Sarah Kelly

Hi there,

There are 53 parishes in Co. Laois so it would help enormously if we could narrow it down a bit.

You have a few clues: you know the year of birth, her father's name, his occupation, and you know she was no longer in Ireland in 1873.

You could start by checking for her father in the land records.

You could try checking the land records called the Tithe Applotment Books (1823-38) or the later Griffith's Valuation (1848-64). Griffith's is freely available here: www.askaboutireland.com or here: www.failteromhat.com Failte Romhat has lots of other useful links you could try looking at. Tithe Applotment Books (1823-38). Microfilm copies of the books for all of Ireland are available at the National Archives of Ireland (NAI) http://www.nationalarchives.ie/genealogy1/genealogy-records/tithe-applotment-books-and-the-primary-griffith-valuation/ or the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS).

Civil registration records are available from the General Register Office (GRO). These start from 1864 however. You can access the website here: http://www.groireland.ie/research.htm

You could try checking to see if Michael Kelly is listed in the trade directories in Laois. Some of these might be found on the failte romhat website listed above. Otherwise consult the National Library of Ireland, or the Church of latter day Saints.

1824 J. Pigot and Co. 'City of Dublin and Hibernian Provincial Directory'

1846 Slater's 'National Commercial Directory of Ireland'

1856 Slater 'Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland'

1870 Slater, 'Directory of Ireland'

Please make sure you link anyone else in your family who is interested in their Irish heritage to our site - and indeed anyone else you know of Irish heritage.

Kind regards,

Sinead Cooney

Genealogist (Ireland XO)