Irish historical records collection goes online

THE British family history website Ancestry.co.uk today launches a collection of 19th century historical Irish records, to help Irish family historians and the estimated 80 million people worldwide of Irish descent to explore their heritage.

There are now more than 35 million historical Irish records on the website, including two million upgraded records from shortly before and after the Famine (1845-1852). Famous names whose Irish ancestors appear in the collection include Oscar Wilde, Walt Disney, John F Kennedy and Barack Obama.

Launching the collection in honour of St Patrick’s Day, the company’s international content director Dan Jones described it as the definitive resource for 19th century Irish family history.