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Ireland Family Trees
Searching for Ancestors in Ireland Using Ancestry

Ancestry provides a growing and exclusive collection of Irish records as well as a wealth of community and research tools to help you successfully find your ancestors. Below is a brief description of those tools to help you get started.

Step 1 - Search the Irish databases.
The easiest way to start your Irish research on Ancestry is to type in the given and surname of an ancestor in our advanced search box. Then select Ireland for the country option. Both Ireland and Northern Ireland counties will be searched. If you are sure of a specific county in Ireland, you may also select a county to narrowly focus your search.

You should also try to search an individual database by clicking on the database name. This link will take you to an advanced search box that is built specifically for that database and provides the greatest accuracy when searching.

The best databases for getting started are the Irish Parish and Probate Records, the Irish Famine Immigration Index , and the Irish Records Index. In addition, the Ancestry World Tree has linked family trees of thousands of Irish families.

Step 2 – Post a query on the Ancestry Message Boards
We have created a community of millions of family historians from all over the world that are very willing to help you. With thousands of posts per day, the message boards can be viewed by locality or surname and will help you tap into the family history community for the area of Ireland that you are researching.

One of the most useful places to post your questions is in the Locality section of the messages boards. Here you can focus on the areas where you believe your ancestor lived. If you don’t know which county they lived in, post to the general Ireland message board.

Remember to post all the information you have about the individual. Instead of saying "I am searching for William Anderson in Ireland," you should list birth, death, marriage information, specific place names, and any known family members.

Step 3 – Record what you find.
Record your information in Ancestry’s Online Family Tree, a free service that allows you to record, preserve, and share your family tree on the Internet without any additional software.

Additional Resources
For information about specific Irish research strategies and sources, Ancestry has many resources to help you in your quest.

You can click on the Sources tab above to get specific information about where to go to find certain record types in Ireland.

The Maps tab will lead you to our map centre for interesting historical maps.

For those that prefer professional tutors to help them through their family history, an Ancestry Online Genealogy Training Class for Ireland may be available. Enrollment schedules and availability of these classes varies based on interest, so don't forget to look up and see when the next class starts.

If you are interested in sharing your genealogical finds with your family on a private and secure family web site, check out our sister site, MyFamily.com.

Ancestry has created a wealth of tools, products, and services that are all geared toward making your family history research successful. We wish you the best of luck in your adventure to find your roots.