Written By: Mike Collins & Jayne McGarvey
The Research Roadmap so far:
By the end of the last Stage – Stage 3 – you will have worked with the following worksheets:
for your Irish ancestor (or couple).
Stage 4 of The Green Room Research Roadmap.
In this Stage – Stage 4 – of the Research Roadmap you make the leap back to Ireland – reviewing and researching local histories and Irish record collections.
Before going ahead, please note that it is important to complete Stage 3 (Researching this Ancestor or couple following Immigration) before starting Stage 4 . Why? That way you will have gathered as much evidence as possible for your ancestor’s origins in Ireland. Here in Stage 4 we will help you use this evidence to identify the most likely Irish record collections to expand your knowledge of your ancestor’s time in Ireland before they immigrated.
In Stage 4 you will step through a series of lessons to help you:
- Research the history of the area in Ireland where your ancestor originated – and update your research plan and timeline based on discoveries.
- Research the records in your ancestor’s area of origin in Ireland – and deal with any conflicting evidence that may surface.
- Share discoveries and ask for help from our Green Room genealogists as you progress.
- Write up your conclusions on this line of research.
As you work through Stage 4 of the Road Map we will show you how you can use the concepts covered in Stages 1, 2 and 3 to expand your knowledge of your immigrant ancestor and gather further information on their place of origin in Ireland.
Wait! What If You Have Not Discovered A Place of Origin in Ireland To Start Your Irish Record Research?
At the end of Stage 3, I asked the question: “What if – even after all the research you carried out in your ancestors place of immigration – you still cannot find their place/parish of origin in Ireland to start your Irish research?”
This is the situation faced by many of our members here in the Green Room. If it has not been possible to find sufficient information pointing towards your ancestor’s original location in Ireland, then here are three suggestions:
- There are research techniques you can still use to research in Ireland if you do not have sufficient evidence to help you narrow down a location and additional information regarding your ancestor. Many of the research techniques we cover in Stage 4 will work even if you only have a partial location such as a County, or don’t have the name(s) of your ancestor’s parents.
- DNA testing and analysis can be an extremely useful additional tool in your genealogy research. Even if you already have an exact location and church for your ancestor, DNA analysis can help confirm that you are on the correct track and can sometimes help you push back an extra generation beyond surviving church records. DNA testing is improving in accuracy as more individuals test and share their DNA results – and provides a viable addition to the toolbox to complement traditional genealogical research. It is, however, rarely a “quick fix” – so set your expectations appropriately.
- Finally, it may be worthwhile having your research checked by a professional genealogist. You may decide to employ one locally at your own expense, but at the very least take the time to run your research and questions past the Green Room in-house Genealogist to see if there are any potential areas of research you may have missed.
Ready to start Stage 4? Just click on the “Next Lesson” button below to proceed.