestral File. Ancestral File, a part of FamilySearch™, contains family history information linked together in family groups and pedigrees contributed since 1979. Ancestral File contains information on thousands of Irish families. It can print pedigree charts, family group records, and individual summary sheets for any person in the file.

Family Group Records Collection (Archive and Patron). More than eight million family group record forms—including many for Irish families—have been microfilmed and incorporated into the Family Group Records Collection. The collection is divided into two major parts: the Archive section and the Patrons section. The film numbers for both parts are listed in the Author/Title Search of the catalog under FAMILY GROUP RECORDS COLLECTION.

Family Histories
Some Irish families write histories or newsletters that contain biographies, photographs, and other genealogical information.

The Family History Library has a number of these Irish family histories and newsletters. They are listed in the Surname Search of the catalog under the major surnames discussed in each publication. Allied families may not be listed.

Many Irish family histories are also indexed in:

de Breffny, Brian, ed. and comp. Bibliography of Irish Family History and Genealogy. Dublin, Ireland: Golden Eagle Books, 1974. (Family History Library book Ref 941.5 D23d.)

Grenham, John. Tracing Your Irish Ancestors: The Complete Guide. 3rd ed. Dublin, Ireland: Gill and Macmillan, 2006. (Family History Library book Ref 941.5 D27gj 2006.)

Maclysaght, Edward. Bibliography of Irish Family History. (Family History Library book Ref 941.5 D23m.)

Ryan, James G., compiler. Sources for Irish Family History, A Listing of Books and Articles on The History of Irish Families. Dublin: Flyleaf Press, 2001.

These books are arranged alphabetically by surname and together list over thirteen hundred family histories.

Irish surnames are also often organized by clan with official websites associated with each. The Clan O'Brien, for example, is easily found at http://www.obrienclan.com/

Printing Your Family History
Pulling together a family history is not an easy task, but it is without question one of the most rewarding activities you can be doing with your time. The end product will provide a wonderful depository for family stories, traditions, and other memories. The fruits of you labors will be appreciated for generations to come.

Brigham Young University's Print and Mail Production Center offers facilities and consultants to assist genealogists in printing their family histories. Their consultants can answer questions regarding formatting, layout, scanning photos, and can assist in the printing process.

Print and Mail Production Center's facilities include state of the art digital printing equipment, offset presses, and a full service bindery.

See also A Guide to Printing Your Family History

Indexes to Genealogical Collections
The Family History Library has some unique collections of genealogical information on Irish families, including published and unpublished collections of family lineages, research files of prominent genealogists, and a few surname indexes. The following sources index many of the library's genealogical collections:

Surname Index. 3 vols. Dublin, Ireland: Genealogical Office. (Family History Library book Ref Q 941.5 A5g; film 928034 items 1-3.) This index lists pedigrees and other records deposited at the Genealogical Office, Dublin. It also lists the pedigrees found in the Genealogists Magazine(1929-59) and The Irish Genealogist (1937–). The supplementary volume of this series provides call numbers for those records, pedigrees, and periodicals available at the Family History Library.

McAnlis, Virginia Wade. The Consolidated Index to the Records of the Genealogical Office, Dublin, Ireland. Vols. 1-4. Issaquah, Washington: Virginia R. McAnlis, 1994. (Family History Library book 941.5 A3mv.) This index to the manuscripts of the Genealogical Office gives microfilm numbers for the National Library of Ireland and the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Hayes, Richard J. Manuscript Sources for the History of Irish Civilization. (Family History Library book Ref 941.5 A5h.)

Smith, Frank D. Smith's Inventory of Genealogical Sources: Ireland. (Family History Library book Ref 941.5 D23s.) This manuscript indexes many periodicals and journals available at the Family History Library that contain family pedigrees.

Pedigree Index. 3 vols. Typescript. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, [1964?]. (Family History Library book Ref Q 941.5 A5gp; film 255494.) This index gives film numbers for many pedigrees available at the Family History Library.

The following guide and supplements index printed sources containing pedigrees of at least three generations. These guides are excellent for finding Irish pedigrees:

Marshall, George W., ed. The Genealogist's Guide. 1903. Reprint. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1980. (Family History Library book Ref 929.142 M356g 1980; film 496451.) This is the main volume of these three sources.

Whitmore, John Beach, comp. A Genealogical Guide: An Index to British Pedigrees in Continuation of Marshall's Genealogist's Guide (1903). London, England: Walford Brothers (sold guide for compiler), 1953. (Family History Library book Ref 929.142 M356g supp.; fiche 6054492 .) This source supplements Marshall's guide.

Barrow, Geoffrey B., comp. The Genealogist's Guide: An Index to Printed British Pedigrees and Family Histories, 1950-1975. London, England: Research Publishing Co., 1977. (Family History Library book Ref 929.142 M356g 1950-1975.) This source supplements Marshall's and Whitmore's guides.

Albert E. Casey Collection
Covers counties Cork and Kerry. It contains extracts from parish registers, wills, marriages, emigrants and other miscellaneous source material. Mr. Casey was conducting epidemiology studies in these two counties and used this source material to compile genetic studies. There are fifteen volumes in the collection (Family History Library microfilms 823801 – 823809) with a one-volume index titled Index of O'Kief, Coshe Mang, Slieve Lougher, and Upper Blackwater in Ireland by Albert E. Casey, Eleanor L. Downey-Prince and Ursula Dietrich. There is also an annotated bibliography by Georgia V. Fleming-Haigh titled Ireland, The Abert E. Casey Collection and other Irish Materials in the Samford University Library, Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama.

