Genealogy research - recommend EPIC, Nat'l library in Dublin?

My sister and I got a 30 minute consultation at the EPIC museum family history center last year. In our case, the results were a little disappointing. In fairness, we didn't have alot of documentation for them to work with in a short time. They were able to access Ancestry.com and an Irish genealogy website to confirm the information we had was correct but that was it. Irish birth records are scant, most national records destroyed in the fire in Dublin in the early 1900s. Most people will tell you that church records, if available in the parish or county where your relatives were born, offer the best information, but even so, accuracy can be questionable. The more verified information you can get at home will help when you get over there. Frankly, I'm skeptical that any real family knowledge can be found unless one dedicated the trip strictly for that purpose. Records are hard to find! Having said that, the EPIC museum is still very worthwhile seeing. Good luck!

Thank you for your reply. I don't have high expectations since I've been working with a very good genealogist here who has access to Ancestry and other websites that pros use. I was hoping maybe in Dublin they would have other sources. I will also go to a parish in Cork that may have records. I'll post if I find anybody or place that is helpful.
If anyone has met with someone at the Nat'l library in Dublin, and can recommend them, please let me know.
Thanks again.

The fire in question was the 4 courts fire in 1922, during the Irish Civil War.

As the first poster said, it is surprising how much detail is in US records- depending on the state- some being better than others. Especially marriage and death records, and obituaries in US newspapers which often give great family history details. Many of those records are on Ancestry- which anyone can use- on payment of a subscription.

Then use the 1901 and 1911 censuses which are both on line. Sadly the 1921 census (the last under British rule) was delayed until after 1926- after independence so will be opened in 2027. 1861 and 1871 were destroyed by the Government long before the fire, and 1881 and 1891 used as waste paper during WW1.

What you really want to do is to try to establish a home town, from US sources (or find ancestors in those 2 censuses), or use various websites noted below.

All Civil Registration records survive (they weren't at the 4 courts) from the start in 1845 (Roman Catholic marriages start in 1864). They can be searched here- https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/civil-search.jsp

Deaths are on a 50 year closure, marriages 75 years and births 100 years.

But in the early years of registration avoidance was very high. So many events were simply never recorded. A far higher rate of avoidance than in the UK.

Once you have a home town then all non Church of Ireland Records survive in their own home Parish. In the main what was in the 4 Courts was copies (what we call Bishop's Transcripts in the UK). Anything not surviving has been lost for other reasons of time.

For County Cork C of I records those that survived the fire have largely been computerised- contact Pat Mahony of the Cobh Genealogical Project at [email protected] to commission a search.

Also see here- https://www.ireland.anglican.org/about/genealogy

One of the important pieces in the jigsaw (once you have a town) is Monumental Inscriptions. Either found locally or just by walking Churchyards.

In some ways the problem is time, and that not much is on line. Genealogy is a long thing. In the UK I have cases which are over a decade old but keep popping open at the most unexpected time.

The Irish News Archive can also be valuable- https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/