The Research Like a Pro Genealogy Podcast RLP 136: Irish Research Part 1
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Feb 15, 2021 Jessica Taylor Morgan, an accredited genealogist and Irish research expert with a background in Ancestry and TV genealogy, shares invaluable insights on tracing Irish immigrant ancestors. She emphasizes the importance of asking focused questions to guide research, including determining the immigration period and establishing the ancestor's religion. Jessica advises using U.S. censuses and vital records to estimate birth ranges and locate counties of origin. She also discusses leveraging family connections, newspapers, and even DNA to pinpoint Irish heritage.
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Pinpoint Immigration Era First
- Determine the era your Irish ancestor immigrated to guide which records to search.
- Use migration waves (Scotch-Irish 1600s, Famine 1845–~1850s, later 1880s–1900s) to narrow likely origins.
Establish Ancestor's Religion
- Identify whether your ancestor was Catholic or Protestant before searching Irish records.
- Use U.S. burial, church, and community records as clues because religion shapes available Irish records.
Build A Birth-Year Range
- Build a birth-year range from all US records rather than relying on one age entry.
- Use that range to eliminate mismatches among common Irish names when searching Ireland.
