per http://www.athlone.ie/AboutAthlone/Genealogy.aspx. Hope this helps you. About Athlone <http://www.athlone.ie/AboutAthlone.aspx> >> Genealogy<http://www.athlone.ie/AboutAthlone/Genealogy.aspx> A Short Resume of Sources by Gearoid O'Brien, Librarian, Athlone. Athlone poses certain problems for the amateur genealogist as the river Shannon divides Athlone into two parishes, two diocese, two counties and two provinces. The parishes are St. Mary's to the east and St Peter's to the west. St. Mary's is in the Roman Catholic diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise but the Church of Ireland diocese of Meath. St. Peter's is in the Roman Catholic diocese of Elphin. In the case of the Church of Ireland church for the St. Peter's Parish, it was united with that of St. Mary's parish and thus the records are retained with those of St. Mary's. The town of Athlone is in County Westmeath for administrative purposes but prior to 1899 the town west of Athlone was in Co. Roscommon while that to the east of Athlone was in Co. Westmeath. If one has 19th century records relating to Athlone, Co. Westmeath or Athlone, Co. Roscommon one can make the assumption that the Roscommon ones refer to the west Athlone. Westmeath is in the province of Leinster while Roscommon is in Connaught. One explanation for several unusual surnames being found in nineteenth century Athlone relates to the fact that Athlone was a garrison town for the British army from c. 1697 to 1922. Church and State Records Civil Registration of Births, marriages and deaths became obligatory in 1864 and copies of all three sets of records are retained in the the General Registrar's Office in Joyce House, Lombard Street, Dublin 2 (Tel 353(0)1-6354000). Prior to 1864 one is entirely dependent upon church records. The advantage of the R.C. Records in Athlone was that both parishes were mensal parishes of their respective dioceses, thus the bishop of the day had an interest in all stipends payable to the local clergy and encouraged record keeping from a relatively early date! St. Mary's R. C. records date from 1813 with the following gaps births 1827-38, 1859-62, marriages from March 1827 - December 1833 and 1885-68, death records are extant only from the period 1813-26 and would appear incomplete. These records have been indexed by Dun na Si Heritage Centre, Moate, Co. Westmeath which is the official IGP Centre for Westmeath. St. Peter's R.C. parish record that the original records date back to 1789 and these are still held in the parish. They have been indexed by the Roscommon heritage and geealogical Centre, Church Street, Strokestown, Co Roscommon. St. Peter's Church of Ireland Parish records are held by The Representative Church Body Library, Braemore Park, Rathgar, Dublin 14. (Tel 353 (0)1-4923979). Copies of the earlier records from both St. Mary's & St. Peter's Church of Ireland parishes form part of The Burgess Papers in Athlone Library. Athlone Library holds copies of Griffith's Valuations for Athlone (1854) which details the land or householder for every dwelling in the area, giving details of the street or townland name and a description of the property (i.e. land, house, house & land, corn mill, forge etc.). It also lists the landlord for the property and the annual rateable valuation. Census Records The first full census of Ireland was taken in 1821 and thereafter at ten-year intervals. While statistical information survives, the actual census forms do not. The only surviving census returns available to researchers are those of 1901 and 1911. The census returns are held in: The National Archives of Ireland,Bishop Street, Dublin 8. (Tel 353(0)1-4072300). On 8/19/07, Maureen Sullivan <mtjs13@earthlink.net> wrote: > > Is Athlone in County Roscommon? > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > ROSCOMMON-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > -- Elizabeth W. Tordella, MS, RN