| Directories were first published around the | | | | of all the cities in County Cork except the city of |
| beginning of the eighteenth century. They | | | | Cork, in 1871. The city directory for Bandon, for |
| primarily only covered cities and larger towns and | | | | instance, says it is a parliamentary borough, |
| were used primarily to acquaint visitors to the | | | | market and head post-town, on the Bandon |
| towns. Philadelphia had the first of these | | | | river-from which it derives its name-20 miles |
| directories in 1785 written by Macpherson, the | | | | from Cork, by rail. It goes on to tell about the |
| Directory for the City and Suburbs of Philadelphia, | | | | forfeited estates made to a Phane Beecher, in |
| which created a numbering system to identify all | | | | 1588 while Queen Elizabeth reigned. These grants |
| dwellings and properties in the city. Other cities | | | | were subsequently purchased by the first Earl of |
| followed, including New York City in 1786, Detroit | | | | Cork and Francis Bernard-ancestor of the Earls of |
| in 1837, and Chicago in 1844. | | | | Bandon. The town was incorporated in 1613. The |
| Since these directories list the residents in | | | | first Protestant church was erected there in 1610 |
| alphabetical order for a particular locality and year, | | | | on the site of an old Danish fort. |
| they are valuable for genealogists. By 1860 there | | | | The directory goes on to tell about the railroads |
| were more than 70 regularly published city | | | | and their schedules, that the county fairs are on |
| directories in the United States. Others were | | | | Wednesday and market days are on Wednesday |
| published at irregular intervals. This may be the | | | | and Saturday. All of the physicians, surgeons, |
| only way you might find an early emigrant to this | | | | churches, town commissioners and different |
| country. If you could match the person in the | | | | societies and their officers, schools, magistrates, |
| 1860 census, you might have proof. | | | | clergy, justices of the peace, solicitors, and |
| In the United Kingdom, John Crockford published a | | | | everyone from agents, brewers, carpenters and |
| Clerical Directory. He was the son of a clergyman. | | | | on to millers, printers, watch makers, wine and |
| The directory contains biographies of Anglican | | | | spirit merchants and all in between, are listed. |
| clergy. It also provides other information such as | | | | There is a list of principal landowners. Ordinary |
| details about the Anglican churches and benefices | | | | persons are not listed if they did not have an |
| in England, Wales, and Ireland. This database | | | | occupation, a considerable disadvantage if your |
| contains a selection of Crockford Clerical | | | | ancestors were farmers or miners. |
| Directories, dating from 1868 to 1932. | | | | More history of Bandon tells about the O'Sullivans |
| Commercial directories, professional directories, | | | | who had a castle about 7 miles from |
| general trade directories and town directories | | | | Bandon.There are 365 lakes in the mountains |
| were among the early ones published. Bankers, | | | | separating County Cork and County Kerry. Every |
| manufacturers and principal tradesmen and | | | | town with a postmistress and postmaster is listed. |
| specialist directories narrowed the population. The | | | | At the end of the page is a census summary |
| wealthy inhabitants of a town such as the gentry, | | | | with the number of males, females, Methodists, |
| wealthy tradesmen and professionals were listed. | | | | Catholics, other religions, children under 12, those |
| Pigot directories listed residents alphabetically and | | | | 12 to 20 etc, farms, houses, those who could |
| included a classified trades section, where | | | | read and write, and the illiterate. |
| individuals and firms were recorded under | | | | Every place is interesting such as the village of |
| occupational headings. Town directories covering a | | | | Cloyne, 17 1/2 miles from Cork, which has deep |
| single town and its hinterland were particularly | | | | caves with a subterranean river running through |
| common in the early years of directory | | | | them. The little town of Curraglass has the finest |
| publication, but of continuing importance | | | | herd of Booth shorthorns in the county. Eyeries, |
| throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth | | | | 94 miles from Cork on the west coast of ireland |
| centuries. Many town directories were published | | | | was where Morty Oge O'Sullivan was killed by a |
| by resident entrepreneurs such as John Gore, | | | | military party that had been dispatched to arrest |
| whose series of Liverpool Directories began in | | | | him for shooting Mr. Puxley, of Dunboy, in 1754. |
| 1766. | | | | You remember that story from "Hungry Hill" by |
| A complete collection of city directories for your | | | | Daphne Du Maurier. Portrayed as the Broderick |
| town is priceless as you can trace your ancestors | | | | family in the book, The Puxley family owned the |
| from the time they came to town or reached | | | | mines in southwest Ireland. Eyeries now is a |
| maturity until the present. Modern city directories | | | | wonderful little place with brightly colored houses |
| show the name, occupation, address, wife, adult | | | | and buildings. It may be the neatest village in |
| children and whether or not the inhabitant died or | | | | Ireland. |
| moved during the previous year. The churches, | | | | Towns from Ballyclough to Union Hall and in |
| businesses, clubs, fraternal organizations, | | | | between are listed and you may waste a lot of |
| professions and schools are also listed. Maps of | | | | time reading this interesting information without |
| the area are included. | | | | finding a family member. There is a POST-TOWN |
| I am looking for my elusive grandmother, a | | | | DIRECTORY OF THE COUNTY OF CORK, listing |
| Sullivan who said she came from Cork. She did | | | | all the names and professions. I found 175 |
| not say if that was county Cork or the city of | | | | SULLIVANS and the towns where they worked. |
| Cork in Ireland. Or maybe, she took the boat in | | | | Directories are great sources for locating people in |
| Queenstown to America. Queenstown is the old | | | | a particular place and time and they are especially |
| name for Cobh, the seaport in County Cork | | | | useful in between census years and in years |
| where the emigrants caught the ship going to | | | | when censuses are not available. Directories are |
| England and America. | | | | also an excellent source for gathering details to |
| I discovered the web site of a lady, Ginni | | | | help you place your ancestors in historical context |
| Swanton, who has researched for her ancestors | | | | and help you paint a picture of what life in that |
| in County Cork. This site has the city directories | | | | time and place might have actually been like. |