Can I visit the house or farm my ancestors lived in?
Sometimes, and only ever by permission. Most ancestral houses and farms are private homes and working land, and there is no right of access, however deep the connection. What works is asking well. Locate the house first on the valuation maps held by Tailte Éireann, so you know exactly which building you mean. Write ahead if you can: a letter through the parish, the local genealogy centre or a named neighbour, saying who you are, who lived there, and when you hope to call. Many families are glad to be asked and generous with tea and stories; some are not, and a closed gate is an answer to accept gracefully. Never arrive unannounced at a farmhouse, never walk land without asking, and if the house is gone, the townland itself, the lane and the fields are still there to stand in.
Useful pages: Irish in USA · The Irish surnames map · Trace your Irish roots · Coming home · Irish around the world
Sources
- Tailte Eireann: historic mapping and valuation maps, tailte.ie
- AskAboutIreland: Griffith's Valuation and its valuation maps, askaboutireland.ie
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