Derry Genealogy Centre Closure

[alexaia]

Hi,

I am currently researching my ancestors from Derry.  A large number of the names have had a definite hit on the Derry Genealogy Centre website but as I understand this is no longer accessible. 

I have made enquiries through Derry City Council and have been told “Attempts are being made, under the leadership of Derry City Council, to re-establish this service. This, however, does mean that, at present, we can’t undertake further family history research. We do, however, expect that in the very near future the birth, marriage and death database built up by Derry Genealogy Centre will be searchable online at www.irish-roots.ie.” 

I know there have been posts on this subject in the past and my concern is this issue appears to have been going on now for a number of years (possibly since 2000) with the same story being put out about an impending re-opening and no real end in sight. 

Does anybody know where the data was originally sourced and if this would still be available to individual researchers?  The data I am particularly interested in is births, marriages, deaths from 1820s to 1880s.  I have already trawled the Church records in PRONI but the key dates are not available.  It is so frustrating that I can actually see my ancestors’ names on the DGC site but cannot access.  Any suggestions would be really appreciated.

The information that DGC hold is massive and vital to all researchers with interests in Derry and I wonder is there a need for some form of lobbying of local officials needed to get this going again.

Thanks

Alex

[Gortinanima]

I think the Derry Genealogy Centre was open until about
a year ago. I always found it very useful as Brian Mitchell
the manager was very helpful.

You are right the records of the centre are incredibly
valuable and cover a wide range of church records, as follows;

http://www.irish-roots.ie/derry.asp

If the records do go online as proposed unfortunately it will
cost 5 Euros just to look at one record, which can be quite
expensive. I just wish they had the sense to make it available
as a yearly subscription service [like Emerald Ancestors] as
that would not only be extremely popular but the most
convenient for the family historian.

[edenreaghbeg]

hear hear  Alexaia I too feel very strongly about this valuable information not being  made readily available
to people who are searching for their ancestors I assume that a lot of this info came dircetly from church record books ledgers etc how did it get into the hands of  www.irish   roots .ie ?? I dont  wish to make any controversal or political points on this but surely if this infor came from the various churches of all demoninations why would  it be necessary to pay over the odds to Irish roots who wouldnt have had direct access to this infornation  I for one will not be giving them money to access information which I would expect to be given freely for my local church I do intend to ask questions of the local Mayor to find out where the records are and who else has access to them seeing that we as members of the public do not have
 

[Summerhill]

I certainly agree Edenreaghbeg , this information should be made more easily accessable and not to a third party like Irish Roots who will charge a premium fee. I had been trying to contact Derry genealogical centre for some time and had been given the same explanation as Alexia too.

[dagebow]

Hi all,

This is a extract of a recent reply that i got after making a request to the Derry Genealogy Centre.

Thank you for your email.
 
Derry Genealogy Centre, over a period of 20 years, created a database of over one million records, dating from 1642 to 1922, which were extracted from the major civil and church registers of County Derry and Inishowen, County Donegal. This database includes: pre-1922 civil birth and marriage registers; the early baptismal and marriage registers of 97 churches (38 Roman Catholic, 24 Church of Ireland and 35 Presbyterian); headstone inscriptions from 118 graveyards; and major census returns and census substitutes from 1663 through to 1901.    
 

The full details of the above marriage record can only be viewed on Derry Genealogy Centre's database (only indexes, not full details, are held on www.irishgenealogy.ie).  Unfortunately Derry Genealogy Centre, and as a consequence its database, is currently closed. However, a proposal to resume the Derry genealogy service by Heritage and Museum Service of Derry City Council has recently been approved. This means that the birth, marriage and death database built up by Derry Genealogy Centre will soon be made available online on the website of the Irish Family History Foundation at www.irish-roots.ie.
 
At this stage I still can't give an exact date (but hopefully during August) for the database going online or for the resumption of a commissioned research service as this is dependent on approval of contracts with record owners. I will email you when a Derry genealogy service is re-established.
 
Brian Mitchell

[aghadowey]

A year, or more, ago the 'official' word was that they were opening by the 'end of the year.'

[aghadowey]

Found earlier thread discussing this-
www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,276737.15.html

Just got this e-mail:
"Derry City Council's Museums and Economic Development Services are trying to secure the databases from the Inner City Trust and hope to get the Centre reopened in the coming months. Sorry about the interruption of service.
  Mark Lusby
  Senior Economic Development Officer
  Derry City Council"

Looks like Derry Genealogy service will resume fairly soon as I got this e-mail after
an enquiry to the IFHF online service:
'We are very hopeful that Derry will resume a genealogy service in the near future and will also join the online service before the end of this year'.
Yours sincerely,
IFHF

[dagebow]

  Well at least they are nothing but consistant. Its always a few months away from opening. 

Very frustrating however for us family researchers

[Carrliz]

I was in Derry last week and was told that Derry Genealogy will be available again soon. I was given this address to write to for any enquiries: genealogy[at]derrycity.gov.uk

Liz

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