Birth, Marriage & Death Records
Civil registration in Ireland started in 1845 with non-Catholic marriages, but full
registration of all births, marriages and deaths including Catholics, did not commence
until 1864. Unfortunately, many parish records prior to 1900 have not survived.
Ballycastle Catholic Registers
The following registers are held at St. Bridget's Church, Ballycastle, Co. Mayo. The
registers can be viewed if you visit in person, but no genealogy services are available.
The priest can be reached at +353 (0) 96 43010 to make an appointment. These
registers up to 1880 are also available on microfiche film #1279204 from LDS.
Ireland, Civil Registration Indexes 1845-1958(free, online searchable database)
Part of new pilot database from the LDS Familysearch.org (see above). The indexes
for Irish birth, marriage, and death records came on line 23 January 2009.
Mayo Ancestors(online searchable database)
Free to search for Mayo births and marriages, but it costs 3 - 10 Euros to view the
details from each search. Includes civil records 1864-1900 and the limited surviving
19th century parish records. Run by the North & South Mayo Family History Centres.
Representative Church Body Library, Dublin
Church of Ireland (protestant) original parish registers (BMD records). Available to
view by visiting in person or by requesting a paid search (no records on-line).
Irish Family History Foundation (online searchable, but pay per view) Claims to be the largest family records database in Ireland. You can search on-line for
free but you pay for each document you view (8 Euros per credit). They also offer
commissioned research.
Ancestry.com and Ancestry.co.uk
One of the most comprehensive collections of family history records, including Irish.
The subscription costs from about £7 to £19 per month (2010 prices).
Family Search Beta (New), Family Search (LDS) (Original) (free searchable databases)
Many parish records are on microfiche only, and can be ordered to view at your local
LDS center for a nominal fee. Film # 1279204 includes baptisms (1853-1880) and
marriages (1869-1880) from the Catholic Church in Ballycastle.
Templemurry, Co. Mayo Baptism Records (free)
Some transcribed baptism records (1854-1884) from Steelaun and Rathfran in
Templemurry, Co. Mayo (near Killala), hosted by the IrelandGenweb project.
Headstones in NE County Mayo(free, online searchable database)
There are very few surviving records of deaths or burials in old graveyards
in Ireland prior to the 20th century, so this searchable catalogue of
legible headstones from graveyards and cemeteries in North East County
Mayo provides a unique resource.
Census Records and Alternatives
Unfortunately, nearly all Irish census data prior to 1901 was lost or destroyed,
however, the Griffiths Valuation 1848-1864 and Tithe Applotments 1823-1838 make
useful census substitutes.
1911 & 1901 Irish censuses(free, online searchable database)
Currently being digitised by the Irish National Archives, Mayo came on-line on 28th
August 2009. Nice search facilities. Original census forms can also be viewed.
1901 Irish census(free, online searchable database)
Includes 300,000 individuals for seven counties: Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon,
Sligo, Wexford and Westmeath, and is free to search. Provides useful alternative
search options to the National Archives census search
Griffith's Valuation of Ireland 1848-1864(free, online searchable database)
The Griffiths Valuation was a property tax assessment to finance the Irish Poor Laws
and can be used as a census substitute for the years after the Great Famine, as very
little census data prior to 1901 has survived. The "AskAboutIreland" collection is an
initiative of the Irish public libraries and includes a searchable database with images of
the original documents. It can be searched by surname or placename. There is an
alternative searchable Griffiths Valuation index and also, an index for the parishes
around Ballycastle only (Doonfeeny, Kilbride, Kilfian and Lacken).
Tithe Applotments Books 1823-1838
Tithes were a tax levied on agricultural land by the Church of Ireland, and provide a
record of landholders with more than 5 acres. Most of the County Mayo records can be
viewed at the Mayo County Library in Castlebar. The complete records (140 reels of
microfilm) are available at the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
and some other locations worldwide. The records are currently being indexed by
FamilySearch.org (LDS), though most are not yet available online. The Tithe indexes
for a few Mayo parishes are available online at Connorsgenealogy.
