This is my first post to Fodors! I find the information here so very valuable.

My husband and I are planning our first Ireland trip in 2012 (Spring or Fall yet to be determined in regard to our work schedules). Our interests and priorities, besides the obvious anticipation and enjoyment of the wonderful Irish countryside and loving a local experience, is a genealogy visit to the land of my paternal family. I want to see where our family lived, as it's so important to me, and DH is quite willing to accomodate my wishes, as he has always wanted to go.

Family History has been an ongoing and serious project for 20 years or more, and we know the immediate area my family came from..it's just fine-tuning the exact townland, whether or not we will be able to do this is still an unknown, until we get to the Archives in Dublin to hopefully find the one piece of information we've been seeking for years and our online work has come to a standstill.

As for Hotels, we have a loyalty Radisson plan, which enables us to have free or highly discounted accomodation within the Radisson umbrella group of hotels. We plan on a 17- 18 day trip, combining the UK (5 days) and Ireland (12 days or so). Here is the initial itinerary wish. Any help in fine-tuning is very much appreciated.

After visiting the UK, and more family related sightseeing in Bristol and visiting Bath for a day (3 days total), we then plan to travel to Liverpool for 2 days (DH's wishlist - Beatles lover!), we will then fly from Liverpool to Dublin. 5 days in UK, then off to Dublin.

* 3 days visiting Dublin, staying at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel on Golden Lane near Trinity College and National Library of Ireland, etc. in which archival searching may also lead to other important repositories in the area, depending on what we find, and of course, we must take in the Guiness Storehouse, not that far away. We will be sure to check in advance with NAI and NLI that it coincides with their requirements and opening times to take advantage of time.

* From Dublin, we will travel to Larne (via bus or rail?) We have Irish friends there who are anxiously ready to show us around, given notice of our itinerary. I know Giant's Causeway and would be on their list to show us and that would be 1 full day, we're thinking. We plan on 3-4 days visiting our friends in Larne area and leave it in their capable hands for an amazing visit. Our friends will have no part of us renting a car, nor staying in a hotel. They are adamant about that, and we will do our best to compensate them somehow in return for their generosity!

*From Larne, off to the South of Ireland (bus? rail?) to the area my paternal family was from. This is a must and one of the reasons for visiting Ireland, basically at the tip of 3 Counties where Cork, Limerick and Tipperary meet - Mitchelstown, Co. Kilbehenny, Limerick areas. Fermoy is nearby. Here, we would like try the B & B at Ballinwillin House in Mitchelstown, and see the Mitchelstown Caves, or possibly stay in Fermoy as a home base and renting a car for our southern adventures for the rest of our stay. There are also Radisson Blu Hotels in Cork City and Limerick City, but we wish to be close to Mitchelstown.

*From there, we plan to fly out of Shannon (or Cork City?) en route back to Canada.

As you can see, once in Munster Province, we will have some luxury of time with a rental car, so NLI and NAI in Dublin timeframe is an unknown as yet (allowing 3 days for now), Larne, with friends, as of now is flexible (allowing 3-4 days for now), and homebase in Cork, Tipperary or Limerick is flexible and the last leg of the trip, but Radisson's are easy and inexpensive for us. B & B's are attractive for the experience for a day or two or maybe more?

This is just preliminary for now. Dublin Archival searches are a must before the South, Larne is a must, and Mitchelstown area is a must, once we get to the South.

Any thoughts or comments are welcome!

Maybe I shouldn't have posted FAMILY HISTORY...Lol

http://www.irelandyes.com/

This is a great site for Ireland travel info.

Susan

I'll second Susan's recommendation for Irelandyes.com - Michele has been to Ireland over 40 times and runs a great forum.

That aside, you seem to have a decent plan, although you are sort of traveling in a zigzag - that sort of has to be that way, unless you switch your timing of stops to Dublin-Mitchellstown-Larne and fly out of Belfast instead.

We loved our stay in Kenmare at O'Donnobhain's Pub - it was right in town but very quiet, pub and restaurant on premises. Gerry runs a great place.

I would recommend renting a car for your travels. You will enjoy the area much more if you can get lost on purpose and explore! Larne isn't too far from Belfast - your friends could take you to the car rental place.

Larne - we stayed nearby for three days in Cushendall in May. It was glorious! Larne has a lovely cemetery full of Celtic Crosses, lovely coastline all along County Antrim. Giant's Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge and Dunluce Castle will indeed be a full day, and well worth it. Glenariff Forest has a lovely walking path of a couple miles with about a dozen waterfalls - we went on a drizzly day and it was delightful. Glenarm Castle (I think that was the name?) has beautiful gardens. Not quite in full bloom when we arrived in mid-May, but still lovely.

I think there is a flying boat museum near Fermoy - haven't been, but it comes highly recommended by Corey and Liam over at the Irishfireside.com (great Ireland Travel Podcast!).

Good luck with your research! It's difficult at best, having tried myself - but the folks there are very helpful. Can you perhaps write or call ahead to see if they can do some preliminary work ahead of time?

