THE JOURNAL ยท IRISH ROOTS
Tracing Irish Roots: Counties, Surnames, Records and DNA
Most Irish-American families know the country and not much more. Finding the county, and then the parish and townland, is the step that turns "Irish" into a place you can stand in. It is also harder than it should be, because so many Irish records were lost.
The nineteenth-century censuses were almost entirely lost: those from 1861 to 1891 were pulped by the government, and most of what survived of 1821 to 1851 burned with the Public Record Office in 1922. What survives is patchier but still rich: the Tithe Applotment Books of the 1820s and 1830s, Griffith's Valuation from the late 1840s on, Catholic parish registers, civil registration from 1864, and the complete 1901 and 1911 censuses. On the American side, naturalisation papers, death certificates and church records often name the county or parish.
DNA tests add a regional estimate, and surnames carry strong county associations, but neither is proof on its own. The entries below explain how to use each source honestly, county by county for the places that sent the most people to America, and how to start with the oldest person in your family before you start with a database.
In this subject
Cobh, Derry or Galway: The Port Your Family Left From
Cobh, Derry, Galway, Liverpool, Sligo and Limerick: which counties left from which Irish port, and why the port on a record can mislead.
County Limerick Emigration History
Limerick city and County Limerick are two different emigration stories: a port city, a rich Golden Vale, and a poorer west. History, era by era.
County Roscommon Emigration History
Roscommon lost close to a third of its people to the Famine, and the Strokestown evictions became one of its best documented assisted emigration schemes.
County Donegal Emigration History
Donegal sent people to Scotland every year, not just to America once. The emigration history behind the letters of Yours, From Ireland.
County Sligo Emigration History
County Sligo sent emigrant ships straight to Quebec through the Famine. The real history behind a severe famine county and its American diaspora.
Why Your Grandmother Never Talked About Ireland
Shame, a farewell ritual that mourned the living, pressure to assimilate and the cost of letters: why the emigrant generation went quiet.
What Your Irish Surname Says About Your County
Irish surname meaning often points straight to a county of origin. The real patterns genealogists trust, and why none of them are proof.
Your DNA Says Connacht. What Does That Mean?
DNA results naming a region like Connacht are estimates, not addresses. What they can honestly tell you, and what they cannot.
Am I Irish Enough? An Honest Answer
An honest answer to 'am I Irish enough': the connection is real, and history explains why it can feel impossible to prove.
After the DNA Test: Turn Your Irish County Into a Story
Your results found the county. Here is how to turn a coloured percentage into a story you can hold, and share with the family.
County Clare Emigration: Leaving the West of Ireland
The evictions and clearances that emptied Clare, and where its emigrants went. County Clare's emigration history in full.
County Kerry and the Emigrant Trail to America
From the Blaskets to Springfield, Kerry sent its people across the Atlantic for generations. The county's emigration history.
County Cork Emigration: From Queenstown to America
Cobh, once Queenstown, was the last sight of Ireland for millions. County Cork's emigration story and the port that shipped it.
County Galway's Emigrants and the Road to Boston
Galway and Connemara families made Boston a second home. The county's long emigration history and its deep Massachusetts ties.
County Tipperary and a Century of Leaving
From the Golden Vale to the cities of America, Tipperary's people left over generations. The county's emigration history.
How to Find Which County in Ireland Your Family Left
A practical guide to pinning down your ancestral county in Ireland, from surnames and records to the free tools that actually help.
What Irish Emigration Records Can and Can't Tell You
Passenger lists and manifests hold more gaps than families expect. What emigration records reveal, what they miss, and why.
Tracing Irish Roots: Ancestry, RootsIreland or Parish Records?
Ancestry, RootsIreland or the free parish registers? What each Irish genealogy source covers, and where to start your search.
Begin the story
$24.95 a month, or $249 once and keep $50. Your first envelope is posted from Ireland within five working days of your order.
Choose your plan Give it as a gift
One complete story, beginning to end. 30 day money back guarantee.