IRL-LIMERICK-L Archives

From:
Subject: Re: [IRL-LIMERICK] Limerick Ancestry/ "LIMERICK GENEALOGY"
Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2007 16:00:36 EST

Stand back for a rant....

Thank you for the discussion of what is available at Limerieck Archives. I
received a valuable report from them (when Dr. O'Mahony was in charge) in the
late 90s, and they appear to have provided the most professional service in
most people's recollection.

Research in Ireland is difficult. It is a shame that they don't understand
how making their records available more easily and allowing more people to do
their own research would enhance tourism.

Many of us who live in the United States and Canada are very fortunate to
have so many free libraries and archives available to us all over the country
with a huge tradition of volunteerism. Armies of volunteers have been
collecting and organizing records for years and if there are charges, they are
minimal.

The volunteers don't do this as a way of attracting visitors to their
cities, but enhanced visitorship (and consequent spending on food, travel and
lodging) is the result for Boston (the New Historic Genealogical Society), Salt
Lake City, Provo UT and Mesa, AZ (Family History Library and Centers), Fort
Wayne, Indiana (Allen Count Public Library's 750,000 item genealogy collection),
Washington D.C. (Library of Congress and the DAR Library) and dozens of
other cities' libraries and historical society archives around the US and Canada.
This is not to overlook the 13 branches of the National Archives and
county/regional archives all open to the public for little or no charge. While all
these great libraries have paid staff, they also receive a great deal of help
from volunteers.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if the Limerick Archives would ask the current
researcher to manage a research library instead of doing the research herself,
and make the resources available to the public? If the habit of volunteering
exists or could be promoted in the community, a team of volunteers could assist
in caring for the records as they do in so many archives elsewhere. I'd fly
to Limerick, wouldn't you? And stay in a hotel, inn or B&B, rent a care, eat
in restaurants and pubs and buy books and........

It appears that Ireland is holding tight to their records because they see
them as providing jobs for a few people. They don't realize that making them
more available would make jobs for lots more.

And off on a tangent.......
There is a Family History Center in Limerick City at Doradoyle Road.
Phone: 353-61-309-443 Hours: F 7pm-9pm. It is open TWO HOURS A WEEK on a
Friday evening. Clearly they need more volunteers. The one where I volunteer
(not in Utah and I am not an LDS member, just an interested genealogy buff) is
open 49 hours a week. The amount of Irish records that has been filmed and is
available on microfilm is VAST.

If you haven't used this resource, go look at _www.familysearch.org_
(http://www.familysearch.org) , click on Library, Then click on Family History
Library Catalog, then on Place Search and then type in what you want. Ireland
gives you 337 TOPICS and "Limerick (part of) Ireland" will give you 34 Topics
under the County and 20 under the City. And many of these have several films
listed under each topic. (Click on Film Notes to get the number)

Granted that a few items have not been filmed (you can look at the book the
next time you go to Salt Lake City) there is a lot available on films that
you can order sent to the nearest FHC. A volunteer will call you when it
arrives. Many volunteers are currently working on trying to get the most useful
records digitized so they will be more conveniently accessible in the future,
but meanwhile there ARE records available to use where we are.

Thanks for your patience if youwaded through all that.

Happy New Year to all,
Ann Lamb








In a message dated 1/1/2007 11:29:41 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,
writes:


I dislike contradicting anyone, but whoever those 'locals' where who gave
you that information just didn't know what they were talking about!

The only free records that were in the Granary building ( they have SINCE
been moved ) are those of the municipal councils of the city and the county
held under the name of 'Limerick Archives'.

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