How much do you have to check in the archives? If you are well-prepared, you can get through a great deal in a few hours.

Have you exhausted all the online resources? Work done at your keyboard in your own home is cheap, and can take pressure off your holiday time. Dig in here and learn about what can be done, and how to do it: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1288.

[You might like to sign up. It's free, and you get to engage with some good people.]

My father is from Mitchelstown! We went there in '09 (the first time he'd been back since a flying visit in 1965). We skipped the caves (not suitable for octogenarians), but saw the house where he grew up, the place where his father and grandparents are buried, and his grandfather's store (now a deli). None of these things are really of general interest, but we also visited a small ruined church, which was interesting. Ireland is full of them, to be honest, but it's a nice one.

I am thrilled to have all of your feedback.

Susan and Green Dragon, thanks for the irelandyes.com link. I am sure I have been on and have checked out this site quite some time ago, so I appreciate you refreshing it for me. And I will definitely enjoy irishfireside.com! I am not all that thrilled with the zig-zagging itinerary either, so your alternate suggestion regarding the timing has me thinking.

For the record, I have totally exhausted online resources, and I have established quite a few like-minded connections all over the world, and in that particular local area as well. The problem is that only Mallow Heritage Centre and the NLI carry those particular church records of interest, prior to Civil Registrations established in 1864. I am as prepared as ever with confirmed records up to the *SMASH!...Brick wall*, and I'm not one of those who needs to go back to a ridiculous time in history, like 1410 or something. The one record, if it indeed exists, will establish and substantiate our family's Mitchelstown connection and will satisfy the genea-hunger. And sometimes, other surprise records located in Dublin, are helpful in opening up more goodies. If only the dead rellies knew what they've put me through. Haha!

Padraig, I would like to say now that I would be happy with one key baptism record, but I know once I get there, the NLI and NAI carry so many more relevant collections, which I know I'll be compelled to look at.

Both NAI and NLI, according to their websites, have very helpful advisors on-site who can help you guide your search, but only to personal visitors. They also offer names of professional genealogists, taken upon oneself to check out. I am toying with the idea of biting the bullet to commission that single record search before our trip, if I can get over the fact that the cost is exorbitant, successful or not. It is big business now, but I do know their time is valuable. On this end, my keyboard has indeed been my best friend over the years. Lol. Thanks also so much for the link to the boards.ie link. I think I may have some fun in there!

Persimmondeb, thanks for your personal story of your visit to Mitchelstown. I agree that it's probably not exactly a destination spot in Ireland, but anywhere where our families were rooted is so very intriguing, and it seems like a quaint little town.

If it's a single baptism record you need, you don't need a professional genealogist. I visit the NLI from time to time, and I'll check it out for my usual fee - a cup of coffee or, if circumstances do not make that convenient, the supposition that you would provide me with one if you could.

I take it you have checked here: http://corknortheast.rootsireland.ie/

[Don't tell the people of Michelstown that you consider their town to be quaint, or little. They think it is the centre of the universe.]

Padraig, I would be more than happy to take you up on the offer...but for only a cuppa? I think maybe your generous offer for a record search on my behalf is beyond a cup of coffee or a supposition of one!

I have spent quite a few dollars on the link you provided, searching blindly for what appears to be a fairly common name and a birthdate that may span a wee bit of 5 years. Why isn't my dead relly named Al Dunn or something like that? Lol.

How do I possibly contact you to give you the info?

This would be a huge help to me in prior to our travels to Ireland!

Thanks for the advice on avoiding the word "quaint". Here in Canada it's quite endearing for a lovely little town. I will now wipe 'quaint' from my vocabulary. Lol.

Oh, and 'quaint', I've learned, is not usually regarded as a nice term in Europe. Usually it carries a sarcastic connotation, from what I can tell.

As long as you realize the record you want MAY not exist, you'll be fine. And take Padraig up on his fantastic offer!

I have a few brick walls myself in my research, and I've not done any pushing in the last few years. My most recent Irish ancestor is evidently someone out of legend, and I lend little credence to her story (kidnapped Irish "Princess" Honora O'Flynn of Kerry taken as a wife by a merchant/pirate to the US in the 18th century.... right. )

Best of luck!

Lol, GreenDragon. Now I know why you love Ireland folklore and mystery so much. I can hardly wait to get there to hear stories, true or not, of the Magic and Mystery of this land.

I am aware that the record may or may not exist, and I am just so pleased after so many years to have what we have up to this point, but if there's more...hmmmmm. It's been a lot of fun tracing the family and I must say, we are very careful to prove and substantiate our findings.

I think too many people arrive on Ireland's doorstep and say "Hey! I'm looking for John Murphy, because I think he might be my great-grandfather. I have no idea where he lived, but I know he's somewhere!"

So, reading Fodor's FAQ's, and not seeing how can members connect, how do people communicate without posting their email, which is usually against the rules?

I suggested that you join the board that I linked earlier. There is a piece there on researching in the National Library, and some related discussion: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showt...p?t=2056271217

If you contact the author, your message will reach me.

