Genealogy Centres in Kilkenny

Kilkenny Ancestry

Rothe House
16 Parliament Street
Kilkenny City
Ireland

Some Common County Kilkenny Surnames

Popular surnames in Kilkenny City and county include: Murphy, Walsh, Brennan, Maher, Butler, Phelan (& O'Phelan), Grace, Fitzpatrick, Comerford and Ryan.

Services

Initial Enquiries are usually replied to within one week. Record Searches and Partial Searches usually take about one month and enquirers who commission Full Reports can anticipate a delay of about three months.

The main records include:

Church records - the earliest parish for which records have been computerised in County Kilkenny is 1754 onwards while the latest to commence keeping records did so in 1856.

Kilkenny Ancestry also holds copies of:

  • Indexed Pigotts and Slaters Directories
  • Various estate rentals
  • The records of Kilkenny Corporation
  • Files of the Kilkenny Journal newspaper

In all the centre holds about two million genealogical records.

Some People with Kilkenny Ancestry

White House architect James Hoban was a Kilkenny native as was the philosopher George Berkley.

Main Towns in County Kilkenny

The main towns in this county, in addition to Kilkenny City are: Castlecomer, Callan, Freshford, Johnstown and Thomastown. Mount Julie, Thomastown is the venue for of Murphy's Irish Open Golf Competitions in recent years.

Famine and Emigration

Not withstanding the loss of between 40 and 50 per cent of the 1845 potato crop and a near total loss of that of 1846, Kilkenny, the worst effects of the famine were ameliorated in Kilkenny. This was because the Guardians of the Kilkenny Poor Law Union provided out-door relief, in defiance of the Relief Commissioners, in the winter of 1846-47, and because of the response of a resident gentry who actively promoted relief schemes.

Nevertheless, between 1841 and 1851, the population declined by 46,500 (21.5%) of which 12,500 may be attributed to excess deaths and 32,000 to emigration.