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Although the population of Ireland is only five million people millions of people throughout the world claim Irish ancestry. It is estimated that in the United States alone one in five citizens claim some form of Irish roots. There is also a huge second and third generation of Irish in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Tracing ones Irish roots has become something of a full time industry in Ireland with numerous companies now offering a genealogy service to piece your family tree together. Famous Irish decendants include John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and even possibly Bill Clinton. Boston is recognized as being half Irish and is it widely acknowledged that the Irish that emigrated during the famine time contributed greatly to the building of modern America and England. This was particularly true in the building of trans continental railway systems. There are now over 40 million Irish passports in existence, which is a remarkable number by any standards. The famine in Ireland during the 1840's saw mass emigration with literally millions of Irish people having to leave Ireland for foreign shores due to lack of food. Famine or coffin ships as they became known left on a daily basis from most large ports with passengers seeking a better life abroad. Most never returned but their legacies live on today. For those interested in trying to retrace family origins we are happy to recommend Noel Farrell's collection of genealogy books found at Irish Genealogy Noel has written a collection of over 25 books, which cover many areas of Ireland. These books are excellent value. |