80 million people worldwide have Irish ancestors, but researching them is challenging. This presentation briefly outlines the history of the Loan Funds Institution and the value of the record set to genealogists, which provides evidence of non-elite Irish who may not appear in any other surviving documents. It also tells the story of the Famine years in this remote corner of Ireland. Examples will be given of case studies which revealed evidence of women’s financial agency, resilience, and resistance to authority, bringing these elusive, invisible females to life.