Irish Ancestry
Irish Ancestry with Oak Ancestry
Before Oak Ancestry delves into your family’s history here are some points with regard to Irish historical records which need to be stated. We have access to the National Library of Ireland and a wide range of historical documents to discover your family history.
During the Civil War, many Irish records of significant genealogical value were unfortunately destroyed when the Public Records Office situated in the Four Courts, Dublin (where they were stored) was hit by a shell during warfare in 1922.
Among those records largely destroyed were:
- Irish census returns from 1821-1851. (Irish census records from 1861-1891 were destroyed before this time by Government order.)
- About two-thirds of pre-1870 Church of Ireland parish registers.
- All wills probated in the Republic of Ireland until the time of destruction.
However, all is not lost as there are many surviving Irish genealogical records which can assist the family historian in adding to our knowledge of our Irish ancestors. These records include:
- Census fragments from 1821 to 1851 (varies from county to county).
- Full official 1901 and 1911 Irish national census records.
- Parish records.
- Civil records of births and deaths.
- Church records of baptisms, catholic marriages and burials.
- Land/Property records.
- Index of wills probated in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
- Newspaper records, parish and county annals and court records.
- Various historical and academic sources (where applicable).
Uncover Your Irish Family History
Regarding the 1901 and 1911 census returns, please allow for discrepancies with your ancestors’ ages as it is possible that their given age may vary among corresponding records. This occurred due to reasons such as illiteracy and the introduction of the pension in 1908, which prompted many to increase their age on public record between 1901 and 1911 in order for them to be eligible to receive the pension payments. Another reason is that people in the early twentieth century were not preoccupied with record keeping and ages.
Regarding the Land/Property records, the two main sources for this research report are the Tithe Applotment Books and the Griffiths Valuation Survey. The Tithe Applotment Books are Irish pre-Famine land/property records which were compiled between 1823 and 1837.
In the mid nineteenth century, in order to financially support the poor within their poor law union, every landowner had to pay a tax. In order to calculate the amount of tax owed by each landowner, a country wide land survey was carried out by a man called Richard Griffith. This survey called Griffith’s, or the Primary, Valuation of Ireland was published between 1848 and 1864. The valuation was arranged by county; barony; poor law union; civil parish and town land. It lists every landholder and householder in Ireland at the time.
Discover Your Irish Ancestry
Oak Ancestry has helped numerous clients locate their Irish Ancestors. If you have Irish DNA and you want to discover your family history then we are here to help you every step of the way.
Oak Ancestry can provide you with a helpful guide help you build your family tree. Our Irish genealogy services allow us to trace your ancestors back as far as the records will take us. Our team of experts are experienced with many years of tracing numerous family timelines. We don’t just provide you with the dates, names and places but we also write about how they would have lived their day to day lives and what was happening in the country and also their locality at the time in which they lived.
To start your Ancestry journey today, then simply fill out our assessment form. Get in touch with us today and we can begin to discover your family history!