This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/DYC.2ACE/1337.2.1.1 Message Board Post: Not to worry, Fran. I've been there many times myself. You can still order the birth cert from the GRO even thorugh the date is earlier. And hopefully Adair was born after civil registration started in 1864 so you can find his birth record more easily. Once you find the family information in the Indexes and census you can contact the local church wherever Patrick and the family members were born for copies of the baptismal records. The churches won't do genealogical research for you. There are just too many requests now to respond to them. However, you can send a request in writing with a donation for each baptismal record since you'll have the approximate dates of the baptisms and they can find them more easily in the registers. For Patrick, his baptismal record should also include his ordination information. The churches kept very good records about the clergy with their baptismal records. His ordination, even date of death should be noted there. In all probability he was trained at Maynooth Seminary in County Kildare. The Russell Library there has information on the students. There was a book written in 1995 for the 200th anniversary of the college about the college and priests who studied there by Rev. P. Corish. Staff at the college, now the National University of Ireland at Maynooth, are very helpful. Following is the link to the website. I recommend contacting them after you've gotten the birth info and info from the church. Staff is very helpful and courteous: http://www.nuim.ie/ Regards. Eilís O'Hara