Issue Three of Home Thoughts for Abroad, the Mayo Gazette newsletter, relating to Co. Mayo in the west of Ireland. To me, the most striking fact about this site is not that it contains a truly awesome amount of research data and resource links but rather the manner in which the author chose to do his own research work. I have long realised that there is huge interest in Family History worldwide and that most of Mayo origin are no different to others, who feel separated from their heritage. I suppose in a slack week I get around 15 emails from people on family history matters.
Busy weeks can bring a lot more.
The vast majority are from sincere individuals, trying to open up new leads and most writers would appear to have at least some research already done. A few, however, make me scratch my head in incredulity as it can be very obvious that the writers have no clear ideas to what is involved in trying to trace roots back to isolated parts of a poor, desolated county like Mayo in Famine times. I am a teacher living and working in Dublin, and the nearest part of my native county is over 120 miles away. Even if I lived right in the heart of Mayo I would not have the time or resources to trace much of what is requested of me at times. It can be obvious, very obvious, that some correspondents have no real idea of how to go about researching their family roots in this country or of the really impressive amount of research that has been done by others and which is available on-line for all to see and access.