Some Irish (and other) Genealogical Sources
| Keeping in mind there are numerous places to
look for information on the massive number of people who migrated
from Ireland in the 18th, 19th and 20th Centuries, it's no
surprise there are many places to look for ways and means to
research these
individuals and families. In spite of detailed Irish census information from the mid-19th
Century onwards, sometimes it's just impossible to find who you're
looking for. In some cases, people just disappeared; in other instances, they
deliberately tried to vanish, particularly if they were fleeing our
British neighbours' police/army who still won't leave six northern
counties after 900 years. Some of the sites I have included below offer, in general, free or almost free services. Those that charge are noted. There are, of course, numerous fee-based genealogy sites out there ready to gobble up your money, but many seem to offer a lot less than their ads tend to indicate. Beware! National Archives of the United Stages Irish Genealogy.ie (part government supported) Irish Government Genealogy Site nidirect.gov.uk/proni Northern Ireland Irish Parish Records -- Fee based Ulster Historical Foundation -- Fee based Cyndi's List -- Northern Ireland fee based IReviews -- Has a section on Irish genealogy research Site featuring research assistance tips Here are some personal thoughts on DNA testing businesses that may be of value to you. I have personally used three of the major companies for researching my own DNA. This might seem odd, given that the bases for the testing would be working with the same base product. But, believe me, you'll can get get much different results with using more than one of these agencies. For instance, waiting for nine months for the test to be completed and results posted to you might be considered by some to be a bit irritating. This could be especially so, hypothetically, if the company then blackballed you with specialty family groups it sponsors because you complained about the long wait for services. Among those with which I have had
personal experiences were Ancestry.com, Myheritage.com and Family
Tree DNA. Myheritage.com led to many of the same results promised and provided by Ancestry. I don't have as much experience with this company, but I am at least neutral in my comments on their services. Family Tree DNA is a different story. I do NOT recommend using this firm's services and do not care to elaborate on why at this time.] One cautionary note I would add here is that you should not use DNA
testing for anything if you would prefer not to be found. The
scope of these tests is extremely broad and if you're hiding out --
for whatever reason -- you can be found through not only your own
DNA results (that you might request remain private) but through
other near and not-so-near relatives whose results are posted and
made public. I won't say more. Genealogy Research Information
https://www.dnatestingguides.com/ A range of for-fee sites that may be of interest (Cvetanka)
All of the above links were operating as of 28.11.2023. If you find a broken one, an email to pobeire[at]gmail.com would be appreciated. |