Expand+This short course proposes to assist participants in researching their family history. The approach goes beyond simple genealogy to try and discover something of the lives of those people identified on the family tree.

There are two purposes to t...

Hide-This short course proposes to assist participants in researching their family history. The approach goes beyond simple genealogy to try and discover something of the lives of those people identified on the family tree.

There are two purposes to this course: firstly, to introduce the participants to the fun and challenges of researching their family history; secondly, to encourage the participants to produce a basic document that would serve as the basis of further research in the months, and years ahead. Participants are encouraged to bring their research problems to class.

Class structure (classes 2-6): major topic/coffee break/class research issues.

Expand+Week 1:
The Four Courts Problem and getting started on basic research. The destruction of the Public

Record Office in 1922 and the loss of Irish records. Create your research ‘toolbox’. How to file and store your records. Written sources and fami...

Hide-Week 1:
The Four Courts Problem and getting started on basic research. The destruction of the Public

Record Office in 1922 and the loss of Irish records. Create your research ‘toolbox’. How to file and store your records. Written sources and family lore. Research standards. The family tree.

Recommended reading. Introducing the Census of 1901/1911. Opening exercise for beginners.

Week 2:
The Census & its substitutes: The use of the census records. Other census records. Census

substitutes. Official sources. Births, marriages, deaths registration. Census records (1901/1911).

Electoral registers. Local and national government records. Police and military records. Court

records. Emigration and immigration records. The Registry of Deeds, etc.

Week 3:
Catholics, Protestants and Dissenters. Church and other non-state records. Baptism, marriage and burial records. Graveyards. Wills and deeds. Tithe Lists and Tithe defaulters lists., etc.

Week 4:
Griffith's Valuation and the Tithe Applotments. Using land records.

Week 5:
Workhouse records. British military and police records. Sports and social organisations. Family papers. Progress reports on research (optional), etc.

Week 5:
1916 and all that. Bureau of Military History. Irish Military Archives. Old IRA Service Pension records. Cumann na mBan.

Week 6:
Other approaches and where to next? Developing your research. Reverse Genealogy. Creating and preserving records. Overcoming blockages and gaps in research. Progress reports from participants on their research (optional).