Tracing Your Irish Family History

The all-in-one guide to tracing Irish ancestry.

A total of 36 million Americans claim Irish ancestry -- more than 10% of the total population and almost nine times the population of Ireland itself. Thousands of Americans travel there in search of their family roots. Tracing Your Irish Family History is an exceptionally useful resource for these data-hungry explorers.

In this book, genealogist Anthony Adolph gives insider tips on how best to locate and access specific family information in Ireland, including county archives and libraries, local publications, tax rolls, censuses, religious and civil registers, court and military books, as well as many other more obscure records. He also includes good advice on researching sources in the U.S., Canada, England, Wales, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand. Fortunately the Internet, digitized archives and DNA sampling have made it easier than ever to reconstruct a family tree.

Abundant photographs, illustrations and authoritative text tell the compelling story of Irish society and emigration, from the early invasions to the Potato Famine to today's prominent families worldwide. Adolph also explains how critical historical events in Ireland affected how and where its people lived. He gives step-by-step guidance on vital data resources such as Griffith's Valuation and Tithe Applotments, Fiants and Poor Law Records, Irish place names and Anglicization, surname meanings, prominent pedigrees, genetics, ancient Irish roots and heraldry.

Tracing Your Irish Family History is the essential research tool that gives an authentic historical perspective on Ireland and the lives of the Irish -- a core reference for researching an Irish family tree.