Wednesday 10 July 2013

Take three magazines and read all about it

As I'm currently laid up with a slipped disc (hope to be back to normal output next week), I've been reading quite a lot, so this post is rather timely.

History Ireland
My subscriber copy of the latest issue of HistoryIreland was, as always, a welcome sight on the doormat. The magazine is also now in the shops. You can't miss it! It's got a very distinctive cover, in fire-engine red, with a graphic of Jim Larkin in characteristic pose. You'll quickly get the message that this is a special edition dedicated to the Dublin Lockout of 1913.

Among the features are studies of the main protagonists – Jim Larkin and William Martin Murphy – and their portrayals as hero and villain, the conduct of the Dublin Metropolitan Police, the role of the Jacob's Biscuit Factory, and the after-effects of the Lockout on subsequent labour relations in Ireland. There are also context features and in-depth articles about the Belfast dock strike of 1907, the Wexford lockout of 1911, and similar contemporaneous labour disputes in the USA.

Even the Regular pages keep the focus; the Gems of Architecture's target is Liberty Hall, while the Book Reviews relate to books on industrial and social developments of the era.

A terrific read. And only €7/£6.

Irish Roots
Hurry, hurry. The editor of Irish Roots magazine, which is published in both print and digital format, invites you to enjoy last December's issue (number 84) absolutely free.

As always, this issue holds several features exploring family history resources and how to get the best from them. Among them is the final (4th) part of the Tracing your Ancestors Online series, which looks at where and how to uncover records using gravestone inscriptions, military records (both British and Irish) and crime and court records. There's also some very useful advice on the four worst things you can do to photographs in the name of preservation, a thorough introduction to the Petty Sessions Court records collection now available at FindMyPast and an indepth tutorial on finding Irish relatives in America.

You need to get on with it if you want to take up this opportunity. The offer to read the issue free will expire on Friday 12 July.

Irish Lives Remembered
The July issue of this monthly digital-only magazine is now available to download free of charge.

County Donegal is the focus of this issue's main genealogy resources section with listings of collections held by the local libraries and archives, a study of the surnames associated with the county, and an invitation to the Gallagher Clan's Gathering.

Elsewhere, there's a major feature about the recent Obama visitation and their family history, and personal family tales of ancestors from Cavan and Sligo and Kerry who emigrated to New Jersey and Nova Scotia. There's also the final part of a series about researching 'missing' ancestors in Australia and New Zealand, and an analysis of a wonderful photo dating from c1880 of a coach full of passengers in Galway's Eyre Square.

You can download or read the issue online here.