I returned four days ago from Co. Monaghan/Ireland. While there, I visited the Records Office for Co. Monghan, which is located on the grounds of St. Macartan's Hospital in Monaghan town. St. Macartan's Hospital is the county's "asylum," the residence for those with psychiatric problems and those of diminished intelligence. I do not know whether the hospital has kept old employee records, but try writing to it. From the age of some of the buildings, it is the same place that was referred to in 1894 as the "asylum." Always include coupons for the postage return to you from Ireland (in the US, International Reply Coupons at $1.05 each from any post office, send two; elsewhere, countries which belong to the International Postal Union -- most countries -- have similar coupons). To the list member who was inquiring about Monaghan obituaries, the first step should be writing to get the civil death record for the involved ancestor, which would tell you where in Co. Monaghan the person died (often a townland, rather than civil parish; if more than one townland of the same name in the county, will include civil parish). Be sure to include the known death date (noted in the lister's inquiry as December 1911). As stated above, it is on the St. Macartan's Hospital grounds, and addressing it to "Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths, St. Macartan's Hospital, Monaghan, Co. Monaghan, Ireland" should do the trick -- Monaghan town is quite small. The cost of a photocopy of the death record (from the old book) is £1 Irish, and if the date is really unknown (less than month and year), the research fee is £10 per hour. Do not send US$ (or any other than Irish, which is about $1.15 US to £1 Irish); obtain the necessary currency (£5 is the smallest paper money), or money order or whatever (at the same time, it wouldn't hurt to ask for, also, the person's birth record, if they were born 1864 or after if Catholic or 1845 if Protestant; it wouldn't cost any more than the extra £1 for the photocopy). Then, knowing where specifically the person died and specifically when, the researcher could contact the newspaper (probably a weekly or biweekly) in the nearest town of any size to determine if there was an obituary or story about the person's death if it was other than by old age or disease. Again, include postal reply coupons, as above, if you want an answer (and it wouldn't hurt to explain that the reply coupons will pay for the return postage at the local post office -- the person/newspaper/record office may not know what they are.) The Clogher Historical Society is one room at St. Macartan's College (a high school, not on the hospital grounds), and has no records, other than a few books. Brian MacDonald there is very helpful; he can be e-mailed, address on the society's website. FYI, the Catholic cathedral in Monaghan town also is St. Macartan Cathedral. Apparently a local saint. Hope this helps, Sally M

What a great informative posting! I too have relatives who were born in Monaghan and I wrote a number of years ago, including the International Postal "stamps" but got no answers. .It was to churches in the area but I never thought of their not knowing what in the world those little slips of paper were for! I still need to know and shall try again. Thanks so much. Evelyn in Oceanside. sardine wrote: > I returned four days ago from Co. Monaghan/Ireland. While there, I > visited the Records Office for Co. Monghan, which is located on the > grounds of St. Macartan's Hospital in Monaghan town. > > St. Macartan's Hospital is the county's "asylum," the residence for > those with psychiatric problems and those of diminished intelligence. I > do not know whether the hospital has kept old employee records, but try > writing to it. From the age of some of the buildings, it is the same > place that was referred to in 1894 as the "asylum." Always include > coupons for the postage return to you from Ireland (in the US, > International Reply Coupons at $1.05 each from any post office, send > two; elsewhere, countries which belong to the International Postal Union > -- most countries -- have similar coupons). > > To the list member who was inquiring about Monaghan obituaries, the > first step should be writing to get the civil death record for the > involved ancestor, which would tell you where in Co. Monaghan the person > died (often a townland, rather than civil parish; if more than one > townland of the same name in the county, will include civil parish). Be > sure to include the known death date (noted in the lister's inquiry as > December 1911). As stated above, it is on the St. Macartan's Hospital > grounds, and addressing it to "Registrar of Births, Marriages and > Deaths, St. Macartan's Hospital, Monaghan, Co. Monaghan, Ireland" should > do the trick -- Monaghan town is quite small. > > The cost of a photocopy of the death record (from the old book) is £1 > Irish, and if the date is really unknown (less than month and year), the > research fee is £10 per hour. Do not send US$ (or any other than Irish, > which is about $1.15 US to £1 Irish); obtain the necessary currency (£5 > is the smallest paper money), or money order or whatever (at the same > time, it wouldn't hurt to ask for, also, the person's birth record, if > they were born 1864 or after if Catholic or 1845 if Protestant; it > wouldn't cost any more than the extra £1 for the photocopy). Then, > knowing where specifically the person died and specifically when, the > researcher could contact the newspaper (probably a weekly or biweekly) > in the nearest town of any size to determine if there was an obituary or > story about the person's death if it was other than by old age or > disease. Again, include postal reply coupons, as above, if you want an > answer (and it wouldn't hurt to explain that the reply coupons will pay > for the return postage at the local post office -- the > person/newspaper/record office may not know what they are.) > > The Clogher Historical Society is one room at St. Macartan's College (a > high school, not on the hospital grounds), and has no records, other > than a few books. Brian MacDonald there is very helpful; he can be > e-mailed, address on the society's website. FYI, the Catholic cathedral > in Monaghan town also is St. Macartan Cathedral. Apparently a local > saint. > > Hope this helps, Sally M > > ==== IRL-MONAGHAN Mailing List ==== > 0-Be very careful if you discuss an individual who is still alive-- > don't reveal that persons' last name, their address, their birthdate > or any other information about that person that would compromise > their absolute right to privacy !