MARY KIRCHER RODDY
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Searching for Stories

A Great Irish Mapping Tool

2/1/2017

3 Comments

 
Normally I post my Tuesday tips on Tuesday.  But I've been so busy researching in the FamilyHistoryLibrary I'm a day late.  Hope you don't mind...  I think this one's worth the wait..

I recently discovered a new-to-me Irish resource.  I have Irish Catholic ancestors on both my side and my husband, Mark’s side.  I’ve spent the last several days in the Family History Library in Salt Lake City trying to get a handle on the geography of where some of them lived and I found a wonderful website that is helping me do that.

The site is www.swilson.info  I’ve spent some time trying to figure out who SWilson is.  I don’t even know if S is male or female but I do know that I love love love him or her!

One of my favorite things on the site is a “Church and Catholic Parish Search.”  According to the website, “This option searches for the closest Catholic Chapel to a selected location based on Chapel locations as they were in the late 1830s and early 1840s.”

I have been able to determine the place of origin for some of Mark’s ancestors from records in the US and tracing back to Ireland to discover where four known children were baptized. I believe I’ve also found a marriage record for the parents, not in the same church, but in a different, nearby parish. I’ve also used Griffith’s Valuation and some Tithe Applotment Books to ascertain a townland. 

But using www.swilson.info, I can establish exactly where the parish church for the baptism is, and find the nearby churches.   Here’s how I did it.
​
Look at http://www.swilson.info/gmapsetcoords.php.  You will see a yellow search marker.  Drag the marker and drop it on the map close to where your person of interest lived.  You can zoom in on the map to refine the location using the +/- buttons in the lower right corner of the map.  
Picture
SWilson.info - http://www.swilson.info/gmapsetcoords.php

Once you’re narrowed in to the approximate location of where your ancestors lived, click on the “Start Search” button in the lower right corner.   Colored pointers will pop up all over the map showing all the Catholic churches.  On the right side of the map is a key naming the parish and the church.  If you click on the “Show Parish Details” icon between the columns you’re taken to a new screen, full of information, including the Roman Catholic Diocese, the linked Civil Parishes, a list of nearby parishes with notations of how far away they are and in what direction. 
​

Picture
SWilson.info - Roman Catholic Parish Coordinates Search showing nearby parishes - http://www.swilson.info/rcparishcoordsrch.php

​My favorite part, however, is smack dab in the middle of the screen where there is a link to the NLI (National Library of Ireland) Film Details and Website.  Once there, you can select the relevant register for baptisms, marriages (or death in some cases) and then filter by selecting the year and month if you know it.

​
Picture
SWilson.info Catholic and Civil Parish Links

My favorite part, however, is smack dab in the middle of the screen where there is a link to the NLI (National Library of Ireland) Film Details and Website.  Once there, you can select the relevant register for baptisms, marriages (or death in some cases) and then filter by selecting the year and month if you know it.
​
SWilson.info is gem of a site, allowing the researcher to point to a location in Ireland, and drill down to the relevant available parish registers.  Thank you SWilson, whoever you are!  You’re my new fave. 

3 Comments
Shane Wilson link
2/14/2017 06:22:09 am

thanks for the mention ... hope you found the site useful

Reply
Mary Kircher Roddy link
2/14/2017 09:51:17 am

Shane,
Thanks. I have found your site super useful. I'm learning more every day. Keep up the good work!
Mary

Reply
Craig Lucie
3/16/2018 07:33:38 am

Hello! This is very random, but I am trying to find people related to my ancestors. My great grandfather's name was John Francis Morrison, and he immigrated to the U.S. around 1910. I'm told he came from Armagh, but he met his wife, Mary Roddy who is from Galway and Co. Roscommon. Mary and John F. met at a home where they worked in Pennsylvania, and their son was John J. Morrison (my grandfather) who lived in Vero Beach, Florida working in the citrus industry for many years. His daughter is my mom, Sharon Morrison Lucie. I am coming to Ireland next week, and I'm doing my best to track down people I'm related to. Are you by chance related to a Mary Roddy from the late 1800's early 1900's? I currently live in Atlanta, Georgia and will be coming to Galway area March 20-24. Thanks for reading! - Craig Lucie

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    Author

    Mary Kircher Roddy is a genealogist, writer and lecturer, always looking for the story.  Her blog is a combination of the stories she has found and the tools she used to find them.

    Read more of Mary's writings at "Adventures of A Broad Abroad" and at Letters from Limerick

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