Hello Sheila, Kevin and list, I am leaving for Dublin on the 18th October. I am being joined by two genealogy/photography experienced cousins from Massachusetts to help me research films rapidly at NLI and take photos of graveyards and tombstones to share online. The National Library of Ireland allows no copies, no scans, and no photographs of records. All must be read, studied, copied by hand, versus America where copies are inexpensively available and studied in quiet at home--where relationships, timeframes, naming patterns, religious divisions, Irish geography, communities may be digested for more clues of our ancestors. It is very challenging. I often am learning the process and finding things on the way out of town. It is very frustrating. I am searching not just for myself, but for three others who are dying to gather some information on their families. Not to mention my own multiple family lines! I can only stay 10 days because I have to work for a living and only get few weeks a year vacation. I am only good at researching those difficult films for 5 hours straight. My eyes can take no more. My husband accompanied me one year and said the libraries there had the worst maintained microfiche machines he had ever seen. He was a regional service manager for a large Microfiche/computer firm in US and he cleaned the Irish microfiche lenses the best he could while we were using it. I research everywhere in the USA, as one cannot get his/her Irish ancestor home unless they have done the research well in America. NOWHERE (not even the notorious Holy Cross Cemetery at Malden, MA) makes it more difficult to research the ancestors than Ireland, and West Cork. I envy other locations in Ireland where baptisms back to 1860 are on line, but for some reason, there just isn't the priority in West Cork to help us study our heritage. West Cork needs it the most. The people and places are lovely, the records are plentiful, but yes, there is some political funny business going on, and I heard of a case just recently that boggles my mind. But it means the focus is on other things than helping people find their roots and learning what happened to the Irish people from Bantry, Inchigeela, Drinagh, Drimoleague, Rosscarbery & Dunmanway. How did they make it in this world, and what became of them? Some of us have those answers and are willing to share this historical emigration from Ireland. Ireland would do well to take heed. I am spending more time this visit in Waterford because Willie Whelan at the Waterford Museum is anxious to pull some research online for his county. I will go where the action is. But some of my people are from West Cork. My dream is to spend a month--or a summer living in Ireland doing the research I need to accomplish---every year! I need to figure out how. A Heritage Center similar to the one in Skibbereen would be delightful. They are knowledgeable (on some limited genealogical resources), and wonderful to work with. The costs to me have been minimal. But they don't cover as many locations in West Cork or incorporate enough resources to be called a full fledged Heritage Center. They would be best to hire a Historian with gusto--like Willie Whelan and roll that data in. They are even e-mail competent and responsive, although I am never certain of their funding. They don't meet my needs. Sorry to be so wordy, list, but I am on a roll and headed for Ireland. And I have a plan for someday.... Regards, Candi in California http://www.corbinconnections.com/

I agree with Denis. In Dublin I found a will for one of my great-aunts, who left something like $26 (she was living in New York) to a neighbor in Ireland I knew nothing about. You never know what you'll learn. Sheila Connolly

I agree with you Tom and would like to add that here in Australia we have the same keen interest and need for local help in our Irish research. In fact we are even more disadvantaged because of the vast distance and expense involved in making a trip to Ireland to personally research the records. I have been lucky enough to have two extended trips across in the early days of my research but could only afford that because I have cousins living over there who provided most of the accommodation. I might add that these same cousins, who are the most hospitable people I have ever met, thought I was a bit "off the planet" because of my keen interest in our ancestors and knew [ or cared] even less than I did about our roots. I can't see things changing Tom in the very near future, by which time we will probably all be in a position to know "all":-)) Peggy Australia ----- Original Message ----- The desire for American's to have the Irish records computerized is important to us, over here. Apparently it is not looked upon with the same importance in Ireland. Then of course there is the funding of any project. If an individual or group were to establish such an endeavor locally, Americans could contribute to the cause. As for each town having their own historical society, if they have one, to compile all their records I think would be little more than a faint hope. My ancestors are from Newcestown, about 7 miles NNW, of Bandon. There may be 200 inhabitance. From what I saw they certainly don't have funds for such a project, if anyone cared. I wrote the parish priest a few times before my trip and only after meeting him did he allow me to look at the records, for four hours, and he added that since I was from the U.S. I wouldn't be around to "talk about things" that I may find in those records. If it was up to him I doubt if any of those records would ever become available. Tom

