Hi Donna, My RYAN's came from both Kilkenny and Cork. My great-grandfather was James Joseph Ryan, born in 1880 in Kilkenny. He came to America (Boston) and settled south in the Bronx, NY where he married Johannah Mary Murphy of Cork, born in 1879. I don't know much about them because I am the only one left alive of my family, so have no one to ask questions of. I know the names of the children they had here in NY, but I do not know if and why they may have left their own loved ones in Ireland. I could really use some help if I knew where to get it, and how to get started on it. I know most of the records are still over there in Ireland, but who to ask?? Thanks, Cathy in Tampa Ongoing Surname Searches as of 10/2003 A U S T I N, D R I S C O L L, F U L L E R, K O Z I S K I, K U P E C Z, M C L E N D O N, M U R P H Y, N A G L E, R U P P E R T, R Y A N, S T E P H E N S, W I L L I A M S, W A L L A

Hi Cathy, It seems to me you are just starting out on this Great Adventure - I mean Irish research! It's not the easiest of areas but there are several things you can do before you need anyone else's help. Forgive me if I am saying things you already know but in this game it's best to assume nothing. The first thing I would do is check out your nearest Latter Day Saints (Mormon) Family History Center or Library. (Don't be frightened of them - they do not try to proselytise! I'm a card-carrying atheist beyond redemption and they are still extremely obliging!) I bashed "Latter Day Saints" and "Florida" into Google and found they had three Family History Centers there, in Miami, Rockledge and Gainesville. Give them a call before you visit and they will give you further guidance. Any LDS Center can order any of the hundreds of thousands of microfilms they have. They charge a small fee for each film (and I mean small). And it may take a little wait but it's a lot cheaper than a trip to Ireland! (And when you get to Ireland eventually you will be able to do more productive things - like enjoy the country.) On film they have the complete Index to Irish Civil Registration - an exceptional and invaluable aid to Irish research. If you order the films for 1879 and 1880 you can find the index references for your James Joseph Ryan in Kilkenny and with those you will be able to order full register content from Dublin by post. From his birth certificate you will discover his parents and a precise location and likely dates and so you go on, backwards from there. Researching Ryans is difficult because there are so many of them but with a bit of luck and depending on the accuracy of your current information on dates and location you should be able to limit the search and the number of full entries you need to order. (It's worth remembering that it is quite likely he is registered without his middle name. That was often an addition after immigration.) While you are waiting for the films (it usually takes about six weeks) you may want to learn a bit more. The LDS have a specially printed guide on Irish Research which is extremely cheap and very useful. Ask them for it. Then if you are going to spend any time on Irish research you need a book. Other list-members will make their own suggestions and some are written particularly from the point of view of starting in the USA but my recommendation is "Tracing your Irish Ancestors" by John Grenham, Second Edition. Its $20 from Amazon and well worth it. He is a former Irish government genealogist. So with all that you should be well on your way. [Now why did I get involved in writing such a long reply? You can guess that I am simply avoiding something else I should be doing but I won't bore you with that! Now I'll go do it!] Richard Callanan, London, England. -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: 18 November 2003 16:31 To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [KILKENNY] Ryan Family Hi Donna, My RYAN's came from both Kilkenny and Cork. My great-grandfather was James Joseph Ryan, born in 1880 in Kilkenny. He came to America (Boston) and settled south in the Bronx, NY where he married Johannah Mary Murphy of Cork, born in 1879. .... I could really use some help if I knew where to get it, and how to get started on it. I know most of the records are still over there in Ireland, but who to ask?? Thanks, Cathy in Tampa