Frequently Asked Questions.
Research Projects.
The name of your target ancestor(s) and their rough date and place of birth. Parents, siblings
and children of this ancestor and any address they lived at in Ireland or elsewhere is also
very helpful. Dates of marriages and deaths can be very useful, as can occupations.
We also ask that you give us the names of your grandparents on the target line (if known) as
this helps us orient ourselves in your family tree.
Absolutely. Our research team will put together a plan for you based on the information
provided in your form, and will let you know the scale and cost for a project covering more
than one family line.
This varies based on your knowledge of your family history, the records available to us, and of course, a little bit of luck.
Our experts can trace almost all families in Ireland back to the 1830s. Before 1830 we assess case-by-case what research is possible as record survival varies widely across the island of Ireland.
The cost of your research project will depend on several factors, such as your objectives, how many family lines/ancestors we are researching, the complexity of your research goal etc. Once you have filled out our form, a team member will be in touch with a research plan and quote for you.
All research projects have a 12-week turnaround time.
Research can be completed in a shorter time frame, but this will be charged at a premium.
Due to privacy laws in Ireland (GDPR) we are not able to access records on living individuals outside the public domain.
The output of our research will be a written digital report detailing our findings, including all
relevant documents, maps and images along with suggestions for further research.
We also offer a hardbound printed book of your research at an additional cost, which can be discussed once your contact with our team has begun.
Consultations.
We are an Irish Genealogy focused centre, so if you are interested in researching your family history we are here to help. We offer one-to-one consultations with expert genealogists in-person, or online via video chat, to help you with your research, wherever you are in your journey.
The consultation begins with a conversation – we like to find out what your current family history knowledge is, including any documents you might have. Then our genealogists work with you using online databases and their expertise to find more information, show you how to get the most out of the records and answer any questions you have. As consultations are one-on-one, talking to the genealogist, they can be very helpful at answering questions, linking the information together and solving ‘brick walls’ you’ve come across in your own research.
You can book a consultation with one of our expert genealogists here.
This varies based on your knowledge of your family history, the records available to us, and of course, a little bit of luck.
Our experts can trace almost all families in Ireland back to the 1830s. Before 1830 we have to assess case-by-case, what research is possible.
We generally recommend having a name, date and approximate time period of at least one ancestor so our genealogist can get started. However our genealogists have worked with all different levels of information from whole family trees to just a few names – so really just bring whatever you have.
What can be helpful in the lead up to your consultation is to write down a quick family tree from yourself back through your parents, grandparents etc. Making note of the date and place they were born or married or emigrated etc. Our genealogists start with you and work backwards to ensure they are always tracing the right family line. If you jump back into Irish records straight away you might spend a long time researching the wrong family! Having those names and dates on paper can make them easy to remember and reference during the consultation – leaving more time for the new research!
You should book your consultation here as we operate by appointment only.
Once booked, there is no need to send any information prior to the appointment. Your genealogist will spend the first few minutes getting to know you, what research you have done already and what you are looking to find out.
What can be helpful in the lead up to your consultation is to write down a quick family tree from yourself back through your parents, grandparents etc. Making note of the date and place they were born or married or emigrated etc.
It can be helpful to bring the information you already have about your family with you, starting from yourself and going back to parents, grandparents and so on – so you can reference it easily during the consultation. Your genealogist will spend the first few minutes getting to know you, what research you have done already and what you are looking to find out.
We use worldwide databases so we can trace your ancestors wherever they came from and wherever they go.
If you are unsure of when exactly your ancestors emigrated from Ireland we can first look at the country they emigrated to and interrogate the records there to get as much information as possible to link them to records in Ireland.
Many people find it useful to book a fifty minute online consultation prior to departure from their home country to help them plan their trip to Ireland. You may even discover your ancestor’s townland or their ancestral home before your trip!
Citizenship.
In order to be eligible for Irish Citizenship, either:
– One of your grandparents must have been born in Ireland OR
– Your great grandparent was born in Ireland and your parent must have registered themselves on the foreign births register before you were born.
There is another route towards Irish Citizenship via ancestors beyond grandparents, but this process is up to the discretion of the Minister and is not guaranteed to succeed.
To find out more you can contact the DFA for any specific queries.
Our role is in assisting you in obtaining the necessary certificates to apply for Irish citizenship. We cannot advise you on your application.
We can order certificates from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
Of course! We can order civil and church records for a wide variety of reasons, varying from verification purposes to simple curiosity. When you’re filling in the below form, please let us know that you would like a non-certified copy.
It can be helpful to bring the information you already have about your family with you, starting from yourself and going back to parents, grandparents and so on – so you can reference it easily during the consultation. Your genealogist will spend the first few minutes getting to know you, what research you have done already and what you are looking to find out.
A certified copy of a certificate is a state-issued, watermarked certificate that is needed for citizenship applications. A non-certified copy can be used for verification or research purposes.