Family Migration in Ireland?

[saddles]

I agree entirely with Christopher!.

In the 12 years I have been on-line and researching Irish
ancestors, and having directed hundreds of people doing the same to actual names and addresses that still show as the
same families, I only know of a handful that have reported
a response after writing snail mail.

Numerous people have been requested not to attempt to
make further contact, and in one reply the person was told
that their mutual ancestor hadd "deserted the sinking ship".

There is certainly a reluctance to communicate and I have
often wondered why!.

Mike.

[loo]

This is disappointing news.  Perhaps there are too many of us.  I believe there are more people of Irish descent living abroad than in Ireland.  Emigration has been going on for quite a long time, and I suppose some people may feel almost jealous (and, consequently angry) about those who left, or "escaped", depending on your perspective.

[Marie M]

"Escape" and "jealousy"  are a bit strong I'd say there could be just a genuine reason that people remain "long lost", like if they just didn't get on, or they just  can't be bothered.

Unlike people in countries like Austrailia, US and Canada, Irish people are used to having cousins, 2nd cousins etc around and the children of "the diaspora" may hold romantic notions of their distant family and relations, its just not a novelty to us, and maybe people just can't be arsed to rake up the past

[Christopher]

I looked at GENUKI to see how many Family History Societies there are in Ireland. The online Societies are the Cork Genealogical Society, the Genealogical Society of Ireland, North of Ireland Family History Society (with eleven branches) and the County Roscommon Family History Society. I am not too sure about the East and West Galway Family History Societies as they lead straight to the Irish Roots website. I was unable to find any dates of meetings for those two Societies.

The Irish Family History Society have several meetings during the year. Their next one is an all day seminar on Saturday 7th October at 10.00am-5.00pm at Dublin City Library & Archives, 138 - 144 Pearse St., Dublin 2. Non members are welcome so I am considering heading to Dublin to attend that event.

There are six FHSs without websites. 3 in Dublin, and one each in Kerry, Wexford and Wicklow.

Patrick, I was looking at your message again. Families do move around. I've a friend who was born and reared in Dublin and is now in Kildare. My Dad's family, like many others, came to Ireland from England ... stayed a few years and returned to England although my Dad stayed and is buried close to Belfast both my sisters .. once they had been educated here now live in England. Another friend who has spent her life in Ireland .. two or three of a family .. those children lived in England for a while but are now once again living in the north of Ireland so there is quite a bit of toing and froing between Britain and Ireland.

Regarding the people in the late 1800s having descendents still in the same area. There probably are, particularly if they were farmers. In the case of farmers though some of the smaller farmers may have moved out and sold to people with larger farms wanting more land. I think it was in the 1970s there was quite an exodus of farmers from the north of Ireland to Scotland. Land at that time was cheaper in Scotland than the north of Ireland so many sold their farms in Ireland and moved to Scotland as they were able to purchase a much larger farm. Not only that with the money they got from selling in Ireland they were able to buy new machinery as well as a farm in Scotland and still have money in the bank.