As a New Zealander who has just spent two months in Ireland, trying to get information about my ancestors (my third genealogical trip to Ireland), I like what Kevin of Cork has to say about the situation. I also have experience of researching in England where local council libraries house the available genealogical records and allow anyone free access to them both locally and by mail. I have always wondered why the same thing is not done in Ireland. In Limerick City in July, I visited their Main Library and spoke with their genealogy librarian. (When he is away ill, as he was the first day I was there, no-one else can help.) I asked him whether the records of Limerick Ancestry and Archives (the Heritage Centre which was housed in the same building as the Library and still has its street notice up) were accessible to the public. He said they were not, although an attempt had been made to open up the Centre again in recent times. Personally, I would not like to see it opened by the same people who ran it before. Like other Irish Heritage Centres I have used, such as the Clare one, they had a very restrictive attitude to queries - eg you had to know the names of the parents of the person whose details you were seeking - and they charged far too much. In both the North and South of Ireland, I noticed an increase in the number of Irish people doing genealogical research on this trip compared with on my last trip 5 years ago. Hopefully, a head of steam will build up as more of them take up this interest and the authorities will recognise the situation and provide for it. I thought the Cork Local Studies Section of the Main Library was well-staffed and it had lots of valuable material but it needs to be expanded to include parish information. Barbara Holt in NZ

Many thanks once again Dennis! What would we do without your continued interest and help. Peggy Australia "Peggy" <pegleg2@bigpond.net.au> asked: >Could somebody please tell me to which Catholic Church I should write in >the hope of getting a record of a marriage performed in 1862/3 in >Gortnagross, Co. Cork? Is this townland in the Ballyvourney Parish or >does it have a Parish Church of its own? There is a townland of Gortnagross in the parish of Ballyvourney. It is 151 acres and is in the Macroom Poor Law Union in the barony of West Muskerry in the West Riding of Co. Cork. There are also two townlands named Gortnagross in the Mallow Poor Law Union. Both are in the barony of Duhallow in the East Riding of Co. Cork. One is 55 acres in the parish of Mallow and the other is 962 acres in the parish of Ballyclogh. See http://www.rootsweb.com/~irlmahs/mherit.htm for information on the Mallow Heritage Centre which has Roman Catholic parish records for Ballyvourney on computer, baptisms 1810-1895 and marriages 1871-1895, Ballyclough baptisms 1807-1896, marriages 1805-1896 plus some Church of Ireland marriages, and Mallow baptisms 1809-1899, marriages 1757-1899, plus Church of Ireland baptisms, marriages and burials. -dja -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.407 / Virus Database: 268.13.1/466 - Release Date: 7/10/2006

_____ From: Arthur and Erin Marty [mailto:arthuranderin@clear.net.nz] Sent: Tuesday, 10 October 2006 7:01 a.m. To: 'IRL-CORK-L@rootsweb.com' Subject: Heritiage Centres Hi Listers, I am have been watching debate on the Heritage Centres and research in Ireland with interest. I am from New Zealand and I am experienced genealogist. There seems to be a problem with the person who wants research done and the researchers. I agree with the person who says that researchers do not look in the correct place, as in her case, when the family are poor and lands and deeds records are searched. My experience is that if you hire a researcher, you have to direct them to search, what you want. You have to know what records are available and tell the researcher which ones to search. The researcher then is employed by you to look where you want. I think to tell the researcher just to search, is not fair to them. Genealogists outside of New Zealand, Australia, America and Canada, make the mistake of thinking that we do not know what we are talking about. Some may not, but in my experience if you have got to the point of using a researcher, you have know WHAT records you want searching and direct them accordingly. Much has been said in NZ about Heritage Centres, that they are slow and that they charge a lot of money. An understanding of the volume of work, they receive is a must, but also a clear idea by the Heritage Centres about what you get for money and a timeframe would alleviate a lot of frustration. I believe that if a researcher was allowed to access Herit.age Centre records, and charged a reasonable rate, had a an ordered system, they would have enough work to take them into old age, and live well! That's enough from me. Erin in NZ

