The late English author Pete McCarthy, who was Irish on his mother's side, decided to travel the length of Ireland in search of his roots. His method of research? Stop in every pub called McCarthy's and talk with the people there. While this is certainly one way of finding your pot of genealogical gold at the end of the rainbow, there are other paths to take, albeit probably involving a bit less craic. Certainly, a trip to Ireland should be in your future — if for no other reason than to say you've been to every pub sharing your surname. But you don't have to venture across the Atlantic before waving your shillelagh and shouting, “Erin go bragh!” Our seven-step guide will get your Irish roots search going right here at home.

1. Learn a wee bit of history.