OP - have you done a DNA test? Finding relatives in the US or Canada can provide answers lacking via Irish sources. Two examples:
I found a Canadian descendant of a man born in Ireland in the 1780s, 50 years before the start of the local parish registers. He fled Ireland in the aftermath of 1798 to avoid a British necktie party. His family papers, plus Irish gravestones, plus the DNA match spanned the 50 years, back to his named parents.
I traced US descendants of a woman born in Ireland in 1830s, 20 years before the start of the local parish registers, who emigrated to Illinois. Her death cert. provided her mother's surname, which was not forthcoming from Irish sources.
yes Wexflyer I have done my DNA and it is on my Ancestry tree. Funny you should mention that, I had a DNA match from Ancestry today connected to my tree. As you may be aware, I am very new at Ancestry research and I am not sure how to proceed. That may be an answer and give some hope to my dilemma.
