Pre-1858 Irish probate : wills and administrations in Ireland

"Wills have a very special importance, not least because of the detail they frequently contain about family, relationships, property and place of burial. They are also one of a handful of documents of a personal nature, apart from diaries, which might give some insight into the innermost feelings of an ancestor. However, their use in Ireland is greatly hampered by the massive loss of records in 1922 during the Irish Civil War. Nevertheless, there are now many finding aids and indexes that can help greatly with research in this difficult area."