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

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

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