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Books > Culture > Irish Roots, Genealogy & Irish Names


Many useful books have been written that cover how to search for your Irish ancestors; these books cover the subject in a couple of hundred pages, and get into a lot more depth than we can go into here. By consulting one of these volumes, you may be able to save considerable time and money in your search.

Irish Genealogy


A Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your Irish Ancestors: How to Find and Record Your Unique Heritage A Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your Irish Ancestors: How to Find and Record Your Unique Heritage
by Dwight A. Radford, Kyle J. Betit
Family genealogists will find easy step-by-step suggestions for determining an Irish ancestor's place of origin, and advice for researching Irish records in America and on the Emerald Isle itself.

Readers will find a wealth of information, such as:


  • the basic strategies of Irish research
  • working with home sources
  • accessing, making sense of and working with Irish records inside and outside of Ireland
  • making the most of Internet resources using cemetery records, church records, estate records, military records and more!

+ Review

Rating: 5 out of 5 Shamrocks for A Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your Irish Ancestors: How to Find and Record Your Unique Heritage Specifically written for the aspiring genealogist
A Genealogist's Guide To Discovering Your Irish Ancestors was specifically designed and written for the aspiring genealogist seeking guidelines for determining an Irish ancestor's place of origin. Dwight Radford and Kyle Betit effectively collaborate to present sound advice for researching Irish records both domestically and overseas; basic strategies essential to successful Irish research; special advice about tracing Scots-Irish ancestors; practical advice for accessing Irish cemeteries, land, church, estate, census, and military records; how to access civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths, as well as emigration lists; sources and strategies for researching Irish ancestors who settled in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Wales, and the Caribbean, as well as timely information on Internet resources and favorite sites on the World Wide Web. Highly recommended for personal and community library genealogical research reference collections, A Genealogist's Guide To Discovering Your Irish Ancestors offers both the novice and the experienced genealogist with everything necessary to trace and record their family's Irish history.

Irish Records: Sources for Family and Local HistoryIrish Records: Sources for Family and Local History
by James G. Ryan
Review of Irish Records: Sources for Family and Local History
This book was the most complete reference I have found to date. It helped me a great deal with research on finding my Irish ancestors. It contains a history on each county and parish and explains in detail all the records available for research in those areas. Examples and pictures are provided of certain documents, and information is discussed on the meaning of each. Specific addresses where each document is available is provided, along with specific dates the documents cover. This book may be a little overwhelming as to the content, but I would recommend it as the most comprehensive reference book on Irish ancestry I've found to date.

No imaage available for A New Genealogical Atlas of Ireland, Second EditionA New Genealogical Atlas of Ireland, Second Edition
by Brian Mitchell
Since its publication in 1986, A New Genealogical Atlas of Ireland has established itself as a key resource in Irish genealogical research. Now, with the addition of maps detailing the location of Roman Catholic parishes in all thirty-two counties of Ireland and Presbyterian congregations in the nine counties of Northern Ireland, this new 2nd Edition moves the book to the forefront of Irish genealogical research. Also, for the first time ever, this one volume contains a complete geographical picture of the three major religious denominations in Ireland during the middle years of the 19th century.

And just what is the importance of this? Civil registration for everyone in Ireland didn't begin until 1864. Prior to that, the only records of births, marriages, and deaths were found in local parishes. Therefore, the first step in any Irish research for the first half of the 19th century and before should be to identify the religious denomination and parish of your ancestor. Although any of the Townland Indexes from 1851, 1871, or 1901 will show the location of each civil parish (which generally corresponds to the boundaries of the Church of Ireland parishes), it has been much more difficult to uncover the corresponding Catholic parish or Presbyterian congregation. Until now!

Going to Ireland: A Genealogical Researcher's GuideGoing to Ireland: A Genealogical Researcher's Guide
by Sherry Irvine, Nora M. Hickey
In a few weeks, a few months, next year, sometime-- you are going on a genealogical research trip to Ireland. Success will depend upon having names to work with and on some knowledge of place and time; progress will be better if some things are done before departure. How do you prepare, and do your best to insure research time is well spent? Start with this guide. The authors have considerable experience in helping genealogists begin their research in North America and in guiding them through the steps they must take in Ireland.


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Irish Names


Irish Names for Children by Patrick WoulfeIrish Names for Children

by Patrick Woulfe
Let's suppose you are of Irish descent and there's a new addition to the family on the way. Your baby will be unique and oh-so-special, so the last thing you want to do is imitate the Eirephile masses by naming your baby Kevin, Sean, Seamus, Kathleen or Kelly. Did you know there are no Irish girls named Erin or Colleen? If not, you need this book now! Find an authentic and distinctive Irish name within the pages of this invaluable reference work.

 

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