iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Brian Gurrin

Claire Bradley @cbgenealogy.ie · 12/09/2026

@briangurrin.bsky.social in his happy place talking about census records. @igrs1936.bsky.social

Brian Gurrin @briangurrin.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Irish Genealogical Research Society post about our new 1766 religious census map @virtualtreasury.bsky.social See our map here 👉 kg.virtualtreasury.ie/collection-m...

kg.virtualtreasury.ie

1766 Religious Census Map - Knowledge Graph

Website to Explore VRTI KG

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Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland @virtualtreasury.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

📣 🧐 Come see over half a million freely available records. Dive in and explore! 👇 View 194,000 new releases and 10 new features in one place 👇 www.virtualtreasury.ie/2026-new-rel... New to the Virtual Treasury? Check out our Help page for mini-videos and a User Guide www.virtualtreasury.ie/help

virtualtreasury.ie

Virtual Treasury

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 30/06/2026

#DIBLives #OTD 1922 a huge explosion at the Public Records Office in the Four Courts destroyed centuries of Irish administrative, legal & genealogical records. @virtualtreasury.bsky.social has spent years recreating many of these records & made them freely available to the public. virtualtreasury.ie

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RTÉ News @news.rte.ie · 30/06/2026

Almost 200,000 historical records have been released online by the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland. The release of the records will cover seven centuries of Irish history and will make over half a million documents free and permanently available to the public

rte.ie

Almost 200,000 Irish historical records released online

Almost 200,000 historical records have been released online by the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland.

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Brian Gurrin @briangurrin.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

📢 Census of Ireland, 1851 Partial reconstruction of the 1851 census of Thomas Street, Dublin, from Chart's index, with additions from Thom's directory, 1851. virtualtreasury.ie/item/VRTI-CE...

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Brian Gurrin @briangurrin.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

Great weekend. Weather nice. Saturday - the 1926 census is released. 🧮✅ Sunday - 2nd in Connemara marathon.🏃‍♂️✅ All back to normal now.

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Brian Gurrin @briangurrin.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Census of Ireland, 1766 Mrs White's house in Rosemary Lane (St Michael's parish), home to '50 Papists' in 1766. Catholic population of Rosemary Lane in 1766, 128. Location of Rosemary Lane (now gone) shown in image. Link to VRTI for St Michael's: virtualtreasury.ie/item/VRTI-CE...

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Brian Gurrin @briangurrin.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Census of Ireland, 1911 Infirmity? Legally unfit to vote. Unenfranchised. Religious profession? Militant suffragette.

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Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland @virtualtreasury.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

Continuing with medieval women, money, property and politics for #IWD2026 here is a taster of @elizabethbiggs.bsky.social research. Elizabeth's full journal article is due out later this year. Rediscovering the Women of the Medieval Irish Exchequer www.virtualtreasury.ie/archive-feve...

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Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland @virtualtreasury.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

Locating women in the historical archive deepens our understanding of the past. For #IWD2026 we're sharing records + research highlighting women in the records + their role in History. Starting with this 😀 👇️ Women in the Guild of St Anne - Virtual Treasury virtualtreasury.ie/image-galler...

Seal of Mary Whitshead.
RIA GSA/25/1, Deeds of the Guild of St Anne, 9 George I, Item 1 (13 February 1723) - By 1723, the heavy wax seals hanging from the bottom of the parchment have been done away with in favor of an image impressed into several drops of wax poured directly on the document itself. https://virtualtreasury.ie/item/RIA-GSA-25-1

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Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland @virtualtreasury.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

#IWD2026 June1666 'E. Ormond' sends a letter to London. virtualtreasury.ie/item/TNA-SP-... Elite women like Elizabeth Butler, duchess of Ormond are easier to spot in the archive. The tone of her letter to Secretary of State Arlington shows her social standing. 👀 ALT

Check out Elizabeth's Knowledge Graph entry to see he other letters to Arlington:
https://kg.virtualtreasury.ie/entity-card/person/Butler_Elizabeth_c17/v1z89hn

Thanks to our generous colleagues in https://www.dib.ie/ for sharing Elizabeth's biography, included in the Knowledge Graph.
https://www.dib.ie/biography/Butler-Elizabeth-a1245

Elizabeth Butler's signature, using her title 'Elizabeth Ormonde.

