Exploring Your Irish Roots: Where to Start

With St. Patrick's Day on the horizon, many people have Irish heritage on their minds.

Have you ever asked any of these questions?

• Where did my Irish ancestors live in Ireland?
• When did they arrive in the United States?
• What did they do for a living? 

Answering these questions doesn't take the "luck of the Irish." It only takes a little digging—and some help from DPL's Western History and Genealogy Department (WHG)!

First, begin with the Getting Started In Genealogy Tutorial. This tutorial explains how to begin your research and briefly introduces you to genealogy staples like census, immigration and land records.

[WHG has put together several other genealogy research guides, including Obituaries, Cemeteries & The Dead and Civil War Genealogy and History]

Another great way to jumpstart your genealogy skills: take our FREE Beginning Genealogy course (next offering: Saturday, April 9, 2016).

Next, check out the bevy of tools that WHG offers to hunt down genealogical records, including:

• Ancestry Library Edition
  in library use only—available at ALL DPL LOCATIONS

• Heritage Quest
  available with a library card at all DPL locations and your home computer

• America's Obituaries and Death Notices
  available with a library card at all DPL locations and your home computer

The fabulous resources certainly don't end there! There are Irish genealogy books on our shelves, too, as well as WHG staff members who want to get you started with your family history. Finding your genealogical pot-o-gold is within reach!