Irish Genealogy Resources

(My intent was to submit this for the Irish Heritage and Culture Carnival hosted by the Small-Leaved Shamrock, but I was overcome by events and couldn't get it written in time.  The deadline was 28 December and here I am writing on 29 December.  What this means is I put it off until the last day and then stuff happened as they say.  Anyway, this is what I would have submitted if I had planned things a little better)

I have a big problem with Irish genealogy.  The problem isn't with the resources available, but it's with my ancestors - they did everything at the wrong time.  Instead of coming to the US during the potato famine (1845-1849) with the majority of Irish immigrants, my 3rd great grandfather (Richard Hartford), along with his wife and three small children, left Ireland sometime between 1830 and 1832.  Additionally, instead of coming straight to the United States where there are census records available back to 1790, they went to Canada.  Even though I haven't had much luck finding my family in Ireland, and have had slow success in Canada, I have discovered the Irish Origins genealogy site (a part of The Origins Network) and a few books that really got me interested in Irish History.   

Click here to subscribe to Genealogy Reviews Online

Databases

The Origins Network has three parts: British Origins, Irish Origins and Scots Origins.  At first all I wanted was access to Irish Origins to look for my family, but since I can't seem to resist any subscription site, I bought the annual total access offering for a little over $100 allowing me to use the whole site.  There are a variety of subscription choices so you can choose the one suiting you best.

Irish Origins is a useful site and not just because I'm an affiliate.  Besides the fact most of the resources cover periods after my 3rd great grandfather and his family left Ireland, there are a large array of records, articles and collections on Irish genealogy and history.  Below are the database collections available on Irish Origins with links to descriptions of each:

Griffith's Valuation 1847-1864

Dublin City Census 1851

Dublin City Census 1901 - Rotunda Ward

Elphin Census 1749

William Smith O'Brien Petition 1848-1849

Irish 'Strays' in England and Wales Census 1841

Irish 'Strays' in England and Wales Census 1871

Tithe Defaulters 1831

Irish Wills Index 1484-1858

Militia Attestation Index 1872-1915

British and Irish Passenger Lists 1890

Transatlantic Migration 1858-1870

One of the problems with the completeness of Irish genealogy records is that many were destroyed in two fires.  You can read about these two fires here and see what records were lost.  This was a brief look at Irish Origins.  I had better luck with Scots Origins and actually found family, but I'll leave that for another time.

Books

I have four books to recommend for the study of Irish history.  I don't know if these are the best, but find myself constantly going back and re-reading parts of them (The links are to Amazon.com where I am an associate...that means if you buy something off of the link I will get a small commission):

The Great Hunger -  Ireland 1845-1849 by Cecil Woodham-Smith (1962).  I actually bought this book when I visited Ireland with my wife and father-in-law back in the summer of 1994.  The focus of the book is on the origin, causes, and political implications of the potato famine.  When I read this book I learned for the first time that the famine wasn't completely naturally occurring.  This book caused me to understand why some of my friends of Irish descent had stories passed down through the generations containing hatred for the English.

Emigrants and Exiles - Ireland and the Irish Exodus to North America by Kerby A. Miller (1985).  This is an interesting book on Irish immigration.  It's very readable and covers all aspects of Irish immigration, but doesn't focus specifically on the potato famine.  Here I learned about the waves of Irish leaving their homes over the centuries where the immigration in the 1840's really only represented the peak. 

Irish America - Coming into Clover by Maureen Dezell (2000).  This book crosses the ocean and focuses on the culture established by Irish immigrants in the United States.  I really love this book because it  explores the Irish American culture and how it became what it is today.

The Story of the Irish People by Sean O'Faolain (1949).  I found this book in my father-in-law's collection after he died.  The best description is the one the author uses "This book is not a history of political events, although some political events are described briefly in the course of the main narrative.  It is in effect, a creative history of the growth of the racial mind; or, if the term were not too large and grandiose, the story of the development of the national civilization."  The book is a little hard to read in places, but is a very interesting look at the Irish.

I wish I would have got this thing done in time to include in  the Irish Heritage and Culture Carnival, but I guess it's better late than never.

Comments

[barbara]

Hello Tim,
Happy New Year to you and your family !
I thank you for outlining the advantages of Irish origins. I had always hesitated subscribing, as I did learn what the fires did to the Irish Census.
But, I see that the Griffith's valuation is there, and that seems to be a capital source for genealogy.
Your book references were also interesting. It is always nice have a few excellent genealogy and history books at home.

Happy hunting to you in 2008 !