Genealogy Chat

Karen The Irish Heritage sites, including Roscommon, are NOT open to the public. You can only use them by asking them to do your research for you. The cost of research varies from about £25 for a very quick research on a specific person, usually known as 'Further Research' through to approx £250 for a full report on a particular family in a particular area. They will only point you in the right direction if you pay your fee. Paula You have the right idea for Irish research. I found some very interesting people in County Tipperary this way to include a prominent Irish writer who took us to his home and proceeded to show me all his old documents to include a 17 Century book of lists of Irish families within the area of my interest! How did he get hold of it and how many more out there like that and why is this book not in Dublin but that is the way of life in Ireland. You have to be a REAL detective to peel back the layers in this country. Janet

Lynne Try contacing the people at the following site (the heritage and genealogy society for Roscommon). I think they charge a fee if you were going to use them to research on your behalf but I am sure they would help point you in the right direction for your own research. There is a contact e-mail address on the web site. http://www(.)irish-roots(.)net/Roscmmn(.)htm Best of Luck Karen

Janet> I know exactly what you mean. Last year we were in Ireland and we visited the village where my grandmother lived as a child. We were in the cemetary and we couldn't find anyone with their surname and we knew her parents and brother were buried there. So going out of the cemetary a man walks past and my mum asked him how long he had lived in the village, and we said we were looking for graves. 'Hang on a minute' says the man and goes into his house opposite. He came out with a book that listed all the burials going back well over 100 years, it told you the date of death, price of grave, even who dug the grave. He also told us that grandmothers family had only moved to the village in the early 1900s from another village in a different county- we wouldn't have had a clue about that Paula

Don't think you will be able to access the PARISH RECORDS through Roscommon and 1825 is Parish Records. Many Irish Parishes did not start their church records until 1825+. Sometime this year the POST 1864 Records went from Dublin GRO to Roscommon as a separate place further to the North of the country for 'easier' access of the post 1864 Records, but also still keeping records at the Dublin GRO. Any records PRE 1864 are usually accessed through National Library in Dublin. http://www.nli.ie/new_what_res.htm. You need to make sure that the parish records can be traced through Dublin, as some diocese do not allow public access to their Parish Records. Tipperary Diocese is one of these places barred to the public, and this diocese tips over into parts of Limerick. Access to Kerry Parish Records needs Bishop's permission. I think Roscommon is OK but it is always worth checking to see when Roscommon Records start, availability and in which Townland you will be interested through the website given. If you are visiting the Roscommon area and you know the Townland in which you are interested, then you may be able to find a B&B which would help you organise a visit to the Parish Priest of your interest, but you will need to know the Townland where your folk are from. You MAY find a library that may help you though cannot think of any place in that direction that would be big enough, and even then they do not keep Parish Records. Once you have found the Townland then a visit to the actual place and talk to anyone you meet as Irish History is mainly oral from about 1825 backwards! Do all the things you would not do in England. Visit the local pub and talk to everybody and ring up anyone with the same name. Janet

Joy Thanks for that, I'll have a look later. Paula Do you mean I won't be able to look at anything then, even if I know what I need to find? All I know about my Roscommon Ancestors is that my GGG Grandparents, Edward Ford and Esther Sweeney were born there and married at Kilteevan in 1825. They came to England at some point after my GG Grandfather, Patrick was born. We are actually staying in Claremorris, Co. Mayo and were intending driving to Roscommon on Friday. Lynne

I don't think its like a records office over here where you can go and look at loads of info yourself. I've been there with my mum to get a copy of her birth certificate and it was basically just the same as a register office over here. incidently where are your family from in Roscommon? Where abouts are you staying over there? I ask as my mums family are from county roscommon

Thanks Nell Maybe I will have to phone them just wish I could find the web address. Lynne

Do you mean this: General Register Office, Government Offices, Convent Road, Roscommon. Tel: 090 6632900 LoCall: 1890 252076 Fax: 090 6632999 I googled Roscommon Records office without success. nell

Does anyone know the website for Roscommon. I'm going to Ireland next week and want to visit so I need to know opening times and what records they hold. Thanks in advance. Lynne