Griffiths Valuation Explanation

It has been suggested that the Leitrim-Roscommon site should provide some explanation of the Griffiths Valuation to further explain and compliment the Griffiths database. I had considered putting in a link to the many informative pages that already exist on this subject, however upon returning home today I found the following email message from John O'Beirne, a long time supporter of the Leitrim-Roscommon site. His message to me was a carbon copy of one he had sent out to a researcher who had written to request information about The Griffiths Valuation. John's reply to the researcher was concise and appeared to cover the main points of interest regarding the subject.

I have decided to publish John's letter to me (along with John's inherent Irish humor) as an assist to any researcher who may have the same question regarding "What is the Griffiths Valuation?".

Hi Jim,

As Butch said to Sundance, "What we have here is a failure to communicate." The L-R page should have the definitive definition. Briefly, it was a Real Estate survey of Ireland carried out by Griffith and his team in the 1850s for the purpose of assessing taxes to support the indigent under the Poor Laws; thus the Poor Law Unions.
The Roscommon Survey was completed in 1856 and published in Jan. 1857. It's main value to researchers springs from the changes and emigration since then, and the fact that most Irish public records were burned in 1922 during the Civil War. They were housed in the Four Courts and the Free Staters shelled the building which was held by the Republicans...see "Michael Collins," the movie.
Lesson over; now for your homework....

John O'Beirne