Of Irish Ancestry? There’s An App for That

m/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/4-Family-Crest1-173×300.jpg” alt=”” width=”173″ height=”300″ />Your iPhone or iPad may bring you even closer to your roots.

Jusst don’t expect miracles from the new Irish Family Ancestry app available at the iTunes store. You’re still going to have to put some elbow grease into your search. At this point, it’s more of an entry level intro to your Irish ancestry.

You just enter your name and some basic information comes up: the history of your family name, the original family mottos, alternate spellings, and the meaning of your name. You’ll also get a family crest, but don’t get excited. Most of those family crests are from families who probably had way more money and prestige than yours did. I don’t believe for a moment that my Foleys, who emigrated to Newfoundland, Canada, to farm and fish, knew any of the Foleys whose crest bears three black fleur de lis. Many of my ancestors couldn’t read or write. Let’s get real here.

So far it contains only 100 names and is only available for iPhone and iPad. Android users are out of luck for the moment.

Check it out on the iTunes website.  It might provide a little respite from checking your Facebook status or playing Words With Friends. It can’t hurt–it’s free.