The agreement between us.

Last updated: May 2026

1. Who we are

The Townland is a sole-trader business operated by Jim Mulvihill, tax-resident in Ireland, providing genealogical research and family-history website services. These terms govern your purchase and use of our services.

For any matter relating to these terms, contact hello@thetownland.com.

2. What we provide

For the price displayed at checkout, we provide the service described on our website at the time of your order. As of the date of these terms, our entry-tier service ("Heritage Evidence Pack") delivers:

Two primary-source genealogical records — either image-quality screenshots from free state archives, or precise filing references for records you can order yourself — relating to the ancestor(s) you ask us to research
A one-page evidence pack PDF with citations in Evidence Explained format
An honest written assessment of how far we believe your tree can be advanced and what it would cost to do so
Delivery by email within seven days of receiving your completed intake form

Higher-tier services (Family Outline, Heritage Chronicle, Heritage Chronicle Premium) are quoted individually after you receive your evidence pack and accept our scope proposal.

3. What you provide

To research your family, we need accurate information from you. By submitting our intake form you confirm:

You are at least 18 years old
The information you provide is accurate to the best of your knowledge
You have the right to share any information you submit, including names of relatives
You will respond to clarifying questions from us within a reasonable time

4. Pricing and payment

Prices are displayed in US dollars (USD) at checkout. Payment is processed by Stripe; we never see or store your full card details. Payment is taken in full at the point of purchase. Where applicable, your bank may apply a foreign-transaction fee — that fee is between you and your bank.

5. Delivery

We aim to deliver the Heritage Evidence Pack within seven (7) calendar days of receiving your completed intake form. We may take longer in unusual circumstances — for instance if your case requires consultation of records held only in physical archives. We will communicate any delay.

6. Refunds and the brick-wall clause

The Heritage Evidence Pack

Genealogical records do not exist for every family. Approximately 10–15% of cases will brick-wall at the entry tier — this typically happens with adoptees, illegitimate births where no father is named, common surnames in counties where the records were destroyed in the 1922 Public Record Office fire, and cases where the surviving family information is insufficient to identify the correct individual.

If we are unable to find at least two primary-source records relating to your ancestor within seven days, we will refund your payment in full. Refunds are processed via Stripe within 5–10 business days of our determination. We will tell you as soon as practicable if your case appears unlikely to yield results so you are not waiting unnecessarily.

Higher-tier services

Higher-tier services are billed for the work we perform, not for a specific genealogical outcome. We commit to applying our research process diligently and reporting honestly what we find. We do not guarantee a specific number of generations or any particular discovery. Refunds for higher-tier services are considered case-by-case where there has been material non-performance of agreed scope.

7. Your right of withdrawal (EU / UK consumers)

Under the EU Consumer Rights Directive (Directive 2011/83/EU) and equivalent UK legislation, consumers buying digital services normally have 14 days to withdraw from a purchase. By starting the intake form and ticking the box marked "I want service to begin immediately", you give your express consent for service to commence within the 14-day period and acknowledge that you lose your right of withdrawal once research begins. If you wish to preserve your right of withdrawal, do not submit the intake form until you are ready for work to begin.

This clause does not affect statutory rights you may have under your local consumer law.

8. Intellectual property

You own the final evidence pack and any subsequent family-history website we deliver to you. You may share, print, and distribute these for personal and family use.

The Townland retains rights in the underlying research methodology, the website template and design system, and the citation format we use. We may use anonymised learnings from the research (e.g., "Co. Mayo Catholic parish coverage gap notes") to improve our service for other customers.

9. Privacy and data

Our handling of your personal data is governed by our Privacy Policy, which forms part of these terms.

10. Accuracy

Genealogical research involves inference from historical records that may themselves contain errors. We follow the Genealogical Proof Standard and cite our sources so you can verify our work. We do not, and cannot, warrant that every conclusion is correct beyond doubt — we warrant only that our research is honest and the evidence is preserved.

If you discover an error in delivered work, contact us and we will correct it where reasonably possible.

11. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, our total liability for any claim arising from your purchase is limited to the amount you paid for the service. We are not liable for indirect, consequential, or incidental damages, including lost time, emotional distress, or family disputes that may arise from delivered research findings.

Nothing in these terms limits our liability for matters that cannot lawfully be excluded — including death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or fraudulent misrepresentation.

12. Suspension and termination

We may decline to deliver, or suspend or terminate, any service if we have reasonable grounds to believe:

The information you provided is materially false or misleading
The order is being used to harass or distress another person
Fulfilment would breach applicable law or our own ethical standards

In such cases we will refund any unused portion of your payment.

13. Governing law and disputes

These terms are governed by the laws of Ireland. Disputes arising from these terms are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Irish courts. If you are a consumer resident in another EU/EEA member state, the protections of your local consumer law continue to apply.

For low-value disputes you may be able to use the EU Online Dispute Resolution platform at ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr.

14. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. The "Last updated" date above will change to reflect the most recent version. Material changes will be notified to active customers by email at least 30 days before they take effect.

15. Contact

For any question about these terms, email hello@thetownland.com.

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