Relatives

I found my relatives and my grandfather's birthplace through Ancestry.com.  I have since visited my cousins several times and it has been the thrill of my life.  They have shown me the cottage where my grandfather grew up, my great great grandparents burial site, etc.

Hello again Kathleen,

It's marvelous to hear that you were able to track your roots back to Ireland! It's always such a delight to hear about people who learned something new about themselves and their heritage. It's doubly special to hear that you were able to connect with your family here in Ireland. 

Where in Ireland is your family from? I'd be very interested in learning more about this journey into your family history if you'd like to share. 

Kindly,

~Rochelle

My grandfather was born in County Mayo (near Castlebar), actually Ballyvary in 1839.  He emigrated to the USA in the 1860's and settled in Wisconsin where he had maternal relatives.  He married and had 8 children.  I am the youngest of the grandchildren.  I had tried for years to obtain his birth certificate, however apparently no records are available for those early years

It has been wonderful meeting my cousins in Ireland and visiting them several times, County Mayo and County Galway.  My closest relative lived in Dublin (2nd cousin) and I did visit her twice before she passed away.
Thank you for reading my story.

Hi Kathleen, 

Thanks so much for sharing your journey into your family history here! I am so happy you were able to find out so much. 

Sometimes records, like the birth certificate from your County Mayo ancestor, unfortunately, aren't there anymore. The reason for this can be the fire of 1922, or they were simply lost or misplaced over the years. In this case, I think you might be interested in a project called Beyond 2022. 

Beyond 2022 is a project by Trinity College Dublin in collaboration with the National Archives, the National Archives (UK), the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland and the Irish Manuscripts Commission. The project aims to create a virtual reconstruction of the Record Treasury of the Public Record Office of Ireland which was destroyed during the Civil War in June 1922. 

I am also very happy to see you've been able to visit your family here on the island several times, and I hope we get to welcome you back again in the future. 

Thanks again for sharing your experiences with us, and if you ever have any questions, the Community is always here to help! :)