logo - Ireland XO

A few months ago Ireland XO was launched. But just what is Ireland XO?

Well let me tell you. Putting it simply it is a reverse genealogy program that has been created by the Irish Government with aims of connecting the Irish Diaspora through family and local history. Ireland XO doesn’t wait for people of Irish descent to trace their roots, they simply go the other way. Working through voluntary effort at a townland, village and parish level in Ireland, they identify who left those areas, and trace them and their descendants worldwide. Ireland XO offers a free … yes FREE service, and it is a not for profit organisation.

So if your ancestors came from Ireland and you would like to find out more about them, the Ireland XO program will endeavor to help you as part of your research. This reverse genealogy entails the tracing and recording of all the people who left Ireland and seeking out their living descendants worldwide. Those identified or recognised as persons of Irish heritage or affiliation are invited to become part of a new extended Irish society.

Not only could you make connections through local and genealogical historians to long-lost kin, or find exactly where your Irish hailed from, your stories can help heal the deep scars about those who disappeared.

map - ireland 1808, 250Amongst the many features this website offers, you’ll find counties’ experts and locals ready to help you. There are leads to DNA programs and perhaps even a local representative to meet you when you travel back to your Irish homeland, to guide you to ancestors’ very haunts and houses. There is so much included on this website suitable for researchers of every level. For instance you can find out what county or province your parish is in, there are links to “resources by county”, forums to ask your queries, details of upcoming events, and a HELP button.

Ireland XO currently has over 2500 parishes engaged with active volunteers assisting in answering questions and queries and they are continuing to add new parishes regularly. To check if your parish already has a profile click here.

If you are researching Ireland, this is a website you need to bookmark, and sign up for. Remember it is free, but you do need create a log-in to access parts of it. So for the next phase in your Irish research head to …

www.irelandxo.com

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