where do i begin to trace my irish relatives

[georgia1964]

my great grandmother was born in ireland i dont know what part and i dont know what year she came to the united states,i have her death cert.and it states she died in rhode island back in 1921 she was 70 yrs old which would bring her yr of birth to around 1850.it does'nt mension anything about her husband my great grandfather only that she was a widow so i dont know if he died in the us or ireland.

[Ruskie]

Welcome to rootschat georgia1964!

Might she (and her husband) appear in any US censuses so you can to try to work out when she first appeared in America?

Does she appear here?:
http://www.ellisisland.org/
I am wondering if their immigration records may give their places of birth ...

I have by no means an expert but I do know that to progress with Irish research you usually have to know where the person was born. Have you checked the records your end to see when your ggrandfather died?

[garstonite]

Hiya Georgia and welcome to Rootschat...do you know your great grandmothers maiden name ??...
if you do - post her maiden name and her married surname and maybe we can firstly find the marriage ...did she marry in USA or Ireland ??

allan

[myluck!]

I agree with Ruskie and garstonite suggestions

She should be listed on the 1920 census and you can then back track from there
If you can backtrack through the census returns you may well find reference points that will place
 other family members
 when she was widowed
 when she entered the US
 when she married

Ellis Island only operated from 1892 onwards so if she entered the US before that (again finding her on the census could help to pin point times) you will be hoping that other records would show her arrival.

Locating her marriage and maiden name will also give her father's name and occupation for looking in Ireland for more information
Searching the Irish records in the mid 1800s is difficult as it was just at the time of Civil Registration and not all births, deaths and marriages were recorded until into the 1860s; to search for births most people need to look at baptismal records which means you need to know the parish the person was from to start.

If you would like to share her name and relevant dates and details; some of us here may be able to help

[aghadowey]

Welcome to Rootschat, Georgia 

There should be records that will help trace your grandmother in America once we know here details but finding information about her Irish background may be more difficult since she was born before the start of birth registration.

To clear up a few points mentioned earlier-
"Does she appear here?: http://www.ellisisland.org/  I am wondering if their immigration records may give their places of birth ..."
"Ellis Island only operated from 1892 onwards so if she entered the US before that (again finding her on the census could help to pin point times) you will be hoping that other records would show her arrival."
Ellis Island is for New York arrivals ONLY (earlier location is Castle Garden which can be searched at www.castlegarden.org). Other possible posts are Boston and Philadelphia or she could have entered U.S. via Canada.

"Searching the Irish records in the mid 1800s is difficult as it was just at the time of Civil Registration and not all births, deaths and marriages were recorded until into the 1860s;..."
Civil registration of births, deaths and Catholic marriages started in 1864, registeration of non-Catholic marriages in 1845.

[georgia1964]

thank you all for your post,my great grandmother was bridget dean her parents were thomas dean and honora reddy,as for my great grandfather terrrance there is nothing on him i have my great grandmothers death cert it only states that she died 9-12-1921 in providence rhode island stating she was 70 yrs old which would rufly bring her yr of birth at 1851,i just check the death cert on bridget her husbands spelling is only with 1 r,it does not list what part of ireland,any help you can give would be greatly appreciated,i know bridget had a son patrick gallagher he is also buried here in rhode island,she also had a daughter ellen i have been to city hall and the rhode island archives and am still searching,as for bridgets daughter margaret my grandmother im getting very confused i know prior to marrying my grandfather antone sousa who came from portugal margaret was married to a james murphy she had a daughter margaret ethel murphy i have her death cert,the only thing i know about james besides the fact he also came from ireland supposly he got killed in a freak accident in rhode island this was told to me by a cousin,she dont really have much info on the family but im am trying my hardest to research,i do not want to give up again on this as i have before

[georgia1964]

as for my grat grandmother bridget (dean)gallagher with these death cert i have she had to come to the united states before 1882,because my grandmother margaret v gallagher who married james murphy then later on marryed my grandfather antone sousa,margarets death cert states her date of birth as 2-2-1882 born in fall river massachusetts,ellis island does not have any listing on a bridget dean or bridget gallagher

[aghadowey]

That's great to have so much detail to start with- should help us find them in various records. R.I. and Massachusetts records are fantastic and many online.

Death of Bridget (Dean) Gallagher gives father as Thomas M. Dean:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F84Z-9YN

Children of Terence Gallagher & Bridget (from www.familysearch.org):

~ Pat Gallaher  born 14 May 1864 Co. Mayo (civil register page 591 Louisburgh registration district) - which now starts to narrow down the location in Ireland! Patrick Francis Gallagher m.1888 Providence, R.I. Died 1913 Providence, R.I.
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FRWT-5VB
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F8V6-BP7
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F88H-7PD

~ Honor Gallagher born 15 Nov.1868 Co.Mayo (civil register page 600 Louisburgh registration district)
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FPZC-5Y6

~ Rose Gallagher born 3 Jan.1871 Co.Mayo (civil register page 759 Louisburgh registration district)
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F58T-QVD

~ Thomas Gallagher born c1875 m.1899 Warren, R.I.
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F8V8-92M

~ Terrance Gallagher born c1878 died 1927 Cranston, R.I.
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F8HR-SJ6

~    Catherine Gertrude Gallagher born 28 May 1880 Providence, R.I. died 1910 Bristoil, R.I.
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F8M6-LJ6
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F862-ZQ2

~ Margaret Veronica Gallagher born 1882 Fall River, Mass. died 1948
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F84H-W2R

To confuse things there's this birth for a child of a Terrance Gallagher & Bridget:
~ Patrick Gallagher born 24 Nov.1870 Cumberland, R.I.
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FZBK-6V4

[aghadowey]

Fall River/Providence area was full of mills and many Irish immigrants were employed in them so it looks like the Gallagher family were part of that pattern.

1880 Census- Providence, Providence, R.I.
Terrence Gallagher, 55, day labourer
wife Bridget, 38, keeping house
dau. Mary, 19, works in cotton mill
son Patrick, 15, works in cotton mill
dau. Ann, 13, works in cotton mill
dau. Nora, 9, at school
dau. Rosanna, 8, at school (those above line born Ireland those below R.I.)
son Terrence Jr., 6, at school
son Thomas, 5
dau. Ellen, 3
dau. Margaret, 2
dau. Kate 1 month (born May)