brick wall

[carrie]

my ggg grandmother was born in dublin about 1844, i have her death certificate and marriage certificate and census details from 1861 onwards but i've now reached a brick wall. apart from visiting every catholic church in dublin to check parish registers for her birth my only other option seems to be a professional genealogist. the ones i've looked at seem to charge a lot of money for very little information. how do i know if they are genuine? any advice much appreiciated.
carrie

[Colin Moretti]

Hello Carrie

Fortunately I've never had to employ a professional researcher nor do I know anyone who has so can't make any recommendation but I would guess that a good starting point would be to contact a member of The Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives (AGRA) Perhaps others have experience of using members of the Association.

Good luck

Colin

[Stephen M. Kohler]

Carrie,
Don't spend your money yet! Dublin is no small place. For the purposes of keeping track of churches and parishes it is divided into North County Dublin, North City Dublin, Centre City Dublin, South City Dublin, and South County Dublin. Why do you assume your grandmother was a practicing Catholic before or after immigrating? The Church of Ireland and the Presbytarian communities were well established in 16th, 17th, and 18th Century Dublin. Immigrant churches like the Methodist and Episcopalian churches were established in the 18th and 19th Century. Green and Orange Irish immigrants rubbed shoulders crossing the Atlantic. It was not uncommon for Scots Irish and Irish to meet aboard immigration ships and exchange wedding vows and change churches once in America. After the American Civil War and during Reconstruction the Southern United States filled with Irish Immigrants. Many of them attending local Protestant churches as few Catholic churches were available. Both my family and my wife's family are of Green and Orange origins. My father was Roman Catholic. My mother was Methodist. Look in the registers of the Protestant churches.

/R
Stephen, Washington, DC

[Gwyneth]

Carrie

Would the g g g grandmother you refer to as being born in Dublin be a Florinda/Florindo McDonald.

She is my g g grandmother and Orlando Harrison was my g grandmothers father.

Gwyneth