If you are taking a trip to Ireland, and long to “walk in the footsteps” of your Irish ancestors, then it is never too soon to begin trying to pinpoint where they lived before emigrating from the beautiful Emerald Isle. The search to discover where your Irish ancestors lived will allow you to uncover their history, who they were, the conditions under which they lived, why they left, and most importantly, how their experiences helped shape your life!
Kate and her sister Marilee in front of ruins on Pigfoot Lane in Templemore, Co. Tipperary where their great grandmother Mary Waters Fitzpatrick was born.
We have made a dozen trips to Ireland and always find time to “walk in the footsteps” of one or more of our Irish emigrant ancestors. Visiting the home townland (s) of one’s Irish ancestors is an incredibly humbling, exhilarating and emotional experience. Their stories are your story! You may even be able to meet long-lost Irish cousins. Don’t be shy about trying to connect with the locals. We always find them to be very friendly and helpful. The bond between the Irish and Irish Americans continues to be a very strong one.
Kate and Mike celebrating with DNA cousins James (left) and Patsy at the Heather Restaurant in Laragh, Co. Wicklow.
We recommend you begin your search by following one of your Irish ancestral lines. Kate began by chasing her Fitzpatrick clan and expanded to her Waters, McGuirk, Regan and Harney lines. Mike began by following his Laide line and expanded to his Doyle, Whelan and Kennedy lines. Beware, it may soon become an amazing pursuit that will often keep you up through the early morning hours!
Mike walking on the path to St. Machain’s Holy Well near Litterbeg, Co. Wexford where his Whelan ancestors lived.
We met with a genealogist a decade ago who told us that we would be lucky to find the home townlands in Ireland for 50% of our immigrant ancestors. Since then, many more Irish records have become available online and have greatly improved the odds of pinpointing where one’s Irish ancestors lived. The key to finding where one’s ancestors lived in Ireland is to find out as much as you can about your Irish immigrant ancestors in the U.S., Canada or elsewhere.
Start by contacting family members in search of records, photos, bibles or family stories. Take meticulous notes and photos of any information they share. Family stories can be extremely helpful. Some have been passed down over generations of time, so they may not be totally accurate. As one of our clients recently said, “Every family tale has at least a kernel of truth.” Those “kernels of truth” may be very valuable when “chasing” ancestors back in time.
William Kennedy (back row), born in Dunganstown, Co. Wexford, was Mike’s Great Great Grandfather. He was the brother of President J.F.K.’s immigrant ancestor Patrick Kennedy.
The “luck of the Irish” gave Mike access to two family bibles. Both are treasure troves containing dates of births, marriages and deaths, as well as family photos. One bible contains the marriage certificate for Mike’s 2nd great-grandparents James Doyle and Mary Whelan who were married in 1859. The second bible contained truly unique photos of Mike’s Irish immigrant ancestors that were not found anywhere else!
Next, explore the cemeteries where your ancestors are buried. Most of Kate’s Irish ancestors were laid to rest in St. Agnes Cemetery in Menands, NY. After discovering a gravestone with one name on it (Johanna Regan), Kate asked the cemetery’s genealogist for a copy of the plot card. Johanna was the first of 18 of Kate’s ancestors buried in this one cemetery plot between 1886 and 1934. That’s right, 18 souls buried in the plot with only one name on the gravestone! Kate’s immigrant 2nd great-grandparents James Regan and Catherine Walsh are buried in this plot. An amazing find indeed!
Three generations gather around the Fitzpatrick gravestone in St. Agnes Cemetery, Menands, NY. Kate and her sisters Marilee (left) and Peggy are center front.
Next, begin searching online from the comfort of your own home. The free Family Search website is a great starting point. Begin by searching the 1950 U.S. Census (the most recent available) and then go back in time decade by decade. We recommend the websites Ancestry.com or My Heritage if you decide to go further. These three websites house all types of records including censuses, births, deaths, ship logs, city directories, and military records. Submitting a DNA sample to Ancestry.com or some other website will surely keep you up late as you search records for your DNA matches.
Mike holds back the shrub that had grown around his Great Great Grandfather James Laide’s gravestone in Harrisville, NY.
Find A Grave and Billion Graves websites both host millions of cemetery gravestone records that have been entered by volunteers who want to help others “chase” their ancestors. Historic newspapers are great sources for obituaries and social news regarding your ancestors. Genealogy Bank and Newspapers.com are two excellent subscription websites but also look for free state or local historic newspaper websites.
Patrick Greenan (left), owner of the Kennedy Homestead, took time to visit with and pose for a photo with Mike, son Brian and grandson Ben.
If you have Irish male ancestors who immigrated prior to 1862, then it is likely they served in either the Union or Confederate Army during the U.S. Civil War. The pension records for one of Mike’s ancestors (Matthew Whelan) stated that he was from Litter, Blackwater, Co. Wexford, Ireland. What a miraculous find! As for Kate, she discovered that her great-grandfather William Fitzpatrick served in the Civil War and was buried in one of his daughter’s family plot. His name was not on the gravestone, but thanks to Kate, his name and Union Army Unit now are engraved on the stone. Kate’s way to memorialize an ancestor whose records were “lost in time” for 150 years.
Kate’s Great Grandfather William Fitzpatrick was born in Templemore, Co. Tipperary. His burial place had been lost in time for 150 years.
Once you have exhausted the search for your Irish American ancestors in the U.S., then you are ready to “chase” them in Ireland. If you have determined the names and approximate dates of birth for your immigrant ancestors, as well as the names of their parents and/or siblings, then you have a good chance to find the townland in Ireland where they lived. This can be a challenging search, especially if your ancestors emigrated from Ireland during or prior to the potato famine in the late 1840s and early 1850s.
Old houses in the village of Glenanore, Co. Waterford where Kate’s Harney ancestors lived before emigrating after the potato famine.
Free websites holding Irish records include the 1901 and 1910 Censuses, as well as Tithe Applotment Books and Griffith’s Valuation which serve as census substitutes in the early and mid-1800s. The website Irish Genealogy holds civil birth and marriage records beginning in 1864 and is a must-go to site.
Subscription websites Roots Ireland and Find My Past are excellent sources for church baptism and marriage records. Many of these records can also be found on Family Search, Ancestry.com, My Heritage and other online websites.
* Kate and Mike Lancor live in Moultonborough, NH, and enjoy “chasing” their own Irish ancestors, as well as helping more than 100 clients “chase” theirs. They run a genealogy search business and can be reached by emailing oldfriendsgenealogy@gmail.com or on their website www.oldfriendsgenealogy.com. They have traveled to Ireland twelve times and especially enjoy “chasing” Irish ancestors for their clients. If you have “hit a brick wall” or simply don’t have time to “chase” your ancestors, then send them an email to see if they can help.
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