My Irish Geography

My own personal Irish geography lesson may or may not be the most exciting post in my blog.  The details are very important to my research.  How else can I track down my origins in Ireland?  It helps to pull out a map and understand the counties, the parishes, the towns (or just villages), and the general lay of the land.  Ireland is really not a very large land mass but yet so many people have origins there.

I have attempted to create a address directory of sorts for my family surnames in Ireland.  Now, my attempts range from specific property titles in exact locations to general origins for a surname.  I must write these addresses down somewhere and apologize if I am giving anyone's current address away.  I just don't want the information to get lost in a drawer somewhere as a lot of genealogy does in families.   Then, we forget our roots and future generations just don't know where to find where we came from.

O'Brien, Gleeson
-Castleconnell, County Limerick, Ireland (near County Clare Border) 

Hickey, Minogue
-Loughatorick, County Clare, Ireland (near County Galway Border)
-Derrycon, County Clare, Ireland
-Woodford, County Galway, Ireland

Coughlin, McMahon, McNamara
-Revail, Ballyvannan, County Clare, Ireland
-Reveal, Ballyvannan, County Clare, Ireland
-Caherhurly, Ballyvannan, County Clare, Ireland
-Parish of Tuamgraney, Ballyvannan, County Clare, Ireland
-Tuamgraney Rock, Caherhurly, Ballyvannan, Clare, Ireland
-Revail, Caherhurly, Ballyvannan, County Clare, Ireland

McGuire
-County Fermanagh, Ireland

Maxwell, Shaffrey
-Parish of Moynalty, County Meath, Ireland
-Dunshaughlin, County Meath, Ireland
-Shancarnan, County Meath, Ireland

McLaughlin
-Parish of Edgeworthstown, Ringowny, County Longford, Ireland

Gartlan, Fox
-Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, Ireland
-Clontibret, County Monaghan, Ireland

Flanagan, Maguire, Kirwan, Bellew
-Galroostown, Termonfechin, County Louth, Ireland
-Ganderpark, Termonfechin, County Louth, Ireland
-Tubbertoby, Termonfechin, County Louth, Ireland
-Strand Road, Termonfechin, County Louth, Ireland
-Baltray, Termonfechin, County Louth, Ireland
-Termonfeckin, County Louth, Ireland
-Duffsfarm, Termonfeckin, Louth, Ireland
-Tobertoby, Termonfeckin, Louth, Ireland

Clearly, I have a varying degree of information for my Irish origins.  In the U.S., we'd be looking for street addresses with zip codes and definitive street names.  Well, outside of the large cities of Ireland, it just does not work that way.  Buried in the information above, are a few real to life mailing addresses used even today.  How would a researcher seeking their family roots in Ireland know this?  It was explained to me by my Irish relatives.

Maybe this post will help others understand how finding a location of your ancestors in Ireland works.  I have learned to not brush off a property title or seemingly strange proper noun/word written on scratch paper.  It may be the key to unlocking your origins.