We are an Irish Genealogy focused centre, so if you are interested in researching your family history we are here to help. We offer one-to-one consultations with expert genealogists in-person, or online via video chat, to help you with your research, wherever you are in your journey. 

The consultation begins with a conversation – we like to find out what your current family history knowledge is, including any documents you might have. Then our genealogists work with you using online databases and their expertise to find more information, show you how to get the most out of the records and answer any questions you have. As consultations are one-on-one, talking to the genealogist, they can be very helpful at answering questions, linking the information together and solving ‘brick walls’ you’ve come across in your own research.

You can book a consultation with one of our expert genealogists here.

Of course, for more extensive research queries we offer bespoke research packages. We start with a research assessment form from which our research team can come up with a unique research plan for you, using a variety of sources both online and in-situ, to create an incredibly detailed report. Our Research team has worked on television programmes like Who Do You Think You Are? and the official genealogies of people like President Joe Biden, Dame Barbara Windsor and Tom Cruise, to name a few.

This varies based on your knowledge of your family history, the records available to us, and of course, a little bit of luck. 

Our experts can trace almost all families in Ireland back to the 1830s. Before 1830 we have to assess case-by-case, what research is possible.

We generally recommend having a name, date and approximate time period of at least one ancestor so our genealogist can get started. However our genealogists have worked with all different levels of information from whole family trees to just a few names – so really just bring whatever you have. 

What can be helpful in the lead up to your consultation is to write down a quick family tree from yourself back through your parents, grandparents etc. Making note of the date and place they were born or married or emigrated etc. Our genealogists start with you and work backwards to ensure they are always tracing the right family line. If you jump back into Irish records straight away you might spend a long time researching the wrong family! Having those names and dates on paper can make them easy to remember and reference during the consultation – leaving more time for the new research!

You should book your consultation here as we operate by appointment only.

Once booked, there is no need to send any information prior to the appointment. Your genealogist will spend the first few minutes getting to know you, what research you have done already and what you are looking to find out. 

What can be helpful in the lead up to your consultation is to write down a quick family tree from yourself back through your parents, grandparents etc. Making note of the date and place they were born or married or emigrated etc.

It can be helpful to bring the information you already have about your family with you, starting from yourself and going back to parents, grandparents and so on – so you can reference it easily during the consultation. Your genealogist will spend the first few minutes getting to know you, what research you have done already and what you are looking to find out.

We use worldwide databases so we can trace your ancestors wherever they came from and wherever they go. 

If you are unsure of when exactly your ancestors emigrated from Ireland we can first look at the country they emigrated to and interrogate the records there to get as much information as possible to link them to records in Ireland.

We currently do not stock DNA tests, but will keep our customers updated should this change.

We can look at DNA evidence as part of a research commission if you already have it, to help us work within the surviving records that tell us about the people you are related to and the lives they lived. 

All DNA queries can be directed here:

DNA

If one of your grandparents was born on the island of Ireland you may be entitled to become an Irish citizen. The Irish Family History Centre can assist in identifying and obtaining documents required for your application, if available. 

Applying for citizenship by descent can be tricky. There are a number of different original records you need to gather for the person you are claiming descent from (original civil birth, marriage and death certificates etc.). For further information on the application process and required documentation visit the Department of Foreign Affairs website.

For more information on this service, please contact us.

We offer several services for people at every stage of their research journey. 

In-person and Online Consultations: One-to-one consultations begin with an appraisal of your family history knowledge, including any documents assembled to date. Our expert genealogists know the background of all relevant online databases and repositories for offline research. During the consultation they can find further records, answer your questions and develop a research strategy for if you continue to research after the session. Consultations take place either online via Zoom or in-person in the Irish Family History Centre. 

Consultations can be booked at the below link:

https://epicchq.com/explore/irish-family-history-centre/ 

Research Services: 

We offer bespoke research packages tailored to your specific needs, from our Expert Review to more extensive research commissions.

Expert Review – One of our genealogists undertakes a detailed review of the information you have to date, conducting some preliminary research in online Irish records and investigating the survival of other potential record sets which could be accessed, that might be of relevance. All of this will be compiled into a digital document, with an outline of searches to date and recommendations for further research, where possible. At this point, you can either use the Expert Review to further your research by following the search strategy as outlined (where applicable) or you can commission us to undertake further research on your behalf. 

With more extensive research commissions the genealogist has more of an opportunity to do a deep dive into different archives and repositories that may not be online and create an incredibly detailed report on a section of your family tree. If you are interested in commissioned research, we can provide a Research Assessment Form to complete, once reviewed the Research Manager can better advise regarding what package is best suited to your needs.

Both of our services are designed to help people find new information about their genealogy so it is a matter of preference as to which service you choose – if you decide to choose one! As consultations are one-on-one, talking to the genealogist, they can be very helpful at answering questions, linking the information together and solving ‘brick walls’ you’ve come across in your own research. Because Research Services are not done in one session the genealogist has more of an opportunity to search through different archives and repositories that are not online and create a detailed written report about your family tree. 

All research inquiries should be directed here.

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PS – If you enjoy genealogy our head researcher Fiona Fitzsimons does a Facebook Live Q+A session on the last Friday of each month, which can be very helpful as she provides a lot of tips for researchers.

https://www.facebook.com/Irishfamilyhistorycentre

Many people find it useful to book a fifty minute online consultation prior to departure from their home country to help them plan their trip to Ireland.

You may even discover your ancestor’s townland or their ancestral home before your trip!

Due to privacy laws in Ireland (GDPR) we are not able to access records on living individuals outside the public domain.