Beginning Irish Research: Difference between revisions

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Guide<br>Introduction<br>Once you have identified the name of a place in Ireland where your ancestor lived, you should<br>learn more about it. Knowing details about a place will help you find records about your ancestor.<br>For more detail, see Background.<br>Sources that provide information about places in Ireland include:<br>• Gazetteers.<br>• Topographical dictionaries.<br>• Townland Indexes.<br>What You Are Looking For<br>The information you find varies from source to source. In these sources you may find information<br>about:<br>• Location.<br>• Jurisdictions.<br>• Places of religious worship.<br>• Geographical descriptions.<br>• Population.<br>• Industries and manufacturing.<br>• Land use.<br>• Geological features.<br>• Estates.<br>Steps<br>These 5 steps will help you find information about a place in Ireland.<br>Step 1. Choose a place where your ancestor lived.<br>Look at the information you have gathered and choose the name of a parish, town, or townland<br>where your ancestor lived. If only the county or country is known, go to How To Find a Place-<br>Name.<br>Ireland, How to Find Information About a Place Where Your Ancestor Lived<br>Research Guidance<br>Version of Data: 03/13/01<br>2<br>Step 2. Choose a gazetteer.<br>Choose a gazetteer or similar source to search. The following gazetteers are listed in order of the<br>amount and value of the information they give. These gazetteers are available at the Family<br>History Library. Other gazetteers may be available at a library near you. You may want to look at<br>more than one gazetteer to gather details about the place you have chosen.<br>Title Publication Date Features<br>The Parliamentary Gazetteer of<br>Ireland.<br>1844 Gives location, jurisdictions,<br>geographical description, local<br>religions, local estates, industries<br>and manufacturing, land use, and<br>population breakdown by religion.<br>Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of<br>Ireland.<br>1837 and later editions Gives location, jurisdictions,<br>geographical description, local<br>religions, local estates, industries<br>and manufacturing, land use, and<br>population.<br>Cassell's Gazetteer of Great Britain<br>and Ireland.<br>1894-1898 Gives location, geographical<br>description, local religions, local<br>estates, industries and<br>manufacturing, and land use.<br>Index to the Townlands, Towns,<br>Parishes, and Baronies of Ireland,<br>1851.<br>1851; reprinted 1984 Alphabetical list of townlands and<br>towns giving the county, barony,<br>civil parish, and poor law union<br>jurisdictions.<br>Bartholomew's Survey Gazetteer of<br>the British Isles.<br>Original, 1904;<br>9th edition, 1943;<br>reprinted 1966<br>Gives location and geographical<br>description; also gives jurisdictions,<br>industries and manufacturing, and<br>population for larger cities.<br>Gazetteers and topographical dictionaries are not the only sources for information about placenames.<br>For more sources, see Tip 1.<br>Step 3. Obtain a copy of a gazetteer.<br>You may find gazetteers at:<br>• Family History Centers.<br>• The Family History Library.<br>• Other archives and libraries.<br>Step 4. Search the gazetteer for the place-name.<br>Once you have obtained a copy of a gazetteer, look for the name of the place where your<br>ancestor lived. Information in gazetteers is arranged alphabetically by the place-name.<br>If you cannot find the place in a gazetteer or other place-name source, see Tip 2.<br>Step 5. Copy the information and note the source.<br>Copy the information about the place-name onto family group sheets, a pedigree chart, and in<br>your notes. Some of the information may not seem helpful at this time but may be important in<br>future research. You may want to make a photocopy of the information directly from the source.<br>Ireland, How to Find Information About a Place Where Your Ancestor Lived<br>Research Guidance<br>Version of Data: 03/13/01<br>3<br>Be sure to write down the source of the information on a research log, including any library call<br>numbers. Be specific when writing down this information. If you should ever need to look at the<br>source again, your documentation will show where to find it in the record. If anyone else should<br>consult your research, they will also see where the source is located. Your research log will serve<br>as a guide to your research.<br>Tips<br>Tip 1. Where else can I find information about a place?<br>Information about places can also be found in:<br>• County histories.<br>• Town or parish histories.<br>• County directories.<br>• Descriptive regional guides.<br>• Encyclopedias.<br>Look for these other types of sources in a local archive or library catalog. To search the Family<br>History Library Catalog, go to What to Do Next, select the Catalog, and look for the county, town,<br>or parish, and your topic of choice.<br>The Internet may also provide sources of information about places in Ireland.<br>Tip 2. What if I cannot find the place-name in any of the<br>suggested sources?<br>You may not find a place-name because it is:<br>• Misspelled.<br>• Known by another name.<br>• Obsolete.<br>• A farm or other property name.<br>We suggest you contact the Ordnance Survey offices in Ireland to see if they can assist you.<br>Their addresses, including e-mail, are listed on their web sites:<br>• Republic of Ireland<br>• Northern Ireland<br>Tip 3. How can I find a map showing the place where my<br>ancestor lived?<br>For information on how to find a map, see How To Find Maps.<br>Background<br>Once you have identified a specific place in Ireland where your ancestor came from, you need to<br>identify the jurisdictions that included that place. Knowing jurisdictions is important when looking<br>for records. Church records are kept by ecclesiastical authorities, but one religion's jurisdictions<br>are not the same as another. In addition, civil jurisdictions are different than religious, and there<br>have been several levels of civil jurisdiction that have kept records of genealogical value.<br>Ireland, How to Find Information About a Place Where Your Ancestor Lived<br>Research Guidance<br>Version of Data: 03/13/01<br>4<br>Jurisdictions of importance include:<br>• Ecclesiastical parish.<br>• Diocese.<br>• Civil parish.<br>• Barony.<br>• Poor law union.<br>• District electoral division.<br>• County.<br>• Province.<br>When you find a source of information about your place, make note of all of the jurisdictions in<br>which it is included.<br>Where to Find It<br>Family History Centers<br>Family History Centers may have gazetteers for Ireland on microfiche or microfilm. Other placename<br>sources may also be available. Centers can purchase microfiche or borrow microfilm from<br>the Family History Library. There is a small fee to have a microfilm sent on loan to a center.<br>Family History Centers are located throughout the United States and other areas of the world.<br>Find a Family History Center near you.<br>Family History Library<br>The Family History Library has several gazetteers and other place-name sources for Ireland in<br>book form as well as on microfilm or microfiche. There is no fee for using the library's collection in<br>person.<br>You may request photocopies of pages from a gazetteer or other source from the library for a<br>small fee. You will need to fill out a Request for Photocopies form, which is available at all Family<br>History Centers. Complete the form with the book, film, or fiche number you found in your search<br>of the Family History Library Catalog (see What to Do Next). Send the form and payment to the<br>Family History Library.<br>Other Archives and Libraries<br>Addresses for archives and libraries can be found at Ready, 'Net, Go. Select Master List of<br>Archives.