Hollywood legend Maureen O’Hara is one of many high profile Irish personalities included in the latest release of historic birth, death and marriage records.
O’Hara is considered as one of the first ladies of the silver screen and starred in timeless classics How Green Was My Valley? and The Quiet Man.
The flame-haired beauty moved to America as a young aspiring actress and became one of the most recognisable and loved faces in the world.
She frequently worked with long time friend John Wayne and the legendary director John Ford.
O’Hara was a hugely popular figure in both Ireland and America and remains a legend of Hollywood.
She sadly passed away in her home in Idaho aged 95 in 2015.
The details of her birth, in Dublin Ireland in 1920, are just one of many previously unpublished records that have been released online by the Irish government.
Published on the website irishgenealogy.ie, the data includes birth register records from 1864 to 1920, marriage register records from 1845 to 1945, and death register records from 1864 to 1970.
The news is a huge advantage to anyone wishing to learn more about their ancestry if they believe they have Irish roots.
When building a family tree, it is crucial to confirm as much data as you have with official sources.
If you are working with unconfirmed dates and details regarding one of your ancestors, then it can quickly lead you down the wrong path in terms of your family tree.
The great news is that official historic sources don’t come much more reliable than from actual government information, although as always it is best to be open-minded about any data you find.
However, the depth of information in this latest batch of released records is excellent with dates, locations, parties present, and much more.
For example, the birth records include the following: the child’s forename and surname, the date and place of the birth, the father’s name, address and occupation, the mother’s name including a maiden name if not married, and the signature and date of the official registration.
In one simple record there is a mass of information that can help identify, or discount, members of your family tree.
The release has been welcomed by historians all around the world, both professional and amateur.
Of course, there are people in countries from as far as USA to Australia that remain proud of their Irish heritage, after their ancestors left Ireland to begin new lives elsewhere.
The depth of detail in the marriage and death records is equally useful to historians and family tree enthusiasts. Other notable personalities included in the data include legendary hurling player Christy Ring, and former Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave.
Irish Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin was delighted at the release of records. She said: “I know that this annual update is eagerly anticipated and will be of great benefit to anyone carrying out research on their Irish ancestry”.
Minister for Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands, Heather Humphreys added: “I am delighted that the Civil Registration Service has provided another year of historic birth, marriage and death register entries to the www.irishgenealogy.ie website. I trust that this information will be of great use to anyone with an interest in genealogy and may act as a spur to those who would now like to start their own family history research”.
You can take a look at the records by visiting www.irishgenealogy.ie