A big thanks to all who have tried to clarify the situation as regards these censuses, I am now more hopeful that at least there is another census somewhere in the pipeline even if there are no plans as yet to release it. My only concern about the 1937 census is that I am almost old enough not to need it!! And I certainly have living family members who were born well before 1937! I would just like to take this opportunity to clarify my earlier comments re not complaining and instead, doing something positive and making a virtue of this "lost" census by campaigning for the release of the next available one. Just in case anyone took offense at my rather self deprecatory remarks about us Irish being too quick to moan instead of making the best of things. Several factors were in my head when I wrote that. 1. I spoke to a senior Presbyterian clergyman recently who expressed severe misgivings about continuing to share his church records. The reason he gave me was that they contained sensitive information and cited illegitimacy in particular. I am sure this was indeed on his mind but I am equally sure that he has reached the end of his tether with people "demanding", as he would see it, access to his registers. These men, regardless of religious denomination, usually have several churches to look after and get paid very little. The last thing I want to see is for our political masters to decide that we are not mature enough to see the census from 1937, as it now transpires, because it is too sensitive! 2. It grieves me increasingly to hear Irish family historians bemoaning the difficulty of Irish genealogy. I am quite proud to be Irish and while we may have been a tad unfortunate in accidentally blowing up more of our records than was prudent, we DO have a census substitute which is far superior to any UK, US or antipodean census - and that is the Griffiths valuation. Have any of these other censuses got a map to accompany them that shows the exact spot on the ground where your great great grandmother was born? I think not. So, let's be positive about our beloved Irish ancestry and not start complaining about yet another lost source. 3. My passion is to link as many members of the diaspora with their Irish ancestors as I can possibly manage. I am currently writing another wee guide which will go online soon at my WUGS Facebook page to help those who wish to help themselves. This is the Year of the Gathering in Ireland as well as Derry/Londonderry City of Culture year and I am not convinced that sufficient emphasis has been given to genealogy in the plans for either of these events. And don't tell me that visitors from the diaspora will not be interested in knowing where their folks originated. What we do not need is yet another excuse for organizers to tell anyone from abroad that we just do not have the sources to help them. Just thought I would have that wee whinge in good old Irish fashion! Regards, Boyd Gray http://familytrees.genopro.com/boydgray26/Boyd/default.htm http://www.westulstergenealogy.com/ http://www.facebook.com/westulstergenealogy