Today was another day of special experiences! Those of us on the IGSI tour of Ireland had the option to spend the afternoon researching at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) in Belfast.

I'd hoped to find late 18th century records from County Donegal for my McKlveen ancestors. I struck out there but had an exciting time nonetheless. In the PRONI search room, one of the requests I submitted was for a lease dated 1 August 1768.  Perhaps I shouldn't have been so surprised when it was handed to me. A simple computation would have prepared me for holding a contract that was nearly 250 years old.

Still, I felt like I should be wearing white gloves as I unfolded the precious document. The paper was in good condition for its age; the writing was clear and legible. The lease reflected an agreement between the Earl of Donegall and linen merchants James and Joseph McIlwaine of Lisfannon, County Donegal. A hand-drawn map described the property in question.

Now to be honest, I probably didn't learn anything pertinent from looking at that lease in person. PRONI's online e-Catalogue includes a good description of each item in its collection. However, there was something magical about seeing the old document. If you have plans for travel to Belfast, your research will be more efficient if you review the PRONI website at: www.proni.gov.uk/index.htm. But you can learn a lot without visiting the PRONI reading room. See what you can access online: www.proni.gov.uk/index/search_the_archives.htm.