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