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From: "Dr. Jane Lyons" <>
Subject: So you want to help..........re: Heritage Centres
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2004 01:55:39 +0100


I think probably patience is probably the first thing that may be
required..........

and that doesn't cost any money.

The thing is - do people want/can they spend U.S$250 on a 'Family History' -
that will include exerpts from the Grifiths Evaluation, parish records?

Or, do they want straightforward single record searches - location
searches - costing a fixed sum of probably 40 Euro?

I figure that possibly equals about $45 given bank exchange rates - which
actually are different to what you find on the net when you do a currency
conversion.

The first question is What do people want?

Because that is what any business is based on - and no government is ever
going to finance any project that continuously loses money.

They say that genealogy is one of the biggest growing hobbies around the
world - they say that it is a top business...........particuarly in the U.S.

Well, if it is that - a growning hobby and a top
business...................and we all know that there are so many millions
in the Irish Diaspora and a certain percentage of them are researching their
Irish Ancestry.............

How come so many of Ireland's Heritage Centres are closing?

How come they are not doing what any decent business would do after a few
years - supprt itself.

How come they depend on Government maintenance.

Why should the Irish Tax Payer - who has little or no interest in family
history or genealogy support those who don't live in Ireland who are
interested in genealogy

I'm not meaning to be controversial here - I would like to know what exactly
researchers are interested in - and then I can pass that information along
to colleagues who are busy working their butts off to try and ensure that
the various centres keep going.

What exactly is it that the ordinary internet user wants - is looking for?

Full family histories - or, rather.................five hours of archival
research for which you are asked to pay approx $250 US dollars - and might
get nothing for and asked to pay for another five hours of
research.............

or, once off research records?

In other words................

Is there one thing that could bring in some money to these research
centres - to make them look like businesses that can support themselves to
show to the Irish Government?

Do you want to find out the truth - full searches - or, do you want to find
out what you can from the net - and there is much more on the net today
than there was five or ten years ago - do you want to have what you find or
other find explained to you - do you want to pay someone for their
expertise?

What exactly is it that has some of you saying "I would be willing to
donate" in order to keep this place up and running.

If we in Ireland, knew what exactly it is that you want, if we know what you
are willing to pay for...............then we have some chance of presenting
a good picture to those who would close and do cause the closure of these
centres.

It's not necessarily that one can say that the Irish are falling over
themselves trying to work out where the money is..............that we tell
ourselves there is big money in genealogy.

I do not know one rich genealogist.

Most of the people I do know, work for twice as long as they charge any
client for

We can't learn - we won't know................we can only guess - unless
those of you who could possibly tell us what you need do so.

and if you tell this list..............well, I can pass that information
along to those who do work their asses off (excuse my language) to try and
make sure that Irish genealogy and genealogists are doing their best.

We do have a few who work beyond all boundaries - and for the best as they
can see it as regartds Irish genealogy and it's progress

Jane


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