Alexander Gillen and Elizabeth Maccallister

Dear Judy

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out and apologies for the delay in replying to your message. 

As you can see from the link below, Glenariff is in the Civil Parish of Ardclinis:

http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/fuses/townlands/index.cfm?fuseaction=TownlandsInCivil&civilparishid=264&civilparish=Ardclinis&citycounty=Antrim

Church of Ireland records for that parish are lost while the records for the corresponding Roman Catholic Parish of Layde (including part of Carnlough) begin in 1784 and 1825 respectively.

There are some places where you can search online, however these websites do not have complete collections and many do not cover the period after 1900:

www.familysearch.org has a huge database of genealogical records including some church records for Ireland.

www.rootsireland.ie have a large collection of Irish Church records, however you have to pay to use this site.

http://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/ have begun a project to upload Irish church records to their site free of charge. However so far only Counties Dublin, Kerry, Carlow and parts of Cork have been covered.

The website of the Ulster Historical Foundation is also very useful: http://www.ancestryireland.com/ 

Some other websites that may be helpful are:

The National Archives of Ireland: http://www.nationalarchives.ie/genealogy1/genealogy-records/introduction/ - you can search the 1901/1911 Census on the National Archives page too

The National Library of Ireland: http://www.nli.ie/en/family-history-introduction.aspx

The National Archives UK ? genealogy search:http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/

The Public Records Office of Northern Ireland: http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/family_history.htm

Irish Times: http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/index.htm

Irish Genealogy Tool kit: http://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/

Remember to post any new information that you find here. The more information you post, the more likely it is that one of our volunteers will be able to advise or assist you. Also include information concerning which sources you may have already used so others may further your search.

Best of luck with your search

Clare Doyle

Genealogy Support

Hello Clare!

Hope this gets to you . . . almost two years after you sent this!  Time to get back to really doing this Irish side again -- have been searching very limited records on my native daughter-in-law's family, the 'Big Woman/Simeon' of the Tsuu Tina (Sarcee) First Peoples Nation.  Note:  we give them marvellous titles for the tribes but still segregate and discriminate; they are Canada's dirty secret.  At least they have some of the most valuable lands, not like the massacared US natives.  

Could you please advise the legal and religious counties for this address from my McNeill (maternal) side:  Glassdrummond, Ballynahinch, Co Down.

The Doyle family is everywhere as I am sure you know!  Albert Doyle and his wife (cannot remember her name) are god-parent's to my older sister; they farmed beside us in the region of Waterton Road.  Fort Macleod, Alberta is the closest town.

Thanks so much in advance!

Judy Gillen-Christou

Dear Judy

Welcome back!

If you check out the link below it will give you the details and a map of both the civil and religious parishes and the starting dates of records. Civil registration doesn't start until 1864 so there will be no birth or marriage record for your ancestors. 

http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/browse/#Antrim

You don't say what religion your ancestors were but parish records begin at different times in different parish and can also be dependent on religious denomination. 

Yes, as you say the Doyles are everywhere! My husband is the real Doyle though, as we say in Ireland I am a "blow in"

Best wishes

Clare

Genealogy Support