Wednesday 25 May 2011

Dublin RC church records for July release

I'm told that the project to release the remaining Roman Catholic records for Dublin on IrishGenealogy.ie is running slightly behind schedule.

Although the indexing should be finished by the end of June, as the website has been suggesting for some months, the records won't be online until July.

No word about the Monaghan records, however. The site said in March that they would be released within 'a few weeks', but they are still not available.

(Thanks, Eva!)

Tuesday 24 May 2011

Estates resource extended to cover half the island

A free online database of landed estate records for the province of Connacht has been upgraded to include those for the province of Munster. With more than 4,500 properties in the index, the database – www.landedestates.ie – now covers almost half of the island. More than 2,700 families are recorded.

The resource offers information about the estates and their owners from the 1700s to the 1920s and provides an extensive guide to research sources for further information.

Estates are indexed under the name of the families who owned them at various times rather than by geographical location, but there is an interactive map that takes care of the latter.

About half of the 4,500 indexed properties can be viewed in a gallery of images, some recent, some very old.

LandedEstates.ie is hosted by the Moore Institute for Research at NUI Galway. At its weekend launch, historian and academic director of the database project Professor Gearóid Ó Tuathaigh said it would be of great benefit to both academics and the public.

He said: "This major research resource will be invaluable in assisting and supporting researchers, academics and members of the general public working on aspects of the social, economic, political and cultural life of Ireland, notably rural society from the early 18th century to the eve of the Great War."

It also has obvious genealogical interest. But landed estate resources always come with a caveat: they are rarely of much use if your ancestors were poor (which means that most of us won't find direct details of our families).

Landowners usually rented out their estates in parcels of varying sizes to any number of tenants who acted as middlemen who, in turn, rented out smaller parcels of land to sub-tenants.

Those sub-tenants might also have rented out ever shrinking land areas to a further layer of sub-tenant. The poor rural worker was at the lowest layer, and many of them didn't even have legally enforcable rent agreements.

Even so, these records are interesting in their own right, and provide plenty of social history detail for the period.

In general, estate records contain information relating to the landowner and those lessees closest to the top layers. So if your family was a landowner or member of the gentry (even those who only just squeezed into this category), you may well find some fascinating details among any surviving landed estate records.

The database was created by Brigid Clesham, Marie Boran and Joe Desbonnet.

Wednesday 18 May 2011

News snippets from mid-May 1871

Since the last week or so has been a bit quiet on the genealogy front, here are some snippets from newspapers published in mid-May one hundred and forty years ago.

Royal Zoological Society of Ireland Gardens, Phoenix Park
Last few days for seeing the wonderfully sagacious Asiatic elephant previous to her departure for America. This animal performs on the organ, Pandean Pipes, Mountain Horn and articulates many words most distinctly. Grand fashionable promenade on Thursdays, when Military Bands attend at Half Past Three O'Clock. Admission on Weekdays Sixpence.

Lamentable Attempt at Suicide
Last night Eliza Jane Cook, living in Clopton, threw herself and her little girl, aged five, and a little boy, aged two, into the River Lea, near the high bridge. The girl was saved, but the mother and little boy were drowned. The cause of the act appears to have been the receipt of a letter from her husband, a brick maker, who had emigrated to Canada, speaking despondingly of his prospect of being able to send for his family.

Alleged Robbery
Mary Nolan, char-woman, was brought up in custody of Detective-officer Wilson, charged with stealing several towels, a table-cloth, and other linen articles, in June 1869, from the Imperial Hotel, in which was occasionally employed. The manager of the hotel identified the articles and stated that the reason why the case had been followed up was that the respectable servants of the house felt much distressed that anything should be stolen from it. The officer deposed that he arrested the prisoner in a pawn-office in Buckingham-street, whilst she was renewing the pledge, which she had done at intervals since the property was stolen. The prisoner was remanded.