Rootsweb Mayo Genealogy Forum(free)
A popular discussion board (supported by Ancestry.com) where you can search for
messages by keyword(s) and post your own inquiries for free.
RootsChat Mayo Genealogy Forum(free) Another free genealogy forum where you can search messages and post questions
about your ancestors.
Mayo.ie Genealogy Forum(free)
A new Genealogy forum exclusively for Mayo, hosted by the Mayo Library
Mayo Discussion Boards(free)
These message boards for various towns in County Mayo cover a range of
topics including genealogy. Click here for the Ballycastle message board.
Mayo County Library Local Studies
Provides links to a wide range of genealogy and other historical resources. Some
resources are available on-line and some by visiting the library in person.
Mayo.ie
A new (May 2011) website devoted to "all things Mayo", including local genealogy.
Ellis Island USA immigration records(online searchable database) Most Irish immigrants entering New York from 1892 to 1924 are
recorded here. Easy to search online, and it's free.
Genes Reunited(online searchable database)
Searchable UK web site with over 500 million names where you can post your family
tree. Includes many Irish ancestors. Free to post your family tree and to search, but
you pay a six-month fee (£10) to contact the owners of other family trees.
The IrelandGenWeb Project for County Mayo
A collection of genealogical resources and links for County Mayo. This is part of the
WorldGenWeb Project, which is a not-for-profit volunteer genealogical organization.
Irish Telephone Directory
If you know the townland that your ancestors came from, this is a
quick way to check if any descendants still live there. Of course,
not all telephones numbers are listed. Don't forget to click the
"Residential" button before you start the search.
National Archives of Ireland
Offers various genealogy resources and further links to other genealogy sites. They
are very helpful if you visit in person.
Surname lookup
Indicates how common the surname was by county during the 19th century.
If you can't find the necessary records, then a simple
DNA test might help. By comparing your DNA (from a
cheek swab) with a genealogical database, it may be
possible to determine if you share a recent common ancestor with another person in the database. Several such databases are now on-line, including the Ireland Y-DNA project. Also, by comparing the DNA from two living individuals it is possible to get an indication of how closely related they are. DNA tests can also be used to determine your ethnic origins. Probably the most useful genealogical test is the Y-chromosome 37 STR marker
(Y-DNA37) which starts from about $149 USD from FTDNA (as of November 2010) if you order through a surname project, e.g. the Golden DNA Project. The Y-DNA37 results for "Thomas Golden c1820" are posted on the Golden DNA Y-Results web-site.
Y-DNA is passed through the direct male lineage only, unchanged over many
generations, and is used to trace male (surname) lineage. Females need to test
Y-DNA from a close male relative such as a brother, father or paternal uncle.
mtDNA is passed down virtually unchanged through the direct female line only, but
males inherit their mother's mtDNA. Males and females can use their own mtDNA
to track their maternal lineage, but the Y-DNA test is usually more useful.
A free version of Legacy Family Tree is available for download. There is also a
paid version with extra features. The free version seems adequate for most
users and was used to create the descendant charts, etc. on this web site.
Books & documents on Co. Mayo history Ballycastle Seventy Years Ago (article) by Thomas Langan
Thomas Langan's childhood memories of Ballycastle about the time of World War I
(1914-1918) written in his own words circa 1990. Kindly provided by Ena Langan-
Gleeson, this article was originally published in the North Mayo Historical and
Archaeological Society about 1990 and is reproduced here by kind permission of Maureen Langan-Egan.
Ancient Ireland
An interesting summary of Ireland's history and colonisation since the last ice age
20,000 years ago up until the famine in 1845, also depicted in a series of maps.
Copyright notice: You are welcome to download any information or images from this website for personal use. Private individuals and non-profit organizations are welcome to re-publish any images and information from this website provided due acknowledgement to the author is given where appropriate; e.g. "Reproduced courtesy of C. M. Golden, www.GoldenLangan.com". Commercial organizations may not publish or reproduce information or images from this website without written permission from the author. Anyone is welcome to link to pages on this website.
While every effort is made to ensure accuracy of the information presented, no liability is accepted for any errors or omissions.
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Family History in Ballycastle & N. E. County Mayo, Ireland
