Always Begin the Search in the County of Emigration

This article is not for those who know where in Ireland their ancestors were born. It is intended to help the many thousands of Mahonys who know no more than “from Ireland” and far too often, that is the only location information found in the official documents in the country of origin. And that is where the search must begin - in the country of origin. It is no use coming to Ireland seeking a John Francis Mahony that one knows was born in 1826 - and that is all one knows.

All genealogical research should be a movement from the Known to the Unknown, working backwards chronologically from oneself to the emigrant Mahony ancestor. When one is researching such a surname as Mahony it is very important to learn all one can - names of the emigrant’s parents, siblings, and the children - and best of all - the location, the townland, in Ireland. The first step is to consult all members of the extended family, collecting all their information and copying all their documents. I am sure that you will acquire much ‘conflicting’ information - I believe as much as 50% of family folklore will be incorrect - but until everything is checked out, it is impossible to know which is reliable information. Perhaps the daughters (or daughters-in-law) were the only family members who listened to the older generation. Remember that even siblings will not have identical information about the earlier generations. Sometimes only part of the story is known to one; others may have the missing details.

Ideally, one should then repeat the visits to relatives, and query all the discrepancies. At the same time the next stage should proceed and that is to investigate all sources available, such as the legal records of births, marriages and deaths. See the Research Program for a list of the sources that are available. The most important findings should be in the legal marriage certificate, the death certificate, the naturalisation (if applicable) the census records and the headstone. What one is looking for is enough knowledge about a family group - structure and location - so that one can identify this family correctly in the Irish records. If the records of the direct ancestor do not contain these clues, check all the records of the siblings.

World-wide there are many genealogical societies, and several of these have an Irish Interest group. It is a good thing to join and learn from the experiences of the other members. Often the lecture program and the publications will contain information vital for successful Irish research. Many societies have excellent libraries to assist the research of their members. I also advise that you locate your nearest Family History Centre run by the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, and availing of the computer, microfilm and microfiche collections of the Genealogical Society of Utah. This facility will be of the greatest importance in locating records, both abroad and in Ireland.  

Keep An Open Mind About Family Data

It is very important that one does not have any preconceived ideas, such as deciding the date of birth from a marriage certificate. Genealogy is not an exact science, and the information in the official records depends on the accuracy of the family knowledge. For example, the USA census enumerators, rather than making a repeat visit, often took information from the neighbours. Therefore, it is not surprising that finding all possible censi will yield conflicting information.