O'Malley Genealogy

Many people are already researching their O'Malley family tree and others have yet to start. Below is a general "how to" guide as well as resources that are available to help your research.

Getting Started

Whether you or a seasoned researcher or a beginner, AI (Artificial Intelligence) is a great place to start getting answers to your questions. AI can point you in the right direction - just ask it a question, assess the response, and keep digging deeper until you are satisfied with the answer. AI is a great place for finding sources that you can then examine critically yourself (to make sure that AI is giving you the correct answer). Examples of questions you could ask include the following:

  • How do I start researching my O'Malley family tree?
  • How can I find out what part of Ireland my O'Malley's came from?
  • Where can I find records for Westport from 1800-1850?
  • What O'Malley records are not available online & where are they?

There are several AI engines available and it's free:#

  • Google has a new "AI mode" powered by Gemini. Click here to access it.
  • ChatGPT is available here . If you want, you can also sign up for a free account but this is not essential.

There are several websites where you can build your family tree for free. Click the links below for instructions. And ask AI if you get stuck and need help:

  • FamilySearch - massive free records database; trees are public
  • WikiTree - community-based collaborative tree-building
  • Ancestry - free account allows tree-building and limited access to records; subscription needed for deeper research; DNA
  • MyHeritage - similar features to Ancestry above

Genealogy involves attaching the correct records to the correct ancestor. Accuracy is vital. Family History Fanatics has some really useful videos - start with this one here.

Standard records for Irish genealogy 

  • Births, Marriages & Deaths - these civil registration records (1864-1925) are available for free on the Irish Genealogy website.
  • Baptisms, Marriages - these church records are available on RootsIreland (for a fee). Particularly useful pre-1864.
  • Census records (1901, 1911, 1926, plus earlier fragments) - available for free on the National Archives website here.
  • Griffiths Valuation (free) - covers the period from 1847-1864. Subsequent years (1864-1933) are available for free online for the 6 counties of Northern Ireland (see here). It is hoped that other Valuation Office records will go online in the next few years. Ask AI for the latest update.
  • If you have found a placename and want to know where in Ireland it may be, Logainm.ie is a very useful resource. It explains the relationship between current and historic land divisions.
  • Various sites are particularly useful for Irish gravestones
    • Historic Graves
    • Irish Graveyards
    • FindaGrave
    • Billion Graves

DNA Testing

If you don't know where in Ireland your O'Malley ancestors came from, DNA can help you identify close cousins who may have the information you need. You can do the autosomal DNA test at Ancestry (best option) or MyHeritage or 23andMe. You can then upload a copy of your results (for free) to FTDNA, LivingDNA and GEDmatch.

And you can also do the Y-DNA test to find out which branch of the wider O'Malley Clan you belong to. Y-DNA is only found in males, so you may have to find a male cousin (called O'Malley) to do the test as your proxy. Start with the Y-DNA37 test (from $79) and then consider upgrading to the Big Y (from $300). The Administrators of the O'Malley DNA Project will help you interpret the results and advise on next steps - click here to join the project for free.

O'Malley-Specific Sources

There are several groups researching O'Malley genealogy. Here is a list of various on-line resources that should be of assistance to anyone looking to discover their O'Malley roots.

  1. The archive of previous newsletters and journals produced by the O'Malley Clan Association is freely available here. These contain many articles documenting previous genealogical research going back over 40 years.
  2. Finding Grace project  A project to uncover the DNA signature of Grace O'Malley's branch of the O'Malley family. This blog, run by Dr Maurice Gleeson, describes the project objectives and progress. The objective is to uncover the Y-DNA signature of the male forebears of Grace O'Malley, the Pirate Queen (1530-1603). She will be 500 years old in 2030.
  3. FTDNA O'Malley Group Project. Family Tree DNA is the DNA testing site that contains the O'Malley Group Project. This link will take you to the project. 
  4. O'Malley Genealogy Forum on Facebook. This group has over 800 members researching their O'Malley roots. It's a great place for asking questions about your own research - other researchers may know the answer, or at least point you in the right direction.
  5. Ancestry UK has many O'Malley family trees. The O'Malley Clan Family Tree administered by mjg162 is run by O'Malley Clan members and includes many different groups of O'Malleys, including most of those in the DNA project. There are over 6500 people in the tree and it is constantly growing. 

Video record of O'Malley DNA workshop conducted by Dr Maurice Gleeson at the 2025 O'Malley Gathering in Westport, Co Mayo

Click on the image above to see the handout from the workshop


Some other helpful books and websites: 

  1. O'Malley People and Places by Dr Sheila Mulloy, former Chieftain and Guardian Chieftain. Published jointly by Ballinakella Press and Carrowbaun Press, this book is currently out of print, but several libraries in Ireland have copies and it may be possible to pick up a second hand copy on the internet. The book provides background information on many individual O'Malleys and on places associated with the O'Malleys. Several of the biographies of Chieftains on this website have drawn on information in Sheila's book.
  2. Grace O'Malley: The Biography of Ireland's Pirate Queen 1530-1603 by Anne Chambers is the definitive biography of or famous ancestor. Published by Gill Books, Dublin. You may also be interested in Anne's Grace O'Malley site 
  3. The Round House O'Malleys - The Power of One Woman! by Grace O'Malley Cantillon, tells the story of one branch of the Limerick O'Malleys, descendants of Michael O'Malley (1818-1894) and his wife Kate Fleming O'Malley. This book is out of print, but copies may be found in some libraries in Ireland and it may be possible to pick up a second hand copy on the internet.
  4. Cathair na Mart is the Journal of the Westport Historical Society. Over the years they have published articles on O'Malley history. Back issues of the journal are available for purchase here and can also be found in some libraries, particularly in Westport or Castlebar. An index to the articles in these journals can be found here.
  5. Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society has also published articles on the O'Malleys, including several on early genealogy by Sir Owen O'Malley in the 1950s. See GAHS for details.   

  6. A Guide to Tracing Your Mayo Ancestors by Brian Smith, published by Flyleaf Press

  7. Tracing your Limerick Ancestors by Margaret Franklin, published by Flyleaf Press

If anyone would like to suggest other publications and/or websites that might help others who are researching their O'Malley genealogy, please let us know at omalleyclanireland@gmail.com