Irish Family History Society

Connecting People With Their Irish Roots

Tracing your Cork Ancestors Second Edition

Paperback, 162 pp Price €13 
ISBN 978 1 907990 01 4
By Tony McCarthy & Tim Cadogan Published by Flyleaf Press Dublin www.flyleaf.ie
The first edition of this book was published in 1998. In the Preface to the Second Edition the authors remark that at that time “genealogy was still an old fashioned pursuit” and “brought to mind images of middle aged people, mooching around in graveyards.” Also, that much has changed since that time and how the popular TV show Who Do You Think You Are? and the association with “celebrity” has made genealogy “cool”. Another important change is the quantum leap in information and communication technology.
The second edition is totally updated and expanded, with entirely new illustrations and material. Almost all the changes made in this edition have been necessitated by the technological advances in the last decade. The sources for genealogical research remain the same as in 1998 when the book was first published i.e Census returns, Civil records of births, marriages and deaths, Church registers, Land record, Wills etc. What has changed, however, is how we can now access these records with many available online for free and on a subscription basis. Publications over the past 13 years relating to Cork research have also been included.
The book describes how to best use the records available for Cork City and County, and where they can be accessed. For each type of record it provides background information on how they were compiled and what information was contained, and on which categories of people.
Chapter 4 on Administrative Divisions explains the administrative geography of Cork such as Townland, Civil Parish, Barony, Electoral Divisions and Poor Law Union. The chapter also includes a very useful listing of the Civil Parishes of Cork and the corresponding Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland Parishes. Maps of the Baronies and Civil Parishes are also included.
The book also provides background on the social history of Cork and how this history has affected the keeping and survival of records. A very useful index is also provided.
The book will be of great use to anyone tracing their Cork ancestors, with its expert detail on the various sources available and its easy to read format. While aimed at those with Cork ancestors, the book will also be of use to those researching elsewhere in Ireland
Review by Mary Beglan, Hon. Editor
Readers of Irish Family History journal will be familiar with the many articles written by IFHS member G. Rex Meyer (#2105) relating to his Meyer family history and related topics. The following 2 books have been published over the past 2 years and can be obtained direct from the author.

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