Wednesday 29 April 2015

NLI announces date for launch of RC registers' website

Never mind all the summer wedding dates, here's the only REALLY important Save the Date of the year: Wednesday 8 July.

That's the day the National Library of Ireland (NLI) will be launching its new free website holding almost 400,000 images of Catholic parish register microfilms. It will be the culmination of a three-year digitisation project.

In today's official announcement, the NLI’s Ciara Kerrigan, who is managing the digitisation of the parish registers, said: “We announced initial details of this project last December, and received a hugely enthusiastic response from people worldwide with an interest in Irish family history. We are delighted to announce that the project has been progressing well, and we will be able to publish all the digitised records online from 8th July onwards.

“This is the most significant ever genealogy project in the history of the NLI. The microfilms have been available to visitors to the NLI since the 1970s. However, their digitisation means that, for the first time, anyone who likes will be able to access these registers without having to travel to Dublin.”

Typically, the parish registers include information such as the dates of baptisms and marriages, and the names of the key people involved, including godparents or witnesses. The digital images of the registers will be searchable by parish location only, and will not be transcribed or indexed by the NLI.

“The images will be in black and white, and will be of the microfilms of the original registers,” explained Ms. Kerrigan. “There will not be transcripts or indexes for the images. However, the nationwide network of local family history centres holds indexes and transcripts of parish registers for their local areas. So those who access our new online resource will be able to cross-reference the information they uncover, and identify wider links and connections to their ancestral community by also liaising with the relevant local family history centre.”

Ten weeks to go....


Background: Read my blog report from December 2014 announcing the NLI's plans for a new online presence for its RC register collection.

May Day Bank Holiday: opening/closing arrangements

Monday 4 May is a public (bank) holiday in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, so, with only one notable exception, no state-controlled libraries, archives and other repositories will be open, but please note the following:
  • In the Republic, most city and town libraries are closed not just on the Monday public holiday but also on Saturday 2 May.
  • The Linen Hall Library in Belfast will open normal Saturday hours ie 10am to 3:30pm.
  • While the Reading Room and Genealogy Advisory Service of the National Library of Ireland in Dublin will operate to normal weekend hours (Saturday 9:30am to 12:45pm; Sunday closed), neither will open on Monday. Cafe Joly will be closed on both Saturday 2 May and Monday 4 May.
  • Exhibitions at the National Library of Ireland will be open on Saturday and Sunday as usual (Kildare Street: Saturday 9.30am–4.45pm; Sunday: 1:00pm–4:45pm. National Photographic Archive in Temple Bar: Saturday 10:00am–5.00pm; Sunday: 12:00pm–5.00pm). Bank holiday Monday opening will be from 12pm to 5pm only at both locations.
Forecasts suggest pretty typical damp public holiday weather. Best stay indoors and search for dead ancestors.

Monday 27 April 2015

Irish Newspaper Archives: three-day free trial on offer

Irish Newspaper Archives is running its 'three-day free trial' promotion again.

https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/With this offer, you sign up for an account and provide financial details. The trial automatically activates a subscription ie bills your credit card after the three-day period has expired, so you must cancel the auto-renew setting if you do not want your trial to convert into a monthly subscription.

Full details are provided in the T&Cs, so be sure to read and understand them. It's not an overly complicated process, nor is it an unusual arrangement for online free trial offers, but I frequently see posts in genie forums from people complaining about how they didn't understand the auto-renew set up and/or hadn't read the T&Cs.

Irish family history & heritage events, 27 Apr to 10 May

Monday 27 April: Mount Jerome – A Protestant Cemetery, with Henry Fairbrother. Host: Clondalkin History Society. Venue: Arás Chronáin Irish Cultural Centre, Watery Lane, Clondalkin, Co Dublin. 8pm. All welcome.

Tuesday 28 April: Grand dwellings and intimate settings: Stories of urban living, with Kelly Fitzgerald. Host: Dublin City & Irish Folklore series of lunchtime lectures at City Hall. Venue: Council Chamber, Dublin City Hall. 1:05 to 1:50pm. Free. No booking required.

Tuesday 28 April: The History of the West Clare Creameries, with Paul Markham. Host: Kilrush & District Historical Society. Venue: Teach Ceoil, Grace Street, Kilrush, Co Clare. 8pm. Admission free for KDHS members. Non-members €5. All welcome.

