Family History help please

It all depends on the details - e.g. the dates, the location within 'Dublin' (city, suburbs, county etc), and the religious denomination of your ancestor, along with any details that have been established from later records in the country your ancestor ended up in such as parents names, father's occupation etc. There are very few records available before about 1800, and getting back before 1830 would be considered doing very well for most families. Can you post the details of your most recent Irish born Ancestor ?

Civil birth, marriage & death records started in 1864 and many of these can be searched (free) on the IrishGenealogy website, in addition these include non-Catholic marriages starting from 1845. Catholic & Church of Ireland Parish records for most of the Dublin city parishes are also available on the IrishGenealogy website, this site also includes records for a number of records for Catholic parishes in South Co. Dublin. Images of the Catholic registers for most of the parishes in Ireland (over 1,000) are available on the (free) National Library website, and there are searchable version of these on FindMyPast and Ancestry, in addition pay-website RootsIreland has transcripts of Church records for a number of Catholic & Church of Ireland parishes around Co. Dublin. There are other sources that can help depending on the occupation, status etc such as directories, newspapers, Griffith's Valuation, Tithe Applotment records etc. Many records have become available online in recent years, but there are others that will require visiting the relevant archive to view records on paper, in addition there are other cases where records no longer survive, e.g. many of the Church of Ireland parish records lost in the civil war, or were never kept in the first place.

Hello,

I forgot about this site and was reminded of it in my Irish group on Facebook this morning.  I decided to sign up and that is when I realized that I already had!  

To answer your question, my most recent Irish ancestor is my grandfather, Peter Pierce Duffy b. 04Dec1903 in Dublin.  He is on the Irish Census from 1911.  As an adult, he emmigrated to England at some point before the WWII because he married my grandmother in 1942 in Worthing, Sussex.  Peter Pierce Duffy died in September 1975 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England.  His parents were Matthew Duffy (b. 04Mar1867-d. June 1943; occupation: Couper - put bands around kegs for beer and a candlemaker) and Elizabeth (Eliza) Sweeney (b. 1870).  

Matthew Duffy's parents are Catherine (Kate) Ennis (b. 1843) and John Duffy (b.1836), they married 25 Nov 1859 (parish register). John's parents are Eliza (Etty) Mills and James Duffy, they married on 23rd Feb 1835 in Blanchardstown, County Fingal, Ireland, this information is in the Parish Register.  I don't have either Etty nor Jame's birth or death dates, however; Etty died before 25 Nov1859 because on their son, John's marriage information in the parish register, it reads Eliza (Etty) Mills is deceased.  John's wife, Catherine (Kate) Ennis' parents are listed as Pierce Ennis (I believe correct because my grandfather's middle name is Pierce) and Catherine Daly both deceased.   I couldn't find anymore information further back on either Eliza (Etty) Mills nor her husband, James Duffy.

I was able to continue with Catherine (Kate) Ennis' parents; in the 1901 Census it indicates her approximate year of birth as being 1843 in Dunshaughlin, Meath, Ireland.  Her parents Pierce Ennis and "Cathrine Daly" were both deceased at the time of her marriage but I don't have birth dates for either of them.  There was a Pierce Ennis baptised in Dunshaughlin, Meath, Ireland on 02 Feb 1802 and his parents are "Judith Murry" and William Ennis.  They married 25 Aug 1798 (Parish register) "Gulems Ennis" and "Judith Murry".  Nothing more for William Ennis but Judith Murry was baptised in Meath on 20 May 1782 and her parents are Michael Murry and Mary Brady and nothing further for either of them.

For my Grandfather's mother's side, Elizabeth (Eliza) Sweeney (b. 1870-29 JUL 1893), her Baptism in the Parish register was 08 May 1870 in Blanchardstown, and  shows her birthdate as 06 May 1870. Her parents names are listed as Brigid Byrne and John Sweeney. The 1901 Census indicates Eliza's birthplace as Courtduff, Castleknock, Dublin North, Ireland.  I couldn't find the marriage info for Eliza and Matthew Duffy. A Brigid Byrne (1837-29 JUL 1893) was baptized 11 Apr 1837 in St. Catherine, Dublin which would make her year of birth 1837, however; her death in the parish register in Blanchardstown, Castleknock, Dublin indicates her year of birth as being 1839.  Brigid's marriage to John Sweeney was 16 Jan 1859 in Corduff, Blanchardstown, County Dublin, Ireland and it includes the names of both sets of parents and her residence is listed as being Scaldwoods, County Dublin, Ireland which is where Brigid's parents, Michael Byrne and Anne Quinn lived.  Nothing further on them.  Eliza's father, John Sweeney (1833-25 NOV 1881) parents are John Sweeney and Catherine Doyle; nothing further on either of them.

Duffy is spelt Duffey, I have also seen Dufy.  If what you are saying above re: 1830 would be considered doing well, then I might be at an impasse but anything you are able to add, would be greatly appreciated.

Best Regards,

Paula Beattie