Hi Lindel I tested the web site out with a search for my gr.grandfathers marriage and found this...(The index is free) Type Surname First NameYearCounty Marriage GorryWilliam 1845Co.Westmeath ~~~~~~~~ I have a copy of the marriage from a film of the Parish Records that I ordered for $6.00 at my FHC from Salt Lake and it's this.... Marriage Nov.30 1845....William Gorry & Bridget Kenehan Witnesses Patrick Egan & Elizabeth Kenehan. ~~~~~~~ If I wanted the copy from that web site it would cost me 5 euros ! 5 EUROS FOR THAT ??..that's ridiculous. ~~~~~~ Frank McGonigal Ont.Canada ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lindel Buckley" <lindelb@yahoo.com> To: <donegaleire-l@rootsweb.com>; <irl-co-donegal@rootsweb.com>; <irl-donegal@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, March 16, 2008 7:55 AM Subject: [DONEGALEIRE] Ireland News - Launch of a new National GenealogyService I was sent this article from the Irish Times Thu Mar 13 2008, which you can read for yourself at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~donegal/gensvce.jpg I'm not sure whether to laugh or be appalled - there's a new website online, sponsored by the Irish Family History Foundation, which was launched by the Minister of Arts, Sports and Tourism, Republic of Ireland and the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. It contains 8.6 million church and civil records, obtained from State and church archives, gathered at public expense (ie using taxpayers money)- but is being run as a commercial service, charging ?10 for every single item of information. These items are transcriptions of records, not the originals, and as with all transcriptions there may be errors, which the website warns against, even going so far as to say if there is an error to let them know! Currently, if you go through the Civil Registration Office in Roscommon, the cost of a full Certificate of Births, Marriages and Deaths is ?10; a photocopy of an entry is ?6; and with the vol no/ref its ?4. The newspaper article goes on to say that "it is a complete break with tradition that an important aspect of our national archives should be subject to a charge", and there was a call "for the information to be given to the National Archives as an integral part of the public information service it provides." Further, that it was "utterly unacceptable that Irish citizens be charged for accessing their own family records assembled at public expense." The new website is at http://ifhf.brsgenealogy.com/ but does not mention anything about the records being gathered at public expense, only that "they have achieved considerable success in gaining access through negotiation with record holders." Donegal records are not yet included in their database, but the site notes they are coming soon. These will be from Donegal Ancestry in Ramelton, who will hand over /sell their records to this IFHF Online Record Search System (shame they're not made available for people to do their own research in the records in Donegal!) There is a bit of a silver lining to this (if its transcripts you're after) - the new site will charge ?10 per item/record........DA charges ?23 per record search and ?25 per baptism transcript....you'll get 2½ for the price of 1! Food for thought anyway! Happy St Patrick's Day! Lindel