i am actually trying to document my claim to irish (dual) citizenship, which i am entitled to on both sides of the family. i had an aunt that did a good job of laying out the pedigree on my dad's side. don't have actual docs, but have pretty much all the info i need. but i thought it would be interesting to do my mom's side. i also thought it would be easier, as they lived in chicago for a couple generations.
i quickly hit the wall, tho, as i am unable to locate records of either my mom's or her brother's birth. i suspect they were born at home, and not recorded. i am sure there is a baptismal certificate somewhere that would do, legally. just have to track down the parish. any west side (chicago) irish out there who would know the irish parish?
have both my grandparents death certs, which is leading me to a little info. didn't find anything in ellis island records, except that my grandpa went back at least once.
just not able to do this all from a keyboard, i guess.

anyway, what i was really wondering from the folks here is-
#!-just how the hell did these private companies, like choicepoint (!), end up owning all the old public documents in this country? you can't even freakin' look at shit. cook county now has all their old records online, but it costs you $15 a pop to look at the actual docs! i'm sure all this was expensive to do, but jeeeez. even just ordering a form online is kinda nuts, and that is less time than opening letters and taking phone calls.

#2- any recommendations for software, or websites that are worth anything? i know that the apple store sells a couple, but not sure if they are worth the $50. i am already starting to get confused, tho, and need to do something.


sorry to post and snooze, but i have to go to bed now. spent yesterday going to iowa and back for barack. really wiped out.
i will catch up in the am.