National Archives of Ireland - major new genealogy site launched

Jimmy Deenihan TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in Ireland has just formally launched the National Archives of Ireland's new dedicated genealogy website at www.genealogy.nationalarchives.ie.

The following collections are now freely available to view on the site:

• Census records for 1901 and 1911
• Tithe Applotment Books for 1823 to 1837
• Soldiers’ Wills for 1914 to 1917

The first links to the already established website at www.census.nationlaarchives.ie but the latter two are newly released today. The Tithe Applotment Books in particular are a major resource, being an early 19th century precursor to Griffiths Valuation (I've just found my wife's four times great grandfather listed in Kilkenny, with all sorts of details!) - for the first time these are the images from the books, and not just the indexes found on other sites.

Joining the site in the near future will be:

• Calendars of Wills and Administrations (1858– 1922)
• Nineteenth-century census survivals (1821-1851)
• Valuation Office House and Field Books (1848–1860)
• Census Search Forms for the 1841 and 1851 Censuses.

Lots of fun ahead!

(With thanks to NAI)

UPDATE 8 NOV: The Tithe Applotment Books can now also be searched at the FamilySearch website (www.familysearch.org) and the images consulted there. [With thanks to Alan Stewart's Grown Your Own Family Tree blog at http://growyourownfamilytree.wordpress.com/2012/11/09/irish-tithe-applotment-book-images-go-online/]

Chris

Scotland 1750-1850 - 5 weeks online Pharos course, £45.99, taught by Chris Paton from 2 NOV 2012 - see www.pharostutors.com
New book: It's Perthshire 1866 - there's been a murder... www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/The-Mount-Stewart-Murder.aspx (from June 12th 2012)