That sounds great, and I am more than thankful for all of this advice on the Fodors forums!

TwistedTrees Cdn, I wish you luck in your adventure tracing your roots in Ireland. You never know what you will find.

Some 7 years back, I went to Ireland with my cousin who is married to an Irishman from Newbridge, Galway – way out in the country. I told her that my maternal grandfather John Boland was born in Ballingaheglish, Roscommon in 1865 (wow!) according to a copy of his birth certificate which survives. She exclaimed, “You won’t believe it, but that village is only a half hour from Brendan’s (her husband) family farm. She and I were staying, by the way, in a Dickinsonian inn in Ballygar up the road. We had a great time and made many excursions to Cunningham’s Pub in Newbridge … but that is another story!

In any case, we found the village of Ballingaheglish which consisted of a large Catholic Church – probably built in the 1940s - so it was not the building where my grandfather had been baptized, but was the same parish. Across the street was a small grocery store and pub. I chanced to go into the store where I noticed a stack of thick paperback books entitled BALLINGAHEGLISH. They ran some 500 pages and contained a variety of reminiscences, school records, census data, community organizations, details of sporting activities, parish life and the like. The work was liberally set with family/community photographs along with advertisements which reflected the still vibrant agricultural life of the area.

The compilation was obviously a labor of love. When I returned home and had a good chance to read through the book, I found a photograph of my grandfather’s older brother Thomas Boland and his large family taken around 1910. The resemblance of his offspring to my Boland cousins was remarkable. Obviously, he inherited the farm, such as it was, while his younger brother headed for Boston in the late 1880s. According to my mother, “Pa” Boland won his passage in a sheep shearing contest. When he died, he thought he was under the lovely hawthorne trees back in Roscommon.

While my parents were “first generation” in America, that thread of longing for the Old Sod was strongly interwoven in my childhood memories. The stories of the “Irish wake” lingered. My grandparents and parents never “went back.” I must say that my trip to Ballingaheglish remains one of my fondest travel memories.

All the best in your pursuits ….

latedaytraveler, I loved your story!

Interestingly enough, my parents visited Ireland about a decade or more ago. They still talk about it and would love to go again. They went with another couple and at the time, chose a bus tour option in the south, and visited the other couples relatives in the North with a rental car.

My Dad, who is a very level-headed, no nonsense type, and an amazing Dad, told me not long ago that the second he embarked off the plane in Ireland, he had a feeling he couldn't describe and never said it out loud, but his mind was overcome by emotion.

It was as if a feeling of comfort and 'home' washed over him, despite the fact that our line of family left during the famine to the UK, and my grandfather eventually to Canadian soil. He is not one to get too choked up and emotional, but says he could not describe the feeling that washed over him at that moment.

The longing for the Old Sod must be true.

I enjoyed your post a lot. And I have made contact with Padraig. You guys are the best and thank you so much for your wishes. I wished I'd found all of you kind Fodorites sooner. It will indeed be a trip of a lifetime!

“My Dad, who is a very level-headed, no nonsense type, and an amazing Dad, told me not long ago that the second he embarked off the plane in Ireland, he had a feeling he couldn't describe and never said it out loud, but his mind was overcome by emotion.”


Twisted Tree, thanks for your kind words and for sharing your dear father’s reaction to visiting the Old Sod.


If I may recall one more of my other “genealogical” experiences in Ireland…


While my mother was a keeper of the ancestral flame, my father’s family who had come to Boston just before the Famine showed little interest in the subject. However, one of my father’s sisters told my mother that they (the Gallagher/Bowen/Murray line) were somehow related to the poet JOHN BOYLE O’REILLY (1844-1890). Supposedly a young female relative had brought him food out in the bogs when he was on the run from the British.

O’Reilly was held at Dartmoor Prison for his Fenian sympathies, then transported on a prison ship to Australia. Long story short – O’Reilly escaped, came to Boston, founded THE PILOT Catholic newspaper, and mingled freely with the Boston Brahmins. A statue to O’Reilly by Daniel Chester French stands in Boston, not far from Fenway Park. I did ascertain that there was a “Riley” ancestor in my father’s line. Who knows?


Anyway, years later I took a tour of NEWGRANGE, the archeological site near Drogheda in County Meath in the Boyle valley. We had to take a bus/van from the BRUNA NA BOINNE Visitor Center out to the site. On the way, we traveled through an attractive neighborhood where I notice a sign: JOHN BOYLE O’REILLY STREET. On the way back, I remained behind to question the driver. I asked, “Was that really John Boyle O’Reilly street back there?”

He seemed to know a great deal about our hero. The driver just happened to have a copy of one of O’Reilly’s letters home describing his yearning to return to the beautiful Boyne Valley. And it was beautiful that day! Unfortunately, I can’t put my hand on the letter today but its eloquence remains in my memory. Like our forefathers, O’Reilly, despite his means, could never return home because of political considerations. But the longing remained.


Twisted Tree, we look forward to hearing about your adventures on your family history journey