Tuesday 28 April: The industrial heritage of the Antrim Glens, with Fred Hamond. First of the Antrim Coast in the Age of Industry, 1750 to 1890, lunchtime lecture series. Host and Venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. Starts at 1pm. Free but need to book at proni@dcalni.gov.uk or (+44) 028 90 534800.

Wednesday 29 April: Landed Estate Records, with Stephen Scarth. Part of the Your Family Tree lunchtime lecture series. Venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. Starts at 1pm. Free but need to book at proni@dcalni.gov.uk or (+44) 028 90 534800.

Wednesday 29 April: Open Genealogy Consultation, with Lisa Dougherty. Host and Venue: Irish American Heritage Museum, 370 Broadway, Albany, New York 12207, USA. 11am to 2pm EDT.

Wednesday 29 April: The Lusitania conspiracy? with Dr Ken Baker. Host: Old Drogheda Society. Venue: Conference Centre, Drogheda Museum Millmount, Drogheda, Co Louth. 8pm. Everyone welcome. Bookstall.

Thursday 30 April: Ireland and Gallipoli Conference. Host: PRONI and Antrim and Down Western Front Association branch. Venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. This conferences seeks to examine this campaign 100 years on with special focus on the experience and role of Ireland and Irish people. 10am to 4pm. Free. Book your place by email to proni@dcalni.gov.uk or telephone 028 9053 4800.

Thursday 30 April: The Lost Irish - 3 million names in Southern Ireland, with Joy Roy FGSV. Host: Genealogical Society of Victoria (GSV). Venue: GSV Meeting Room, Level B1 257 Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia. 12:30pm–1:30pm. Members free. Non-members $8.

Thursday 30 April: Whaley of Whaley Abbey, with Brian O'Hara. Plus AGM. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Ballymena Branch. Venue: Michelin Arts Workshop, Braid Arts Centre, 1-29 Bridge Street, Ballymena, BT43 5EJ. 7:15pm. All welcome.

Thursday 30 April: Holy wells: patterns and rituals, with Dr Shane Lehane. Host: Ballygarvan & District Local History Society. Venue: Park Hotel by Radisson, Cork Airport, Cork. 8pm. €5 for non-members.

Thursday 30 April: Mount Jerome – a Protestant cemetery, with Henry Fairbrother. Host: Rathmines, Ranelagh and Rathgar Historical Society. Venue: Town Hall, Rathmines, Dublin 6, at 8pm. Non-Members: €3.00. all welcome.

Saturday 2 May: The Big House - handling/interactive session, with Dr Mellisa Shiels. Venue: Tipperary County Museum, Mick Delahunty Square, Clonmel, Co Tipperary. 10am to Noon, with refreshments provided. €5 per session. Bookings: julia.walsh@tipperarycoco.ie or 076 106 5564.

Tuesday 5 May: The GPO – 200 years of history, with Stephen Ferguson. Host: Kilmacanogue History Society. Venue: The Glenview Hotel, Glen of the Downs, Co Wicklow. 8.30pm. Entry €3 (members €2). All welcome.

Tuesday 5th May: The Limestone Town of Glenarm: quarries and quarrymen, with Gerard Muldoon. Second of the Antrim Coast in the Age of Industry, 1750 to 1890, lunchtime lecture series. Host and Venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. Starts at 1pm. Free but need to book at proni@dcalni.gov.uk or (+44) 028 90 534800.

Wednesday 6 May: Courts, Prisons and Coroners' records, with Wesley Geddis. Part of the Your Family Tree lunchtime lecture series. Venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. Starts at 1pm. Free but need to book at proni@dcalni.gov.uk or (+44) 028 90 534800.

Wednesday 6 May: Norman Leslie and the Sword of Price Arthur, with Mark Leslie. First of the 'WWI Ireland: Exploring the Irish Experience' lunchtime lecture series. Host and Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. All welcome. 1:05pm. Booking not required.

Wednesday 6 May: St Fin Barre's Cathedral: The Burgess Archives – Conserving a legacy, with Paul Curtis. Host: Cork DFAS. Venue: The Clarion Hotel, Cork City. 7:45pm. Free.

