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Barnardos’ Origins Information and Tracing Service helps people who grew up in Ireland’s industrial schools to trace their family of origin. Experienced professional staff offer advice, support and mediation in your search for your family of origin. This service is fully funded by the Department of Education and Science.

If you spent all or part of your childhood in an Irish industrial school we can support you in finding out about your family of origin. We will provide you with help in tracing information about your parents, siblings or other relatives. This service is completely confidential and only staff directly involved in your case will have access to your details.

Our service is available across Ireland and we have staff working in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Wexford. If you would like to use Barnardos’ Origins Information and Tracing Service, one of our counsellors will meet you or speak with you by phone and explain the process and answer any questions that you may have. The service is supported by the Department of Education and Science and is free of charge to applicants.

Each person who comes to Barnardos’ Origins Information and Tracing Service is different and unique. Their case is not like anyone else’s case. But the following is a snap-shot of how the service has worked for those who have used it:

• Over half of the cases dealt with by the Origins team have lead to a reunion with the family of origin. Many of these cases have involved sisters and brothers who were separated as children. The team has been available to offer practical and emotional support and to facilitate this contact with family members.

Sometimes though, after all known tracing avenues are exhausted, no new information is located. The person being traced may be deceased, or a traced person may not wish to have contact. Origins’ counsellors offer support and advice, whatever the outcome.

The Origins team has built up a wealth of experience and is open, sensitive and supportive to anyone who is either tracing or looking for information about their family of origin.

 If you would like to get in touch with Origins about tracing or looking for information about your family of origin, please download the application form and send it to Origins@barnardos.ie. Please note that in order for us to process such applications, you must also submit a consent form to the same email address.

Contacting Us

Please contact the service closest to you. If there is no service near where you live please contact our Dublin office. For UK applicants and those living abroad, please contact the Dublin office.

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