Get started

The first thing you need to do is to gather all information about your family.

Speak to the elders in your family and see what they know about the origins of your Irish family. Have a pen and paper in hand and write everything down.

Useful information can include some or all of the following:

Approximate date of birth, marriage and death. Spouse name and details. Children's details. County of origin. Occupation. Religion. Parent's names. Siblings names.

All information is relevant. No matter how vague or trivial, little details can be the key to unlocking your family history.

Family stories can often hold the clue to discovering more about your ancestors. 

Old letters can be a trove of knowledge. Pay attention to postmarks if envelopes are present. 

When you have gathered all the information you feel you can, go to our Ancestor Evaluation form and tell us all you know. 

We will assess the information and contact you with any questions before we start our searches. 

In a small number of cases it will become clear that there is no information to be found. We will always keep you informed about the fruitfulness of searches regarding your family.