Thursday 7 May: Early industries of Blarney, with Dr Colin Rynne. Host: Blarney & District Historical Society. Venue: Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal, Blarney, Co Cork. 8pm. Everone welcome.

Thursday 7 May: The Last Voyage of the RMS Lusitania, with James Scannell. Venue: Bray Library, Eglinton Road, Bray, Co Wicklow. 11:30am. Free. All welcome.

Thursday 7 May: The Representative Church Body Library and its resources, with Dr Susan Hood. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Belfast Branch. Venue: Holywood Arches Library, Holywood Road, Belfast, BT4 1NT. 7:30pm. All welcome.

Thursday 7 May to Sunday 10 May: Sinking of the Lusitania - Centenary programme, runs until 10 May. Includes three lectures at Cobh Library on Thursday 7th; Phototographic exhibition courtesy of the NLI, in the Cunard Centre; Flotilla of small boats - a re-enactment in Cork Harbour 9:15pm; exhibitions in Cobh Museum. Cobh, Co Cork. Programme.

Friday 8 May: Irish Immigration to Australia – a two-part lunchtime lectures event: A decent set of girls - The emigration of Irish workhouse orphan females to Australia, 1848-1850, with Dr Perry McIntyre, and Ned Kelly and all that - the story of the Irish in Australia, 1788-the present, with Dr Richard Reid. Host & venue: at PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. 1pm. Free. Booking essential, by email to proni@dcalni.gov.uk or telephone to 028 90534800.

Saturday 9 May: IGRS Open Day, London. Host: Irish Genealogical Research Society. Venue: City of Westminster Archives Centre, 10 St Ann’s Street, London, SW1P 2DE, UK. Two lectures: The Irish in the American Civil War, with Damian Shiels, and Irish Church Records, with Paul Gorry. Followed by finger buffet lunch and AGM. 10:15am to 3:30pm. £25 members; £30 non-members. Details.

Saturday 9 May: Genealogy workshop, with the Mayo Genealogy Group. Venue: National Museum of Ireland - Country Life, Turlough, Castlebar, Co. Mayo. No need to book. 11am–1pm. Free. New members always welcome.

Saturday 9 May: Local History Society Group Day. Four lectures. Host and Venue: Dublin City Library and Archive, 138 Pearse Street, Dublin 2. 10am to 1pm. Admission free. All welcome.

Saturday 9 May: The Carroll Family of County Offaly and Baltimore, with Denny Lynch. Charles Carroll was the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence. Venue: Irish Shrine, Irish Railroad Workers Museum, 918-920 Lemmon Street, Baltimore, MD 21223, USA. 11:30am to 1pm EDT. Donations welcome. Details.

Saturday 9 May: An Irishman by any other name, with Tom Rice. Host: IGSI. Venue: Minnesota Genealogical Society (MGS) Library, 1185 Concord St N, S St Paul, MN 55075, USA. 10:30am to 12Noon. Cost:$10 for IGSI members, $15 for non-members. Registration.

Friday 24 April 2015

Co Clare Government Proceedings join FindMyPast

And here's another FindMyPast release, straight into the Ireland and World collections: the County Clare Government Proceedings 1732-1882.

As the collection name implies, this record set shows how the county was run in the 19th century. The records relate to the Grand Jury, the early form of County Councils and include the Grand Jury Presentments and lists of all those who served on the Grand Jury right back to 1689.

If that sounds a bit too highfalutin for your ancestors, hang on.

Presentments were generally orders for money to be paid for various work around the county. This could be anything from maintaining the roads to hiring a teacher or a doctor for the workhouse or a clerk for the courthouse. Entries usually include the details of the job and the name of the person hired to do it, as well as the amount that was due to be paid.

There are 42 volumes of grand jury presentments dating from 1784 to 1792 and 1870 to 1900.

Also included in the collection are letters and circulars to the grand jury and a volume listing the names of judges, sheriffs and grand jury members for the spring and summer meetings in Clare from 1732 to 1882.

The original material is held at Clare County Archive.

FindMyPast releases military records, including PoWs

To mark the centenary of the battle of Gallipoli this weekend, Findmypast has released some new military collections from WW1, as well as a huge group of parish record sets for Yorkshire in England.

