Tracing your Irish roots

To locate your ancestors from Ireland it is important to know some history:

• In 1610, King James I, set up the Ulster Plantation in Ireland. The first Kirkpatricks in Ireland were William Kirkpatrick, John Kirkpatrick, and Robert Kirkpatrick. They came from Dumfriesshire, Scotland around 1616, and settled in the Barony of Raphoe, Co Donegal, Northern Ireland. The Province of Ulster is today's North Ireland.
  
• These original settlers from Scotland, a group of about 200,000 Protestants, are known as Scots-Irish
  
• On June 27, 1922, during the Irish Civil War the historic Fort Courts building's was obliterated in a huge explosion, destroying the the Irish Public Records Office at the rear of the building.Nearly a thousand years of archives were destroyed by the explosion, the ensuing fire, and water that was poured on the fire.
  
• Irish census began in 1801, but 1821, 1831, 1841, and 1851 census were almost entirely destroyed in 1922. Civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths began in 1864.

Douglas B. Kirkpatrick - In his book:
"The Kirkpatrick FamilyFrom Scotland to Ulster to America 1141-2022", pages 36:

• Richard Killpatrick, Shragmiler, Donegal, 1616
  
• James Killpatrick, Shragmiler, Donegal, 1616
  
• John Killpatrick, Shragmiler, Donegal, 1616
  
• Thomas Kilpatrick, Carrickfergus, Antrim, 1617
  
• Archibald Kilpatrick, Teevickmoy, Donegal, 1629
  
• Robert Kilpatrick, Teevickmoy, Donegal, 1629
  

And on pages 39-40, we see the name Kirkpatrick starting in 1630 with:

• William Kirkpatrick
  
• John Kirkpatrick
  
• Robert Kirkpatrick
  
• Gawen Kirkpatrick
  
• George Kirkpatrick
  
• James Kirkpatrick
  
• Thomas Kirkpatrick
  

This is a interesting family I came across. They were considered "The Peerage of Britain" (Body of peers or titled nobility in Britain). They were quite wealth as you can see from their home The Donacomper House built in late 1770s

• APA Citation - French, R., & Lawrence, W. (1865). Castletown House, Celbridge, Co. Kildare.
• MLA Citation - French, Robert, and William Lawrence. Castletown House, Celbridge, Co. Kildare. 1865.
  Warning: These citations have been automatically generated and may not always be 100% accurate..

  National Library of Ireland
  7-8 Kildare Street, Dublin 2, D02 P638
  Telephone: +353 1 603 02 00
  Fax: +353 1 661 25 23
  E-mail: info@nli.ie
  

Not sure if anyone from the familiy ever left for the states. Here is the family as far as I could find:

• William Kirkpatrick, Mar 27, 1769 - Jan 7, 1844. He marries Mary Carr. They have six children:
• Catherine K - 1810-Jan 3, 1889
  
• Isabella K- 1811-1811
  
• Alexander Richard K - Aug 6, 1814 - Feb 17, 1891. He marries Catherine Louisa Trench
  
• Rev. George K - 1816 - Jan 26, 1908
  
• William K - 1819-1859
  
• Rev. Richard Carr K - Dec 22, 1822 - Jan 27, 1916
  

While Irish genealogical research is frustrating because of the destruction of so many records, there are several sites that you can search for records:

Births, Marriages, Deaths, Graves

• Historic Graves
  Found nine records of Kirkpatricks:

  1) William Trench Kirkpatrick, Donaghcomper, Co Dublin, b abt 1858, died - April 10, 1941
  2) Catherine Louisa Kirkpatrick, Donaghcomper, Co Dublin, b abt 1832, died October 1910
  3) Alexander Richard Kirkpatrick, b 1814, died Feb 17, 1891, Donaghcomper, Co Dublin>br> 4) Louis Carr Kirkpatrick, Donaghcomper, co Dublin, b July 9, 1864, died July 1949
  5) Alice Kirkpatrick, b Sept 10, 1867, died Dec 25, 1859
  6) Patrick Trench Kirkpatrick, Capt Leinster Regt, killed in Uganda, Nov 26, 1898 at age 33
  7) Sir Ivone Kirkpatrick, b Feb 3, 1897, died May 25, 1964
  8) Voilet Caulfield Kirkpatrick, b June 20, 1900, died Feb 21, 1987
  9) Celelia Sybil Kirkpatrick, b Feb 27, 1932, died May 6, 1983

• Irish Graveyards
  Search of "Kirkpatrick" pulls up twenty names. Many from 1952-2006, with the exceptions of:

  1) Andy Kirkpatrick, b abt 1783, died 1846, Kilmaclasser Co Mayo Old Graveyard; Robert Kirkpatrick, died at age 63, date of death unknown, plot no 127
  2) Elizabeth Kirkpatrick, died Feb 1898, age 12; John Kirkpatrick from Clogher, b abt 1846, died in 1924; Kohn Kirkpatrick, b abt 1856, died in 1932, Kilmaclasser Old Graveyard, plot 121, Co Mayo
  3) Kitty Kirkpatrick, from Streamstown, b abt 1915, died 2001, age 86, Aughavale, Westport, Co Mayo; George Kirkpatrick, from Streamstown, b abt 1917, died March 1983 at age 66; Mary Kirkpatrick, died Sept 1980. May have been a family from Co Mayo
  4) Richard Kirkpatrick, Aughavale, Westport, Co Mayo, died Oct 1977.

