The destruction of the Public Records Office in June 1922 at the outset of the Irish Civil War has cast a long shadow over Irish genealogical research. Anyone who has sought their Irish ancestors has likely encountered frustration at the gaps in available records caused by this disaster. But how much do we really know about the events that caused the fire and were all our records really lost? This talk will explore the background to the Public Record Office fire and address some of the myths that have grown up around it. It will also examine how recent advances in conservation techniques and modern technology are allowing the recovery of some records previously believed lost, with a particular focus on the recent Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland Project.
Discount code: ashes25 (valid at Familytreewebinars.com)
Valid through: October 7, 2025
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Syllabus
My husband and I were in Dublin in Sept.2013. We went to the Irish Records Office and had quite a time finding information on the massive big books indexes and then locate records on microfilm. Not easy research then. However we did find some baptismal records for Co. Wexford. Our next stop was the Church of Ireland Library records housed in a suburb of Dublin called Rathmines I think. It did contain books from my ancestral parish of Tuam. My 2x grandparents wedding date was recorded In 1752. Eureka,! So excited to have this record. We weren’t allowed to photograph it with cellphone or camera. Everything was left in lockers downstairs. Much control over anything which was the same as at the Public Records Office and the Library. I can appreciate their concern over records since many were lost but it sure is tough to navigate in person.
I am a descendent of Senator William Sears, who urged the acceptance of the Treaty. He wrote, The Candle and the Flame, about the process and the need
Excellent, thank you. A key topic, well-presented in an informed and balanced way, helping participants to understand our history and leading us all to use and enjoy available resources.
Incredible presentation gving us a wealth of information prior to accessing the Virtual Treasury! Very impressive. This presentation will save researchers hours and hours of time! Learned so much! Thank you David Ryan and Legacy
It helps to know when records are destroyed. Very interesting and informative.
Very informative with lots of websites, Thank you
An excellent talk, very informative.
was informative thank you.
The background information/history was interesting, but I would have liked more shown about what you can find and how with some demonstrations. Some of the more unusual items would have stirred me more to search. But I appreciate the free webinar as always, thank you