Privacy Policy

What data we collect

This platform does not require you to create an account or provide any personal information to use the search. We do not collect names, email addresses or contact details unless you choose to contact us directly via email.

When you use the search, your query (surname, forename, county and year range) is processed on our servers to return results. We do not store search queries or associate them with individual users.

Cookies

This platform uses session storage in your browser to remember your search state when navigating between pages (for example, so that clicking Back returns you to your search results). This data is stored only in your browser and is cleared when you close the tab. No tracking cookies or third-party analytics are used.

Document viewing

When you view an original document image, the file is fetched from the relevant national archive via our server and streamed to your browser. We do not log which documents you view or store any association between users and documents.

AI-generated content

Census household descriptions are generated on demand using the Anthropic Claude API. The data sent to the API consists solely of the household record information (names, ages, occupations, location) from the census. No personal information about the user is sent. Generated text is not stored permanently and is regenerated on each visit.

Third-party services

Record data and document images are sourced from Irish Genealogy (irishgenealogy.ie) and the National Archives of Ireland (nationalarchives.ie). When document images are requested, our server fetches them from these sources. Please refer to the privacy policies of those organisations for details of how they handle requests.

Data retention

We do not retain any personal data about users of this platform. If you contact us by email, your message and email address will be retained only as long as necessary to respond to your enquiry.

Your rights

Under GDPR and Irish data protection law, you have the right to access, correct and request deletion of any personal data we hold about you. As we hold no personal data about users of this platform beyond direct email contact, there is generally nothing to request. For enquiries, contact us at hello@irishorigins.ie.

Changes to this policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Changes will be reflected in the "Last updated" date at the top of this page.