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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Leitrim => Topic started by: RootsChat on Monday 07 July 03 12:20 BST (UK)
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Find out more about Leitrim by contacting the Genealogy Centre.
Leitrim Heritage Centre
County Library, Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim
Tel: +353-78-44012
(http://homepage.eircom.net/~leitrimgenealogy/images/GenealogyCentre.jpg)
Website http://homepage.eircom.net/~leitrimgenealogy/
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i would like to find info on James Gallagher born1826,transported to Australia 1853.
tiger
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"When our research proves successful a typical figure for total fees is €350.00 to €395.00." - Leitrim Genealogy Centre.
Does anybody else think that what the average Irish Genealogy centre charges is DISGRACEFUL?
Why isn't it posssible in Ireland to pay a reasonable hourly rate and access all this information on computer personally?
I only have personal experience of the Donegal equivalent - which did NOT impress me. I was charged 17 euros just to talk to an "expert" who then confirmed the information that I had just handed her...
Is this all part of a huge Irish job creation scheme to keep graduates off the streets?
Rosemary
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I agree, Rosemary.
They must think we are all millionaires. I couldn't possibly pay these charges. This one is 'NON profit!' What would it cost if it were 'profit motivated.' Ireland seems to be hopeless for genealogy.
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Is the old red wine having an effect or an I being dense - what is the relationship to the Genealogy Centre and the Family History Society?
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I'm sorry - what exactly are you asking? We were commenting on the VERY high cost of having Leitrim family history done if you didn't happen to be based in Ireland. There is NOT the possibility - as there is in Scotland - of doing your own online research from anywhere in the world.
The choices are : travel to Ireland, paying your fare and your hotel bills and grappling with unfamiliar processes in Dublin or Belfast
OR
commission your research from so-called "official" bodies who charge you an arm and a leg.
There is a third possibility of finding an Irish family history researcher - but these people are - in my experience - either very unreliable or very expensive.
There is a very real sense that most of these "local" county research outfits were set up to create employment for Irish people. They rely to a large extent on Irish-Americans willing to pay large sums of money .
I don't think that even if you turned up in Leitrim ready and willing to do your own research that you would be given unrestricted access to the records - as you would in Edinburgh or Glasgow.
If you know differrently, I would be very happy to stand corrected on this issue.
Rosemary
P.S. Is your red wine really nice? I'm drinking a lovely Australian white...
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I was querying the relationship between the Genealogy Centre and the Leitrim Family History Society which I now gather is part of a national organisation, having read up on the Genealogy Society.
I am interested as one of my relations, a genealogical mentor, was very scathing of the Genealogy Centre and their costs and advised me to go to Dublin and do my own research! I have had similar comments from others.
Yes the Chilean red is very pleasant, I've never got into whites I'm afraid, my daughter tells me it's my coarse taste buds!
Just been to Australia via the web looking up Pambula and Baddeley!
Kind regards
Pete
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After reading others' reports about the Leitrim Genealogy Centre, wish I had saved my money and time! This March, 2006, I traveled to the Leitrim Genealogy Centre in Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim where I paid 15 Euro for a look up and information about my ggrandfather's brother, Patrick HEALY, who was still living after my ggrandfather's death at 75 yrs old in 1895. I was urged to sign up for a FULL look up which I declined. All I wanted was Patrick's Obituary and/or Death Certificate. What I have received has been an e-mail giving me the EXACT information that I had found at least 4 years ago - FREE - from THEIR website! It obviously was NOT what I had paid for! It was the wrong Patrick HEALY - death was MUCH too late to be right (1925)! I traveled from California, paid for lodgings, car rental, meals, airfare, etc - I am quite angry about the cavalier behavior on the "researchers" there. I believe that there was NO effort to check ANY records other than what they have posted ONLINE.
Susan Christensen-Nass
HEALY, MCLAUGHLIN, HARVEY - Co. Leitrim
BUCHANAN - unknown
MCGONIGLE, ELLIS, GALLAGHER - possibly Co. Donegal (also stopped there for information - paid 18 Euros and as of this date - no answer!
O'BRIEN - unknown
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Bally, that is such a shame that happened to you. However, by telling other people what terrible service you got, you may have saved many others from being ripped off, if that is any solace.
You might try writing to the tourism/government people in Ireland. Surely they will see that bad publicity like this may discourage people visiting the land of their ancestors. At least you will have the satisfaction of letting them know how you feel. I would be tempted to write to the local newspaper too. There is nothing like a bit of bad publicity to focus the mind, and who knows maybe shine light on shady practices.
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Hi Folks,
I will charge half the price for giving you the information you give to me on a sheet of paper :D If you want people like me and others at RootsChat to give expert advice I regret to inform you, we, in the north of Ireland, usually charge an exorbitant rate £FREE or in the south of Ireland €FREE
I see that the Leitrim Heritage Centre is based in the County Library at Ballinamore. I wonder does that mean a free search will not be done by the librarians. In the north of Ireland Genealogy Centres are separate from the Libraries and many librarians in the Local Studies sections will do free searches if you send a message. They will also give you loads of assistance if you are able to call in to see them. They do charge for photocopying but that is only a few pence .. nothing to worry about. That may not be a lot of consolation if your ancestors are not in the north of Ireland but it does show that there are different approaches in different parts of the country.
Here's the address of a local paper in Co. Leitrim:
The Leitrim Observer
St.Georges Terrace,
Carrick-on-Shannon,
Co.Leitrim.
http://www.medialive.ie/Press/Provincial/leitrim_o.html
Best Wishes, Chris
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"When our research proves successful a typical figure for total fees is €350.00 to €395.00." - Leitrim Genealogy Centre.
Does anybody else think that what the average Irish Genealogy centre charges is DISGRACEFUL?
Why isn't it posssible in Ireland to pay a reasonable hourly rate and access all this information on computer personally?
I only have personal experience of the Donegal equivalent - which did NOT impress me. I was charged 17 euros just to talk to an "expert" who then confirmed the information that I had just handed her...
Is this all part of a huge Irish job creation scheme to keep graduates off the streets?
Rosemary
Where's my seventeen euro ???
Do Leitrim Genealogy Centre not give any breakdown ?..."Not all clients will require Comprehensive Family History Reports and may only require a Single Source Search. We will be happy to provide this service, details available on request." This is a bit vague ... why can't they quote a price upfront?
Christopher
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May I suggest using the Mormon Church genealogy libraries or their on-line Family Search service? (http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHL/frameset_library.asp)
To be honest the on-line service does have flaws in that the IGI is not comprehensive. It only includes what their transcribers decided to transcribe and so there are many, many gaps. That said there are still thousands of entries from all over Ireland.
The search also brings up 'Ancestry File' and similar other databases. These can be useful but must be used with caution. Often the information entered has no basis in fact and is based on assumptions by the researcher. I have seen quite spurious dates entered for births based on completely inaccurate 'guesses' as to age at death/marriage.
BUT - Where the Mormon (LDS) church shines is in their libraries. Cross your fingers and any other appendage you possess and hope there is one near where you live.
They have access to a huge range of microfilmed original records which you can access free (well almost - there is a charge for postage sometimes).
My local library got me the church records for the two adjoining RC parishes I needed and I have been transcribing them ever since. Also 1901 Census, Griffith's Valuation and 1833 Tithe books.
Let the Gen Centre go hang - they aint getting my cash!
Jim
Perhap I should add that the staff in the actual library in Ballinamore did provide access to their newspaper archive free and allowed me free access to browse some of their old documents - eg lists of old townlands etc.