Here are some brief descriptions of this Friday's deliveries:

Prisoners Of War, 1914-1920
Containing over 43,000 records with images, Prisoners Of War 1914-1920, is the first collection in a series of PoW records to be digitised and published by Findmypast in partnership with The National Archives. These latest additions consist of 10 series of British Foreign Office document’s relating to prisoners held by the Ottomans during World War One They not only include the names of military personnel taken prisoner – both allied and foreign – but also the names of civilians, merchant seamen, fishermen, diplomatic employees and more. They will eventually form part of a wider Prisoners of War Collection, 1715-1945, which on completion will span 230 years and date back to the Jacobite rebellion.

Consisting of lists and general correspondence, the records contain the names, ranks and locations of PoWs and provide insights into life in the Ottoman camps. They contain details of requests made by inmates for items including footballs and biscuits, details of visits by foreign diplomats and reports on camp conditions. The amount of information in each record can vary depending on the type of document and the amount of detail recorded at the time of the event.

Much to my surprise I found a distant relative: William Santry. His townland of origin – Scilly, Kinsale, Co Cork – is recorded in the document so I knew immediately to which family line he belonged; all the men of that family branch made their living on the sea, typically as fishermen, coastguards and merchant seamen. His records in this collection show he was 17-years-old and an Ordinary Seaman serving on the Merchant Ship King George when he, together with 26 colleagues, was captured in December 1916. He was held in the Brandenburg PoW Camp until 1918. Another young lad from Kinsale, John O'Sullivan, was among this group of PoWs.

Australian Imperial Force, Nominal Roll Of The First Railway Section 1917-1920: A very small (453 records) collection of transcripts revealing the names of railway employees who formed the 1st Railway Section of the Australian Imperial Expeditionary Force. Typically, the transcript includes name, address and age.

New South Wales, Returned Soldier Settlement Miscellaneous Files 1916-1939:
Did your New South Wales ancestor serve in World War One and become a soldier settler? This record show has details of those servicemen who took part in the soldier settlement scheme and applied to show their eligibility for land. The returned soldiers pursued poultry farming, fruit farming, pig farming, horticulture, market gardening, and other agricultural industries, and settled in various regions around the state. The details provided in this collection includes their address and post-war financial history.

The Australian Military Forces WW2 missing and prisoners of war records list details of some 23,000 servicemen who were recorded as missing or as PoWs in the Pacific theatre of World War Two. The records relate specifically to members of the Australian armed forces who were captured or went missing while serving in the Far East and South West Pacific islands as of 30 June 1944.

Each record includes a transcript that can give the individual’s service number, rank and unit, as well as a note of whether they were missing or had become a prisoner of war. For those listed as POWs, the location of the camp in which they were imprisoned was also recorded. The prisoner of war camps listed span from Borneo to Keijo in Korea, from the Netherlands East Indies (modern-day Indonesia) to Malaya, from Thailand to various camps in Japan itself.

Yorkshire parish registers
I'm not sure exactly what was available previously, but FindMyPast says more than 6million additional records have been uploaded to this collection, which spans 1538-1914. It includes birth, marriage and burial registers, banns, and bishops' transcripts of birth, marriage and burial records.

Bishop’s transcripts were abbreviated copies of the parish records sent to the Diocesan bishop each year. They can be an invaluable source of genealogical information when the original record has not survived.

Irish newspapers
Today's FindMyPast Friday announcement includes mention of four new newspapers being added to the database. I've already covered these arrivals on this blog, so I'm not going to repeat myself, but it's always worth making a reminder that all 72 Irish newspapers in the British Newspaper Archive are included in either the Ireland subscription or the World subscription.

The collection now stands at over 7.7 million articles and covers more than 175 years of Irish history, from 1748 to 1924.

IARC to host 10-week series of genealogy workshops

The Irish Ancestry Research Centre (IARC) in Limerick will be hosting another series of Genealogy Workshops in partnership with University of Limerick from Thursday 30 April.

The series includes ten workshops, each presented from 10:30am to 1pm (includes 20-minute break) on Thursdays in IARC's offices at 58 O’Connell Street, Limerick City.

It's designed to attract all levels of family historian, so you can choose to attend all the lectures in the series, or pick and choose the topic(s) in which you feel you most need to improve your knowledge.

