In this series we’ve discussed the important resources to consult for your Irish ancestor in America. At this point, you should hopefully be armed with some specifics about your ancestor, their Irish-born family, and an idea of what province, county, or parish they came from in Ireland. Now, we will cross the Atlantic and examine the resources you will use in Ireland to pinpoint your ancestral family. First, it’s crucial to provide some historical context for Ireland and its records. As far back as the 18th century, most of the Irish population outside of Ulster were tenant farmers who rented...
This is part 3 of a six-part series on how to trace your Irish ancestor back to Ireland. In parts 1 and 2, we looked at the important questions to ask about your ancestor and how to find answers in American records. In this post, we’ll look at another strategy to find your ancestor’s Irish origins: analyzing family, community, and DNA. Family Let’s say you checked all the resources listed in part 2 of this series, but you’re still no closer to finding your ancestor’s birthplace in Ireland. You’re not alone in that respect; many Irish immigrants left little imprint...
You sent off your Ancestry DNA test in the form of a tube of saliva and you just received your results. Are you surprised? Excited? Puzzled? Wondering what to do next? Why not explore your ethnicity results and learn where in the world you come from. The science of DNA can seem daunting to the beginner, so I invite you to join me as I learn about DNA and how to use it for genealogy purposes. I’ll be posting regularly about my discoveries, so follow along and see what you can learn. My genealogy paper trail has so far led...
St. Patrick’s Day is only a few days away! Here are some ways that we’ve been celebrating our Irish Heritage: Learn about your Irish Heritage Did you know that 3.7 million American residents claim Irish ancestry? According to this graphic, that’s more than 7X the population of Ireland. Between 1830 and 1940, nearly 4.5 million Irish immigrants arrived in the United States. Do you have any Irish immigrants in your family tree? If so, here’s an article about how to find more records about them from the FindMyPast blog: I know my ancestors are from Ireland, what do I do next? Decorate with...
