There are many pitfalls in researching your family genealogy, many obstacles that will keep you on your toes. Here are three top tips for navigating the early days of your ancestor hunt.

1. Think of each COUNTY in Ireland as its own country. They will each have their own types of records, and record-keeping varied significantly by place.
2. Do not get caught up on spellings of names, or even exact dates–as hard as that is to conceive. If it’s close, keep the data in your notes, because you just might find that “almost-right” match was actually your ancestor, and it will be even harder to go back and collect that information later.
3. Many records were lost in the great fire of 1922 in the Dublin Public Record office. You will have more luck digging in local vicinities–in unlikely places you will find great revelations. If there are any local establishments with a family name attached, go there and ask if they knew of any relations that line up in your family tree. They just might surprise you!

Source credit: Patrick Kelleher/ Irish Times