Planning a research trip

Hi,

Some of what you are looking for you might consider doing before you get to Ireland. For instance, it's not clear from your post if you have looked up all the family's records at irishgenealogy.ie and at rootsireland.ie. Also, have you found your ancestors in Griffith's Valuation?

You might try to locate burial places through findagrave and other sites that list burials. Or write to the church in Drumcondrath to see if your ancestors are buried in its cemetery.

You also might write to the Meath heritage society and Drumcondrath (aka Drumcondra) heritage society (Google for info) to ask if they have someone you could meet with when you get to Ireland, someone who might take you to the family home or its remains and to the cemetery.

Just a couple of ideas. I hope you find them helpful. Have a great trip.

Hi Patricia,

This is exactly the type of advice I was hoping for! I have gone through the Catholic parish registers and found birth and marriage records, and have found civil death records for both Judith and Thomas, but I am having trouble with some of the others. It's difficult to discern, for example, if a Michael Byrne is "my" Michael Byrne. I have also looked through the Bureau of Military History transcripts to see if anyone pops up in the conflicts, but no luck. I don't find them in Griffith's Valuation in Newstone, and since the surname is so common I can't be sure who is who.

So far I have not subscribed to rootsireland.ie, but that sounds like a next step. I will also write to the church in Drumcondrath. Is that St. Peter's? I'll also write to the heritage societies and ask if someone will be willing to meet with me - good idea! Do you think I'd have more success at the county level or at the more local level?

I have another question: I've seen Drumcondrath, Drumcondra, Drumconrath and Drumconragh in documents and records. I can find both Drumcondra and Drumconrath on a Google map. How many places are these, and can you help me sort it out?

Thanks, Patricia. I appreciate your guidance.

--Amy

Hi Amy,

I'm actually not sure of the answer about the four place names--my guess is that they are one and the same--but you might check with the locals.

About the heritage societies...try the local one first and if that's no help then go to the county society.

Church address: St. Peter and Paul, Parochial House, Drumconrath, Navan, Co. Meath, Ireland.

RootsIreland is a valuable tool for Irish research, and I recommend it.

Good luck!

To expand your search, consider reaching out to local historical societies or archives in Louth and Meath for records pre-dating their time in Newstone. Also, exploring local cemeteries could reveal burial sites, and visiting the area will provide a rich understanding of your ancestors' lives. As for the family farm, perhaps you could connect with current landowners or use mapping tools to locate it respectfully. Wishing you the best of luck on your journey of discovery! By the way, if you're ever looking for a different kind of adventure, exploring some of the best theme parks in the US could be a fun addition to your travel plans.