The task of going back in time to discover your Irish heritage can be daunting for anyone, especially when you consider the scale of emigration from Ireland has been so immense historically.

Perhaps the most notable time period that people of Irish descent are keen to explore is The Great Hunger, roughly 1845 - 1849, in which millions of Irish people left Ireland for new lives abroad.

While the task of tracing your Irish ancestors from well over a century ago may be daunting, it is by no means impossible! In fact, more and more descendants of Irish emigrants are returning to visit the Irish villages their ancestors left, sometimes for the first time in centuries.

So where do you start if you are a descendant of Irish emigrants? In the 19th century, people were more concerned about who was arriving in their country, as opposed to who was leaving. That’s why it’s a good idea to start your research in the country your ancestor emigrated to. 

The vast majority of Irish people who left Ireland during The Great Hunger made their way to America. MyHeritage features resources including the Ellis Island and Other Passenger Records Collection, US Census Records, and The Chronicling America Historical Collections to help you in your search if you’re based in the US.

While plenty of Irish people fled to America during the Great Hunger, others traveled to places including the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, all of which MyHeritage can provide resources for research on.

MyHeritage is currently offering a free, 14-day trial for new users who are ready to begin discovering their Irish roots and connect with their Irish relations who may be scattered around the globe.

MyHeritage: Find your Irish roots.

MyHeritage: Find your Irish roots.

Millions of families, plenty of them with Irish connections, are currently using MyHeritage to explore their history. Now's the time to collaborate with members and join the thousands who are reuniting with long-lost relatives every single day through the MyHeritage network.

MyHeritage begins doing the work and searching for you as soon as you create your family tree. Users can look forward to email alerts with Smart Matches and Record Matches revealing new family tree connections, records, and newspaper articles about your ancestors.

In the meantime, new users can dive into MyHeritage's huge international records database – just search a name to learn more about your ancestors! With exclusive content and accurate results, MyHeritage will help you uncover more than you ever imagined.

MyHeritage believes that family history is a key part of what makes us who we are, and wants to help you connect deeply and personally with your family’s stories and your ancestors and relatives who star in them, all while helping you pass down your family treasures to the future generations. 

MyHeritage is the leading global discovery platform for exploring family history and gaining valuable health insights. Its sophisticated matching technologies, billions of international historical records, and at-home DNA tests take you on a meaningful discovery journey that unites your past, present, and future.