I know what you mean Shona, I looked for Peter's grandfather in Sligo for 25 years. Finally found on his oldest daughter's birth reg in Australia that he came from Gurteen. Then in Ireland, with a nudge from a friend, I found on a Finn family web site, a brother's address gave the townland of Gurtigara. We then found a B & B next to the farm and a long story, but have very happily visited the family in Ireland and they visited here .. but that took nearly 30 years ..
With my lot .. so much is anecdotal .. but I was lucky with the Burgess family because a booklet gave the tomb inscriptions, which when I visited you couldn't read them.. My Letts though, their wives have children in their 50s and 60s .. so not quite sure whether they were drinking lots of Guiness or what .. I have to go back though and record what was on Thomas Lett's headstone at Horetown. I have a huge book called "The Family Face" on the Leete/Leet/Lett family but the details are not recorded .. if I needed an excuse, I have one to go back..