• Irish Genealogy Projects Arhives: Headstones & Obituaries
  Searched 38 counties and found Kirkpatricks in only 3 counties:
  Fermanagh - Marriages
  1) John Kirkpatrick, master mariner to Margaret Kirkpatrick, widow, shop owner, her surname is Kirkpatrick, Feb 19, 1852
  2) Charles Kirkpatrick, to Elizabeth Brown, spinster, June 5, 1855
  3) John Kirkpatrick, servant, to Elizabeth Coalter, spinster, Mar 7, 1867

  Tyrone - Baptisms
  1) 8/25/1825 Elizabeth to Joseph and Elizabeth 2) 9/2/1869 William Henry to John & Elizabeth
  3) 2/4/1838 Eliza to Joseph & Eliza
  4) 8/1/1828 James to Joseph & Elizabeth
  5) 8/1/1835 Lucida to Joseph & Elizabeth
  6) 3/21/1841 Margaret to Joseph & Eliza
  7) 9/12/1829 John to Joseph & Elizabeth

  Donegal - Baptisms
  1) Ann 6/15/1815 to John & Mary
  2) Anna 11/3/1789 to John & Catherine
  3)James 6/21/1846 to Thomas & Catherine
  4) John 9/28/1823 to John & Mary
  5) Margaret 6/13/1798 to James 7 Jane
  6) Mary Ann 2/6/1831 to John & Mary
  7) Mary Jane 6/2/1829 to William 7 Catherine
  8) Susana 12/4/1818 to John & Letitia
  9) William 5/1/1831 to William & Catherine
  10) William 4/10/1863 to Arthur & Anna Marie
  11) William 2/3/1828 to John 7 Mary

  Ballyshanno (Kilbarron) - Marriagess
  1) John 5/15/1787 to margaret Lipsett
  2) James 6/20/1787 to Jane Lockley
  3) James 10/18/1812 to Ann White
  4) William L 4/7/1812 to Agnes Lann
  50 bernard 1/16/1827 to catherine Morrison

  Donegal - Deaths
  1) George 6/26/1823
  2) James 3/28/1797
  3) John 1/29/1799
  4) John 1/27/1824

• Ireland Billion Graves Cemetery
  Search of findmypast.com, 184 results for "Kirkpatrick" I wrote down a few of the older ones:
  1)Ann - Mar 25, 1825, Co Dwon
  2) Archibald, 1818, Co Antrim
  3) Cherry, Feb 20, 1859, Lisburn
  4) Elizabeth, 1831, Co Antrim
  5) Hugh, Jan 7, 1876, Belfast, Co Antrim
  6) James, Oct 3, 1823, Co Down
  7) James, 1831, Co Down
  8) Thomas, 1869, Co Antrim

• Proni - The offical archive for Northern Ireland that you can search online
• Griffith's Valuation - The Most Comprehensive mid-19th century resource guide of property, land and households on which each parcel of land/property should be taxed.
  Published between 1847 and 1864. However only the head of each household is identified.
• The Flax Growers of ireland 1796 - A list of nearly 60,000 individuals the Irish Linen Board published in 1796. Spinning wheels were awarded based on number of acres planted. Donegal and Tyrone had the highest number ofawards. Dublin and Wicklow
  were not included.
• Prerogative Marriage License Bonds Indexes, 1623-1866
• Some Ireland Diocesan and Prerogative Wills and Administrations Indexes, 1596-1858
• Ireland's Thom's Directory, 1850-1946
  A street directory and almanac for Ireland's capital city.
• Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881
  Index to selected births and baptisms. Only a few localities are included and the time period varies by locality.
• Tithe Applotment Books, 1823-37
• Catholic Qualification Rolls, 1700-1845
• Fragments of previous census records that survived 1821-1851
• The National Library of Ireland
  Images of most of the surviving baptism and marriage records to 1880. Some registers start around1740-50, but most are later, some not starting until the mid 1800s.
• Ireland Roman Catholic Parish Baptisms
  You can search for free on Find My Past, if you set up an account
• Parishes in Northern Ireland
• Co. Down, Northern Ireland Family History Research Site
• Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild - Maritime Articles from Ireland 1847-149
• Irish Roots
• Irish Roots Magazine
• Genealogy/Personal: Passenger Lists
• Family History Library
• The National Archives - 1,000 years of History
• Irish Ancestors
• Military Genealogy
• Immigration History Research Center
• Irish Newspapers Archive
• Irish & Scottish Family History Research
• The Church of Ireland - records to 830 parishes
• Fianna Guide to Irish Genealogy
• Immigrants Arriving at port of New York - 1846-1851
• Irish Church Records
• The Belfast Newsletter Index - 1737-1800
• Belfast City County Burial Records
• Roots Ireland - Extensive and Searchable database of Catholic Church Records
• Census Returns - 1901/1911 and some 1821-1851
• Leitrim Roscommon Genealogy
• Ulster Ancestry
• Bill Macafee's Family and Local History Website
• Ireland Old News
• Library Ireland
• Kirkpatrick Family Trees/Descendants Carts
• Kirkpatrick/Kilpatrick queries
• Kirkpatrick/kilpatrick Miscellaneous
• Kirkpatrick and Kilpatrick Records Page
• Research Sites
• Cousin Chart