Dr Neil Johnson's work at TNA continues to uncover individual women and men in the State Papers Ireland collection, a real treasure trove! https://virtualtreasury.ie/gold-seams/state-papers-ireland Our Technical Director Dr Éamonn Kenny manages to make this complex web of data visible for users online.

Dr Lynn Kilgallon, Dr Lucy McKenna and Dr Alex Randles are the team behind the growing Knowledge Graph for Irish History. https://kg.virtualtreasury.ie/

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Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland @virtualtreasury.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Happy 260th Birthday to Ireland's first census! 🎂 Amazing coverage back in 1766 🙂 A tragic loss in 1922 🔥😩 Now available - over 50,000 recovered names! 📜📚5️⃣0️⃣,0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ 🥳 www.virtualtreasury.ie/gold-seams/1... 📢 More detailed Survivors map coming today! 🔎

A map of Ireland showing the scale and type of census returns sent in by local clergymen.

https://www.virtualtreasury.ie/gold-seams/1766-religious-census

A map showing the extent of recovered names and numbers across the island of Ireland. 50,000 names across 246 civil parishes!

Legend accompanying the map of recovered names and numbers across the island of Ireland.
Names of householders or local population numbers.

https://www.virtualtreasury.ie/gold-seams/1766-religious-census

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Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland @virtualtreasury.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

A detailed 1766 census for in Inch, Co. Down. Amazingly the 1813 census for Inch survives too! The only townland in all Ireland with names from both. www.virtualtreasury.ie/item/PRONI-T... virtualtreasury.ie/item/VRTI-CE... www.virtualtreasury.ie/gold-seams/c... 👀 ALT for details

Typescript sheet of names in three columns. 'A list of the Protestants and Popish inhabitants of the parish of Inch' in 1766.

PRONI T808/15267, pp 31-34 (typed).
Many if these 1766 names also appear in the rare 1813 census abstract for Inch.

Or see PRONI T808/15011 for handwritten copy.

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Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland @virtualtreasury.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

Great new webpage by our wonderful colleagues at National Archives, Ireland, marking the anniversary of the 1766 Religious Census. nationalarchives.ie/help-with-re... 🤩 See NAI's rare surviving 1766 originals 👇 virtualtreasury.ie/item/NAI-IHP... Click through to see the full series 🧐 See ALT text.

Screen grab of the National Archives Ireland's new webpage celebrating the anniversary of the 1766 Religious Census of Ireland.

'A crucial genealogical resource for 18th century Ireland.

https://nationalarchives.ie/help-with-research/research-guides/religious-census-1766/

Screengrab from the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland showing the first in the series of rare surviving original 1766 census records held at NAI, where they have been carefully conserved.
The screen grab shows how to browse through this collection using the 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons.
https://virtualtreasury.ie/item/NAI-IHP-1-648

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Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland @virtualtreasury.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

A neat end to our 1766 Religious Census anniversary + linking to #IWD2026 😊 Before + after pics showing the amazing work of Jessica Baldwin, Senior Conservator, National Archives Ireland. Damaged in 1922. Cleaned, flattened + reunited 🥳👏 www.virtualtreasury.ie/item/NAI-IHP... 👀 the story in ALT

Seven fragments of the surviving Religious Census of Newchapel, 1766. These were rescued from the rubble of 1922. Preserved by the NAI. Then carefully cleaned, flattened and reunited into a single sheet by the dextrous Jessica Baldwin, Senior Conservator, NAI.

