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What you need help doing

Complete pre-trip research

Research done before you travel is almost always worth more than research attempted while you are there. The point is to arrive with documents, questions, and places rather than hope.

Start with what you knowFind Cork providers for this

Who this is for

  • You have a county, parish, or townland and want it confirmed.
  • You want records in hand before you visit.
  • You have limited days in Ireland and want them spent well.

What you should already have

  • Names, approximate dates, and a location at least at county level
  • Documents you already hold, organised and legible
  • A decision about what matters most: a person, a place, or a relationship

What a provider may be able to do

  • Locate and review civil, church, land, and burial records
  • Confirm or correct a location you believe to be correct
  • Assemble a documented report with source citations
  • Advise which repositories or places are worth visiting in person

What a provider cannot guarantee

  • That records survive for the period or parish concerned
  • That the family tradition will be confirmed
  • That every generation can be linked with documentary evidence

What to prepare

  • A summary of documented facts, kept separate from family memory
  • A prioritised list of questions
  • Your travel dates, so the work can be scheduled usefully

Questions to ask before hiring someone

  • What is included in the report, and will I receive source copies?
  • How long will the work take relative to my travel date?
  • What will you do if the records do not survive?
  • Do you work regularly with records from this part of Cork?

Cork providers for this work

Mallow Heritage Centre

Official Irish Family History Foundation county genealogy centre for North and East Cork

The official Irish Family History Foundation genealogy centre for North and East Cork, holding parish and civil records across 46 Cloyne diocese parishes, with a research service built around helping diaspora visitors correspond and plan before they ever set foot in Ireland.

  • Identify an ancestral hometown
  • Complete pre-trip research
Location
27/28 Bank Place, Mallow, Co. Cork, cork, ireland
Coverage:
Diocese of Cloyne, 46 of Cork's 120 parishes across North and East Cork

Checked against their own website. Last reviewed 4 August 2026.

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Dr. Paul MacCotter MA, PhD, MAGI

Independent accredited genealogist and historian, solo practitioner

A University College Cork historian and Accredited Genealogists Ireland member specialising in pre-1830 Irish genealogy, land and estate records, and surname history, offering a free initial email assessment before any paid work begins.

  • Identify an ancestral hometown
  • Complete pre-trip research
Location
Co. Cork, cork, ireland
Coverage:
All of Ireland

Checked against their own website. Last reviewed 4 August 2026.

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David Ryan, Ryan Genealogical Research

Independent genealogist and oral historian, solo practitioner

A Cork city genealogist and oral historian, University College Cork trained and an Association of Professional Genealogists board member, offering commissioned Irish ancestry research and one-to-one consultations.

  • Identify an ancestral hometown
  • Complete pre-trip research
Location
Cork city area, cork, ireland
Coverage:
Cork focused, with broader Irish research experience

Checked against their own website. Last reviewed 4 August 2026.

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