Some of the recent posts indicate that new researchers have joined and need answers to basic questions. Irish research is MUCH MUCH harder than US, Canadian, Australian, etc. Many sorts of records we have were never created there, and many that were have been destroyed. The ruling group in the 19th c had little interest in documenting the "natives"; and during and after the revolution, the Irish revolutionaries cared little whether the ruling classes' records survived. The first thing I always (and still) recommend is that anyone doing Irish research get a good research guide to Irish genealogy. You can skate along with the web and email to do American, British, Australian, etc. genealogy, but there is no substitute for a good book on Irish research--you can read it in bed and mull over and over the various strategies available, write in it, pore over the maps, and on and on. I own TRACING YOUR IRISH ANCESTORS by John Grenham, both editions [2nd better for RC research, 1st better for CofI]. There are others that posters swear by. But if you are into the hobby for more than two weeks, invest the ca US$20 pb for a good guide. Elizabeth