Irish Tree Launches Affordable Genealogy Research Service for Irish Ancestry

Irish Tree, LLC has launched a family history research portal offering free consultations and cost-effective packages beginning at $299. Led by experienced genealogist Maureen Fitzpatrick, the service began operations in January through its website at http://irishtree.org. The company focuses specifically on the unique challenges faced by those researching Irish ancestry, where millions of birth, death, and marriage records are missing or damaged.

Fitzpatrick explained that building a family tree presents difficulties regardless of nationality, but Irish genealogy involves particular obstacles due to historical record gaps. With experience dating to the early 1990s, her approach emphasizes formal validation of client assumptions alongside original, documented research. Irish Tree offers three service tiers: Basic for those with existing trees seeking record validation, Starter for building initial frameworks from scratch, and Custom packages for overcoming specific research barriers. Both Basic and Starter packages include up to five hours of research for $299, while Custom services begin with a free consultation to determine scope.

Client testimonials highlight the service's impact. One Milwaukee public relations executive hired Irish Tree to complete her family tree before her mother's dementia progressed, receiving documented research with photographs and historical news articles that led to meaningful family interactions. Another client credited the service with solving a longstanding mystery about her family's Irish birthplace through discovery of an alternate obituary containing crucial clues, enabling a visit to her ancestors' homeland. Fitzpatrick's methodology developed through decades of pre-internet research at facilities like the Latter Day Saints library in Salt Lake City and public libraries nationwide, examining microfilmed obituaries and vital records.

Her transition to digital research began with CompuServe's dial-up service in the early 1990s, where connections through the "Roots Forum" led to collaborations with a Northern Ireland genealogist and numerous research trips to Ireland. Fitzpatrick describes an almost instinctual approach to genealogy, noting she cannot pass a cemetery without examining gravestones. Her professional background includes nursing, culinary work, and volunteer coordination, with formal education in both nursing and history. Ethical standards form a cornerstone of Irish Tree's operations, with Fitzpatrick emphasizing integrity, reliability, and strict confidentiality regarding clients' personal and historical data. The service aims to provide verifiable documentation while delivering emotional satisfaction through family discovery.