Links: Leitrim Family History Society

[Christopher]

Hi Folks,

I will charge half the price for giving you the information you give to me on a sheet of paper If you want people like me and others at RootsChat to give expert advice I regret to inform you, we, in the north of Ireland, usually charge an exorbitant rate £FREE or in the south of Ireland €FREE 

I see that the Leitrim Heritage Centre is based in the County Library at Ballinamore. I wonder does that mean a free search will not be done by the librarians. In the north of Ireland Genealogy Centres are separate from the Libraries and many librarians in the Local Studies sections will do free searches if you send a message. They will also give you loads of assistance if you are able to call in to see them. They do charge for photocopying but that is only a few pence .. nothing to worry about. That may not be a lot of consolation if your ancestors are not in the north of Ireland but it does show that there are different approaches in different parts of the country. 

Here's the address of a local paper in Co. Leitrim:
The Leitrim Observer
St.Georges Terrace,
Carrick-on-Shannon,
Co.Leitrim.
http://www.medialive.ie/Press/Provincial/leitrim_o.html

Best Wishes, Chris

[Christopher]

"When our research proves successful a typical figure for total fees is €350.00 to €395.00." - Leitrim Genealogy Centre.

Does anybody else think that what the average Irish Genealogy centre charges is DISGRACEFUL?
Why isn't it posssible in Ireland to pay a reasonable hourly rate and access all this information on computer personally?
I only have personal experience of the Donegal equivalent - which did NOT impress me.  I was charged 17 euros just to talk to an "expert" who then confirmed the information that I had just handed her...
Is this all part of a huge Irish job creation scheme to keep graduates off the streets?

Rosemary

Where's my seventeen euro

Do Leitrim Genealogy Centre not give any breakdown ?..."Not all clients will require Comprehensive Family History Reports and may only require a Single Source Search. We will be happy to provide this service, details available on request." This is a bit vague ... why can't they quote a price upfront?

Christopher

[Jim I]

May I suggest using the Mormon Church genealogy libraries or their on-line Family Search service? (http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHL/frameset_library.asp)

To be honest the on-line service does have flaws in that the IGI is not comprehensive.  It only includes what their transcribers decided to transcribe and so there are many, many gaps.  That said there are still thousands of entries from all over Ireland.

The search also brings up 'Ancestry File' and similar other databases.  These can be useful but must be used with caution.  Often the information entered has no basis in fact and is based on assumptions by the researcher.  I have seen quite spurious dates entered for births based on completely inaccurate 'guesses' as to age at death/marriage.

BUT - Where the Mormon (LDS) church shines is in their libraries.  Cross your fingers and any other appendage you possess and hope there is one near where you live. 

They have access to a huge range of microfilmed original  records which you can access free (well almost - there is a charge for postage sometimes).

My local library got me the church records for the two adjoining RC parishes I needed and I have been transcribing them ever since.  Also 1901 Census, Griffith's Valuation and 1833 Tithe books.

Let the Gen Centre go hang - they aint getting my cash!


Jim

Perhap I should add that the staff in the actual library in Ballinamore did provide access to their newspaper archive free and allowed me free access to browse some of their old documents - eg lists of old townlands etc.