This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/YWC.2ACI/1798.3774.2.1.1 Message Board Post: Hello Donna, What you'll be looking for in their US records is the town/townland, civil parish and county of birth. Here's an explanation of those Irish civil divisions: http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library/article.aspx?article=2435 There are about 64,000 towns/townlands in 32 counties. Here's a map showing the counties: http://philnorf.tripod.com/ireland.htm There are no census records in Ireland for the 1800s and civil registration didn't start until 1864 so church registers for the specific town/townland, civil parish and county would be your source for family research. The registers aren't centralised or computerised. Their availability and how they can be accessed depends on the religious denomination and birth location. In addition to the emigrant(s) and their children's civil and church records, you can also research the following records for the emigrant(s): --obituaries --tombstones --wills --cemetery records --US naturalisation records esp. the first papers or initial petition for US citizenship Regards. Eilís O'Hara Ireland