Cork Ashkenazi Jewery

Born in Cork to what I believed to be a 100% Irish Catholic family I was surprised and excited to find that I am 19% Ashkenazi Jewish.

I immediately begun research as to how & when this side of my ancestry occurred.  After several years research & a DNA test I have eliminated all possible lines apart from my paternal great grandfather. 

All I can confirm about him is his name, James Johnson, the fact that he was a sailor, had two children with my great grandmother in Cork in the 1890’s. I wonder if anybody could recommend any Jewish research sites I might use for further investigation?

Or perhaps a professional I might commission to help me solve this mystery?

TIA for help/advice

Hi Eleanor,

Thanks for joining us here on the Community. It's great that you are interested in researching your roots!

Since you have an approximate date, a name, and a location, you may be able to find a birth or marriage certificate for your great-grandfather and take it from there. You can check out the Civil records of non-catholic marriages from 1845, using the Irish genealogy website. For instance, I found three results for James Johnson in the 1890's. 

Now I don't know any websites for Jewish ancestry, but I'd suggest contacting genealogy centers in County Cork to make an appointment with a genealogist. The Roots Ireland website lists most of them.

Best of luck!
Antoine