Hi Listers, I am have been watching debate on the Heritage Centres and research in Ireland with interest. I am from New Zealand and I am experienced genealogist. There seems to be a problem with the person who wants research done and the researchers. I agree with the person who says that researchers do not look in the correct place, as in her case, when the family are poor and lands and deeds records are searched. My experience is that if you hire a researcher, you have to direct them to search, what you want. You have to know what records are available and tell the researcher which ones to search. The researcher then is employed by you to look where you want. I think to tell the researcher just to search, is not fair to them. Genealogists outside of New Zealand, Australia, America and Canada, make the mistake of thinking that we do not know what we are talking about. Some may not, but in my experience if you have got to the point of using a researcher, you have know WHAT records you want searching and direct them accordingly. Much has been said in NZ about Heritage Centres, that they are slow and that they charge a lot of money. An understanding of the volume of work, they receive is a must, but also a clear idea by the Heritage Centres about what you get for money and a timeframe would alleviate a lot of frustration. I believe that if a researcher was allowed to access Herit.age Centre records, and charged a reasonable rate, had a an ordered system, they would have enough work to take them into old age, and live well! That's enough from me. Erin in NZ

It would be really wonderful if the Parish Records could be indexed and, perhaps even more importantly, rescued and renovated before they have all faded into total illegibility. I was very disturbed when I saw the condition of much of the early records for south and west Cork on the microfilms at the National Library, and so I'm not hopeful that these recourses will survive into the future. It would be a massive undertaking - but something that other countries manage without too much difficulty. Ireland should now be proud, and not ashamed of it's historical documents. I will happily write to Mr O Donohue if it will help at all, Slan Mary McCarthy Simpson

Jan Fortado <janfortado@comcast.net> said: >work for them, the genealogists often have very high prices. I have known >of folks to use professionals in Ireland, including Cork. Even though the >family was REALLY poor when in Ireland, the genealogist spends time checking >wills and deeds and other such things, adding on many hours of research. >The person asking for the research isn't aware of how seldom any family >is going to have a deed or will. The genalogists should just check at >first for church and/or vital records to keep the price down. At 50 >euros an hour, research can get expensive. While it isn't the first place I'd look, do not discount the notion of finding a non-wealthy ancestor listed in the wills and administration records. I spent several days on one trip extracting all of the Aherns listed in the Calendars of Wills and Administration in Ireland from 1840 something to 1820 something. There were quite a few of them and one woman left an estate of four pounds. Four pounds is not a tremendous amount, but it could be worth a million if she was your ancestor. -dja

Hello All, I have no problem with a Heritage centre opening up in West Cork. I would gladly welcome one.The problem I have is having to pay outrageous amounts for it. In the ref. library in Cork city (1901 census)on the notice board is a notice asking for volunteers with good handwriting and an interest in genealogy to help with the indexing of parish records for Cork and Ross. What expense is this? We have tourist offices throughout Ireland ....... these aren't generating income directly but of course can be a great help to visiting tourists. If the parish records were not on line but available for researchers here this would encourage visitors and of course listers would be more than willing to help our overseas friends. In England and Wales archivists search records ...and at the moment I am awaiting photocopies from the 1700's to arrive at the Grand cost of �5.90 sterling. As I say "Rip off Ireland" One last thing..... would listrs please try and refrain from giving the impression that we have no interest in Genealogy at all. Many of us do and yes.....some priests feel they are plagued by requests from all over the world to look up records.Some are excellent and we all know how vague requests can be a tad annoying. I know many who go to great efforts to help researchers out, particularly those overseas. At the end of the day...... most researchers know that people are being ripped off by heritage centre charges...as Dennis pointed out.... the centres do not even provide full time employment. Best regards, Kevin, Co Cork,Ireland. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Find the home of your dreams with eircom net property Sign up for email alerts now http://www.eircom.net/propertyalerts