Lord Mayor's Court 
Sanitary Protection
Lewis Farrell, victualler, Lower Baggot Street, appeared to answer the complaint of Myles Lyons that he had sold him, on Saturday 27th April, a cow's head, which upon being boiled on the next day, emitted a horrible odour and was quite uneatable. Complainant brought the cow's head to the sanitary officers of the Corporation on the following Monday and they submitted it for analysis to Dr Cameron, who pronounced that it was putrid and unfit for human food. In his defence Mr Farrell said that the animal to which the head had belonged was slaughtered on the same day with others, the heads of which had been sold on the same days that complainant purchased the one which formed the subject of his complaint. The Lord Mayor held that the case had been proved and fined the defendant 5s with costs.

Adulterated Milk
An aged woman named Margaret Walshe, who resides at 7 Longford Street, appeared to answer the summons of the Corporation sanitary authorities for selling adulturated milk. Mr Edwards, sanitary inspector, deposed of his having purchased a pennyworth of milk from the defendant, which he subsequently sent to Dr Cameron to have it analysed. Dr Cameron now deposed that the milk was half water. The defendant pleaded poverty, and said that she was leaving the trade. A fine of 1s was imposed, the magistrates stating that the authorities had determined to put an end to the selling of adulterated milk to the poor by small dealers.
Mr Edward Ennis, who appeared in all the sanitary cases, said that the unmistakable poverty of the defendant prevented his asking for the full penalty usual when such convictions were obtained.

Street Beggars
To the Editor of the Nenagh Guardian
Sir - Is there no one to look after the town and prevent strangers being subjected to the annoyance they are by the hordes of beggars to be met with every yard you move, the great majority of them vagabonds able, but too idle, to work? I do not remember, since the famine years, Nenagh to be so full of the class I allude to. They do not seem to be in the least dread (of) the police, who allow them to annoy and abuse you without taking the least notice of their conduct. I hope the authorities will see to this disgraceful nuisance in your town, which, if allowed to continue, will in the end materially injure it. There is no excuse for the class, as they have the workhouse or outdoor relief to select from.
Yours truly
One of the Annoyed.

Monday 16 May 2011

Recent additions to IGP Archives

New in Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives so far this month:

GENERAL IRELAND
Alumni Dublineses - Assorted Names
Newspaper - Assorted Births, Marriages & Deaths 19 October 1832 & 19 Jan. 1849

DUBLIN
Deansgrange Cemetery,Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland - Two Unmarked Graves

DONEGAL
Carne Graveyard, Pettigo, Co. Donegal

FERMANAGH
Aghalurcher Cemetery (PDF)
Ardess Graveyard (PDF)

Kerry
1846 Royal Irish Constabulary

Kildare
1846 Royal Irish Constabulary

Kilkenny
1846 Royal Irish Constabulary

Leitrim
1846 Royal Irish Constabulary

Londonderry
1846 Royal Irish Constabulary

Longford
1846 Royal Irish Constabulary

Mayo
1846 Royal Irish Constabulary

Meath
1846 Royal Irish Constabulary

Offaly (Kings)
1846 Royal Irish Constabulary

Roscommon
1846 Royal Irish Constabulary

Tipperary
1846 Royal Irish Constabulary

Tyrone
1846 Royal Irish Constabulary

Wexford
1846 Royal Irish Constabulary

Wicklow
1846 Royal Irish Constabulary
Church

Irish Genealogy Toolkit is the Research Help partner of IGP Archives.

Thursday 5 May 2011

Find My Past launches dedicated Irish genealogy site

Find My Past Ireland has launched today with real WOW factor! Here's what's available:

  • Land and Estate Records - Never before online, and exclusive
  • Griffith’s Valuation of Ireland
  • Directories containing 2 million records
  • Military & rebellion records
  • Migration records
  • Wills dating back to the 13th century

The site - www.FindMyPast.ie - is a collaboration between Eneclann, the well-known Dublin-based research and publishing company, and findmypast, a leading family history website, initially launched in the UK.

I'm off to play....

There's a page on my site if you want to know more about the genealogical value of the Landed Estates Court Rentals.

Tuesday 3 May 2011

National Library: changes to opening hours & delivery

The National Library is changing its opening hours and delivery arrangements. This follows a review of visitor numbers and a successful trial of an 'advance ordering' system in the Manuscript Reading Room.