Louise Howard Collection
This collection covers various counties. It includes a consolidated index to printed records i.e. the Diocese of Dublin Wills and Grant Books, Diocese of Ferns and Kildare Marriage Licenses taken from the County Kildare Archaeological Society. Alphabetically arranged by surname in 10 volumes.

Volume     Surname             FHL Microfilm No.

Vol. 1       A - Burrow           538138 Vol. 2        Burser - Deen      538139 Vol. 3        Deering - Gedges 538140 Vol. 4        Gee - Hutson       538141 Vol. 5        Hutton - Maloy     538142 Vol. 6        Malpas - Neynoe  538143 Vol. 7        Nial - Row            538144 Vol. 8        Rowan - Tippen    538145 Vol. 9        Tipper - Zurhorst   538146 Vol. 10      Supplements        538147

Rosemary ffolliott Collection
This collection consists of items of genealogical interest taken from newspapers in counties Cork and Kerry. These biographical notices are for the years 1756-1827 and include a large number of obituaries. The collection of 4 volumes (1732pp.) is on Family History Library microfilm 537921 Vol. 1-3 A-Po, and 537922 Vol. 4 Pocock-Z with supplement. Rosemary ffolliott has transcribed a large collection of parish registers from the Cork area, but refuses to have them microfilmed. Some of the abstracts are published in the periodical she produced The Irish Ancestor, the complete run is now available on CD from Eneclann. For more information about The Irish Ancestor 1969-1986 or to order it online, go to http://www.eneclann.ie/publications-11.asp

Tenison Groves Collection (1863-1938)
This is a massive collection of over fifty rolls of microfilm and is both hand and typewritten. It covers various counties and holds numerous complete transcripts of muster rolls, householder’s lists, extracts of wills, deeds, parish registers, and miscellaneous documents. One portion also contains an alphabetical list of families and a breakdown by county. (Family History Library microfilms 258471–258524).

Document Collection Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
This collection is indexed by the Public Record Office. A new microfilming of the index was completed by the Genealogical Society of Utah in 1990. The index may be found in the Family History Library Catalog under the heading "Ireland - Probate Records - Indexes" although it is an index to many documents in addition to probate records.

This collection contains many miscellaneous manuscripts from various collections i.e. Crossle, Leslie, Corry, Arendale, Dobbins, Edmonds, Myles, Massereene, and Antrim. In addition, a large segment is devoted to the London Society of Genealogists (9 rolls). It also contains family histories, estate papers, vestry and parish records. This collection was microfilmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah in 1960. The staff of the Public Record Office, Northern Ireland continues to add to the 3 x 5 card index.

Philip Crosslé Genealogical Collection (1875-1953)
This collection also covers various counties. It contains collections of other authors, for example: Smith papers which in turn includes lists of inhabitants for the city of Armagh for the year 1770; extracts from parish registers, chancery, wills, lists of gentry, etc. Indexes to the exchequer and chancery bills. Numerous extracts from the Registry of Deeds and an enormous amount of miscellaneous material. The microfilm numbers are not consecutive since this collection is spread over several record offices and was filmed at different times. (Family History Library microfilms 597132 – 597142; 597099 – 597102; 597114 – 597126; 596881 – 596886).

Pièces Originales
The documents in this collection are in French. The collection is without page numbers, but is alphabetically arranged. It contains original documents relating to Irish families, 13th-18th centuries. Obviously relates to mainly Irish families with ties to France. (Family History Library microfilms 100803 – 100813).

Cope Collection
Alphabetically arranged by surname, this collection encompasses seventy-five rolls of microfilm (Family History Library microfilms 517003 – 517078). Numerous entries relate to Irish families and their connections to Ireland. This collection has heavy Quaker content, but it is not exclusively Quaker. The time period seems to relate to 17th – 19th centuries. The collection was compiled in Pennsylvania and contains predominantly U.S. families with foreign places of origin sometimes stated.

Upton Papers
This collection covers various counties. It is mostly a collection of wills representing all of the probate courts. Additional miscellaneous extracts and printed works cover a variety of subjects. (Family History Library microfilms 101011 – 101015).

Research Coordination
You can use Ancestral File and the Pedigree Resource File to identify others who are searching your family line and to register your interest in coordinating research.

You can also use the following publications to identify the names and addresses of individuals researching the same family name. Search all editions of both publications, since both are published yearly and specific family names may appear in only one edition. You may have to do some research to connect your family with a family of the same surname listed in one of these sources.

Johnson, Keith A., and Malcolm R. Sainty.Genealogical Research Directory: National and International. Sydney, Australia: (The Editors of the) Genealogical Research Directory, 1997. (Family History Library book Ref 929.1025 G286grd.)

Park, Keith, and Tracey Park.Family History Knowledge - UK 1992. 2d ed. Melksham, England: Family History Club, 1992. (Family History Library book Ref 942 D27pk.)

Web Sites

 * http://www.goireland.com/Genealogy/
 * http://www.genuki.org.uk/
 * http://www.genealogylinks.net/uk/ireland/index.html
 * http://www.irelandroots.com/
 * http://www.obrienstore.com/