Greetings from a windy and chilly Nebraska I am trying to find information on my gggreat-grandparents, George and Violetta TERRY. All I know about Violetta is that she was born in Scotland which was listed on her daughter's death certificate. All I know about George is: George Terry was listed as a Police officer, at Virginia, Par. of Lurgan in 1837 County Cavan births; TERRY Violetta Jane 1840, Samuel 1842, Rebecca 1845, Alexander B. 1846, Celia Frances 1848, Sarah Victoria 1850 Oct 1855 Coothill, Application for Sale of Beer and Spirits issued to; George TERRY of Virginia, Lurgan sureties posted by John Alexander & David Kellet August 05, 1855 daughter Elizabeth married Dan RAWLINS, a mariner, Marriage information: daughter of George TERRY residing at 104 St. George Street in Middlesex. They were married in London, St. George's In The East. The only information available regarding Elizabeth Terry Rawlins is that she was born in Ireland about 1834. This lists George as being a police inspector. October 16, 1865 daughter Elizabeth married Robert PROCTOR, a constable, Kingston-Upon-Hull, Sculcoates, Yorkshire, England Online replies have indicated that TERRYs moved to Cork from Cavan I've not been able to locate any further information. Thank you so very much in advance ... Charlene and Family Email: _mihnbu@aol.com_ (mailto:mihnbu@aol.com) May your life be long, your heart be true May your path be clear and your skies be blue May your soul be happy, your spirit light May you know great joy, your dreams take flight "Is gaire cabhair Dé ná an doras"

There is nothing in the digitised world of electronics that can be done to make legible that which is not legible. ***** Reply to the LIST ONLY - Please ***** ***** Thanks for your consideration ***** Pádraig Mór, An Sean Gabhar ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mary Simpson" <mary@msimpson.demon.co.uk> To: <IRL-CORK@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, October 09, 2006 1:51 PM Subject: West Cork Gen Centre > It would be really wonderful if the Parish Records could be indexed > and, perhaps even more importantly, rescued and renovated before they > have all faded into total illegibility. > > I was very disturbed when I saw the condition of much of the early > records for south and west Cork on the microfilms at the National > Library, and so I'm not hopeful that these recourses will survive into > the future. > > It would be a massive undertaking - but something that other > countries manage without too much difficulty. Ireland should now be > proud, and not ashamed of it's historical documents. > > I will happily write to Mr O Donohue if it will help at all, > > Slan > > Mary McCarthy Simpson >

That seems O.K., if one knows what records they have available - but in perusing their websites, one sees, " we have millions of records" This generalised statement is not good enough, they ought to be specific about the extent of their computerised database, by showing the actual dates available to them in,all their database records. That way, if your ancestor's dates do not match their database information, one is not 'hooked' into paying money up-front for a non-existent record. ***** Reply to the LIST ONLY - Please ***** ***** Thanks for your consideration ***** Pádraig Mór, An Sean Gabhar ----- Original Message ----- From: "Arthur and Erin Marty" <arthuranderin@clear.net.nz> To: <IRL-CORK-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, October 09, 2006 2:02 PM Subject: FW: Heritiage Centres _____ > > From: Arthur and Erin Marty [mailto:arthuranderin@clear.net.nz] > Sent: Tuesday, 10 October 2006 7:01 a.m. > To: 'IRL-CORK-L@rootsweb.com' > Subject: Heritiage Centres > > > > Hi Listers, I am have been watching debate on the Heritage Centres and > research in Ireland with interest. I am from New Zealand and I am > experienced genealogist. There seems to be a problem with the person who > wants research done and the researchers. I agree with the person who says > that researchers do not look in the correct place, as in her case, when > the > family are poor and lands and deeds records are searched. My experience is > that if you hire a researcher, you have to direct them to search, what you > want. You have to know what records are available and tell the researcher > which ones to search. The researcher then is employed by you to look where > you want. I think to tell the researcher just to search, is not fair to > them. Genealogists outside of New Zealand, Australia, America and Canada, > make the mistake of thinking that we do not know what we are talking > about. > Some may not, but in my experience if you have got to the point of using a > researcher, you have know WHAT records you want searching and direct them > accordingly. Much has been said in NZ about Heritage Centres, that they > are > slow and that they charge a lot of money. An understanding of the volume > of > work, they receive is a must, but also a clear idea by the Heritage > Centres > about what you get for money and a timeframe would alleviate a lot of > frustration. I believe that if a researcher was allowed to access > Herit.age > Centre records, and charged a reasonable rate, had a an ordered system, > they > would have enough work to take them into old age, and live well! That's > enough from me. Erin in NZ

