Topic: Irish Genealogy Resources: Getting Started

The Department of Special Collections houses a variety of resources of potential interest to genealogists tracing their Irish family history. Resources housed here relate primarily to  "the Irish in Ireland".   For information on the Irish-Americans and the immigrant experience, your local city/county/state historical society will likely have more information.

The holdings of the Department of Special Collections are fully cataloged.  Information on these works is available through the Libraries’ online catalog.  Materials designated Special – Ref are shelved on the north wall of the department’s Reading Room.  For access to other materials on the list, please ask for assistance.

Beginning family historians often know nothing of their Irish background other than the fact that their name is "Irish."  The following works may be useful in locating information on surnames.