From today, the Kildare Street Reading Rooms will close one and a quarter hours earlier on Monday to Wednesday, and a quarter of an hour earlier on Thursday to Saturday. The new hours are:

  • Monday to Wednesday: 9.30am to 7.45pm
  • Thursday and Friday: 9.30am to 4.45pm
  • Saturday: 9.30am to 12.45pm

(Exhibitions will remain open until 4.45pm on Saturdays.)

Also from today, a pre-ordering service will be extended to the Main Reading Room where previously items have been available only on demand. This means that visitors can now:
  • Order documents and microfilms etc in advance of their visit. They will be ready for collection on arrival.
  • Order documents on the day of their visit. These will be delivered at set times during the day.
  • Reserve items that they are using for the following day.

Monday 2 May 2011

Some May events for your diary

Wednesday 4th May: The Tree of Life, a beginner's guide to local genealogy, with reference librarian Alan Hand. Dundalk Library.

Wednesday 4th May: The Great Houses of Cork and Kerry - an oral history, with Maurice O'Keeffe. 11am. Bantry Library.

Wednesday 4th May: City in Flames, with Major John Potter. Linen Hall, Belfast. 6pm. Free, but booking recommended. www.linenhall.co.uk.

5th to 25th May: Memory Lane - a touring exhibition of photos from the Dublin City Libraries Collection, depicting life in the capital during the second half of the 20th century. Midweek afternoons and evenings. Free, but booking recommended. www.dublincity.ie. (042) 935 3190

Thursday 5th May
: The Earl Grey Project to Australia, with Sheila Murphy. Heritage Centre, Dunmanway. 8pm.

Tuesday 10th May: Tracing Ancestry through DNA, with Gianpiero Cavalleri. Genealogical Society of Ireland. Weir's, Lower George's St, Dun Laoghaire. 10.30am.

Wednesday 11th May: APGI Table Quiz. Association of Professional Genealogists of Ireland presents a quiz with a slight genealogical/historical flavour. Doheny & Nesbitts, Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2. 8-11pm. Tables of 4, €20 per Table. To guarantee a place, book your table (or individual place) in advance, e-mail: underwor.rmc@gmail.com.

Thursday 19th May: Caring for your personal collection, a workshop on conserving your family history collection. National Library of Ireland, Kildare St, Dublin. 11am-12.30pm. Free, but must be booked in advance at learning@nli.ie.

Saturday 21st May: Annual Genealogy Open Day Irish Genealogical Research Society (Ireland branch). All day session, four speakers. Dublin City Library & Archive, 138/144 Pearse St. Dublin 2. Free. 10am-4pm.

Sunday 1 May 2011

Recent additions to IGP archives

Here's a list of updates from IGP Archives during second half of April:

General IRELAND
Education
Alumni Dublineses - BOOKER- BOOMER
Alumni Dublineses - CARROLL
Alumni Dublineses - DOBBIN-DOBSON, George
Alumni Dublineses - FLOOD
Alumni Dublineses - FLYNN (FLINN)
Alumni Dublineses - FOGARTY
Alumni Dublineses - PHILLPS/PHILLIPS

ANTRIM
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Antrim, Sept 1852-May 1853

ARMAGH
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Armagh 1846

CARLOW
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Carlow, Jan 1853-Oct 1853
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Carlow 1846

CAVAN
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Cavan 1846

CORK
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Cork 1846

DONEGAL
Last Will & Testament of John McElhinney, died 28 April 1889
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Donegal 1846

DOWN
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Down 1846

DUBLIN
Mount Jerome, Dublin, Part 22
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Dublin 1846

FERMANAGH
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Fermanagh, Jan 1853-Oct 1853
Galloon, Diocese of Clogher, Marriage Register 1830-1844

GALWAY
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Galway, Jan 1853-June 1853
Abbeygormacan (RC) Cemetery

LONGFORD
Deaths in the parishes of Templemichael and Ballymacormick 1802-1809

OFFALY (KINGS)
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Kings, Jan 1853-June 1853
Photos: Rice Family 1901

WATERFORD
Royal Irish Constabulary with native county of Waterford, Jan 1853-Nov 1853

WICKLOW
Headstones: Delgany Old Cemetery


Irish Genealogy Toolkit is the Research Help partner of IGP Archives.