Research built around your family
Whether you're starting with just a surname and a family story or you've hit a stubborn brick wall, I'll pick up where you left off.
Ancestor Tracing
Follow your line from records in your own country back to a specific place of origin in Ireland, then deeper into Irish records.
Parish & Civil Records
Baptisms, marriages and burials from church registers, plus civil birth, marriage and death records from 1864 on.
DNA Analysis
Make sense of your Ancestry or 23andMe matches, identify your Irish cousins and confirm which branch is which.
Emigration Research
Passenger lists, naturalization papers and census records from the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and beyond that reveal when and where your family emigrated.
Townland & Land Records
Griffith's Valuation and the Tithe Applotment Books pinpoint where your family farmed and lived.
Family History Report
A clear, beautifully presented report with a family tree, record images, sources and next steps.
Knowing where to look is half the work
Many Irish records were lost in the 1922 Public Record Office fire, so finding your family takes knowing what survived and where it's kept.
From family story to Irish townland
Free consultation
Tell me what you know: names, dates, family stories, old photos. We'll talk through what's realistic to find.
Research plan
I outline exactly which records I'll search and give you a clear, fixed quote with no surprises.
The search
I dig through U.S. and Irish records, sending you updates as I go so you're part of the discovery.
Your report
You receive a full report with your tree, record images, sources and suggestions for what to explore next.
Choose your starting point
Every family is different. These packages are a guide, and I'm happy to tailor one to you.
Discovery
For getting started or checking a single question.
- Review of your existing research
- Up to 5 hours of targeted searching
- One ancestor or one record set
- Written summary & next steps
Back to Ireland
Trace one line from America back to its Irish origin.
- Up to 15 hours of research
- Records abroad back to Irish place of origin
- Irish parish & civil records
- Family tree & full written report
- Follow-up call to walk through findings
Heritage
Multiple lines, DNA work and in-depth reports.
- Multiple family lines
- DNA match analysis
- Land & townland research
- Printed, keepsake-quality report
A researcher who's walked this road himself
I'm Joe Daly. I started researching my own family's roots and followed the Daly line back to the parish of Creggan in South Armagh. Along the way I learned how scattered, incomplete and confusing Irish records can be, and how rewarding it is when the pieces finally fit.
I earned my bachelor's degree in journalism from Creighton University, and I've always loved investigating: chasing down sources, checking facts and following a story wherever it goes. Genealogy turns out to be exactly that kind of work. I also hold an MBA from Creighton, which keeps my projects organized, on schedule and clearly reported.
Now I help families around the world uncover their Irish roots, bringing a journalist's curiosity, a technical eye for records and DNA data, and a real love for the stories hidden in old registers and land books.
"Every Irish family left a trail. My job is finding where it leads."Let's find your family
What clients say
Worked with me on your family history? Leave a short review for others to read.
Common questions
I only know a surname and that "we're Irish." Can you still help?
Yes. Most clients start with very little. We'll begin with what's findable in records where your family settled, whether that's the U.S., Britain, Canada, Australia or elsewhere (census, death certificates, obituaries, naturalization papers), and work back toward Ireland from there.
Weren't all the Irish records destroyed in 1922?
Many were lost, including most 19th-century census returns, but a great deal survived: parish registers, civil registration, land valuations, the 1901 and 1911 censuses and much more. Knowing which substitutes to use is a big part of what I do.
Do you research Northern Ireland as well?
Absolutely. I research all 32 counties, including records held by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI).
Can you guarantee results?
No honest genealogist can guarantee a specific find, because it depends on what records survived. What I can guarantee is a thorough, well-documented search and a clear report of everything I found and checked.
How long does research take?
Most projects take 2–6 weeks depending on the package and how complex your family's story is. I'll give you a timeline with your quote.
Start with a free consultation
Tell me a little about your family and what you're hoping to find. I'll reply within two business days with honest thoughts on where to begin.
joedaly@dalyirishroots.com