If there is one thing to learn about Irish genealogy and history, it is that the glass is always half full when it comes to the survival of records, it is never half empty. You'll hear a lot of doom and gloom from folk about records being destroyed, and how it just can't be done. Ignore them, there is often a way!
Today, Ireland pulled off a miracle, in retrieving a great deal of the material thought to be forever lost in the Public Record Office fire of 1922, during the Irish Civil War. Through transcripts, surrogate copies, conservation miracles, and collaboration with other archives worldwide (not least PRONI and TNA), the new Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland platform has now been launched at https://virtualtreasury.ie.
Having just watched the official launch online, which I found to be extraordinarly emotional, it's just too big to review right now, so I am merely going to suggest that you get stuck in, and in due course, when I can breathe a little more, I will properly review it!
Suffice to say that having just typed in my home town of Carrickfergus, 506 entries have popped up, and they will be duly plundered very soon. My home town of Carrickfergus has a Latin motto - Gloria Prisca Novatur - meaning 'the glory of old renewed'. Today, whilst our old PRO has not been fully restored, much of its former glory has been renewed in Dublin. A superb effort from all concerned, and a fitting conclusion to the Decade of Centenaries.
For more on the launch visit https://beyond2022.ie/ and https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2022/0624/1306668-virtual-record-office/.
The glass is half full, it is not half empty. Have fun!
Chris
My new book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records is now available to buy at https://bit.ly/IrishLandRecords. Also available - Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.
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