If you don't know exactly where an ancestor came from or what county, a check thru the Griffiths films may help you out.but not always. If they weren't tenants, or listed, you can be just out of luck. I had NO idea and still don't have any knowledge of where one set of my paternal GGparents came from when they were in Cork County.......only know they were born there in 1825 and 1826, because of census. I did luckily find out that my "other set" of GGparents did come from Kanturk and Boherbue areas, and did find them listed in 1804, and have some documentation as to marriage and baptismal from the churches there. It took 35 years to track down but I finally found them. And having no family to ask any questions I was on my own doing all the checking thru everything long before computers and websites and others to help doing "look-ups". All these people were dead long before I entered this world and no one from then on had any info..the Irish were often quite secretive about things ( some still are), for many reasons. BUT, don't let it deter you from looking-as frustrating as it all is, and if you get a clue even the smallest one and would like to see the areas that yor ancestors once lived, by all means go. I finally got the chance in June and am glad I made the trip, despite the rain.It was worth it all and really a thrill to be able to walk the streets/roads they once walked, and lucky for me seeing the houses they lived in back then. Who knows you might just run into someone who can give you information on a family that left the area even tho it was many years ago. And there are phone books to look up names and check and see if someone is related..... so don't hesitate make the trip! Pat