Northern Ireland BMD Records

This site is a must for the serious Northern Ireland Researcher. The web site has recently had a fresh up date which is easy to navigate. Its free to search but credit is needed to view the records. You can also take out a paid membership which will reduce the credit needed to view the records We worth a look and time spent.

http://www.ancestryireland.com/index.php

Griffiths Valuation

Many Irish Researchers would agree that Griffiths Valuation is a resource that they will return to constantly.
The one here is very easy to use. When searching, just put in the information that you know.

http://griffiths.askaboutireland.ie/gv4/gv_family_search_form.php

1901 Census Ireland

A full microfilm copy of the 1901 Irish Census is available at the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City. You may order a copy at your local LDS Research Centre.
A partial census is available on line at

http://leitrim-roscommon.com/1901census/census.shtml

The areas it covers in County Down are Loughinislannd, Drumgooland, Kilmegan amd Magherahamlet(partial)

Other Counties are Galway, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Roscommon, Westmeath, wexford.

Irish Leaving Ireland

I have just read an article in the 'Irish Central' newspaper. It appears that history is repeating, new data shows that 500,000 Irish people are set to emigrate from Ireland in 2010.
Ireland's population is set to plunge to its lowest point since the 1950's.
Ireland's Labour Party says that data from the tax authorities and the Central Statistics office shows that nearly 500,000 people will flee the country in 2010.
Joan Burton, who is the party's finance spokesperson, says the mass emigration will include everyone from the "breakfast roll man to the children of the wealthy professional classes '
"Unlike past episodes of emigration which were confined to the poorest under-classes, now figures as diverse as the man with two kids and the 4x4 Jeep who worked in construction, to newly qualified teachers and wealthy professionals are all preparing to emigrate," she said.
She says that cross-party colleagues say that emigration issues is "an increasing feature of constituency work."
And she said that "many parents and grandparents are now using their savings to set up their children in foreign countries".
What the article did not say was where they were going to,i would have thought that Australia would be one of the top places that they would want to move to. What do you all think?

Family History Research

Have you revisited lately research that you did a few years ago. Someone made a comment to me today about a family line that i had researched a couple of years ago. I reviewed this family and found that i had gone back as far as 1746. The names were familiar but it was not a study that i had been drawn to . I have my most intriguing families that i always return too. This family looked very interesting today and i should go back into it as fresh information may be available now that i hadn't used before.
We tend to dwell on the same research, sometimes going round in circles when the information is there .If only we had asked Great Aunt Mabel in the begining we would not have spent all those sunday afternoons searching the internet.
I think i should make a to do list and put in order the research i have to do , should do and i know now which one i will do. The one which is the hardest but one day it will all be solved.

Destination USA

Between 1860 and 1924 twenty five million people crossed the Atlantic Ocean to the USA. You may be looking for that journey, the path your Ancestor took for a new life in a new country . Most of them traveled in Steerage, think of the movie Titanic and you will be able to imagine how the wealthier people traveled. Take a look at this site , read first hand reports by passengers who traveled this route in Steerage

http://www.balchinstitute.org/resources/destinationusa/html/intromigration.html

Best Tools For Family Tree

I love starting a new family tree, the pickings are rich and the satisfaction is in the search. If you want to research your own tree or get someone to help you ,the beginning is always the same.

Make notes of what you know already. Begin with yourself , then put in your parents, then your Grandparents. You may know lots about them or just a little bit . Ask any older relative for information that could help you. Names of siblings of your grandparents can be the key to finding your family in the census. The name of a town or County can also be a deciding factor.

As many of us are descended from Irish stock a good place to look for your family is in the Free 1911 Irish Census. It is very easy to use, bear in mind if you don't get results the first couple of times, then drop some of the information entered and try again. Have a look at the 1911 Irish Census .

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/