I'm sorry for sending you to a site which took so long to load and had that PDF file - I hadn't checked it out when I forwarded Stephen's mail. Reading through what you have said about not being able to get in to read the document I was thinking that it may be a good idea if those of you who are interested could discuss the situation - through the list - and decide what could be said in mails re modernising the records. I'll try and get to the doc later on tonight or tomorrow morning and see if I can at least summarise it for this list. *But* if those of you who have been to Ireland gave some thought to how you found research here - access in the General Registrar's Office for example, and compared it to access you have to your own records - I remember last year or the year before there was furore on the lists because the canadians were sgoing to shut down or close access to the 1901 census or something like that? If you were to think of what access to Irish records means to you - be it in other countries or here in Ireland. If there is anyone subbed to this list who has ancestors from Tipperary then you can't access the parish registers for Tipp. Think of the financial aspect - how it would affect you if you could not easily access recrds yourself. Then the first point to be made is of course the fact that so many church records were destroyede in the Four Courts Fire in 1922. It's not me or Stephen that limiting access to records would affect but those of you who are out there around the world. We all hear about how great the Diaspora is - there are many of you who would love to have Irish Citizenship just for the sake of having it - This is the one way or the only way in which you can hit the Irish Government so to speak. Tourism is important in this country - genealogy is not. I remember approaching publishers re my gravestone transcriptions in the past and being told that they publish only what the tourist wants. I know that many many people come to Ireland - as plain tourists - having no interest in 'genealogy' per se, but there are also many who come here with the intention of researching their ancestry. So - it's up to you to make the noise on this issue. I'll see what I can do re that document tonight, and some one of you can make the first move and begin to think ot talk about what losing access to Irish records would mean to you - or how you find Irish research in general compared to research in other countries. at least it will liven up the list :-) Plus, there's more than the Govt. to be contacted re this issue - mails can be sent to our most popular chat shows and those presenters usually sit up and take note when they receive a lot on one subject Jane

Thank you Jane, Would it be possible to post e-mail and/or snail mail addresses for the people we should write to - like the ones mentioned in your message. Elaine in Oregon, USA Searching: McCullough, McNally in Monaghan; Glasse, Martin in Tyrone; Mulvaney in Dublin area and Curran "born in Ireland" PS: Does anyone know - is Kennison/Kenison an Irish surname? ----- Original Message ----- From: Jane Lyons <jlyons1@iol.ie> To: <IRL-MONAGHAN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, May 11, 2001 12:07 PM Subject: Civil Registration PDF > I'm sorry for sending you to a site which took so long to load and had that > PDF file - I hadn't checked it out when I forwarded Stephen's mail. > > Reading through what you have said about not being able to get in to read > the document I was thinking that it may be a good idea if those of you who > are interested could discuss the situation - through the list - and decide > what could be said in mails re modernising the records. > > I'll try and get to the doc later on tonight or tomorrow morning and see if > I can at least summarise it for this list. > > *But* if those of you who have been to Ireland gave some thought to how you > found research here - access in the General Registrar's Office for example, > and compared it to access you have to your own records - I remember last > year or the year before there was furore on the lists because the canadians > were sgoing to shut down or close access to the 1901 census or something > like that? > > If you were to think of what access to Irish records means to you - be it in > other countries or here in Ireland. If there is anyone subbed to this list > who has ancestors from Tipperary then you can't access the parish registers > for Tipp. > > Think of the financial aspect - how it would affect you if you could not > easily access recrds yourself. Then the first point to be made is of course > the fact that so many church records were destroyede in the Four Courts Fire > in 1922. > > It's not me or Stephen that limiting access to records would affect but > those of you who are out there around the world. We all hear about how > great the Diaspora is - there are many of you who would love to have Irish > Citizenship just for the sake of having it - This is the one way or the only > way in which you can hit the Irish Government so to speak. Tourism is > important in this country - genealogy is not. I remember approaching > publishers re my gravestone transcriptions in the past and being told that > they publish only what the tourist wants. > > I know that many many people come to Ireland - as plain tourists - having no > interest in 'genealogy' per se, but there are also many who come here with > the intention of researching their ancestry. > > So - it's up to you to make the noise on this issue. > > I'll see what I can do re that document tonight, and some one of you can > make the first move and begin to think ot talk about what losing access to > Irish records would mean to you - or how you find Irish research in general > compared to research in other countries. > > at least it will liven up the list :-) > > Plus, there's more than the Govt. to be contacted re this issue - mails can > be sent to our most popular chat shows and those presenters usually sit up > and take note when they receive a lot on one subject > Jane > >