http://www.the-kingdom.ie/news/story/?trs=cwidcwmhey >From The Kingdom Newspaper in County Kerry. (August 2008) Posting the following item of interest to those seeking parish records for Kerry/Cashel and Elmy parishes. Both parishes were previously closed parishes when it came to view their microfilmed records in Dublin. Kerry did have a Heritage centre where for a fee one could obtain the parish records. (it remains closed) and has been for many years. Tipperary also has (two) Heritage centres? as far as I know. KerryKate ***************************************************************************************** Bishops upset by move to open parish records THE Bishop of Kerry has objected to a decision by the National Library to provide free public access to micro-film copies of historic parish registers from the diocese. The move has also been condemned by the Kerry-born Archibishop of Cashel and Elmy, Dr Dermot Clifford, who has written to the library superiors to voice his disapproval. The objections from the bishops followed a decision by the library authorities to reverse a previous policy and reopen public access to copies of the registers. It is understood that the bishops contend that copyright issues arise as the records are the property of parishes and dioceses. But the library’s decision also removes a significant source of income for some dioceses which charge fees when allowing members of the public access to parish registers. In his letter to the library, Dr Clifford said he was “totally taken aback” at the unilateral decision to grant access to “allcomers” to the registers. He said previous arrangements between the dioceses and the library were founded on the clear understanding that copyright to the records were the property of the parishes and diocese. No permission had been given to the library to grant access to the microfilm records, Dr Clifford maintained. The Bishop of Kerry, Dr Bill Murphy, also wrote to the library to express his surprise at the decision and to stress that no permission had been given to the library to grant public access to the records. Members of the public in Kerry can currently access parish records by contacting the diocesan genealogy office and paying a nominal search fee sum. The director of the National Library, Aongus " hAonghusa, has reaffirmed the decision to provide public access to the records and informed the bishops that it was made with the benefit of legal advice. Three separate legal sources had informed the library that there was no reason why it should not provide public access to the microfilmed records. The parish and diocesan records are considered fundamental research tools for genealogists and others anxious to trace family histories. The library’s collection of microfilms covers the surviving pre-1881 baptismal and marriage records of almost all Catholic parishes throughout Ireland. Concern has been voiced in recent days that there are some fears that the parish records might be used for inappropriate reasons if they were made available free of charge to everybody. Some reports have suggested that there is concern that some members of the Mormon Church - also known as the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints - might use such records to posthumously baptise Catholics into the Mormon faith. It is the custom of the Mormon Church to baptise deceased members of other churches, in a practice focusing on the afterlife which critics have branded an attempt to artificially boost membership numbers. A spokesman for the Mormon community in Ireland, which numbered 1,237 in the 2006 census, referred to the teachings of the Church which state that baptisms for the dead are necessary to allow them to be reunited with Jesus in the afterlife. The spokesman stressed that such baptisms did not alter the faith of the deceased if they did not wish it to. “The Church also teaches that those in the afterlife who have been baptised by proxy are free to accept or reject the ordinance,” he said. The Kingdom contacted the Bishop of Kerry’s office on a number of occasions in the past week but no comment was forthcoming.