Looking as fresh as the day it was written, 260 years ago, the reunified census sheet for Newchapel Parish, in the Diocese of Cashel and Emly.
See a detailed transcription by Brian Gurrin, VRTI, here:
https://www.virtualtreasury.ie/item/VRTI-CEN-1766-2-696

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Brian Gurrin @briangurrin.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

Want to learn more about the 1766 religious census. Check out our hidden story, here: www.virtualtreasury.ie/hidden-stori... Pull the slider on the map to see what was available, pre 1922, and what survives.

virtualtreasury.ie

Virtual Treasury

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Brian Gurrin @briangurrin.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

59 original 1766 returns survive, in National Archives, Ireland. Magnificent sources, which can be seen on the Virtual Treasury. Here's NAI's new guide, published to celebrate 260th anniversary of 1766 census: nationalarchives.ie/help-with-re...

nationalarchives.ie

Religious Census 1766 | The National Archives of Ireland

Discover the best practices for referencing archives, helping you properly document historical records and sources in your research at The National Archives.

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Brian Gurrin @briangurrin.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Names of the priests and friars recorded in the 1766 religious census available here: virtualtreasury.ie/item/VRTI-CE... @stpatsmaynooth.bsky.social

virtualtreasury.ie

Virtual Treasury

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Brian Gurrin @briangurrin.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

1766 religious census of Ireland is 260 years old today (5 March). Have a look at our brand new map of surviving details from 'Ireland's first census'. 😃

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Brian Gurrin @briangurrin.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

In 2006 I told the late (great) Prof. Ray Gillespie that I wanted to publish every surviving scrap from the 1766 religious census, by 2016. I missed the 🎯by 10 yrs, but 😃 to report that on the 260th anniv. it's done. Everything, >50k names & population details, now online. @maynoothuniversity.ie

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Brian Gurrin @briangurrin.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

5 March 1766, House of Lords. Resolved: 'Parish ministers ... to return a list of the several families in their parishes ... distinguishing which are Protestants and which are Papists. As also, a list of the several reputed Popish priests and friars'. 'Ireland's first census', 260 y.o. today. 🎂📷 🎁

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Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland @virtualtreasury.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

📢 The lost 1766 Religious Census is 260 y.o. 🎂🎉 Watch out for our new 'Survivors' map on 5 March 👀 Originals, transcripts, names and numbers🧐🔎 @gensocireland.bsky.social @cbgenealogy.ie @igrs1936.bsky.social @ifhs.bsky.social @eshsi.bsky.social @kiaragregory.bsky.social @alliethinks.bsky.social

Map of Ireland showing the Church of Ireland diocese used for the 1766 Religious Census - but with no other information added.
A detailed map of surviving records will be posted on our Social Media channels on Thu 5 March

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Joel Herman @joelherman.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

My @historicaljnl.bsky.social article has been published open access alongside great articles by @adambforsyth.bsky.social, @davidandress.bsky.social, and others I couldn't locate here, in the most recent journal issue. www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

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Joel Herman @joelherman.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

Wolfe Tone on Paine: I have been laterly introduced to the famous Thomas Paine and like him very well. He is vain beyond all belief, but he has reason to be vain and, for my part, I forgive him. He has done wonders for the cause of liberty ... and I believe him to be conscientiously an honest man.

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Brian Gurrin @briangurrin.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

1766 religious census of Boho parish, Co. Fermanagh, by Revd John White. ‘One Papist is generally a herdsman for a whole townland. There is not a Papist in the parish anyway considerable, either in circumstances, or mental capacity, all poor, low, illiterate people’.

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Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland @virtualtreasury.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

1766 Killeeshill, Co. Tyrone Original 1766 census return on Dissenters (Presbyterians): 'spawn of Scottish Covanenters...most virulent, and furious persecutors of the Established clergy during the late tumults in the north of Ireland.' virtualtreasury.ie/item/NAI-IHP... @presoutlook.bsky.social

Image of a surviving original return from the 1766 Religious Census.
The rector blames the local 'insurrection called Hearts of Oak' on the 'Dissenters' (Presbyterians) who are 'the spawn of Scottish Covanenters, avowed enemies to all civil and religious establishment, and the most virulent, and furious persecutors of the Established clergy during the late tumults in the north of Ireland.'
See full transcript here:
https://virtualtreasury.ie/item/NAI-IHP-1-668

National Archives, Ireland IHP/1/668.

