Irish Family History
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The Irish diaspora (Irish: Diaspóra na nGael) refers to ethnic Irish people and their descendants who live outside the island of Ireland. The phenomenon of migration from Ireland is recorded since the Early Middle Ages, but it is only possible to quantify it from around 1700: since then between 9 and 10 million people born in Ireland have emigrated. This is more than the population of Ireland at its historical peak of 8.5 million in the 1840s. The poorest of them went to Great Britain, especially Liverpool in England and Glasgow in Scotland; those who could afford it went farther, including almost 5 million to the United States. After 1840, emigration from Ireland became a massive, relentless, and efficiently managed national enterprise. In 1890, 40% of Irish-born people were living abroad. By the 21st century, an estimated 80 million people worldwide claimed some Irish descent, which includes more than 36 million Americans who claim Irish as their primary ethnicity and 14 million in the UK. |
Ulster-Scots / Scotch-Irish (Scots-Irish) Genealogy
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It is necessary to give separate understanding to the research of Ulster-Scots roots. The majority of those who emigrated from the northern province of Ulster in Ireland were originally the descendants of those Scottish Protestant planters who migrated from Scotland to Ireland in the early and mid-1600's as part of the Plantation of Ulster.
Some 200,000 of these planters then emigrated to the United States between 1710 and 1775 travelling from Ulster to the original thirteen American colonies. The largest numbers went to Pennsylvania. From that base some went south into Virginia, the Carolinas and across the South, with a large concentration in the Appalachian region. Others headed west to western Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and the Midwest. In the United States Census of 2000, 4.3 million Americans (1.5% of the population of the United States) claimed Scotch-Irish ancestry. Author and former United States Senator Jim Webb suggests that the true number of people with some Scots-Irish heritage in the United States is more—over 27 million—possibly because contemporary Americans with some Scotch-Irish heritage may regard themselves as either Irish, Scottish, or simply American instead. Twenty of the forty-five US presidents have ancestral links to Ulster, including three whose parents were born in Ulster. Three Presidents who had at least one parent born in Ulster: Jackson, Buchanan and Arthur. The United States Declaration of Independence contained 56 delegate signatures. Of the signers, eight were of Irish descent. Two signers, George Taylor and James Smith, were born in Ulster. The remaining five Irish-Americans, George Read, Thomas McKean, Thomas Lynch, Jr., Edward Rutledge and Charles Carroll, were the sons or grandsons of Irish immigrants, and at least McKean had Ulster heritage. |
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Family History Research Packages
Genealogy in Ireland has the reputation of being frustratingly difficult to navigate. Let us take the stress out of the research for you with our range of family history packages to suit all budgets and expectations. Our qualified and skilled family historian, Jennifer McLaughlin-Doherty is based in Co. Donegal, Ireland and is knowledgeable in all aspects of tracing families from all over the world back to their origins in Ireland and the UK. Learn more about Jennifer by clicking here.
Whether you are searching for your ancestors for the first time or if you are an amateur genealogist who has hit a "brick wall" and would like guidance from a professional in the field, there is help available.
With over 25 years of experience in family history research in Ireland and in emigration research world-wide, we can build a traditional family tree, framed scroll, family history book and much more.
Whether you are searching for your ancestors for the first time or if you are an amateur genealogist who has hit a "brick wall" and would like guidance from a professional in the field, there is help available.
With over 25 years of experience in family history research in Ireland and in emigration research world-wide, we can build a traditional family tree, framed scroll, family history book and much more.
One-Off Enquiries from €25 Euro / $30 US Dollars / £20 UK Sterling - for single date / name enquiries
Family History Packages from €565 Euro / $650 US Dollars / £500 UK Sterling - for full single surname research
Probate Cases / Legal Documentation please enquire for case by case prices