These are the workshop topics:

Session  1  – Introduction to genealogy and Irish genealogical sources.
Session  2  – Census 1901 and 1911.
Session  3  – Primary (Griffith’s) Valuation and Tithe Applotments.
Session  4  – Software for genealogy.
Session  5  – Irish mapping from a genealogical perspective.
Session  6  – Building your Family Tree.
Session  7  – Introduction to 17th- and 18th-century sources.
Session  8  – The Registry of Deeds and Parliamentary Papers.
Session  9  – Using newspapers for genealogical research.
Session 10 – Codes and ethics in genealogy

The cost of each workshop session is €35, while the full 10-lecture series is €290. Group discounts are available.

Researchers who sign up for the full series of ten workshops and complete the course assessment will be awarded a 'CPE - Certificate in Family History' from the University of Limerick.

For more details, contact IARC on +353 61 207114 or email: info@irisharc.org. 

The Irish in Gallipoli: new online platform launched

http://gallipoli.rte.ieA new online exploration of the Irish experience in WW1's Gallipoli campaign was launched last night at http://gallipoli.rte.ie.

The new web platform has been funded by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and has been produced by Boston College in partnership with RTÉ and national cultural institutions.

Some 4,000 Irishmen were among the 130,000 who were killed in the Gallipoli campaign, which raged from April 1915 to January 1916. The new online presence shines a light on the Irish experience of Gallipoli, which was largely untold for many decades.

“While well remembered in the national stories of Australia, New Zealand and Turkey, the Irish role in the Gallipoli campaign was largely forgotten over the decades," said Minister Heather Humphreys TD at the launch.  "The Gallipoli campaign was followed so quickly by the 1916 Rising here at home, that little focus was placed on the thousands of Irish men who were killed fighting on the front in Turkey.

“Three Irish regiments of the British Army were involved at the start of the Gallipoli campaign and were among the first to try to storm the beaches and to suffer 1,000 casualties in just four days.

“As the campaign raged on, so too did the suffering. The lack of water, poor supplies and dreadful sanitation made for harsh conditions, coupled with the fact that the men were unprepared for the extremes of heat and cold. This new website brings these terrible conditions home to us in a vivid way.

“It is important that 100 years on, we remember and reflect on the stories of the Irish in Gallipoli, and ensure their legacy is preserved as part of our national story.”

The site features:
  • A series of guides explaining the background to the campaign and the Irish involvement.
  • A daily news tracker detailing events on the peninsula as they happened.
  • Daily eyewitness accounts from 8 Irish people who took part in the campaign.
  • Daily reports from the regimental diaries of the 4 Irish regiments that fought.
  • A daily death notice of an Irishman who died at Gallipoli.
  • A series of films, radio broadcasts and podcasts which focus on different aspects of the campaign.
  • A series of galleries containing over 500 images from Gallipoli in 1915.
  • Education packs for use across the various age groups in schools.
'The Irish in Gallipoli' is part of Boston College’s broader engagement with the Irish Decade of Centenaries, namely Century Ireland www.rte.ie/centuryireland. Century Ireland is a realtime historic newspaper that explores the day to day events of life in Ireland 100 years ago.

Thursday 23 April 2015

20% discount on AncestryDNA until Monday, 27 April

http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-5737308-12193879-1429735766000
Here's your chance to grab a chunky 20% discount from AncestryDNA.co.uk for DNA tests ordered on or before Monday 27 April.

The UK and Ireland offer reduces the price from £99 to £79 and expires at 23:59hrs on Monday. These prices don't include shipping costs or applicable taxes, which are added to the bill.

The test maps your ethnic mix going back multiple generations and can also help identify relationships with unknown relatives through a dynamic list of DNA matches.

According to Ancestry's corporate statement yesterday, there are already 850,000 people in the AncestryDNA database, so you have a very real chance of connecting with a distant relative. And such relatives may well hold information vital to your family research!

The same promotion is also being run by AncestryDNA.com in the US. This is available only to those in the USA, and costs $79+shipping etc. It will end at 23:59 ET on Monday 27April.

By the way, Saturday 25 April is DNA Day because it commemorates the day in 1953 when James Watson, Francis Crick, Maurice Wilkins and Rosalind Franklin and colleagues first published papers about the structure of DNA. It's been recognised since 2003.



