Situated in Ranfurly house, Dungannon town centre and part of the council's programme of celebrating local history and culture, the new facility is being run in conjunction with Irish World, the genealogy provider for Tyrone and Fermanagh. Visitors to the Castle Hill area will now be able to add toots tracing to their list of things to do.

Anyone interested in exploring their roots in this area can simply use the dedicated computer in the Ranfurly House and log onto the 'Tyrone Roots site.' This will open up millions of online records and the user can key in their ancestor's name, date of birth/marriages etc and initiate a search. In most cases this will provide a list of possibilities, and if the person wished to view the full record (or records) they can purchase these for 5 each. In some cases, where no parish records are available, or where particular further research might be required, visitors will still be able to contact Irish World directly for more specific advice or guidance.

The online data includes baptism, birth, marriage, death and census records and covers the period from the early 1800s up to the 1920s. The records were compiled over the past two decades by Irish World Family History, whose head office is in Coalisland. At the launch of the new service in Ranfurly House, Willie O'Kane of Irish World said his company was pleased to put this family history resource at the disposal of Dungannon Council.

The council, he said, had carried out much important work highlighting the history of Dungannon in the 16th and 17th centuries and their exhibition on the Nine Years war and Plantation period was a marvellous attraction for visitors in the area. Mr O'Kane added that Irish World wished every success to the new venture, and commended the Council's initiative and vision in promoting local heritage in the proposed new development of the Castle Hill complex.

Oliver Morgan, Cultural Diversity Officer with Dungannon and South Tyrone Council, expressed thanks to Irish World and looked forward to working together in helping connect people to the history of this region. Family roots and genealogy, he said, fitted perfectly with the Council's concept of local history, and it was fitting that descendants of the worldwide Diaspora of Tyrone people could now connect so easily with the past and savours a sense of their shared history. In our digital age, where information is the lifeline of most activities, it was fitting that technology can be harnessed to connecting us with our ancestors.

Source: Tyrone Courier

Date: 20-08-08