kevin <kevinmcc59@eircom.net> said: >Hello Jan, When you say that West Cork should have a Heritage centre... >do you mean one that is similar to Mallow? >We all know the "employees" in Mallow can search an entry within seconds >and in turn charge 75 euro for that search. That's like saying lobster should be fifty cents a pound because it only takes seconds to pull one out of a trap. There is a lot more to doing a search than hitting the <enter> key on the computer. If these heritage centres are such a goldmine, how come the Limerick Centre had to close because it was losing too much money? >The amount of work put in by enthusiasts and monies from govt. grants it >would be excellent if they put the records on line.We all know this isn't Most of the data from parish records was input by FAS trainees under government employment schemes at a time when unemployment in Ireland was very high. There aren't any such grants now because there aren't as many young people out of a job. >going to happen. We have a rip off culture here in Ireland. If anyone is >prepared to pay 75 euro I'll gladly go to Dublin for each person at 25 >euro and do it myself.It's quite simple... just put the records on line... You make it sound so easy, Kevin. Even when you have the year and the parish, it's possible for an experienced and diligent researcher to miss finding an entry in the microfilmed parish records at the National Library. The beauty of the heritage centre databases is that you have a chance of finding a locality with nothing more than the names of the parents. For example, in 1992 or '93, I spent two weeks reading Mallow parish records at the NLI and found, I believed, all of the Ahern records that were there. But I had some puzzlements. A sister of my great-grandfather, Margaret Ahern had married a Maurice Roche in Mallow. Their first two children were baptised in Mallow, but by the time they emigrated to Arlington, Massachusetts, they had six children. I had no way of figuring out where the other four were born, but the Mallow Heritage Centre was able to tell me in seconds that the other four were baptised in Doneraile, the next parish over. Did I pay them for the few seconds it took for the computer to spit out the answer? No, I paid them for all the costs involved in creating and maintaining that database. If they ever come up with a West Cork heritage centre that is the equal of Mallow in providing value for money, it will shed a welcome light in the "Black hole of Irish genealogy". -dja

