Monday 5 August 2013

What's on for genealogists & history lovers this week

Until Sunday 11 August: Exhibition: Charles Dickens – Irish Friends and Family Ties. Features records from PRONI's archives, material from the Charles Dickens Museum and elsewhere. Part of the West Belfast Festival. Conway Mill Preservation Trust, Belfast. Free entry.  Email for details.

Tuesday 6 August: Gathering Church of Ireland records, with Susan Hood, RCBL. Venue: Seminar Room, National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. 1pm.  Free. No booking necessary.

Tuesday 6 August: Abbey Leix – Spanning four centuries. Part of the A Celebration of Architecture: the Big Houses of Laois series of lectures. Venue: Portlaoise Library. Time: 8pm. Cost: Free. Details: 00 353 (0)57 8622333.

Tuesday 6 August: The Gothic Cathedral of Cashel: the untold story, with Prof Roger Stalley. Cashel Library, Co Tipperary. 7:15pm. Free.

Wednesday 7 August:
Religion in the Asylum: lunatic asylum chapels and religious provision in nineteenth century Ireland, with Katherine Fennelly. Irish World Heritage Centre, Manchester UK. 7:30pm. £3. Details.

Thursday 8 August: The Roscommon Famine Diaspora, with Ciaran Reilly, NUI Maynooth. Venue: Seminar Room, National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. 1pm.  Free. No booking necessary.

Friday 9 August: The Auxilliaries: Tudor's Toughs, a study of the Auxiliary Division Royal Irish Constabulary 1920–1922, with Ernest McCall. Venue: Performance Area, Linen Hall Library, Belfast. Free. 1pm. Coincides with a Linen Hall Library exhibition of materials charting the history of policing and fire fighting in Northern Ireland (part of the World Police & Fire Games 2013 programme). Exhibition runs until 10 August.

Friday 9 August: Family History Open Day at Dublin City Library & Archive, Pearse Street, Dublin 2. Advice from genealogy societies, consultations with APGI-accredited professional genealogists, online searches on major databases, plus a chance to explore DCL&A's rich family history collection. 10am–4:30pm. All free. More info: www.dublincitypubliclibraries.ie. Tel: 00 353 (0)1-6744870 or (0)1-6744800.

Saturday 10 August: Mayo Genealogy Group AGM Venue: National Museum of Country Life, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo. 11am. Reports of the past year's activities will be presented and the programme for the coming season will be launched. All interested in local genealogy are invited to attend. Details.