History

• Thousands of families that fled Ireland came to America with little or no financial resources. A group of Irish clergy and business men organized the Irish Emigrant Society organization as well as the Emigrant Direct Bank. "The president of the Society, Gregory Dillon, was also the bank's first president," according to the New York Public Library website.
  
  

Family Finances

• The bank has a very rich and involved connection to thousands of Irish immigrant families and therefore the bank transaction records provide a historic chronicle of its financial status and growth. It also recorded real estate purchases of those families as they settled in the new country, as well as money being sent back to family members in Ireland.
  
  

Genealogical Records

• The bank served another valuable and very resourceful service for Irish immigrant account holders' descendants. Since many of the board members of the bank were also members and officers of the Irish Emigrant Society, joint record keeping was not uncommon. The bank's mortgage, real estate, signature and test books kept very detailed and personal family information of account holders, which easily accommodates genealogical research efforts.
  
  

Online

• Emigrant Direct online services is a division of one of the largest private banking service providers in the United States. Nearly all of your financial transactions through Emigrant Direct are completed online, with the exception of your initial cash deposit. If you are unable to resolve your account matters online you can obtain assistance any day of the week from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., according to the Emigrant Direct website.