Dublin Electoral Lists 1938–1964 now online

Great news for those with connections to the capital: Dublin City Libraries have uploaded the Dublin Electoral Lists from 1938 to 1964. All in one go!

These records list all those registered to vote in Dublin City in Dáil and local elections; the lists were used in polling stations at election time.

The database can be searched by name or by street, and there's a browse facility through the 49,000 images it holds, too, for those who want to check out the neighbourhood. The originals are held at Dublin City Library & Archive in Pearse Street, Dublin 2.

These records can now be searched, along with all other databases previously available at DublinHeritage.ie*, at http://databases.dublincity.ie.

Among them are the Dublin City Electoral Lists for 1908 to 1915. (I hadn't realised that the 1913 and 1914 lists had been added to the database since last July, so that's another good bit of news!)

* DublinHeritage.ie appears to have been taken offline.

UPDATE, 11 May:
John Grenham talks about the new site in his Irish Times column and explains the arrival of the 1913 and 1914 lists. In addition to the Electoral Lists, the database now includes complete burial registers for Clontarf, Drimnagh and Finglas county council cemeteries and a composite directory of the city between 1647 and 1706.

Book launch: Irish Doctors in the First World War

Last night saw the launch of Irish Doctors in the First World War at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. If you have medical ancestors who fought in WW1, this book is a must purchase and must read publication, already acclaimed for its depth of research.

The editors – Patrick Casey, Kevin Cullen and Joe Duignan – have created a unique book that records the experiences of the 3,300 Irish doctors who joined the British armed forces. More than 240 of them were to lose their lives in the conflict, many with no known grave.

The 513-page hardback, which is lavishly illustrated with 120 colour and black & white photographs, comprehensively records the theatres of war and key campaigns including army, navy and air force, where Irish medics assisted and developed their expertise in caring for the wounded.

It includes an indispensable Directory of Irish Doctors who served in the First World War, compiled from available records and publications. Where the information was available, each profile contains the name, family details and military record of the doctor, including medals and honours awarded. There is also a Roll of Honour of Irish Doctors who died during the First World War.

Published under the Merrion Press imprint, the book is available from Irish Academic Press, price €31.50. The ISBN number is 978-178537-0045.

Wednesday 22 April 2015

Ancestry marks Anzac Day with free access weekend

www.ancestry.com.au/cs/au/world-war-1
To mark Anzac Day (25 April), Ancestry.com.au has opened up its military collections to all researchers.

Free access will be available to all the collections listed below (for more details, click image)  until Sunday 26 April at 23:59 AEST (14:59 Dublin/09:59 NYC).

If you don't already have an account with Ancestry.com.au you'll need to register with your name and email address. You'll then be sent a username and password to access the records.

ANZAC Memorial, 1914-1918
Australia, Imperial Force Burials At Gallipoli, 1915
Australia, WWI Service Records, 1914-1920
British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
British Army WWI Pension Records 1914-1920
British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920
British Commonwealth War Graves Registers, 1914-1918
Canada, CEF Commonwealth War Graves Registers, 1914-1919
Canada, Ledgers of CEF Officers Transferring to Royal Flying Corps, 1915-1919
Canada, Military Honours and Awards Citation Cards, 1900-1961
Canada, Nominal Rolls and Paylists for the Volunteer Militia, 1857-1922
Canada, Selected Service Records of Soldiers, 1914-1918
Canada, Soldiers of the First World War, 1914-1918
Canada, War Graves Registers (Circumstances of Casualty), 1914-1948
Chronicles of the N.Z.E.F., 1916-1919
England, The National Roll of the Great War, 1914-1918
New Zealand Army Medal Rolls, 1860-1919
New Zealand Army WWI Casualty Lists, 1914-1919
New Zealand Army WWI Nominal Rolls, 1914-1918
New Zealand Army WWI Reserve Rolls, 1916-1917
New Zealand Army WWI Roll of Honour, 1914-1919
New Zealand Expeditionary Force Record of Personal Service, 1914-1918
New Zealand WWI Military Defaulters, 1919-1921
UK, British Prisoners of War, 1939-1945
UK, Citations of the Distinguished Conduct Medal, 1914-1920
UK, Commonwealth War Graves, 1914-1921 and 1939-1947
UK, Military Campaign Medal and Award Rolls, 1793-1949
UK, Naval Medal and Award Rolls, 1793-1972
UK, Navy Lists, 1888-1970
UK, Silver War Badge Records, 1914-1920
UK, WWI War Diaries (France, Belgium and Germany), 1914-1920
UK, WWI War Diaries (Gallipoli and Dardanelles), 1914-1916


Tuesday 21 April 2015

British Army WW1 War Diaries join Ancestry

Ancestry has added two browseable sets of World War One 'War Diaries' to its database.