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Reposted by Brian Gurrin

Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland @virtualtreasury.bsky.social · 01/03/2026

Ballymore parish, Co. Armagh A rare surviving original census return! 🤩 But - instead of listing 901 names Rev. Sacheverell only sent 615 Protestant families 206 Popish (Catholic) families '2 reputed Popish priests' 😩 virtualtreasury.ie/item/VRTI-CE... virtualtreasury.ie/item/NAI-IHP... 👀 ALT

Image of a rare surviving original return from the 1766 Religious Census showing the bare minimum totals for Ballymore Parish, Co. Armagh.
https://virtualtreasury.ie/item/NAI-IHP-1-651

National Archives, Ireland IHP/1/651.

The 1766 Religious Census gold seam on the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland.
https://www.virtualtreasury.ie/gold-seams/1766-religious-census

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Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland @virtualtreasury.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

Prudence Riddle, Elizabeth Hagan, Grace Lascells, Deborah Milligan. Most 1766 census records for Co. Down were lost in 1922, but this transcript for Castlewellan records some names of adult women, and not just 'elite' women. A rarity in the census returns! virtualtreasury.ie/item/VRTI-CE.... 👀 ALT

Printed transcript of the 1766 return for Castlewellan, '15 families, 2 of whom were papists' and including names such as:
Terence and Elizabeth Hagan; Lord and lady Annesley; William and Mary Bridges; Andrew and Rebecca Newell; Cromwell and Anne Nicholson; Joseph and Grace Lascells.

Source: James O’Laverty, Historical account of the diocese of Down and Connor, volume 1, p. lxxi

The ruined interior of the Public Record Office of Ireland in 1922. Almost all the original 1766 census records were destroyed in the fire.

A route map from Dromore to Castlewellan (1777)

https://www.virtualtreasury.ie/item/LBC-mid-348

Taylor and Skinner's Maps of the Roads of Ireland, plate 284-285: Dromore to Castlewellan and Clough-Ballynahinch and Rostrevor-Moira

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Reposted by Brian Gurrin

Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland @virtualtreasury.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

Long thought lost this transcript of the 1766 census for Inchigeelagh Co. Cork was generously made available though the VRTI by Cumann Staire Uíbh Laoire/Ballingeary and Inchigeelagh Historical Society. virtualtreasury.ie/item/VRTI-CE.... @johncreedon.bsky.social @corkbeo.bsky.social 👀 ALT

Image of a single sheet with a transcribed list of the names from the 1766 Census for the Parish of Inchigeelagh

Transcript in possession of Cumann Staire Uíbh Laoire/Ballingeary and Inchigeelagh Historical Society.

For a full transcript of this document see
https://virtualtreasury.ie/item/VRTI-CEN-1766-6-757

https://www.virtualtreasury.ie/gold-seams/1766-religious-census

Home page for the 1766 Religious Census Gold Seam in the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland

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Brian Gurrin @briangurrin.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

1766 census return, Inchigeelagh, County Cork, from our friends in Cumann Staire Uíbh Laoire/Ballingeary and Inchigeelagh Historical Society. It's a complete transcript and (my view) a very accurate census return.

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Brian Gurrin @briangurrin.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

Kilmegan parish, Co Down - partial 1766 census return. The original return was probably one of the finest returns issued. #census

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Brian Gurrin @briangurrin.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

VRTI will be posting some information about the 1766 religious census returns over the next few days (260th 🎂 approaching). Keep an 👁️out. We'll be revealing some hidden gems 💎 among the surviving returns.

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Brian Gurrin @briangurrin.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

Thumb/finger print on PRONI T808/15122. Most likely a print of Tenison Groves, who transcribed thousands of names from the 1766 religious census, and the 1821-1851 censuses of Ireland. One of my heroes...

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Brian Gurrin @briangurrin.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

After 30 years of researching the 1766 census of Ireland, my latest find (Dublin Diocesan Archives) is - by happy coincidence - a transcript for my home parish, Delgany. Alas no names, but this is the full transcript of the destroyed return. Click to view: virtualtreasury.ie/item/VRTI-CE...

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Brian Gurrin @briangurrin.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

Better late than never. Census names in VRTI for end January, 2026 - a whopping 139,102, incl. >50,000 names from 1766 Religious Census of Ireland. Cork leads the way with 16k+ names from 1766 and 1821-1851. Next big mark is 150,000k Click for sample: virtualtreasury.ie/item/VRTI-CE...

