Ask and Ye Might Receive!

Have you ever hit that proverbial brick wall and wondered where to look next for a reclusive ancestor? Often we genealogists find ourselves stuck because the records we want are in another country and we aren't sure how to access them.. or  if they even exist!

Don't overlook asking Libraries, Archives and Museums for help. My husband's ancestor Michael Jackson (yes truly that is his name) lived in Nenagh, Tipperary Ireland. Finding details on him or his family have been challenging! 

Marriage Michael Jackson & Mary Moynahan 1835

What I had found in my research was that Michael married a woman named Mary Moynahan (Minihan) on 14 February 1835 in Monsea Parish, Tipperary. I found the christening records of three children in the online Catholic Parish Registers at the National Library of Ireland. I also found instances of Michael and a man I believe is Mary Moynahan's brother in  Parish Poor Law Union Records for Loughnora, which is where the two families lived. 

4 February 1847: Rate for the Relief of the Poor of Nenagh Union: Michael Minihan"  house and land, Sarah Minihan, Michael Jackson 

But I wanted details! After a search of various websites to find out where these records might be held, I learned from the National Archives of Ireland that the Tipperary Public Library had the Rate Books. An hour on their website didn't yield any information that led me to believe they offered any research services, and I could not find a working email address. 

Since I'm not one to give up, I ended up "creating" a few email addresses based on their domain name tipperarylibraries.ie. Most websites have an admin address and other standard ones such as "info".  So I wrote to info@tipperarylibraries.ie and a few others I thought might work. None bounced back so that seemed successful. Of course whether or not anyone would respond was another matter. I kept my email request concise but provided necessary details, offered to pay for research services and requested assistance.

To my surprise and delight, early this morning I received a lovely email from a woman who is part of a Tipperary Studies project. I guess one of my emails was forwarded to her. She took quite a bit of time to research all the Rate books on my behalf, as well as gravestone inscriptions and prison records. She also provided a link to a subscription Irish Newspaper site where I could search for the individuals in question. 

What a lovely surprise that was! I now have more details on Michael Jackson and his possible brother-in-law Michael Minihan. 

So never hesitate to ask.  Offer to pay for services, keep your email brief but be sure to give details needed (names, dates, locations), and ask for help with ONE question. You never know - you might get lucky.

Irish Census Records 1821-1911 online

1821 Census
Colebrooke (Aghalurcher, Fermanagh)

Irish Census Records from 1821 to 1911 (with gaps 1861 to 1901) are now available online. 

The earlier records are scattered and many have not survived but The National Archives of Ireland has a searchable database of the available counties and years.

You can also browse by years in the available counties:

1821 Antrim Carlow Cavan Dublin Fermanagh Galway Kilkenny King's Limerick Mayo Meath 1831 Antrim Londonderry 1841 Antrim Carlow Cavan Cork Dublin Fermanagh Limerick Longford Mayo Monaghan Queen's Tyrone Westmeath Wicklow 1851 Antrim Armagh Cavan Clare Donegal Down Dublin Fermanagh Kerry Kildare Leitrim Limerick Londonderry Longford Mayo Meath Monaghan Queen's Roscommon Sligo Tipperary Tyrone Waterford Wexford Wicklow

1901 Antrim Armagh Carlow Cavan Clare Cork Donegal Down Dublin Fermanagh Galway Kerry Kildare Kilkenny King's Co. Leitrim Limerick Londonderry Longford Louth Mayo Meath Monaghan Queen's Co. Roscommon Sligo Tipperary Tyrone Waterford Westmeath Wexford Wicklow  1911 Antrim Armagh Carlow Cavan Clare Cork Donegal Down Dublin Fermanagh Galway Kerry Kildare Kilkenny King's Co. Leitrim Limerick Londonderry Longford Louth Mayo Meath Monaghan Queen's Co. Roscommon Sligo Tipperary Tyrone Waterford Westmeath Wexford Wicklow

1901 Irish Census Now Online

The 1901 Census of Ireland is now online at the National Archives of Ireland website.

All thirty-two counties for 1901 and 1911, searchable by all information categories, are now available.

This is great news for those with Irish ancestors in the early 1900 time period.

1911 Irish Census for Antrim, Kerry & Down online

Library and Archives, Canada signed an agreement with the National Archives of Ireland in December 2005 and the two institutions have been working to make the censuses of Ireland for 1901 and 1911 accessible online, free of charge.

Library and Archives Canada's contribution included digitizing microfilm reels, linking images to the database and making the records searchable by name.

Irish-Canadian Documentary Heritage at Library and Archives Canada

"(Ottawa) December 22, 2008 - Library and Archives Canada is pleased to announce that its partner, the National Archives of Ireland, has launched the next important phase of an 1911 online census research tool for the Irish counties of Antrim, Kerry, and Down. The census records for all counties for 1911 and for 1901 will be made available online throughout 2009."