Ancestral Townland Experience

The Townland Experience

A Townland in Ireland is a geographical division of land used in Ireland. This system is of Gaelic Origin pre dating the Norman invasion 1169 AD. A Townland can be anything from a half an acre to seven thousand acres.

We can with substantiated historical written facts reduce the seven thousand acres at your families Townland to an exact ten yards, iIdentifying exactly where the family live now or once lived in the 17 & 1800’s.

It is extremely important to note that most Townlands are extremely hard to find as they are not marked in Ireland and are usually defined by borders such as Rivers, Hedges or Hills.

Just to see how complicated the system off Townlands are. If you are lucky enough to find the Correct Church for your Ancestor and not just the Civil parish seen on records you now must find the Townland. If your Townland begins with or has the words Rath in the description there are 1,024 Townlands with the word Rath included in Ireland. A Rath incidentally is an Iron Age Hill fort.

We at My Ireland Family Heritage are the specialists at researching & Finding your Ancestors exact House in the 1800s in any County in Ireland and taking you to that exact spot where the house is or it once was. We will also provide you with a once in a lifetime Genealogy Tour Experience with our Government approved Failte Ireland Genealogist and Tour Guide. Once we find the correct townland the work is only beginning.

Finding the Correct Church

Having found the Townland we must now find not just the Civil Parish identified on your records but the correct Church. On your records you may see a Civil Parish this most likely is not the Church your Family used for Marriage/Baptisms and weekly use.

An Example

As an example take County Meath there are 146 Civil Parishes in County Meath. Your Families Church may be Culmullin it is bordered by 7 different Parishes but it is also in the Parish of Dunshaughlin. Your records may say Parish of Dunshaughlin but your Ancestors Parish and church they used for important events is actually 10 Miles away at Cullmullin. To Compound the issue there are 5 Baronies in Meath with the word Rath and 47 Townlands with the word Rath included.

Finding the Correct Graveyard

Finding the correct Graveyard for your family for the Townland. Again an example a Parish like Dunshaughlin may have 10 Graveyards in Fact the Parish of Cullmullin above which is in the Civil Parish off Dunshaughlin has 3 Graveyards alone one for 1700 one for 1800s and a Modern graveyard.

Again this is our responsibility to find the Correct Graveyard for your Church and your families Townland.

Finding Relatives and Neighbours of Your Family

At My Ireland Heritage our Data Base allows us to find the exact Location of your Families house in the 1800s. Once we travel her on your Behalf we will know very quickly if the family are still in the vicinity. In fact even if they are not we have the knowledge to know if the neighbours who may be there for 200 years are also still in the Vicinity.

In many cases research will lead you to the County, City or Town where your Family may have lived but we pride ourselves in finding your exact location.

The Normans, despite not having a serious influence on townland names, adapted some of them for their own use, possibly seeing a similarity between the Gaelic baile and the Norman bailey, both of which meant a settlement.

  • We pride ourselves in customising your Tour to your requirements and will be with you every step off the way.
    · Driving in Ireland looking for ones Ancestors on Local roads can be both Hazardous and time consuming (most families in the 1800s were living in marginalized areas with no easy access).
  • Our preparation is done long before you arrive allowing you the satisfaction off seeing all that matters in relation to your Ancestors Heritage and having the time to enjoy the remaining part of your vacation.
  • We will find the exact home. We will find the exact Church, not just the Civil Parish, the exact Graveyard each village in Ireland will have three graveyards.

Prior to your Visit – The My Ireland Heritage team is dedicated to visiting your ancestral Townland (Original Family Settlement / Home) to research local archives, churches and graveyards, communicate with the parish priest and locals. Armed with this knowledge of your ancestors, a tailor made tour is created for you.

  • Visit your Ancestors Townland / Graveyard / Parish Church. In most cases we can find the exact Place where your Family Lived (Consultation with a member of our Team will be necessary)
  • Items of interest if applicable will be included in your townland experience such as such as Famine Workhouses, Famine Graveyards Bronze Age settlement (2500BC), Ancient Hill Forts (500AD), early medieval Christian heritage sites, Viking sites (794AD), Norman sites such as Motte and Bailey (1169AD).

We have had many fantastic Townlands finds for our clients including the Old Ruins of Original Family Settlements from the period 1796 to 1860 AD to more recent periods, some of which can be seen on Trip Advisor and our Testimonial page.

A one day family heritage tour can help you find your Townland (original family settlement/home). Our experienced guide will uncover your families past and help you experience your real Irish heritage. Take the next step in walking in the footsteps of your ancestors.These tours can be extended to additional days if you would like to uncover more of your family history. This is your experience so you can combine any of our tours with your ancestral tour.

The Republic and Northern Ireland has an extensive network of public roads connecting all parts of the country. It must be stressed that driving in Ireland is now an extremely good experience.

However it is imperative to tell you that nearly 95% of the driving for Family Townland experience is done on Local Roads which have not changed in many cases since your Ancestors emigrated.

The Road System is as Follows

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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