Wednesday 21 July 2010

RootsIreland adds Advanced search fields

RootsIreland.ie, the website of the Irish Family History Foundation, has launched a pilot advanced search for birth and marriages records in counties Cavan, Fermanagh, West Galway, Kildare, Kilkenny, North Tipperary, Tyrone and Westmeath.

Advanced searches for Baptism/Birth records can be narrowed down using the mother's first name and/or surname, as well as the father's first name and/or surname.

Using the full combination allows the searcher to find all children from one family.

With Marriages records, an advanced search can narrow results using the spouse's first name and surname, and the father's first name.

The improved facility, although only available for eight counties, is a very welcome addition since it should reduce the number of 'incorrect' records researchers buy. It does, however, come with a potentially higher price tag as the researcher will not be allowed to buy an individual record if more than one record is returned when using the advanced search fields.

For example, if a birth search for Timothy Ryan, son of William Ryan and Mary Doyle, results in three matching records being identified, the researcher would have to buy (or not buy) the full set of three records.

A sliding scale of prices has been introduced; full sets of records should work out cheaper than buying individual records.