Ireland Gazetteers: Difference between revisions

A gazetteer is a dictionary of place-names. Gazetteers describe towns and villages; parishes and counties; and rivers, mountains, and other geographical features. Gazetteers generally list place-names in alphabetical order.  

Gazetteers may provide the following information about a locality:  

Several difficulties arise in dealing with Irish place-names. First, Irish place-names often come from the Gaelic or Irish language, though some have been given English variations. Second, Irish place-names were sometimes spelled phonetically in family records and documents in other countries, because many immigrants did not know the accepted spellings. The phonetic spellings can vary widely from the accepted spellings because recorders sometimes misunderstood what the immigrants said. Finally, there are many places in Ireland with the same or similar names. A gazetteer may help you resolve each of these difficulties.  

*''General alphabetical index to the townlands and towns, parishes and baronies of Ireland : based on the census of Ireland for the year 1851. ''Dublin : Printed by Alexander Thom, 1861, reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, Maryland, multiple dates.  Although this work is not technically a gazetteer, it is the best finding aid for Irish townland names.  There are other years for this index, 1871 and 1901.  Best of all, the Townland Index is available for free at [http://www.seanruad.com www.seanruad.com].  The index will show for any given townland the acreage, county, barony, civil parish, and poor law union (civil registration district) that the townland belongs to.  

IRELAND, [COUNTY] - GAZETTEERS  

Irish records may be listed in the catalog under the country, county, parish, and city or town in which they were kept. Townlands or other small places are seldom included in a catalog listing. To find the county under which a parish or city is listed, use the see references on the first few microfiche of the Place Search for Ireland. Or type the city or parish in the Locality Browse screen of the compact disc version of the catalog. The computer will display the county under which that city or parish is listed.  

Similar place-name indexes based on the 1851 and 1901 censuses exist. The index for 1851 is only available in book format and so may not be available at all Family History Centers. The index for 1901, the ''General Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns of Ireland'', is available on microfilm and can be ordered through Family History Centers.  

[[Category:Ireland]]