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Kilkenny (Cill Chainnigh)

This research guide is designed to help you find your Irish ancestors in our genealogy print collection.  The McClelland Library uses the Dewey Decimal Classification System to make our print materials findable through the online catalog and while browsing our shelves in person.  Below you will find books to help you locate your ancestors in county Kilkenny.

929.1: Books under this dewey number at the McClelland Library are primarily about how to get started with genealogy research and where to find certain sources.

Tracing your Irish Ancestors by John Grenham

Call Number: Geneal. 929.1072 G865t        Publication Date: 1999

A comprehensive guidebook for Irish genealogy; includes tips for where to begin, what to expect, and brief exploration of internet source. Grenham provides major source lists of Civil, Census, Church, and Land Records, Wills, Genealogy office, Deed Registries, Newspaper and Directory listings, and a reference guide of Sources by County. 

Irish Towns, a Guide to Sources edited by William Nolan and Anngret Simms

Call Number: Geneal. 929.1072 Ir47    Publication Date: 1998

Provides brief overview of the history of towns and territorial divisions in Ireland, including several maps, drawings, and prints. Also includes source listing of records of Central and Local Government after 1700, Estate and Church records, Newspapers, Directories, and Gazetteers, and a select bibliography of publications on Irish Towns in the period from 1500-1980, printed between 1969 and 1993.

929.3: Books under this dewey number at the McClelland Library are primarily Genealogy Sources or books of compiled resources put together by genealogists.

Indexes to Irish Wills edited by W.P.W. Phillimore and Gertrude Thrift

Call Number: Geneal. 929.3 P54i

Publication Date: 1909

Date Range: 1536-1858

Index of wills from Sees (Diocese) in Ossory, Leighlin, Ferns, and Kildare, in what was the ancient Province of Dublin.  Parts of Kilkenny are located in the Ossory, Leighlin, and Kildare Diocese. Contents include the Calendar of Wills for each diocese listing in alphabetical order the full name, county, and date of probate.

Irish County Maps Showing the Locations of Churches in Leinster Province provided by the Genealogical Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Call Number: Geneal. 929.3418 Ir43L

Publication Date: 1976

Date Range: 1631-1873

Compiled using churches listed in Thom’s Irish Almanac and Official Directory for 1853, does not include churches extinct in or established after 1853.  Includes County Parish listings for Carlow, Dublin, Dublin City, Kildare, Kilkenny, Leix (Queens), Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly (Kings), Westmeath, Wexford, and Wicklow.  Denominations listed are Church of Ireland, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, and Others. A map of Civil Parishes by County is provided with grid number corresponding to entries for each parish.

Kilkenny Families in The Great War by Niall Brannigan & John Kirwan

Call Number: Geneal. 929.34189 B7352k

Publication Date: 2012

Contents include a Nominal Roll of Great War Veterans from CO. Kilkenny, listing both native born and long term residents of County Kilkenny who served in “various combatant arms” of the U.K., and Colonial progeny in Australia, Canada, East Africa, Egypt, India, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.S.  Also listed in appendix A are “Non-combatant Auxiliary volunteers”: nurses, munitions workers, Merchant Marines, and Red Cross workers. Appendix B lists “Transients”; neither native born nor long term residents of Kilkenny, but those who served for a period of time or were hospitalized in the county.

Ireland: County Kilkenny Genealogy & Family History compiled by The Irish Genealogical Foundation

Call Number: Geneal. 929.34189 C8328

Publication Date: 2009

Contains a birth index, National Resource List, Local Resource List, Names in County Kilkenny, complete (existing) returns from the ‘census’ of 1659, Coats of Arms connected to the area, county map, and Index of Place Names (ancient and modern).  There is also an illustration from the King James Irish Army, tracing the lineage of some members of the army in 1689. Information regarding those recorded in the returns of the 1659 census includes Parish, Townland, Number of people, and Name, with a notation that much of the population did not participate in this census.

929.4: Books under this dewey number at the McClelland Library are primarily about names.  Books in this section can contain information about surnames, forenames, and even baby names. While these books may have information in general about your surname, they do not contain lineage information.

The Surnames of Ireland by Edward MacLysaght

Call Number: Geneal. 929.4094 M226s 1991       Publication Date: 1991

Date Range: 1848-1864

Contains location of ancient territories, population groups, relevant abbreviations and explanation of technical terms used in guide.  Pages 1-303 provide alphabetical listing of surnames, followed by an appendix of English and Scottish surnames in Ireland, and an appendix providing a simplification of Gaelic forms of surnames.

929.5: Books under this dewey number at the McClelland Library are primarily about Cemeteries.

A Guide to Irish Churches and Graveyards by Brian Mitchell

Call Number: Geneal. 929.50941 G9415

Publication Date: 1990

Guide to the cemeteries and graveyards listed by county with civil parish, townland, Ordnance Survey sheet number, religious denomination of church, and indication of whether cemetery or graveyard remains attached to church.  There is a number preceding each listing that provides reference to map location in author’s atlas, A New Genealogical Atlas of Ireland.  Especially helpful in locating approximate birthdates, person’s residence at time of death, possibly family information (if family plot).

929.6 – 929.8: Books under this dewey number at the McClelland Library are primarily about family Heraldry.  Heraldry includes family crests and tartans.

The Poolbeg Book of Irish Heraldry by Micheal O` Comain

Call Number: Geneal. 929.6 012p Heraldry     Publication Date: 1991

An introduction to Irish heraldry this guide is a good starting point as it contains general guidelines for researching.  Included on pages 71-98 is a Heraldic Dictionary that provides the meanings of a variety of images, heraldic terminology, and variations in spelling of terms and phrases.

Fairbairn’s Crests of the Families of Great Britain and Ireland by James Fairbairn

Call Number: Geneal. 929.6041 F1507f Heraldry      Publication Date: 1986

Contains survey of over 30,000 families, geographical associations, legends and mottos.  Index of family names are arranged alphabetically on pages 1-522, glossary of terms pages 523-530, and alphabetical index of mottoes on pages 531-599.  Also included is an index of plates of Crests, Orders and Regalia, Flags, Ornamental Lettering, Monograms, Heraldic Illustrations, Foreign Crowns, and Principal Cities, and Regalia of Scotland.