Most people arrive at Irish genealogy with only fragments. A name passed down through the family. A grandparent’s story about a county they never saw. A census entry in America, Canada, or Britain that lists a birthplace simply as “Ireland”. From there the questions begin to multiply.Which county? Which parish? What records still exist? Where…

This page introduces the key ideas behind Irish genealogy research and directs you to the sections of this site where each topic is explained in depth.

For many people, the desire to trace Irish ancestors begins with something small. A family name.A photograph.A story about “coming from Cork” or “somewhere in Mayo.”Perhaps a census record abroad that lists a birthplace simply as Ireland. From that point onward the same question usually appears: Where do I begin? Irish genealogy becomes far easier…

Short answer: Irish genealogy has some real challenges, mainly because certain early records were lost. But for many families — particularly those who emigrated after the mid-nineteenth century — enough records survive to make real progress possible. Many people arrive at Irish genealogy already feeling discouraged. Someone at a family gathering may have said the…

Many people begin Irish genealogy research the wrong way around. They open a database, type in a surname, and start scrolling. Within twenty minutes they have collected a dozen possible matches, none of them confirmed, and a growing sense that Irish research might be even harder than they were warned. The instinct to search immediately…