The desire for American's to have the Irish records computerized is important to us, over here. Apparently it is not looked upon with the same importance in Ireland. Then of course there is the funding of any project. If an individual or group were to establish such an endeavor locally, Americans could contribute to the cause. As for each town having their own historical society, if they have one, to compile all their records I think would be little more than a faint hope. My ancestors are from Newcestown, about 7 miles NNW, of Bandon. There may be 200 inhabitance. From what I saw they certainly don't have funds for such a project, if anyone cared. I wrote the parish priest a few times before my trip and only after meeting him did he allow me to look at the records, for four hours, and he added that since I was from the U.S. I wouldn't be around to "talk about things" that I may find in those records. If it was up to him I doubt if any of those records would ever become available. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jill Morrison" <edencurra@sbcglobal.net> To: <irl-cork@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, October 09, 2006 9:22 AM Subject: Re: West Cork Heritage Center > To add to Sheila's comments and look at this through different glasses... > To collect, copy and computerize genealogy data is a mammoth undertaking > which is time consuming and very costly. They need to recoup what was > spent and to have additional funds coming in to continue the ongoing > project. > My thought to a cousin in Bandon was to have each town's historical > society computerize their own information and have the moneys stay within > their towns. I am sure someone can figure out how to have multiple area's > researched so that each town benefits. Just a thought..... > > Sheila328@aol.com wrote: > Would some kind person please explain to me why there is political > resistance > to a West Cork Heritage Center? > > My grandfather came from West Cork. I have done research on site in West > Cork, in Dublin, and in the Family History Centers and other libraries in > the > U.S. I have also done extensive research on my non-Irish ancestors. I am > familiar with what resources are available, and which ones are not. > > The records for West Cork exist on index cards. Are there no skilled or > unskilled people available to computerize these data? There are > politicians in > Ireland who are fighting over grant monies to pay these people? This seems > to > me to be very short-sighted. The Heritage Centers do charge hefty fees for > their research: profit. Many people travel to Ireland, stay in hotels and > B&Bs, > eat in restaurants, rent cars, buy lots of souvenirs: more profit. Isn't > this a win-win situation? > > I'll be happy to write to Mr. O'Donoghue if it will make a difference. > I'll > be happy to go to West Cork and input records, if someone will provide > room > and board. What's it going to take? > > Sheila Connolly > Middleboro, MA USA > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > IRL-CORK-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > IRL-CORK-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Would some kind person please explain to me why there is political resistance to a West Cork Heritage Center? My grandfather came from West Cork. I have done research on site in West Cork, in Dublin, and in the Family History Centers and other libraries in the U.S. I have also done extensive research on my non-Irish ancestors. I am familiar with what resources are available, and which ones are not. The records for West Cork exist on index cards. Are there no skilled or unskilled people available to computerize these data? There are politicians in Ireland who are fighting over grant monies to pay these people? This seems to me to be very short-sighted. The Heritage Centers do charge hefty fees for their research: profit. Many people travel to Ireland, stay in hotels and B&Bs, eat in restaurants, rent cars, buy lots of souvenirs: more profit. Isn't this a win-win situation? I'll be happy to write to Mr. O'Donoghue if it will make a difference. I'll be happy to go to West Cork and input records, if someone will provide room and board. What's it going to take? Sheila Connolly Middleboro, MA USA

"Peggy" <pegleg2@bigpond.net.au> asked: >Could somebody please tell me to which Catholic Church I should write in >the hope of getting a record of a marriage performed in 1862/3 in >Gortnagross, Co. Cork? Is this townland in the Ballyvourney Parish or >does it have a Parish Church of its own? There is a townland of Gortnagross in the parish of Ballyvourney. It is 151 acres and is in the Macroom Poor Law Union in the barony of West Muskerry in the West Riding of Co. Cork. There are also two townlands named Gortnagross in the Mallow Poor Law Union. Both are in the barony of Duhallow in the East Riding of Co. Cork. One is 55 acres in the parish of Mallow and the other is 962 acres in the parish of Ballyclogh. See http://www.rootsweb.com/~irlmahs/mherit.htm for information on the Mallow Heritage Centre which has Roman Catholic parish records for Ballyvourney on computer, baptisms 1810-1895 and marriages 1871-1895, Ballyclough baptisms 1807-1896, marriages 1805-1896 plus some Church of Ireland marriages, and Mallow baptisms 1809-1899, marriages 1757-1899, plus Church of Ireland baptisms, marriages and burials. -dja

Yes, Kevin, that is what was I meant - a heritage center similar to Mallow. I cannot, for the life of me, understand what they mean when they constantly use the words "political problem" in connection with heritage centers. This term was used as the reason for closing the Limerick Heritage Center by professional genealogists in Dublin, but they were sure it would open again. I have found that with the heritage centers, once you have done the original search, for a certain overall fee and then a small fee for each record, you can further research your family. Each center is different, but the follow-up searches seem to be reasonable - as far as cost is concerned - to me. When I compare the price of a search to paying for a round trip plane ticket and then a B & B in Dublin, it isn't as unreasonable as people think. I do fly to Dublin and stay at a B & B so I compare the price. Although you say you would charge 25 euros, when people try to contact genealogists to do work for them, the genealogists often have very high prices. I have known of folks to use professionals in Ireland, including Cork. Even though the family was REALLY poor when in Ireland, the genealogist spends time checking wills and deeds and other such things, adding on many hours of research. The person asking for the research isn't aware of how seldom any family is going to have a deed or will. The genalogists should just check at first for church and/or vital records to keep the price down. At 50 euros an hour, research can get expensive. So some people, who cannot afford 50 euros an hour or who cannot take a trip to Ireland, would find the price of a search at a heritage center not to be outrageous. The idea that there are so many records on index cards, ready to be computerized in the West Cork area but not being computerized because of political reasons, seems strange. I am looking for a marriage between Michael Mahony and Mary Grainger/Granger in the West Cork area. When I return to Dublin at some time, I will have to check every single parish register to find this marriage. (I have checked three already). I would be willing to pay a fee to a center where someone could simply look at a computer and pull this record up quickly. I do agree with you that once people found where their families were from, they would want to travel to Ireland to see where their family had lived. Jan

