Peering into the Irish Past Takes Hard Work, Enthusiasm

By Elizabeth Altman

Cummins, who along with his wife Doris, developed a "spark of interest [in genealogy that] grew into a quest that sent us twice to Ireland and to Germany and well to Slovenia," joined the Irish Genealogical Society in 1992. Both became interested in the formation of an Irish research library seven years ago.

Cummins is a retired Louis Allis Company vice president of engineering. About 20 years ago, he developed computer technology for Milwaukee-based manufacturer of industrial electric motors, Cummins has since extended his knowledge into the realm of librarianship. In addition to his monthly three-hour volunteer sessions, Cummins selects and maintains the library’s computers and equipment. He also searches out and purchases relevant genealogical database CDs. 

Today, the library has amassed one of the largest collections of Irish genealogical resources in the United States. Boasting a myriad of texts, from CD pedigree databases to a microform collection of thirty titles to more than 800 books, the IEL has become one of the largest genealogical libraries within the region. The facility is open every Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

To list the entirety of the resources housed within what Cummins has dubbed "a library in a closet [that]… if this were to be put on shelves it would take up five to six times a room this space," would an afternoon. But here’s a taste.

The IEL is home to the largest CD collection of its kind throughout the Midwest. Flipping through their cases, a searcher finds the LDS Pedigree Resource File, a database that links more than 100 million names. 

Visitors also come across the B-55 Cantwell’s Memorials to the Dead, a CD that contains the names of 67,267 deceased Irish from Clare, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Sligo, Wexford and Wicklow. "Burial records are rare in Ireland," said Cummins. "So that’s why this CD is so important. If you’ve ever been in an Irish cemetery and know the conditions of Irish gravestones, then you know what a phenomenal achievement this is."

Cummins acknowledges Griffith’s Primary Valuation index as the most used CD. The Valuation provides the names of individuals and their location around Ireland throughout the course of certain dates. For example, the CD lists "Christy, Patrick, of 1848-1864" as "County: Leitrim; Parish: Inishmagrath; Location: Modorragh." However, a citizen without the deed to a large parcel of land who consequently didn’t pay big money in taxes often would not be included in such records.

Cummins lastly recommends the Counties in Time CD. "If you’re going to Ireland, take a look at this CD; familiarize yourself with the types of documents." Counties in Time, which includes explanation of 32 types of documents from 31 record classes, also introduces a basic Irish history and provides a glossary. The CD additionally describes the National Archives and other research records and as Cummins says "helps to give a background, launching you off into other areas of research." 

The library also owns many books that are stored in CD form. Tithe applotment books for selected parishes and counties provide one example. Some include personal, first-hand accounts from tithe collectors who recount running from the pitchfork-wielding farmers who "shooed" the taxmen from their land. 

Other materials such as maps have additionally been transcribed onto CD, with easy-to-use access where the careful researcher can zoom in to print specific desired areas.

The IEL also features some rare acquisitions. The Casey Papers are a prime example; only 50 other libraries throughout the country offer this collection of genealogical sources for counties. Kerry and Cork. 

The IEL also provides access to the Heritage Quest Database as well as census information from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, emigrant bank records, an Irish estate records index, and Ontario land records. 

The genealogy library has also created unique "help files" and "finding aids" for every resource at the ICHC. Both serve as hard copy guides personalized to describe the contents and instructional procedure for books, microfilm, and CDs.

Self-named "the friendliest library in the world," the IEL supports that hefty claim with the care of its volunteer staff that works one-on-one with patrons through the daunting amount of available material. 

Retired math teacher and current volunteer Patrick Tyrell described his personal interest in the library and genealogy, and how the discovery of his own roots has encouraged him to help others reach a similar connection with the past. 

Tyrell first became interested in his Irish genealogy six years ago as he watched his sister-in-law uncover her Norwegian ancestry. He soon joined the Irish Genealogical Society and, using the abundance of Milwaukee’s resources, set to work to discover the history of a great-grandfather from Rathshanmore and the distant relatives he never knew he had. 

Tyrell, who along with his wife, carried his work full circle with a trip to Ireland in February of 2005, said, "It helped to research beforehand. I wouldn’t have gone if I hadn’t known where my great-grandfather was from."

There, he discovered two distant relatives. The 70-something "Terell" (as they pronounce it in Irish) brothers welcomed the Tyrells to the family farm, surprising them, as both "had no idea people were living on the land where my great-grandfather grew up." 

Cummins himself had a similar story of surprise that he shared at the July 10 meeting, basically outlining the hidden and often unexpected rewards of genealogy.

"I had an Uncle Charlie. He was thinner than I am, a dapper looking guy," said Cummins, describing the playful uncle who drove fast cars before the invention of the highway and later went on to fund Cummins’ sister’s first year of university tuition. "So you know what kind of guy he was," Cummins said. 

"He’d come down to see us and he’d tell us wild stories about his time in the army, about France in WWI, trench warfare, nerve and mustard gas. We have this CD [of records] at the library and Uncle Charlie only spent one year in the army. He never got past Indiana…I’m sure my dad was in on it," Cummins lightheartedly continued.

Perhaps this connection to the family "revelations" that genealogical research may provide, as well as the enhancement it has afforded the travels of the library’s own staff, have affected the IEL’s spirit and mission. 

"The best thing this library offers is being able to help people find their Irish ancestors. People are here to help people discover their Irish roots," said Tyrell.

The IEL eventually hopes to open its doors an additional day. However, a shortage of volunteers has been a challenge. 

"We are a small organization and the problem is finding volunteers to man the library," said Cummins, "It normally takes two volunteers for each shift. Keeping the library open one day a week with each volunteer serving once a month takes a staff of 16, not including reserves. This does not account for a mountain of maintenance and other work."

The IEL, in any case, still works to maintain the quality of it Wednesday hours and may be found online at www.execpc.com/~igsw. Lists of its book and CD catalogs are available through the Wisconsin Resources link. For those seeking to trace their ancestry, the library recommends first searching out pertinent resources online, and then coming to the library with any applicable pedigree charts or family group sheets.
 
 

Elizabeth Altman can be reached at lizzyaltman@hotmail.com