History Corner / Book Review: The Family Tree Irish Genealogy Guide: How to Trace Your Ancestors in Ireland Claire Santry

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook free of charge,from Family Tree Books, via Edelweiss,for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it,  all opinions are my own.

With Back to School upon us, now is the time to start thinking about 'family projects' that you might have let slide over the Summer, but with Thanksgiving and Christmas seemingly around the bend, now might just be THE time to get started on the family genealogy, or caught up on yours, since the kids are now out from underfoot!

This new book can help you on your way, if you are looking at Irish roots in your family tree!

Synopsis:

Unlock the Irish branch of your family tree by identifying your Irish immigrant ancestor, tracing him from America back to his place of origin in the old country and learn how to use Irish records to fill out more branches. 

Discover your Irish roots! Trace your Irish ancestors from American shores back to the Emerald Isle. This in-depth guide from Irish genealogy expert Claire Santry will take you step-by-step through the exciting--and challenging--journey of discovering your Irish roots. You'll learn how to identify immigrant ancestor, find your family's county and townland of origin, and locate key genealogical resources that will breathe life into your family tree. With historical timelines, sample records, resource lists, and detailed information about where and how to find your ancestors online, this guide has everything you need to uncover your Irish heritage. In this book, you'll find:

The best online resources for Irish genealogy

Detailed guidance for finding records in the old country, from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland

Helpful background on Irish history, geography, administrative divisions, and naming patterns

Case studies that apply concepts and strategies to real-life research problems

Whether your ancestors hail from the bustling streets of Dublin or a small town in County Cork, The Family Tree Irish Genealogy Guide will give you the tools you need to track down your ancestors in Ireland. 

 Review:

Even if you have no info to start, other than a name, date of birth and possible birth place, this book can be a huge help to get you started! By starting backward, with date of immigration, you can go back across the pond and find the birth registers, and then find parent info and more. Claire does an excellent job in getting you through the basics, including how to 'decipher' Irish names, discusses how names were 'Latinized' in church registers, which can lead to confusion, and then searching through census and land records to find your ancestors! Irish history is rife with turmoil, and having a helping hand to sort through and figure out WHERE the record with the info you need might be, is half the battle. Claire also gives you some great ideas about what to do, if you seem to hit a brick wall, which can happen!  I wish I had had this book when I first started researching the family tree over 15 years ago, but I will be using it to get around some of those brick walls now!

About the Author:

Claire Santry has been a full-time journalist for 25 years, employed variously as a reporter, magazine editor, PR writer and online content provider. Her website, Irish-Genealogy-Toolkit.com, and blog, IrishGenealogyNews.com, have been recognized by renowned Irish genealogists, with writer and genealogist John Grenham calling her blog the "centre of the Irish family history universe" in the Irish Times.