I have read somewhere that at some time in the 1930,s, land that was previously owned and then abandoned by its owners who left Ireland for England or other countries during famine and the twenty or so years following, was the subject,by the government of a search for heirs,in order to "close the books" on this property or restore the valuation of same .I have knowledge that my relatives were contacted, two generations removed from the original owner, traveled to Mayo to view the property and decided to forego continuing the ownership as the heirs apparent. Could someone with any knowledge of this program please offer some insight into the features of it and give any idea whatsoever regarding it.. I have been unable to pinpoint the location of the property as the information is not now available and since I am still looking to establish the Townland that my family originated in, this information may provide further clues to their location...I only know they came from the Swinford area... All family name are very common and difficult to pin down. Thank you for this information.. I can also be reached at [email protected] Al Gallagher in Florida Researching: Gallagher, Dunleavy, Hendrie Mayo,W.Yorkshire, Lanarkshire