Loreen Wells <loreenwl@peoplepc.com> said: >I have been told that Ireland kept records on persons who emigrated, >including information about parents, etc. Does anyone know if this is >true, and if so, how would one access those records? My grandmother came There was no requirement for recording information on departing emigrants. That said, there are occasional references in various sources to people who have emigrated. For example, there is a database on the National Archives of Ireland's website that contains data on criminals transported to Australia. There are also lists of orphan girls who were sent out to Australia by charitable and social welfare organizations. And the Library at the Ulster-American Folk Park in Co. Tyrone has a database with information collected about various subsidized emigration schemes, for example when a landlord paid to send all of his tenants elsewhere to free up the land for grazing. >into the US from Ireland in 1899. I believe I have her entry through >Ellis Island, including the ship name and the US arrival date. That ship >left from Mitchestown. It would help immensely to find records of her >departure in Ireland, especially if those records contain more about her >family there. I've never heard of a Mitchestown in Ireland. It's probably a typo for Mitchelstown in County Cork. It is not, however, a seaport. The only way someone could have left Mitchelstown by water would be in a canoe down the River Funchion. The good news is, if you have a passenger arrival at Ellis Island that refers to Mitchelstown, it probably means that is where they were from, not where the ship left from. If you look at the actual passenger manifest it should show what port the ship sailed from, probably Queenstown, or Liverpool/Queenstown. Also look at the size of the ship. Small schooners carrying a dozen or so passengers sometimes sailed from places like Youghal, in Co. Cork, but large vessels with hundreds of passengers usually started from Liverpool and picked up additional passengers in Queenstown (now called Cobh) in Co. Cork. See http://www.rootsweb.com/~irlmahs/mherit.htm for information on the Mallow Heritage Centre which has Roman Catholic parish records for Mitchelstown on computer. -dja

To add to Sheila's comments and look at this through different glasses... To collect, copy and computerize genealogy data is a mammoth undertaking which is time consuming and very costly. They need to recoup what was spent and to have additional funds coming in to continue the ongoing project. My thought to a cousin in Bandon was to have each town's historical society computerize their own information and have the moneys stay within their towns. I am sure someone can figure out how to have multiple area's researched so that each town benefits. Just a thought..... Sheila328@aol.com wrote: Would some kind person please explain to me why there is political resistance to a West Cork Heritage Center? My grandfather came from West Cork. I have done research on site in West Cork, in Dublin, and in the Family History Centers and other libraries in the U.S. I have also done extensive research on my non-Irish ancestors. I am familiar with what resources are available, and which ones are not. The records for West Cork exist on index cards. Are there no skilled or unskilled people available to computerize these data? There are politicians in Ireland who are fighting over grant monies to pay these people? This seems to me to be very short-sighted. The Heritage Centers do charge hefty fees for their research: profit. Many people travel to Ireland, stay in hotels and B&Bs, eat in restaurants, rent cars, buy lots of souvenirs: more profit. Isn't this a win-win situation? I'll be happy to write to Mr. O'Donoghue if it will make a difference. I'll be happy to go to West Cork and input records, if someone will provide room and board. What's it going to take? Sheila Connolly Middleboro, MA USA ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to IRL-CORK-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message