By this time, most of the group has become familiar with the various repositories and are moving on with their independent research. Research was conducted today at the National Library, National Archives, Valuation Office and the Registry of Deeds. I managed to get over to the General Register Office to pick up certificates for a number of people in the group.
This trip has been a bit different from the past trips because of the continuing COVID restrictions. Other than the National Library you have to make appointments at each of the repositories and most of them have reduced hours. It's not so much because of illness, but because of staffing shortages. Again, except for the Library, they all close down between 12:00 and 2:00 for lunch which puts a dent into research time.
The General Register Office (GRO) which houses the births, marriages and deaths is only open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10:00-12:30 and 2:00-4:30. The good news is that most of the records are now online at IrishGenealogy.ie. That includes births from 1864-2021 (there is a 100 year closure on online records); 1845*-1946 for marriages (75 year closure) and 1871-1971 for deaths (50 year closure). *1845-1863 for marriages are only Protestant marriages and the images for deaths from 1864-1970 have not been loaded yet. If you are looking for a record outside of the online offerings, you can access records up into the 2000s if you are in Ireland. Up until 1958 for the Republic, you can use the FamilySearch index and after that time, you can use the book indexes at the GRO. The cost for obtaining a photocopy of a certificate is now €5 (up from €4 on my last visit). If you need to use the indexes at the GRO the cost in €5 for 5 consecutive years in one type of record, i.e., 5 years of births.
The GRO provides a service where you can request a search or copy of a record and it will be emailed to you. The email address is GROResearchRoom@welfare.ie. If you have the particulars for the request, the name, type of record, year, Registration District, Quarter, Volume and page, the cost is €5. Up until 1958 you can get this information from the FamilySearch Index. Without the specifics, provide as much information as possible, and the staff with do a search of 5 years for an additional €5. A staff member will contact you and provide a link through World Pay for payment, and once your card is authorized, they will email you the copies. The information on this service can be found here. A word of caution, a request for Patrick Sullivan from Cork will not likely get you any results!
Today I returned with Sherry to the Registry of Deeds. As I mentioned last week, this is not a place for all researchers, however, this was a good source for Sherry's 1700 land owning family. Here's what she found.
Donna and I spent the afternoon at The Registry of Deeds. I went way back in the past to the years 1708 to 1738 in Book 3 and found some references to interesting deeds that I then found in the “tombstone” book. This information will keep me busy for several days connecting the significance of the facts I found to ancestors in my tree. I learned what “tombstone” books looks like and how heavy those books can be. [Tombstones are how the staff refer to the large and very heavy memorial books.]
Tonight a couple of the researchers were off having dinner with their Irish cousins...always a highlight. Here are some comments about Mirta's day.
Some days you get steak and potatoes; some days you get liver and onions. Today was a liver and onion day. I spent the morning looking through some books I had ordered at the NLI but had little luck finding anything useful. Then I headed to the Archives (by way of the Stephen’s Green Mall 😉), and read several letters about the Huguenot cemetery at St. Peter’s Street. Not much there for me, BUT the archivist did find a manuscript at the NLI that looks encouraging and also found a book for sale at the FHIS that could also be helpful. If nothing else, it gives me a reason to return to the Emerald Isle! Tomorrow I will do an hour consult at FHIS on my pesky Leddy family. Kayleigh was so helpful on Sunday, I’m sure she will be a good source of info again.
Some researchers have booked additional consultations with the Irish Family History Centre consultant, Kayleigh. Can't book a consultation in person? The Centre also offers online consultations (click on Private Consultations).
Happy Hunting!