Hello, I also have an Irish ancestor but do not know where in Ireland to search..... My John Earl or Earle is found in Ontario Canada in the 1851 census with his wife Lucinda and 5 children.. all the children were born in Ontario Canada. His wife was born in New York but they probably married in Ontario sometime before their first child was born, Nathanial Churchill Earl Dec 1832...... The 1851 and 1861 Ontario census records both show John as born in Ireland..... but not where. nor when he came to Canada..... his birth, calculated from the census records indicate he was born about 1810 or 1811 Ireland. I have not been able to locate an immigration record. So I do not know if he came as a child with parents or as a young man by himself. John was a Teacher and also a Lay Minister.... Methodist it appears. It appears that John died in 1884 ... froze to death in February at Gull Lake and was found in the Spring.... he was listed as a school teacher on the death certificate.... although there is no other information to be sure that this was the right John.... he is the only one that seemed to fit .... age, born Ireland, occupation.... his wife and children were in Michigan by that time but she was residing with her children and family stories are that he went off on a mission and never returned.... Is there no hope of finding his birth / parent information for Ireland? I am lost as to where to go next and someone told me that you have to know their "homeland" in order to continue research. I do feel very blessed though.... I have a photo of John and wife Lucinda and have placed them on my webpage listed below under the Earl Family link. Its wonderful to be able to put a face to the name.... and makes my quest seem so much more personable... and a closer connection to my ancestor whom I have never met. Pat Holling La Center, Washington USA http://groups.msn.com/TheHollingFamily/homepage