Recovered census

[Lisajb]

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2022/06/17/recovered-census-will-help-unravel-life-in-pre-famine-ireland/?fbclid=IwAR3z8eTsCl_BYHeG-8rRCVEHPI5Nz34LUZVm4U96C7wLhylgWxpAVzBoBU8

[Sinann]

An incomplete 1766 religious census, nothing to get excited about there when most of us can't even get back to the early 1800s.

I'm sure Beyond 2022 will be great for history and culture but from a family research perspective it's unlikely to add much.

[sirsimon]

I agree Sinann, such a document would be fascinating, but it would prove of little use.

I can only trace my family back to 1809 so I wouldn't be able to make any connections to any people listed in the religious census and even if I could, I doubt it would help much

To be honest the only census that would prove useful right now is the 1926 census and we still have five years to wait 

[Elwyn Soutter]

I think that the project to find surrogate records needs to be viewed with a degree of realism. Most of the records in the PRO in 1922 are gone for good. Yes, some churches kept duplicate records; some leases had several copies, not all kept in the PRO and so on; other records have extracts and copies eg the pension records, plus a surprising number of damaged or partially damaged records were handed back to the PRO after the fire by the public, having floated away in the air in the fire. (I have seen some examples in a talk given by the PRO)  but the reality is that a significant quanitity of the records are gone for good. No point hoping otherwise.

[Wexflyer]

An incomplete 1766 religious census, nothing to get excited about there when most of us can't even get back to the early 1800s.

I'm sure Beyond 2022 will be great for history and culture but from a family research perspective it's unlikely to add much.

I think this is unfair.

For those with CofI ancestry it may prove very useful.

I am familiar with the census for the CofI parishioners of Ferns (the parish, not the diocese) and it is wonderful. But it only covers members of the CofI. If there are census examples that include Catholics, that could be transformative for those with ancestors in the relevant parishes.

As for timescales, my family is quite "normal," and how far back I can go varies from the 1840s to the 1710s, or possibly further, depending on the line in question.  Records from 1766 from a relevant parish would almost certainly allow me to "bridge the gap" in cases where I am at present stuck in the late 1700s or early 1800s.

[shanreagh]

Well I'm pretty excited!

It all adds to the picture.  I have ancestors who I can 'see' early on the 1700s.  There is a gap between them and the records I have in the early 1800s.  Anything to look at that might bridge that gap will be very useful. 

The rule of thumb I have
if there is a register or a set of records around I will put my names in......doesn't matter what area or denomination.  I've picked up a few surprises along the way with this attitude.

Suggest the nay sayers could do this.....you never know what you might find!

[Lola5]

Yes agree...you never know what you might find.

I cannot find anything earlier than late 1820,s in Ireland so will grasp at any straws.