WW1 War Diaries are not generally very descriptive. They provide only the details on day-to-day movements of individual military units. From them, you can find out where your ancestor was stationed on a particular day, which battles the unit was engaged in, the level of casualties etc.

They rarely give names of individual soldiers but the surviving pages can provide a snapshot of what your ancestor experienced.

The larger of the two record sets is the War Diaries, France, Belgium and Germany, 1914–1920 collection. It covers British and colonial units serving in theatres of operations between 1914 and 1920, including Russia, at home and in the colonies, as well as military missions and Armies of Occupation between 1919 and 1920.

The second of the collection is the WW1 War Diaries, Gallipoli and Dardanelles, 1914–1916. This is the first timet these records have been made available online.

There may be gaps in coverage within the diaries and, for some regiments or divisions, you'll find nothing. Many diaries did not survive the war.

Among the many regiments included in the collections are the Irish Guards, Princess Victoria's (Royal Irish Regiment), Royal Irish Rifles, Royal Munster Fusiliers, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and Royal Dublin Fusiliers.

There are also a few Irish divisions within 'non-Irish' regiments ie the Army Cycle Corps even had its own 10th (Irish) Division. (You learn something every day!)

The original material is held by The National Archives in Kew, London.

UPDATE 22 April: Ancestry has published an informative blogpost (here) that will give you more detail about these collections.

Can you help the Letters of 1916 project on 28 April?

The Letters of 1916 Project is looking for some help. The team has around 600 images of letters waiting to be transcribed before they making their way into the Letters of 1916 database.

The project is the first public humanities project in Ireland and is creating a crowd-sourced digital collection of letters written around the time of the Easter Rising (1 November 1915 to 31 October 1916).

Once transcribed, the 600 letters would ensure the project achieves its goal of 4,000 letters when the Letters of 1916 website launches on 3 November.

If you're available and interested to help, drop in anytime between 3pm and 7pm on Tuesday 28 April to meet the team at the Iontas Building, Maynooth University, Co Kildare. You'll be taught everything you need to know. You'll be able to visit the Humanities Research Institute and get an idea of how a Digital Humanities Crowdsourcing project works. You'll even get refreshments and, if you visit before 5pm, a parking pass (go to first floor to collect).

If the date isn't convenient but you'd still like to offer help with the transcription work, you'll find more details about the Letters of 1916 project here.

NIAH completes survey of County Donegal

'Introductory' book versions of the surveys are
published by Wordwell Books
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage has recently completed its survey of Donegal and found that the county boasts the greatest concentration and variety of vernacular (thatched) buildings found anywhere in Ireland.

Another highlight of the county is the ecclesiastical heritage of the local architect, the late Liam McCormick, who was responsible for so many strikingly modern churches.

The Inventory was launched by Joe McHugh TD, Minister of State for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht on Friday and will shortly be available at the NIAH website, www.buildingsofireland.ie.

The site holds the survey for each county in the Republic of Ireland and presents an illustrated resume of its architectural highlights. This can be an interesting way to acquaint yourself with your ancestor's county if you are not already familiar with it. Select a county and, on the next page follow the Survey Highlights link.

Alternatively, you might like to purchase An Introduction to the Architectural Heritage of County Donegal, which accompanies the new Donegal survey. It costs €12 and is available in bookshops or online via Wordwell Books. This is the 32nd book to be published in the series, so nearly all of the 26 counties of Ireland have now been covered (only the County Dublin North survey/book remains to be published, as far as I'm aware).

Monday 20 April 2015

PRONI adds dates for Explore the Archives workshops

Seats for PRONI's Explore the Archives – Practical Workshops have been going like hot cakes since they were introduced as New Year events back in January. Due to the continued level of demand, PRONI has now added a SECOND set of repeat dates. Message has to be that if you want to attend, book immediately.

