The Society of Descendants of Ireland

The Society of Descendants of Ireland (originally the “Order of Descendants of Ireland”) was organized to gather together persons of Irish origin, preserve and cherish the memories of our ancestors in Ireland, and affectionately reflect upon the Emerald Isle.

The Society of Descendants of Ireland was authorized by the Board of Directors of The Augustan Society, Inc. on 5 April 1980.

Membership is available in two exclusive classes:

Royal Life Member (RLM): Eligibility is restricted to persons who can demonstrate through research and scholarship that he or she has an unbroken descent from any historic Irish High King, Provincial King, or Sub-King, residing in Ireland before 1170 (the date of the beginning of the Anglo-Norman invasion of Henry II).

Many people can prove descent through Diarmait MacMurchada (Dermot Mac Murrough, 1100–1171), King of Leinster, and his wife Mor O'Toole, father-in-law and mother-in-law respectively of Richard de Clare (“Strongbow,” circa 1130–1177), 2^nd Earl of Pembroke, Justiciar of Ireland, whose daughter Isabel married the great Sir William Marshall (1146–1219), 3^rd Earl of Pembroke and Regent of England (1216–1219). However, any pre-1170 Irish High King, Provincial King or Sub-King is acceptable if lineages are proven.

Hereditary Life Member (HLM): Eligibility is restricted to persons who cannot demonstrate Royal Life Membership (because of the vast destruction of genealogical records at Four Courts, Dublin in 1922, or for other reasons), but who can prove descent from some Irish family. There is no restriction as to the time period, but proof of descent from ancestors who lived in Ireland for at least three generations must be provided.

The entry fee for either membership class is $100; $50 is charged to upgrade from Hereditary to Royal Life Membership later. There is also a Genealogist Fee of $4/generation for each lineage submitted, including corrections and extensions. Credit will be granted for well-recognized portions of lineages documented in Wikipedia or previously approved by the Society.

For both classes, applicants must send a copy of their lineage and list genealogical sources along with their entry fee. GED files are preferred but not required.

Pedigree lines based upon the works of O'Hart or O'Duirnin are not acceptable. Acceptable references for lineages include the (New) Complete Peerage 1910–1959; Ancestral Roots of Sixty Colonists... (5^th edition, 1976); Magna Charta Sureties, 1215... (3^rd edition, 1979); and Francis John Byrne's Irish Kings and High Kings (1973).

The SDI's arms are shown above an inescutcheon of a green shamrock on a silver field upon the Augustan Society's shield. The insignia consists of a lapel pin with the design from the inescutcheon. Each member is also given a membership certificate. Members who are also Augustan Society members in good standing may also purchase a breast badge showing the arms while supplies last (this insignia has been discontinued and is no longer authorized for wear except by the Dean of the Society).

The Irish-American Genealogist was long the designated Official Publication of the Society of Descendants of Ireland, and the funds paid to the SDI were primarily used to fund that publication and research projects that would be published in the journal. Today, The Augustan Omnibus serves the same role.

In addition, lineages submitted by members will be published from time to time in the Society's journal and proposed lineage books. They are also employed by the “Family of Augustans” project.

One of the initial projects we hope to fund is the compilation, alphabetization, and indexing of hundreds of Irish passenger lists to North America, covering the years 1848 through 1860, but not limited to that period. Since the foundation of the Irish Genealogy and Research Committee of The Augustan Society, special efforts have been made to obtain passenger lists of Irish to America. We now have many of these, but they are made nearly useless without indexing and publication. The ultimate value to all Irish researchers will be great, and we look to the members of the SDI to carry this project to its conclusion.

As a longer-term project, the SDI will provide funding for research scholarships, stipend support, and other types of funding to those engaged in Irish family research.

We also wish to expand the Irish materials in the Augustan Society Library greatly.

For additional information or a petition for membership, please contact Headquarters.

Dean:

 vacant

 

PETITION FOR MEMBERSHIP

 

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