Self-isolation : time on your hands
I’ve had to step back from genealogy for a while due to a recent surgery on my back. Between that and the Covid-19 restrictions that came into force here in Ireland meant that public buildings were closed. This meant the usual genealogical repositories such as the National Library, National Archives, Churches and registration offices were inaccessible for research.
With self-isolation and social-distancing mandatory worldwide, it can mean a lot of time on our hands – there’s only so much TV we can watch!
Why not use this time to research your Irish family roots or catch up on a family research project you’ve started? It could be a good distraction and keep you connected with family.
While I’m not fully recovered, that’s what I’ll be doing – I’ve been ‘neglecting’ my own family research and other genealogy projects I was planning for this year. Usually I would encourage people to visit relatives but in these times of social-distancing, I’ve adapted my approach. To help you or get you started I’ve put together some tips and ideas.
Noreen’s top 5 tips for family research:
1.Start with yourself and work back
List all your direct relatives back to grand-parents initially. This will help you identify who you know and who you don’t know. Concentrate on one side of the family at a time and start in the country where you live – try and go back to when your Irish ancestor arrived in your country, if you live outside of Ireland.
2. Check for any documents in the family
Do you have any photographs, family bible, newspaper cuttings, birth/marriage/death certificates? These will give you facts to work from. Make a note of dates and sources.
3. Interview family members
Normally I would encourage people to visit relatives but obviously not in the current crisis, however, we can use other forms of contact such as video calls/telephone calls or social media messaging. Give your relative advance notice so they are prepared.
4. Be organised
Before you start talking to family members have a checklist and create folders – either hard copy or electronic. Start a ‘to do’ list. Draft some questions so that you make the most of the call or time with your relative and share these in advance. Keep notes and make use of note apps such as Evernote, Keep or OneNote.
5. Going back to Ireland – virtually!
While many of you may have had a plan to visit Ireland this year and see where your ancestors came from, you will have to adapt to a virtual visit this year.
There’s no reason why you cannot spend this time researching Irish records so that when the time comes, you will know exactly where to go when you get to Ireland. There are so many online sources that you can consult from home. If you have identified the time period you ancestor emigrated you may have checked emigration/passenger lists. For example from 1908 approx. there was a requirement for emigrants to the U.S. to provide more detail and you will often find the family address or names of those they left behind as well as who they were going to stay with. This will give you a location to focus on which is crucial.
Useful free Irish genealogy sites
The main Irish sources are www.irisgenealogy.ie which is the free Irish government site, for civil birth marriage and death records (within certain time restraints), and some church records; the roman catholic parish registers available again for free, on the National Library of Ireland’s dedicated site registers.nli.ie (not indexed), and under the auspices of the National Archives genealogy.nationalarchives.ie you will have free access to a number of genealogy sources, including the Census records, the most useful of which are the 1901 and 1911 Census years, the only complete (there are some errors and omissions) Irish Census years available online.
Of course the list is not exhaustive, and it depends on how much information you have on your ancestor’s Irish origins. The majority of Irish records only exist from the early to mid 1800’s. There are also subscription-based sites that give you access to information that you might only avail of by a personal visit to the National Archives for instance. This is the time to build up your research so that when we can travel again you will have all you need to pinpoint the ancestral home!
Virtual Tour of Ireland
If you’re feeling really homesick, there are a number of social media sites dedicated to Irish counties and Irish scenery photography that might keep you going until you get there yourself! There are also public buildings such as galleries and museums, and tourist sites that are now offering virtual tours. My facebook page has a collection of photos that I’ve taken from my travels around Ireland. If you finally get here, get in touch and I might be able to guide you in the right direction.
If you have any tips or a system that works for you, let us know in a comment. If I can help with your research, let me know. Contact details below. I’d love to hear from you – I’m self-isolating too!
Bye for now and keep safe,
Noreen
Website: Hibernia Roots
Facebook: Hiberniaroots
Instagram: nhiberniaroots
Twitter: hiberniaroots
Hibernia Roots 
Leave a Reply