How to Trace Your Irish Ancestry: A Beginner’s Step-by-Step Guide
8 min read
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First thing’s first, I am not a genealogist. I want to say that point blank because a lot of the advice you’ll find out there on tracing Irish ancestry.
Most of that advice assumes that you’ll hire a professional or that you have unlimited time to go searching archives. There is also a lot that you have to comb through before you can even find your first ancestor.
My dad and I traced our Irish ancestry back several generations through these methods. We were able to find a link to a well known Irish novelist, a president, and a family marriage that was tied to the Guinness name. We did all of that without paying anyone a cent to find it for us, starting from nothing but a DNA test.
This guide will act as Irish genealogy for beginners, not professionals, so I’m assuming you know nothing going in. Here are 8 steps that you can take to trace your Irish lineage and learn more.
Step 1: Start With a DNA Test
If you aren’t sure where to start, this is what I would suggest: get a DNA test. The two major ones are Ancestry and MyHeritage, but you can use any reputable one to get good results.
A DNA test helps turn “I think I might have Irish roots” into real information that you can start to follow. If you know a little bit about your family history, you might not need this part… but if you’re starting from zero, it’s a good beginning.
I recommend starting here because it takes a little while to get those results back. Hopefully by the time you’ve got those results, you’ve already started working on step 2.
Step 2: Talk to Your Living Relatives
While this step feels obvious, it is often under-utilized. A lot of people assume their family doesn’t know much, but usually they’re just asking the wrong questions. Ask your family for old records, and don’t stop at your grandparents. Check in with aunts, uncles, etc. to seed what they know.
Sometimes, the simple information is the most helpful, like getting a maiden name. Old surnames go far. Find out old townlands, half remembered stories, and anything else you can.
When you’re listening, make sure you get the spellings, and if you can find out birth year and other details, save all of it. Irish citizens often changed their names when they moved, or the spellings got altered, so keep that in mind.
Tons of people remember information that was never written down. Once they’re gone, that information usually goes with them. That’s why this is such an important step to do as soon as you can, especially if your relatives are still alive.
Step 3: Search Ireland’s Free Civil Records
Once you have a little more information, like a name or a rough location, you can dig a little deeper. Doesn’t matter exactly what you have, whether it’s DNA matches, family stories, etc. You can search all of it online at irishgenealogy.ie for free.
This is going to be the fastest way that you can confirm dates, and figure out where your family was located in Ireland. Once you have this, you have a thread to pull from.
Step 4: Look Up Griffith’s Valuation
Most beginners probably haven’t heard of this method, but it’s one of the most useful for Irish research in particular. Griffith’s Valuation was a property survey that got information across Ireland back in the mid-1800s.
It is one of the most important pieces for recovering genealogy records in Ireland, and it’s fully searchable for free. You can use the website Ask About Ireland to research your own information and find out more.
If your ancestors were living on land anywhere in Ireland at that time, this is probably how you can find out where.
Step 5: Check Parish Records (and the Census) for Anything Before the 1860s
Ireland wasn’t that great at keeping civil records until the mid 1800s, but luckily the churches did. Anything older than the 1860s and 70s can usually be found amongst old parish records.
You can fill in the gaps that you can’t find on Ireland’s civil registration at the National Library of Ireland’s parish registers. Nowadays, it’s even digitized and searchable online, so you don’t need to do much digging to get this information for free.
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You can also check out the National Archives’ 1901 and 1911 census for free. This website might be able to help you figure out household or townland information for the years around when the records began.
Step 6: Contact a Local Irish Heritage Center
Once you know the county where your family came from, you can look into local heritage centers. Most Irish counties have these that help with this exact kind of research. You should be able to search for it using Roots Ireland, so reach out directly.
They mainly deal with people who are in the same position you’re in. This tends to be a much cheaper option than using a private genealogist.
Step 7: Consider a Research Trip to Ireland
While you absolutely don’t need to go to Ireland to do any of the above… next steps should include a trip. You can easily do steps 1-6 without leaving your house, but to really get in touch with your roots, you should plan a trip.
For my family, going in person turned up tons of things that we never would’ve found otherwise.
Like a chance encounter at the site of old ruins that confirmed something our research never had. I can’t guarantee this experience for everyone, but there is a lot of information that you won’t just casually come across online.
If you decide to make a trip to Ireland part of your research, you can check out a few of my guides to get started:
Frequently asked questions about tracing Irish ancestry
How do I find my Irish ancestors for free?
While a DNA test isn’t free, if you know your family’s surnames, then you can use Ireland’s free civil record searcher. This is available at irishgenealogy.ie. The other option is using Griffith’s Valuation database to confirm names, dates, and locations. Both are free to search online.
Do I need to hire a genealogist to trace my Irish roots?
No, but it would make it much easier if that’s something you’re interested in. Most of what a genealogist does is use the same tools mentioned above to search for you. These records are all free and publicly available, so you can definitely do it yourself. A professional is most likely to just save you time on harder cases, but it isn’t required. I would recommend trying to look into it yourself first.
How far back do Irish records go?
Irish records (things like births, marriages, and deaths), go back to the 1860s and 70s. Anything earlier than that would be found potentially in parish records. Griffith’s Valuation can help you cover the mid 1800s if you’re looking into someone who owned or rented land.
Do I need to go to Ireland in person to trace my family history?
No, you can usually do most of the research online from anywhere in the world. While going is not required, it can often help you discover information that isn’t available in standard records. You can’t guarantee where a conversation, a headstone, or anything else you find could take you in your discovery.
Am I eligible for Irish citizenship if I have Irish ancestry?
Many people aren’t aware that they are actually eligible for Irish citizenship by descent. Depending on how many generations back your Irish-born ancestors are from you, you might be eligible. If you’re curious about it, and you know when your last relative was born in Ireland, then you can take my free quiz for a quick answer. If you already know you’re eligible, then checkout my full guide for more information on how to apply.
I’ll keep looking into my own family history, and I’ll update this if I find something new about how to trace your roots. If you are looking into your Irish roots too, I’d love to hear what you turn up!
If you have any questions, you can comment below or DM me on Instagram at @LizsGreatPerhaps .
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