There are few RC records before 1800. Most parishes are much later as the books were lost. . . nothing dramatic. . . just lost. The National Library of Ireland attempted to preserve them by microfilm, staring with the earliest books to 1880. They have no intention of microfilming later books as the purpose was to cover the period before Civil Registration was established and in place. The Family History Library acquired the RC records (FHLC 929XXX). The Mormon missionaries spent several years microfilming RC records (FHLC 1279XX)to later dates. The FHLC holdings are posted by the county on Fianna and some of the individual countywebpages.

Irish history on the internet

Go to these URLs for some Irish History:

Irish History

A Brief History of Ireland 3000bc-1998

Fianna - Guide to Irish Genealogy

Irish History

Transcriptions from Primary Sources

The Records

SANTA CRUZ FAMILY HISTORY CENTER
IRELAND RESOURCES & LINKS.

Worries over Ghostly Sounds, strange apparitions and the sort are most often tricks of the mind, but they can be the cause of some serious injuries. I remember one gloomy, winter's day while taking a short cut through the local cemetery, a friend of mine became so obsessed with the "Moaning Sounds" she heard that a mild form of hysteria finally overcame her.. of course our "Horror Stories" which we began telling from the moment we enterred the cemetery didn't help. :) When she couldn't take it anymore, she broke off into a run.

I could remember my sister telling me a story about hearing weird noises in a cemetery and the sounds wound up to be coming from a Mausoleum. So I "Bravely" :) grabbed one of my friends to go check it out, while the other person took after the girl. A little later two things were found out:

1. The Girl was found huddled to the ground holding her arm, and a trip to the Hospital showed she fractured her arm when she tripped over a low gravestone.
2. The eerie noises she heard were, indeed, caused by the wind blowing through a Mausoleum.

Now one could not really fault the girl for getting upset over the noises, for they did sound unearthly on that dark, dismal day in the silence of where so many were lain for their final rest, however even she admitted it was especially stupid to not pay attention to the ground in front of her while going (well.... running in this case :) ) through a cemetery. :)

If you don't pay attention to where you place your feet in a cemetery, it is fairly easy to trip over something.

A souple cases were told to me about tombstones falling on their toes or legs and injuring them. In some cemeteries, I guess it is up to the people to take care of the grave and make sure the tombstone is secure. But that really doesn't matter for usually cemetery personel will stand fallen stones up... but rarely do the check each stone to see if it is stable.

Anothersomewhat bizarre case is related by one of the Ireland List Members. She says:

"I know this is off topic, and very unusual. After about six week of rain about three years ago, we had a very pretty Saturday, younger daughter and I set out for the cemetery, I was visiting with an 82 year old great uncle, my very impatient 10 your old daughter wanted to explore the cemetery just across the road, I allowed her to go but said she must keep me in her line of vision at all times [we were siting on the patio] with in about 10 minutes she came running back, saying there was a boy's body hanging from tree, I left her with my great uncle while I checked it out, knowing the UNI was near and students often like to play tricks. but sadly it was a body, and of a 19 year old girl. a victim of drug abuse. This experience left my daughter very shaken, and me too, she had counselling and is now fine, the councillor used this experience as another reason, not to use drugs. "
Karen in Oz

This story reminds me of several stories over the years where people witnessed small animals hung up or crucified in cemeteries... and even more where small animals were simply found dead. I have also heard of people found hung or shot in cemeteries, however many of these stories can easily be written off as someone trying to enhance a story -- that is until you see it yourself. To young children, and some adults, this can be a very disturbing thing to find.

A person should always be aware of their surroundings, and take steps that lower their chances of becoming a victim, however they should take special care around the Holidays (like Mother's Day, Memorial Day, Father's Day and even Halloween). For all the visitors a cemetery receives, they can be very lonely places and like other places, the people who go there are not always willing to get involved in a situation. Members of the Criminal Mindset know this too and this makes cemetery visitors an appealing target for theft, personal attacks, etc.. Whenever you visit the cemetery it's a good idea to follow some common sense safety precautions:

• This first one is rough, because it stated "Don't leave your purse or other valuables in your car.", but I disagree with this idea. It is often safer to keep what valuables you take with you in a locked vehicle than to carry them with you. The best advice is not to take a big, bulky purse with you, and store it under the seat or in the trunk of your locked car. One last bit of advice is to not make loud commentary about where your valuables are, on almost every cemetery trip I made I could count on one person telling another where their purse is. People often forget that sounds in a cemetery tend to carry further than those made on a street or in a parking lot.
• If possible, go with a group.
• Go during the daylight hours. Many Cemeteries close at dusk, however some remain open to certain hours - whether it gets dark early or not.
• If you have a cell phone, it is also a good idea to bring it with you so that you can call for help if necessary.

The Epitaph Browser