Trying to research your ancestors in Ireland without a specific county of origin is usually futile. Some researchers may already be blessed with this knowledge. It may have been discussed often in their family. Then there is the rest of us who are just stuck. When I first started researching my family history, I had the opportunity to sit down a genealogist who specialized in Irish research. I took many notes and learned a lot from him. I'd like to pass along my notes, in the hopes that it may help you discover where in Ireland your family hails from. The notes are broken down into two parts: country of arrival records (in this case, meaning the US) and country of origin records (meaning Ireland). I'll start with the country of arrival records, and discuss them in alphabetical order. A quick note: these records are not guaranteed to give you the county of origin in Ireland, but are the most likely. Take care, Tracy