This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: SusanHopkins68 Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.britisles.ireland.tyr.general/7453/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Don't know how long these have been available, and searchable for free. They can be found at: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/ I'm accustomed to searching census records in the US, and was saddened to learn that earlier ones had, with a few exceptions, been destroyed. However, I was amazed to see the level of detail for the rural families I was looking up. Be sure to look at the additional forms to see who owned the land, what sort of house it was, what kind of outbuildings (fowl house, piggery, etc.)and what the living conditions were of the immediate neighbors. I also used Google satellite view for more info on what an area looked like. I did have to be creative in finding the town of Aughnacloy in County Tyrone. It was indexed as Aughancloy, though the forms themselves were correct. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.