Resources

Websites I have found useful:

Tracing Irish Ancestors Online - an excellent "how-to" guide- where to start looking, what online records to check

Irish Genealogy Toolkit - a good place to start with lots of advice and resources

Irish genealogy records online - includes birth, marriages death- also useful for tracking relatives who stayed in Ireland! Free government sponsored  site

Forbears- Laracor civil parish genealogy records -links to many records

Townland Database - in order to research your ancestor, it helps to know not only their county, but their civil parish and townland. This chart fills in all the confusing Irish places.

Findmypast- excellent site for researching an Irish family tree- fee but has a free 14 day trial

Irish Ancestors by John Grenham- some free resources, other fee based but you can get short term access inexpensively- a MUST SEE SITE!

Roots Ireland - largest searchable database of Catholic Church Records in Ireland- well worth the $35 for a one month subscription (or choice of longer subscription rates) - I think this site is well worth a one month browse!

Using Griffith's Valuation and Maps to research your Ancestors

Ask About Ireland- Griffiths Valuation- search by name- search with family name, county, and CIVIL (not Catholic) Parish. (See below)

Catholic Parishes and Civil Parish Links- 1837

RC Catholic Parish Records in Kilkenny- dates available for each parish and links to records


Catholic Parish and Church Search by Map Location- a great tool! Click on the yellow marker and drag it to the area you want to research to see what Roman Catholic Parishes and churches exist in the area

Family Search is a free site with wonderful resources and search ability. Be aware if you build your family tree here that it is a collaborative tree- another "researcher" can alter your tree at any time and your hard work may disappear. That is the main reason I pay for Ancestry.com.

Family Search Website- Video Lessons on Researching Irish Ancestors
Family Search- Irish Births and Baptisms 1620-1881
Family Search Ireland Tithe Applotment Books 1814-1855
Family Search Ireland, Valuation Office Books 1831-1856

The National Archives of Ireland- links to search the Tithe Applotment Books, Valuation Office Books, Census, etc.

National Library of Ireland

Catholic Parish Registers online at the NLI - has a map to help find the catholic parishes, then click for records

Kilkenny Genealogy Links

County Kilkenny Genealogy

In Ireland:

Finding Your Irish Roots- preparing for research in Ireland

Timeline Genealogy Ireland - has tips and a blog with lots of ideas

County Meath Heritage Council Genealogy

Valuation Office Ireland (Dublin) - has Valuation Revision Books (post Griffiths)

Mooncoin history and papers of Edmund Walsh Kelly NLI

Online blogs and other resources:

Irish Roots Magazine - the blog is free online and has many good articles


Forums/Online Inquiries and Responses:

Rootschat.com- Meath

Rootschat.com-Kilkenny



Ancestry.com has message boards for each Irish County




In Illinois

St. Francis Xavier Cemetery on Find a grave

 Illinois Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield Sacramental Records - St. Francis Xavier, Jerseyville- available on Ancestry.com- marriage, baptisms, confirmations and burials- records from 1853-1975

Jersey County Illinois Genealogy  - this incredible site includes births, marriages, deaths, obituaries, census, maps, histories, queries, and help with family histories.

Jersey County Historical Society Genealogy Research Center