After a hectic September, I am finally getting down to ‘promoting’ my book Finding Your Ancestors in Kerry, which was launched by Jimmy Deenihan T.D., Minister for Diaspora Affairs on Monday 7th September, to a full house in the Kerry County Library, Moyderwell, Tralee.
Tommy O’Connor, Kerry County Librarian, Kay Caball, Jimmy Deenihan T.D., Minister for Diaspora Affairs
The book is a comprehensive guide to tracing your ancestors in County Kerry. It describes all the various sources of information which are available, for undertaking the necessary research, where they can be accessed and best to use them. Because of the amount of digitised sources now available, whether you live in Tralee or Timbuctoo, you will be able to carry out most of your research online.
I know from the emails and private commissions I get, that the main barrier to accurately pinpointing your particular ancestors are the different spellings and pronunciations of names, both surnames and townlands. This is where those of us who were reared or are living in Kerry have the edge. From phonetic pronunciations, we can nearly always identify the surname and mostly the townland, although that is more difficult.
Finding Your Ancestors in Kerry starts with the basic – ‘Getting Started’. But with fourteen chapters going right through there are hints and help on sources of all descriptions:
Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 Getting Started
Chapter 3 Administrative Divisions
Chapter 4 Civil Registration Records
Chapter 5 Census & Census Substitutes
Chapter 6 Church Records
Chapter 7 Land & Estate Records
Chapter 8 Wills & Administrations
Chapter 9 Commercial & Social Directories
Chapter 10 Family Histories & Surnames
Chapter 11 Newspapers
Chapter 12 Graveyard Records & Transcriptions
Chapter 13 Further Reading & Misc. Sources
Chapter 14 Archive & Internet Information
Entry from Calendar of Wills available online at www.nationalarchives.ie/genealogy
Finding Your Ancestors in Kerry available from Flyleaf Press
Reviews
“Well done again, it will be of such great assistance to anyone doing research”Tommy O’Connor, County Librarian, Kerry Libraries
“Finding Your Ancestors in Kerry is a wonderful guide as to how to trawl the records and is destined to sell strongly in the U.S. too”. The Kerryman Newspaper Sept 9th 2005
“The Book is a comprehensive guide to all of the records available for tracing families in the county and is filled with information on what the records contain and how and where they can be accessed. A social history of the county is also included and explains how history has affected the keeping and survival of records. Maps, illustrations and a comprehensive index should also provide readers and researchers with more tools in their quest for family knowledge”. Kerry’s Eye Newspaper, 20th August 2015.
“It is well illustrated with maps and with examples of the types of records to be found and with other relevant background material. It also provides background on the social history of Kerry….” Irish Lives Remembered: Genealogy Magazine Issue 31 Sept-Oct 2015
This is a wonderful resource. It is a must for anyone doing genealogical research in Co. Kerry. Thank you Kay for all your effort in producing this guide.
Anne, thank you for this, a word of appreciation means a lot. I have had lots of visiting relatives for the past three weeks, but I will get going on my blog again, now that I have more time.
Thanks so much for all of your work helping others find their ancestors from Co. Kerry. I am so lucky to find the village where my grandmother McCarthy was born and on my grandfather’s side Moriarty where my great grandfather was from .
Kathleen, thanks for your kind comments. I understand that there is a Moriarty get together on week of 12rh to 16th and the launch of a book on a Moriarty ancestor at the Gap of Dunloe that week. A group from Australia, who are coming for the launch, were in touch with me.
Dear All,
That sounds like a good publication.
By the way, I – an Australian residing in sw Germany – am researching the Life of a Waterville stalwart who was apparently caught Poaching, celebrated his mysterious Wedding Party in 1908, attended Waterford Teacher’s College and decamped to India (Lahore) to teach at St Anthony’s.
Capt. Daniel Vincent McCollum (1886-1967) subsequently became Political Agent, Kuwait – just to mention one of his achievements.
I need his IMAGE and anybody who can beam it to me will receive a Goodie from my bookshelves!
Kindest regards,
Kimberley John Lindsay.