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Brian Gurrin @briangurrin.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

Census of Ireland, 1766. Great census of Athassel, Co. Tipp. Gives names, details on family, occupations. My fave is entry number 435, John Birrane, 'a beggar man in cabin on the road'. Probably the only record for Birrane. virtualtreasury.ie/item/VRTI-CE... @tipperarylibraries.bsky.social

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Brian Gurrin @briangurrin.bsky.social · 23/12/2025

Quick note that the # of names from Irish censuses, 1766-1891, has leaped forward over the past few weeks, and now stands at a whopping 115,911. And the good news is that we have 1,000s more names to come in over the first half of 2026. Here's a cracker: virtualtreasury.ie/item/VRTI-CE...

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Brian Gurrin @briangurrin.bsky.social · 20/12/2025

Censuses of Ireland, 1766-1891. At end Nov. our total for names in VRTI CEN from 1766 religious census, 1798 census of Dublin City and censuses of Ireland 1813-1891 hit 98,000. On Tuesday we'll give the end Dec. total. Will we hit 100k? Tune in Tuesday for update. Any guesses?

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Brian Gurrin @briangurrin.bsky.social · 21/11/2025

Maps showing 1766 religious census returns received at House of Lords, in response to their 15 March call for census details, and the surviving details from the census. 83% national coverage in 1766; 63% survival of details, in some form. Significant losses. Significant recovery.

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Brian Gurrin @briangurrin.bsky.social · 21/11/2025

Censuses of Ireland, update. We've updated our 1766 survivors map to reflect some recent discoveries, including numerical details for Nenagh Union (Tipperary) and Tacumshin Union (Wexford), and expansion within Kilkenny. Coverage (survivors) now at 60.32% of the island.

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Brian Gurrin @briangurrin.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

Me when I find a new census transcript.

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Brian Gurrin @briangurrin.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

9 years to finish the big 6. Berlin, 2016, 2:44:54 (fastest). London, 2017, 2:48:34. Boston, 2018, 2:56:59 (coldest). Tokyo, 2019, 2:45:04. Chicago, 2024, 2:58:34 (slowest). New York, 2025, 2:49:48 (best). The big 6, done and dusted, and all sub-3s. 😃 #tired #runner #marathon

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Joel Herman @joelherman.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

Was a fantastic first day at ’Ireland and the American Revolution’ capped off by a brilliant keynote address by Prof. Eliga Gould. Looking forward to day two.

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Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland @virtualtreasury.bsky.social · 19/09/2025

Great to see a good turnout at @tcdunit18.bsky.social for @cwallacedublin.bsky.social's talk on Wed 17th titled "30 June 1922 – Dublin’s biggest explosion? Recovering the lost Public Record Office of Ireland”. @historytcd.bsky.social

From left to right: Holly Ritchie, PhD researcher, Department of History TCD, Ciarán Wallace, Mary Colclough, Community Engagement Manager, Unit18.

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Brian Gurrin @briangurrin.bsky.social · 14/09/2025

So, Andrew's wife is from Inchigeelagh. Click here to check out the 1766 religious census for the parish (our most recent 1766 discovery): virtualtreasury.ie/item/VRTI-CE...

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Brian Gurrin @briangurrin.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

Census of Ireland, 1861 The 1861 census returns were never in PRO/never open to the public. Not knowing this, Samuel Gilmore wrote to PRO seeking info from 1861 census, providing a mock-up for the Patterson household, Lisburn. Click link: virtualtreasury.ie/item/VRTI-CE... @narireland.bsky.social

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Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland @virtualtreasury.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

Tickets are now available for ‘Ireland and the American Revolution: 250th Anniversary Perspectives’. The conference will take place @tlrhub.bsky.social on the 9-10 October. For booking and more information use the link below. www.eventbrite.ie/e/ireland-an...

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Brian Gurrin @briangurrin.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

Beautiful lazy-beds at The Deserted Village, Achill. The lazy-bed agricultural practice was anything but lazy.

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