Course Enrollment: IR-304 Irish: Immigration and Emigration Records

This course considers records of immigration to Ireland and emigration from Ireland. A defining characteristic of Irishness is emigration, and a significant number of those taking this course are here to search for their ancestors who left Ireland. We have fragmented records that aren’t very detailed, and often there’s insufficient evidence to confirm a person’s identity. Additionally, these documents can contain details not found anywhere else. Naturalization records in other countries, for instance, might offer that elusive Irish location, enabling your research to span the Atlantic.

This material discusses these immigration/emigration sources focussing on the following elements:

• the various forms of records available
• what information they contain and their value and impact
• the challenges in accessing or using these records
• discussing any known available bibliographies, calendars, indexes, transcripts, and abstracts that might exist.