A woman on a heritage tour of Ireland.

Planning a Heritage Tour: What You Need to Know

Embarking on a heritage tour is a journey that goes beyond sightseeing; it’s an exploration of your roots, a deep dive into your family history, and a chance to walk in the footsteps of your ancestors.

For those with Irish ancestry, a heritage tour in Ireland offers the opportunity to connect with your Irish family heritage in a profound and personal way. Here’s what you need to know to make the most of your heritage tour.

Start with Genealogy Research

Before setting foot in Ireland, it’s crucial to start with thorough genealogy research. Understanding your family’s history, tracing your Irish roots, and identifying key locations are vital steps in planning your trip. At My Ireland Family Heritage, we have valuable resources for uncovering your ancestors’ stories.

Choose the Right Locations

Once you have a clearer picture of your ancestry, our next step is to choose the locations you’ll visit. This might include the original Irish homestead of your ancestors, local churches where they worshipped, or cemeteries where they are buried. Each of these sites offers a tangible connection to your past, making your heritage tour a deeply personal experience.

Plan Your Itinerary with Cultural Significance

A heritage tour isn’t just about finding specific family locations; it’s also about immersing yourself in the culture and history that shaped your ancestors’ lives. Our cultural tours in Ireland provide a broader context to your personal history, offering insights into the customs, traditions, and historical events that influenced your family.

Whether you’re visiting ancient castles, exploring historical towns, or participating in local festivals, these experiences enrich your understanding of your Irish family heritage.

An old Irish castle.

Consider Our Guided Family History Tours

Planning a heritage tour on your own can be overwhelming, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the area. This is where guided our family history tours come in.

Our genealogy research experts can help you create a customized itinerary that ensures you visit all the relevant sites, from the best genealogy sites in Ireland to lesser-known yet significant locations. A professional guide can also provide in-depth knowledge about the historical and cultural background of each site, making your experience more meaningful.

Capture the Experience

Don’t forget to document your journey. Whether through photographs, journal entries, or video recordings, capturing the experience allows you to share your heritage tour with family members who couldn’t make the trip. It also creates a lasting record that you can pass down to future generations, ensuring that the stories of your ancestors continue to be remembered.

Are you ready to embark on a heritage tour that brings your family’s history to life? My Ireland Family Heritage is here to help!

Our family history tours are tailored to your unique ancestry, guiding you through the places where your ancestors once lived. With our expertise in genealogy in Ireland, we can connect you to your Irish roots.

You can also join one of our cultural tours in Ireland, visit your original Irish homestead, and experience the history that shaped your family. Contact us now!

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Customised Genealogy & Historical Tour

Review of My Ireland Heritage Tours Presented on Trip adviser Oct 2024 By • Family TomBarron2013 New York City, NY2

Once in a lifetime experience

Oct 2024 • Family

We highly recommend My Ireland Heritage for anyone who wants to learn and be guided to their Irish “roots” and much, much more. Sean Quinn and Ian Darragh of My Ireland Family Heritage have deep knowledge or the areas we wanted to visit in Meath, Sligo and Kilkenny. While we knew about one side of the family history back to 1690, there was nothing known about the other that arrived in the US in the 1870s.

Ian, Sean, and Nicola did thorough research on our localities and locations from which our ancestors left for America in 1849 and later. In addition, Ian and Sean did separate day-long “recons” in advance of our time with them, seeking out local people and the specific properties with maps and whatever records still available. Their results were absolutely outstanding! In both our cases, they found and took us to our still-existing cottages and shops from the early 1820s.

It was so enjoyable to be with Ian for three days and for a special day with Sean. Whether it was the Newgrange World Heritage sites 5,500 years old , the Battle of the Boyne 1690 , or the local cemeteries and churches of our ancestors. Ian was especially attentive to my wife throughout the travels after she twisted her ankle in a rain-soaked old cemetery.

Throughout the process of trip preparation over months to giving us the final, wonderful books of Meath and Sligo, Aisling was highly professional and responsive with all the many details. The bound books she prepared are treasures! Thanks to all for truly exceptional experiences.

Newgrange World Unesco Site 5500 years old
Battle of the Boyne 1690 AD
Customised Historical Tours Trim Castle
Entrance stone at Newgrange

Self Drive Product

Review of My Ireland Heritage Tours Presented on Trip adviser by Shelley L @ sjlively

Exceptional in every way!

Over the last few months of preparing for our trip, every single detail was meticulously attended, not only professionally, but helpfully, and in such a friendly manner, that I felt as if I knew Sean, Aisling and Ian before I even stepped off the plane.

The amount of work these wonderful people put into our personal history is mindboggling. My mother was an avid amateur genealogist, and had worked for decades to bring to light the trail our family took, but our resources are limited.

Sean knows exactly where to look, and was able to fill in so many gaps that had eluded us for generations. Some of the information he found, unbeknownst even to him, actually solidified the findings we had amassed over the years. Ours was a family in coal mining – I only found on our tour that they had originated from a mining area, and their arrival on the  border coincided exactly with the decline in the mining industry in County Wicklow.

I would have been overjoyed simply with the knowledge of why they left when they did, about 12 years before the famine. Breaking through our brick wall of great grandparents even farther back on the family tree was a dream come true, but to be able to set foot on not only the area they lived, and find that the house is still there was overwhelming. Seeing the family church and cemetery where our ancestors and extended family still rest is a truly moving experience.

The care taken by this company in each and every aspect of the journey cannot be overstated. Only about 2 weeks prior to my trip, Sean contacted me to let me know that he had also stumbled across some of my husband’s family name in the process and included them as well in his research. How often can anyone say that they not only got what they paid for, but more than they ever imagined? I can say that. They were even kind enough to answer a few follow-up questions after my return home, as I was so stunned on my tour with Ian that I didn’t think ask at the time.If you have the opportunity to make the trip to Ireland, contact My Ireland Family Heritage before you go.

If your family was there, Sean will go above and beyond to find them. Even without family, contact them anyway. Ian is a walking encyclopedia of history, and so fun to talk to. Aisling will make sure every “I” is dotted, and every “T” is crossed.  Thank you so much for the trip of a lifetime, and the opportunity to pass on everything we have discovered to future generations

The Consultation at Hotel / Office or by Phone opens all doors
Genealogy gets you off the Beaten Track to see the Real Ireland

Unique to Every Address with My Ireland Family Research