Civil registration of births, marriages and deaths in Ireland did not start fully until 1864 and,
unfortunately, most Irish census records and parish records prior to 1900 have not survived.
However, there are often other alternatives, including DNA testing. The following is a list of the
main sources of family history data that the author has found useful.
Headstones from Ballycastle area(free, online searchable database)
There are very few surviving records of deaths or 'residents of old
graveyards' in Ireland prior to the 20th century, so this searchable
catalogue of legible headstones from graveyards and cemeteries in
the Ballycastle area provides a unique resource.
1901 Irish census(free, online searchable database)
As of January 2009, includes 300,000 individuals for seven counties: Galway,
Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo, Wexford and Westmeath, and is free to search.
The Mayo list is complete.
1911 Irish census(free, online searchable database)
Currently being digitised by the Irish National Archives, Mayo came on-line on 28th
August 2009. Nice search facilities. Original census forms can also be viewed.
Mayo Ancestors(online searchable database)
Free to search for Mayo births and marriages, but it costs 3 - 10 Euros to view the
details from each search. Includes civil records 1864-1900 and the limited surviving
19th century parish records. Run by the North & South Mayo Family History Centres.
1838 Ordnance Survey Map of Co. Mayo(free, searchable on-line) You can search for the location of your ancestor's parish or
townland. It contains detailed information down to the level of
individual houses and field boundaries, and important historical
and topographical features, and is provided as a free service by
Mayo County Library.
Ballycastle Discussion Board(free)
You can search messages and post questions about your ancestors from Ballycastle
and other Mayo towns.
Rootsweb Mayo Discussion Board(free)
A popular discussion board (supported by Ancestry.com) where you can search for
messages by family name and post your own inquiries for free.
Griffith's Valuation of Ireland 1848-1864(free, online searchable database)
Griffith's Valuation can be used as a census substitute for the years after the Great
Famine, as very little census data prior to 1901 has survived.
Irish Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates(1864 onwards)
You can download application forms to mail or Fax to the GRO in Roscommon for all
events from 1864 onwards. The fee is about 10 Euros per certificate (2009).
Family Search (LDS)(free searchable database, but limited Irish data on-line)
Many parish records are on microfiche only, and can be ordered to view at your local
LDS center for a nominal fee. Film # 1279204 includes baptisms (1853-1880) and
marriages (1869-1880) from the Catholic Church in Ballycastle.
Ireland, Civil Registration Indexes 1845-1958(free, online searchable database)
Part of new pilot database from the LDS Familysearch.org (see above). The indexes
for Irish birth, marriage, and death records came on line 23 January 2009.
Ellis Island USA immigration records(free, online searchable database) Most Irish immigrants entering New York from 1892 to 1924 are
recorded here. Easy to search online, and it's free.
Genes Reunited(online searchable database)
Searchable UK web site with over 500 million names where you can post your family
tree. Includes many Irish ancestors. Free to post your family tree and to search, but
you pay a six-month fee (£10) to contact the owners of other family trees.
Representative Church Body Library, Dublin
Church of Ireland (protestant) original parish registers (BMD records). Available to
view by visiting in person or by requesting a paid search (no records on-line).
Ancestry.com and Ancestry.co.uk
One of the most comprehensive collections of family history records, including Irish.
The subscription costs from about £7 to £19 per month (2009 prices).
Irish Telephone Directory
If you know the townland that your ancestors came from, this is an
quick way to check if any descendants still live there. Of course,
not all telephones numbers are listed. Don't forget to click the
"Residential" button before you start the search.
National Archives of Ireland
Offers various genealogy resources and further links to other genealogy sites. They
are very helpful if you visit in person.
If you can't find the necessary records, then a simple
DNA test might help. By comparing your DNA (from a
cheek swab) with a genealogical database, it may be
possible to determine if you share a recent common ancestor with another person in the database. Several such databases are now on-line, including the Ireland Y-DNA project. Also, by comparing the DNA from two living individuals it is possible to get an indication of how closely related they are. DNA tests can also be used to determine your ethnic origins. The two most popular tests are Y-chromosome DNA (Y-DNA) and Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) which start from about $99 USD from FTDNA if you order through a surname project, e.g. the Golden DNA Project. The Y-DNA results for "Thomas Golden c1820" are posted on the Golden DNA Project web-site.
Y-DNA is passed through the direct male lineage only, unchanged over many
generations, and is used to trace male (surname) lineage. Females need to test
Y-DNA from a close male relative such as a brother, father or paternal uncle.
mtDNA is passed down virtually unchanged through the direct female line only, but
males inherit their mother's mtDNA. So, both males and females can use their own
mtDNA to track their maternal lineage.
Airports
Ballycastle is over four hours drive from Dublin airport (DUB), but only about one hour from Knock International airport (NOC) in Co. Mayo. Knock airport is served by Ryan Air, BMIbaby and Aerlingus from several European cities. Ryan Air offers some very cheap flights, but check the baggage limitations carefully.
Car rental
Most Gold and Platinum credit cards specifically exclude excess and
deductible insurance coverage for car rental in Ireland, so you will need to
buy this separately. Buying this coverage from the car rental company
can be very expensive, but a much cheaper alternative and usually with
better coverage, can be purchased on-line at various insurance companies
such as Insurance 4 Car Hire.
There are numerous car rental companies and agencies to choose from however, cars with automatic transmission or air conditioning are not very common in Ireland. The author found good value and service in 2009 when booking through Nova Car Hire agency.
Accomodation
Hotels and B&B's are expensive in Ireland starting at about 25 Euros per person per night. Typically, it makes little or no difference to the price whether you share a room or have separate rooms.
Although, there are a few B&Bs in and
around Ballycastle, shops and eateries
are almost non-existant there, so the
author prefers to stay in the bustling
town of Ballina just 20 miles and 30
minutes drive from Ballycastle, half-way
between Knock airport and Ballycastle.
The author has had good experiences at New Lodge B&B, just 10 minutes walk
from Ballina town centre along the
picturesque river Moy. It is situated half
a mile south of Ballina town centre, on
the right side of the N26 road driving north
from Knock airport to Ballycastle. River Moy and Ballina Cathedral
Maps
A GPS (Sat-Nav) can be very useful, but most do not cover the smaller single-track roads. The Ordnance Survey Map, Discovery Series No. 23 (ISBN: 1-903974-57-7), provides details of all the roads and names of the townlands around Ballycastle. It can be ordered on-line from Ordnance Survey Ireland, or purchased locally at a bookstore or newsagent.
Books & documents on Co. Mayo history Ballycastle Seventy Years Ago (article) by Thomas Langan
Thomas Langan's childhood memories of Ballycastle about the time of World War I
(1914-1918) written in his own words circa 1990. Kindly provided by Ena Langan-
Gleeson, this article was originally published in the North Mayo Historical and
Archaeological Society about 1990 and is reproduced here by kind permission of Maureen Langan-Egan.
Ancient Ireland
An interesting summary of Ireland's history and colonisation since the last ice age
20,000 years ago up until the famine in 1845, also depicted in a series of maps.
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