Research Frequently Asked Questions

Where should I begin?
Can I ask for specific information?
What can I expect? Can you guarantee results?
How long will it take?
Tell me something about the Meath Heritage Centre
Where is Trim?
How much do you charge?
My ancestor spelled his surname one way. Will you only research this name?
Can we look at the indexes ourselves?
My ancestors came from Drogheda. Can you help?
I am looking for ancestors before 1800?
I am looking for ancestors who lived in the 1900s?
I was adopted?

Where should I begin?
Begin with contacting all members of your family, see if there is a family bible in which records were kept. Other sources to search include naturalisation records, deaths, cemetery records, obituaries, census records, passenger lists. Also it can be helpful to read some general books on Irish genealogy to understand the sources and records. You may need to complete research in your own country before approaching the Meath Heritage Centre. [return]

Can I ask for specific information?
Yes. You can ask for a specific search – all information uncovered will be sent to you.[return]

What can I expect? Can you guarantee results?
No we cannot guarantee results. We only recommend and undertake searches where there is a reasonable chance of success. Positive results cannot be guaranteed. Most parish registers in the county commence in 1830- some however date as far back as 1754, while others start in 1878. So how far back a search goes is dependant on what date the records start in the parish . Many records are very poorly kept and there can be gaps in the registers. Very few parishes kept burial records. Sometimes we do not find the information sought and while this can be disappointing for a researcher an unsuccessful search is likely to be more time consuming than a successful search. To find nothing is also useful in that it proves there is no record there. Just because there is no record does not mean that the event never happened.[return]

How long will it take?
We endeavour to answer letters within three weeks – sometimes it is shorter sometimes it is longer. More in depth research takes a longer time. Around peak periods particularly the summer there may be delays. If you are unsure as to how your search is going please feel free to contact us if we have not been in contact with you.[return]

Tell me something about the Meath Heritage Centre
The Meath Heritage Centre is a non-profit making organisation founded in 1987 to promote interest in Meath family history. The Meath Heritage Centre is the principal genealogical research agency in Meath. Established in 1987 the centre promotes the heritage of the county, provides a family history service for the county and promotes employment opportunities. The Meath Heritage Centre is a non-profit making organisation and is a recognised Irish Genealogical Project Centre.We provide office and computer training to unemployed people with the assistance of FAS, the National Training and Employment Authority.[return]

Where is Trim?
Trim is located 28 miles north west of Dublin and is one of the main towns in County Meath. It has the largest castle in Ireland, King John’s castle, used as a location for Braveheart. It also has strong connections with Wellington and Dean Swift.[return]

How much do you charge?
Please see our fees section.[return]

My ancestor spelled his surname one way. Will you only research this name?
No. We will search all variants of a surname. In one case in Trim parish register all five children on one family had their surnames spelled differently. Just because your ancestor spelled his or her surname one way does not mean that the priest or registrar recorded it that way. In some case our ancestors could not write and they varied the way their name was written down.[return]

Can we look at the indexes ourselves?
Unfortunately access to the indexes is restricted and may only be accessed by the researchers at the centre. Some of the sources are available in un-indexed format in the National Library and National Archives.[return]

My ancestors came from Drogheda. Can you help?
We hold indexes to St. Mary’s parish in Drogheda, which is south of the river Boyne. St. Mary’s is in Meath diocese. St. Peter’s on the north side is in the Diocese of Armagh and county of Louth. Its records pre-date the registers of St. Mary’s and most of Drogheda town is located on the north side. If your ancestors came from Drogheda it is probably best to start with St. Peter's.[return]

I am looking for ancestors before 1800?
Our source materials date from the 1800s with the most of the sources dating from 1830 onwards. We do have a few parish registers which commence before 1800 but these are limited in number. Searching for information in the 1600s and 1700s is difficult due to the lack of sources and we recommend that you contact a professional genealogist who may be able to conduct a search in the national repositories. See our Genealogical Links section.[return]

I am looking for ancestors who lived in the 1900s?
Due to confidentiality we are unable to hold material pre-dating 1900. We do hold an index to the 1901 census and that is the latest material we hold.[return]

I was adopted?
See our Genealogical links section[return]