Learn How to Trace Your Irish Roots

Ireland has a census with family information. However, the census is only effective from the year 1901.

Before the census, if people wanted to list who they were and who they were related to, they would go see the parish register.What is even more perplexing is that many of Ireland’s citizens from the last several centuries were workers in a trade such as farming or service. Sadly, these people were not usually recorded because of their rank in society.

Yet, it seems positively certain that many people had relatives who worked in one of these industries long ago. How awful it must have been to work so hard all the while knowing your future generations might not even know that you existed. Today the National Library of Ireland has accepted the task of keeping the records of all parish registers. For those who are interested in tracing their ancestral roots, the search just got easier. The records are stored on microfilm, no doubt to keep a tidy collection of all major milestones during the last few centuries.

It is with credit that these records even exist and that notion is offered to the Catholic Church of Ireland. They kept anecdotes of all major happenings for families regardless of profession. What they have mostly are statements from marriages and baptisms. In these documents are lists of attending witnesses or relatives which makes tracing your Irish history a bit more intriguing. In an attempt to make things easier on the people looking for answers, the library has created an online search. In the past, a search like this involved going to the library in person with the related materials and having someone help you load microfilm after finding it. It seems the time issue of finding your ancestors can now be cut in half.

What you need to know before your search is which parish you are aiming to search in and the year that you would like information. From there, the search requires no manual loading of any films or help from a friendly librarian. You are able to search at your leisure from home for the items you would like to view. And hopefully once you find what you are looking for, you will find clarity in a search for your ancestry. Much can be said from conducting a search like this whether it means being more certain of who you are or maybe from where you came from.

A wonderful way to celebrate a finding like a family tree is to proclaim it with an item which represents your history. This Tree of Life Shamrock bracelet is a perfect item to wear once you discover your Irish roots! It Is made of sterling silver with a gold shamrock hanging from a branch. This ornament says truly that you are Irish and you know it.