| County Mayo, Ireland Specific |
| The Famine in Mayo - A Portrait from Contemporary Sources 1845-1850 by Ivor Hamrock. I've read many books on the famine but this one really looks at it from a whole different perspective- with newspaper reports, witnessed events all over County Mayo. Some of the key landlords of County Mayo are discussed such as the Earl of Lucan and Sir Roger Palmer Bart and the evictions they conducted. If your family was present in County Mayo during the famine I think you would want to have this book! It is really well done. This books is a Mayo Library Publication. |
| The Story of Mayo by Rosa Meehan. This is another great pubication of The Mayo Library- a really beautiful book. If you want to get a feel of what County Mayo was like past and present this is a must have book. I have read about everything I can find on County Mayo in the University and Genealogy Libraries I have access to here in California and this, I believe will be one of my favorites. The resources at the Mayo County Library in Castlebar will be at the top of my list when I head over to Ireland to continue my Genealogy research |
| Tracing Your Mayo Ancestors by Brian Smith |
| History of Mayo Volumes 1-5 by J.F. Quinn (A great resource on County Mayo from the early centuries to present day. University Libraries often have this collection) |
| Mayo Aspects of its Heritage edited by Bernard O'Hara (This book has multiple authors, and shows population changes pre and post famine in all Civil parishes in County Mayo, information on civil and catholic parishes, place names, Ulster Migration to Mayo, chronological events in County Mayo History etc) |
| Antiquities of West Mayo by Christiaan Corlett (This book covers County Mayo History 7th century forward) |
| The History of the County of Mayo to the Close of the 16th Century by Hubert Thomas Knox (County Mayo legends and early history) |
| Land and Popular Politics in Ireland (County Mayo from the Plantation to the Land War) by Donald E Jordan, Jr. (The land wars and pre and post famine changes in County Mayo) |
| A Various Country, Essays in Mayo History 1500-1900 edited by Raymond Gillespie and Gerard Moran (A very detailed look at how County Mayo changed over the years) |
| Statistical Survey of County Mayo, 1802 by James McParlan MD (this is available in a CD Book from Eneclann!) (This is a great resource on the geography, all aspects of agriculture, state of the economy pre famine in all baronies of County Mayo in 1802. It is quite detailed) |
| Dugort, Achill Island 1831-1861 The Rise and Fall of a Missionary Community. by Mealla Ni Ghiobuin. This is part of the Maynooth Studies in Irish Local History. If you had family in Achill Civil Parish I think you would definitely want to read this book, and even if you don't it is a good read. |
| Farewell to Mayo by Sean O Ciarain. A great read on his memories of his Irish childhood in Mayo. |
| Kiltimagh Remembered. by Basil Burke. a four volume collection of books written by a Historian from the Kiltimagh area. I have yet to obtain these books but I plan to order them in the future. If your family came from Kiltimagh I would think you would be very interested in acquiring these books! |
| He Who Died and Dared: The Life and Death of an S.A.S. Original, Sgt. Chris O'Dowd. Chris O'Dowd had impoverished beginnings in Shrule, County Mayo and made incredible contributions on behalf of the S.A.S. an elite special forces team in WWII. This is the story of his life told by his nephew. His accomplishments and the book reviews are inspiring- I just ordered this book. |
| Brackloon- A Trip Down Memory Lane. I think that this book would appeal to anyone whose Irish ancestors hailed from the area along the Mayo/Roscommon Border- I thoroughly enjoyed it! Seamus Kenny, a contributor who was also involved in the creation of this heritage book aptly described its content as follows "The acclaimed book celebrates the folklore, humour and history of this old postal and school district on the Ballyhaunis to Loughglynn road. The book covers family histories, localized events and life in a rural west of Ireland coping with the everyday events of going to school, working in the fields and keeping in contact with friends and relatives home and abroad. The publication offers extensive informed details relative to social and political events such as Land wars, the Famine, emigration inclusive of information relative to the landed gentry of the Dillon family in Loughglynn inclusive of the Costelloe and De Freyne families in the area. The book contains information about related details in such localized areas as Loughglynn, Gortaganny, Agahamore, Bekan and Knock while also noting other local towns of Dunmore, Tuam, Ballaghadereen and Castlerea as examples." This book is available through Mayo Books. |
| Dear Old Ballina by Terry Reilly. I just received this book from Mayo Books and haven't had the chance to read it yet. It is a 465 page tom on the history of the Town of Ballina. If my family hailed from the Ballina area, I know I would want to read this book! |
| Killasser - Heritage of a Mayo Parish by Bernard O'Hara. Another book that I just received from Mayo Books. Bernard O'Hara is a great author- I knew this would be a good one to purchase - it is filled with details on the history of the parish. I think this book would be an asset to anyone doing genealogical research in any of the 58 Townlands that make up Killasser parish. |
