As title says, ive managed to trace my direct line back from current day in scotland to early 1800s Ireland, now facing the daunting task of exploring the 1700s. Things get much more blurry here as the census stops and with so many irish public records being destroyed.
So where do i look to gather information / what type of resources might i rely on? Any help appreciated.
The answer really isn't that simple.
It's not a matter of records being destroyed as much as records not being kept.
It depends on where your ancestors lived in Ireland, their religion, occupations, social status, etc.
When you go back pre-1800 most church records either didn't exist or don't survive (those that do may give minimal amount of details or not be available online).
Have a look at Bill McAfee's excellent site which covers North Andtrim/Derry for examples of what you might want to start looking for once you have a more exact location than 'Ireland.'
www.billmacafee.comespecially the section
Databases compiled from Eighteenth-Century Census Substituteswww.billmacafee.com/18centurydatabases.htm