Tracing Your Roots

Of the estimated 70 million people of Irish descent living outside of Ireland today, many are unsure of where in Ireland they originate from, or if there are any living relatives still there. 

The Department of Foreign Affairs supports Ireland Reaching Out (Ireland XO), a volunteer-based, non-profit initiative that aims to help these people discover the story of their family history and reconnect them with the Ireland of today.

The programme is based on a simple idea; reverse genealogy. Instead of waiting for people of Irish descent to trace their roots, Ireland XO volunteers worldwide are networking with people of Irish descent in their local areas, helping to build bridges between the present and the past by connecting people with the home parishes of their ancestors.

Whether you have emigrated recently or have never been to Ireland, Ireland XO welcomes Irish people from all over the world and those who share an affinity for our rich and varied cultural heritage. It is about building a community with no geographical boundaries, connecting first through bonds of people and place, then developing through a shared celebration of culture and friendship, both online and offline.

The Ireland XO website is run almost entirely by local Ireland Reaching Out groups.  Queries on our message board are answered by people in the actual locality, ensuring that if they don’t know the answer, they probably know somebody, who knows somebody, who does.