County Longford
County Longford is a wonderful place to explore - first through family history research at home, and then - when you know where to visit - to drive the back roads and find exact locations your ancestors lived in.
Co. Longford is full of hidden gems of beauty, if you can slow down to take in the pastoral landscapes. But to begin this adventure, Co. Longford has an incredibly rich array of family history resources.
To explore, you will need:
• a car to travel the back roads - smaller the better
• 1:50,000 Ordnance Survey Maps - #40 & #41 cover south
• time to talk to very friendly people
Do your research before you visit - especially as most of it can be done from afar with web and microfilm, plus email. Then when you visit Co. Longford, you can actually travel to the exact locations where ancestors lived, and enjoy. Photo is Ballybeg Townland, near Carrickboy, Co. Longford.
 STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL RESEARCH :
Start by browsing How To Research. Then order modern 1:50,000 Ordnance Survey Maps. Follow this with a systematic approach to defining which parishes and even which townlands are the likely directions of your research.
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RESOURCES ON THIS SITE :
The goal is to give you new ideas and new directions towards solving Co. Longford research problems. In part the site provides pointers towards other resources that will help you down the road to successfully solving puzzles - and to give you a sense of connection with this region. |
 1790 VOTERS LIST :
Two lists have survived from a vote in 1790 - one from before the actual vote, and the second at the time of the vote. Given the historical reality of the time, most voters were Protestant.
Each list had about 950 names, along with their ABODE and their LEASEHOLD and the date the lease was signed. This site has a page where you can search the lists.
This is
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 MOFFATT - Case Study for Research :
Dozens of pages on this site detail the research of Moffatts and a set of allied families living from near Clondara on the Shannon to the parishes of Taghshinny and Taghsheenod, approx. 15km south of Longford Town.
Study the range and source of records, and the insights into what is available, and you may find new avenues for your own family. If not, email me and I will see what directions I might suggest.
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 PLANNING A TRIP TO CO. LONGFORD :
Once you know where your ancestors lived, plan a special trip to Co. Longford. This page will give you some guidance.
Co. Longford is beautiful - but not on the average tourist's route, so it offers that special quality of providing beautiful quiet Irish landscapes without the swarms of site-oriented visitors. It gives the opportunity for conversations with residents, and quieter roads that tend to be less stressful - even if they are often narrow.
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 LINKS AND OTHER PLACES
Very special sites exist on the internet to help you solve your Co. Longford research, but not all are easy to find, and could easily be overlooked. In some cases the full realization of the resources available is underappreciated.
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Why So Many Longford Records Have Survived
• Church of Ireland Records largely remained in local control. Some have gone to the C of I archives in Dublin
• RC records have generally been transcribed and are available from the LDS Family History Centres
• Leases -It was common from about 1770 to register leases in the registry in Dublin - and all have survived.
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• Military Records - Militia records survived, and pension files are now available from Kew.
• 1901 Census, Griffiths Valuations, Tithe Applotments all are available easily - tithes in a book index, griffiths via several alternatives, and the 1901 Census via a book by Leahy and original films from LDS.
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County Longford Family History 