Search for Hugh Harkins

Hi Charles,

Thanks for your message. I hope someone with information contacts you. However it may be difficult to find info given the very early dates you mention as the  reality of finding documentation pertaining to births/baptisms/marriages/deaths in Ireland prior to 1800 ? particularly in rural areas ? is that they simply may not exist. FOr example, Catholic records for the aprish only start in 1851:

http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/fuses/rcparishmaps/index.cfm?fuseaction=showidrecords&CityCounty=Donegal&parish=Clonca&churchid=355

Protestant records generally tend to have an ealry start date. Most surviving Church of Ireland records are still held by the local clergy, although some are in the National Archives of Ireland and others are in the Representative Church Body Library in Dublin. Here are their websites: http://www.nationalarchives.ie/ and http://ireland.anglican.org/about/42

Lists of these surviving registers can also be found at the National Library of Ireland.

Here are the Harkins that were recorded in the parish in the Tithe Applotment Books, 1828:

http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/results.jsp?surname=harkin&firstname=&county=Donegal&parish=clonca&townland=&search=Search

The later Griffith?s Valuation records four:

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=doNameSearch&Submit.x=49&Submit.y=25&Submit=Submit&familyname=harkin&firstname=First+Name&baronyname=&countyname=DONEGAL&unionname=&parishname=CLONCA

Some websites that you may find useful in your research are:

The National Archives of Ireland http://www.nationalarchives.ie/genealogy1/genealogy-records/introduction/

The National Library of Ireland http://www.nli.ie/en/family-history-introduction.aspx

The National Archives UK ? genealogy search: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/

The Public Records Office of Northern Ireland http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/family_history.htm

Irish Genealogy Tool kit: http://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/

Genealogy Links: http://www.genealogylinks.net/uk/ireland/donegal/index.html

Donegal Resources: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~donegal/

Best wishes,

Genealogy Support

Thank you for your response. I had already reached the conclusion that going back this far would be a long shot unless someone in Ireland had a family history which identified Hugh Harkins. I have provided the same information to a lady in Clonmany parish where many Harkin/Harkins came from in Donegal.  In any event I am planning a trip next year to this area to at least visit the general areas that my ancestors immigrated from to US.

best regards,

C. Harkins