Many people around the world trace their heritage back to relatives who
came from Ireland.
Whether
it was a great-grandfather who came from Cork and a great-grandmother
from Kerry, millions of family trees have branches that include
at least a bit of Irish ancestry!
During
the hard times in Ireland many young people and families joined
the Irish
diaspora. They wandered to other lands to find work and
a better life. Their roots were in Ireland, but they married
and raised children in a new land.
Keeping
in touch with friends and relatives in the Old Country was
difficult in the days before inexpensive international telephone
calls and email. Most children, grandchildren and later generations
of these émigrés lost contact with their extended
families in Ireland. Looking for information on these Irish
ancestors is a research project that takes plenty of detective
work, but is also exciting and rewarding.
For
millions worldwide, all roads lead back to Ireland
Today,
the American Irish represent one of the greatest numbers who can trace their roots to Ireland, joined by Canada, U.K., Australia, New
Zealand and many other countries... where all roads eventually lead back to
the Old Sod.
Now that
genealogy information is easier to find, descendants of the
Irish who were scattered throughout the world are looking
for their Irish roots.
Irish Americans represent one of the greatest numbers who can trace their ancestry to Ireland,
joined by Canada, U.K., Australia, New
Zealand, and many other countries.
Old church
records, census rolls and passenger lists from ships that
sailed from Irish ports are just some of the places that can
reveal the secrets of where Irish ancestors lived and help
trace any relatives who may still be in the area.
You may
even find a few people in forums and message boards who are
looking for the same family information as you.
Around the Web, top sites devoted to helping people trace their family tree include Ancestory.com, Genealogy.com and FamilySearch.org. Meanwhile, in the US East Coast residents can avail themselves of a treasure trove of historic genealogical records at places like Ellis Island through which millions of Irish immigrants passed to enter "the promised land" of America.
Meanwhile, travelers to Ireland often include a visit to a city, town, or village
rich in family heritage. With a bit of luck, they may find
distant cousins who can share family histories with them and
help with reconnecting to the land of their forefathers and
researching their roots. Just walking through the streets
where grandparents or great-grandparents grew up can be a
surprisingly moving experience.
More
about tracing your Irish family roots around the Web:
Ever wonder
how your family got to where you are today? To help fill in
your family tree, check out these top Irish genealogy resources
and guide. Once you begin to trace your Irish ancestry...
you may soon find yourself planning a trip back to see the
Old Sod yourself or introducing your children to the place
your family once called home...
An
Chartlann Náisiúnta The National Archives of
Ireland - A bit complex, but probably the best resource
- online or off - for researching your Irish ancestry. They
welcome inquiries from anyone of Irish ancestry who is trying
to trace their family history...
Irish
Genealogy - Good historical and heritage research on this all-Ireland
site include a directory of grave sites, a downloadable booklet on how to go about
tracing your roots and plenty of other interesting and useful features.
GENUKI:
Ireland - As always, the GENUKI site does an wonderful job of covering
the resources available for tracing your ancestry. With the history of England
and Ireland so entangled, no surprise then that many roads lead to the UK to find
official records... they include these as well as the usual record locations in
Ireland. Bookmark this one.