COUNTY CLARE ANCESTRY?

COUNTY CLARE GENEALOGY

© John Mayer

Regardless of all the stories you hear about difficulty in researching in Ireland, there is a lot of help available, if you just know where to look. Of course, the first step is to write down all you know, starting from your own details and work backwards, to whomever is your Irish connection... Take note of all family stories, all you have heard and found to date and work through bit by bit... then start looking... 

These suggestions just might help, presuming that you have come to the stage of needing/wanting to find out more.

If you have County Clare ancestry, you may like to consider joining our Facebook group,  County Clare Ireland Genealogy.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/countyclare/

County Clare is known as the Banner County... It is a county rich in diversity, heritage, music and some of the friendliest people you will ever meet.

 Our Facebook Group is home to many like minded people... with a love of family and history, willing to help all as we can and sharing a laugh or two every chance we get.

 There is such a wealth of knowledge whether you are looking for ancestry, or simply want to know more about the county and Ireland in general. We know the best places to search... of course, the Clare Library takes first place... they have one of the best genealogy sections in the country..

You can't go past Clare Roots Society as well... they are a group of volunteers who are exceptional with their local knowledge, in publishing historical books, in transcribing gravestones, and in working with the diaspora to foster interest in family history. Where there is a question or a cause, CRS members are there... many of them also belong to the Co Clare Facebook group.

 If you would like to join, then just send a request to 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/countyclare/

You may not receive an answer straight away, but it usually doesn't take long. You do have to have a Facebook account for the group, but not to join Clare Roots Society. You can do that by going to the website above and then Membership... full details are on the site.

Though not every question can be answered, there are many options to explore... here are a couple more..

Clare Past Forum      
Ireland Genealogy Project Archives (Clare section)

Before you know it, you'll be adding branches to your family tree, or at least, that is the idea...

SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS ABOUT COUNTY CLARE?

SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS ABOUT COUNTY CLARE? SEE OUR VISITORS' BOOK AND CLARE PAST FORUM

// CLARE COUNTY LIBRARY BLOG

If you have queries about Clare history or genealogy it's worth checking out the Visitors' Book and the Clare Past Forum on Clare County Library's website. The Visitors' Book contains comments and questions from visitors to the library website with answers provided by Clare County Library staff. In the Clare Past Forum answers are provided by other forum users, many of whom are very knowledgeable about Clare matters. You might just find your question has already been asked and answered...
See http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/guests.htm and
http://www.ourlibrary.ca/phpbb2/viewforum.php?f=1
----

N.B. reposted from Co Clare library blog

THE PARISHES OF COUNTY CLARE

I have often mentioned the always interesting Co Clare Library blog... this is yet another good reason to follow it...

The Parishes of County Clare

(c) Clare Library

Most of the genealogical and geographical information on Clare County Library’s website is arranged by civil parish. The reason for this is that between the 17th and early 20th centuries, the civil parish was the territorial unit used by government for its land surveys and censuses. Click here for a list of the civil parishes of Clare, and they are mapped here... They are divided into townlands, the smallest territorial unit, and are arranged into Baronies, the largest unit in the county system. Civil parishes are no longer in use for administrative purposes.

To read the full article,  please go to the link below.

http://clarelibrary.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/the-parishes-of-county-clare.html

Apologies to those who received what should have been the draft post earlier...

PAPAL ARMY SUBSCRIPTIONS

PAPAL ARMY SUBSCRIPTIONS PROJECT

Back in May 2014, you may have seen this request for information re Papal Army Subscription information...

http://astheywere.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/papal-army-information-request.html

Since that time, Clare Roots Society, in conjunction with the Clare Library, have worked with our very enthusiastic group of volunteer transcribers to bring together what promises to be a very useful addition to our research resources... a list of many in Co Clare who subscribed to the funds needed for the support of the Papal Army.

You can find the list here...

http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/papal_army_1860.htm

 You will also be able to read the background of the project and the names of all involved. 

The launch of Clare Papal Army Project took place at the Manse Local Studies Centre, and was presented by Bishop Kieran yesterday, 18th November, 2014. I will add photos when they become available.

http://astheywere.blogspot.com.au/2014/11/papal-army-subscription-lists-part-ii.html

Just another great addition to the free resources we are fortunate enough to have in Co Clare.



The following article from TROVE will give you some background to what the Papal Army was all about.

CLARE COUNTY LIBRARY... more than just a Library...

CLARE COUNTY LIBRARY

Gone are the days when Libraries were places where you dare not utter a word

other than to very quietly ask a librarian for help...

Even then, you were often pointed towards a dusty card index drawer and left to find things yourself.

Today, libraries are vibrant places, full of happy people with very helpful librarians. They are community gathering places, places for exhibitions, for music and all manners of technology. 

They are no longer slumbering repositories, but are

vibrant, lively and a pleasure to visit.

County Clare's Library, Ennis

 is no exception.

Locals will already know how great it is, but so do many hundreds, nay, thousands, 

of researchers across the world who are interested in all things Irish, 

especially Irish history /family history/genealogy.

There are thousands of photographs, records of all kinds, digitised and hard copies, all available either online or accessible with the help of the enthusiastic staff who are only too happy to help. 

Many of the records have been transcribed by volunteers... wander though the collections and see what you can find..

www.clarelibrary.ie

 You can read about the history of the Clare Library here

http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/library/history/colibser.htm

Be sure to visit the Clare Library blog

Clare County Library Blog

It will keep you in touch with all that's happening in Co Clare, as does this blog.

 Have fun!