The Workshops are aimed at beginner family historians who have already collected some information about their ancestors. Participants will get a hands-on introduction to searching archives on the Internet, as well as to searching, ordering and using original documents held at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.

Each practical workshop consists of two distinct segments. The first is Introduction to Archives Online at 2pm. This is followed an hour later with an Introduction to Using the Documents (searching for, ordering and viewing original documents).

The new dates are Wednesday 13 May and Wednesday 17 June.

The workshops are held at PRONI's offices in Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. They're free, but you need to reserve your place by email to proni@dcalni.gov.uk or telephone 028 90534800.

Irish family history & heritage events, 20 Apr – 2 May

Monday 20 April: Irish place names, with Mary Delargy. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Larne Branch. Venue: Larne Bowling and Lawn Tennis Club, 112-120 Glenarm Road, Larne, Co Antrim BT40 1DZ. 7:30pm. All welcome.

Monday 20 April: Ernie O'Malley – His life and times, with Cormac O' Malley. Host: Mallow Field Club. Venue: Hibernian Hotel, Davis Street, Mallow, Co. Cork. 8pm. €3.

Tuesday 21 April: Bytes of Dublin - digitising Dublin content in the National Folklore Collection, UCD: samples of audio, visual and manuscript material, with Anna Bale. Host: Dublin City & Irish Folklore series of lunchtime lectures at City Hall. Venue: Council Chamber, Dublin City Hall. 1:05 to 1:50pm. Free. No booking required.

Tuesday 21 April: Panel discussion on Gallipoli campaigh, to mark the centenary of the landings of April 1915. Host: Irish Historical Society. Speakers will be Tom Burke, Dr William Mulligan and Dr David Murphy. Chair: Lar Joye. 7pm in the Seminar Room, Centre for Irish Programmes, Boston College, 43 St Stephen’ s Green, Dublin 2. All welcome. Free.

Wednesday 22 April: Valuation Records, with William McAfee. Part of the Your Family Tree lunchtime lecture series. Venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. Starts at 1pm. Free but need to book at proni@dcalni.gov.uk or (+44) 028 90 534800.

Wednesday 22 April: Children's burial grounds (Cilliní) in Ireland, with Dr Eileen Murphy. Host: Mayo Historical and Archaeological Society. Venue: Roseanne Clear Lecture Theatre (P002), GMIT Mayo, Castlebar, Co Mayo. 8pm. Non-members €6; Students with valid ID €2.

Wednesday 22 April: Explore the Archives Workshop. Host and venue: PRONI, Belfast. Fully Booked.

Thursday 23 April: The Battle for Douglas-Rochestown, a key engagement in the Irish Civil War, with Dr John Borgonovo. Venue: Parish Assembly Room, St Columba's, Douglas, Cork. Free. All welcome. 8pm.

Thursday 23 April: The History of Linen in South Derry, with Bruce Clark. Host: Maghera Historical Society. Venue: Walsh's Hotel, 53 Main Street, Maghera, Co LondonDerry BT46 5BN. 8:00pm. Members free. Non-members £5.

Thursday 23 April: "Johnnies and Mehmets … side by side”: The redemptive afterlife of Gallipoli in Australia, Turkey and Ireland, with Professor Stuart Ward. Host: Boston College (Ireland). Venue: National Library of Ireland, Seminar Room, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. 7pm. No booking is required and all are welcome.

Friday 24 April: Gallipoli 1915 – the first phase, the April landings, with Dr Mark Phelan. Host: Military History Society of Ireland. Venue: Griffith College, South Circular Road, Dublin 8. Non-members welcome. 8pm.

Friday 24 April: Book Launch: City and Cemetery, A history of Mount Saint Lawrence, Limerick, by Dr Matthew Potter. Formalities by Jan O'Sullivan TD, Minister for Education and Skills. Venue: Glazed Street of City Hall, Limerick. 6:30pm. All welcome.

Friday 24 April: 99 years since the 1916 Easter Rising – An Post Museum at the GPO. Free tours at 10am, 12pm and 2pm. Venue: GPO, O'Connell Street, Dublin 1. (An Post Museum will be closing at the end of May.) Book tickets to avoid disappointment, or turn up on the day and take pot luck.

Friday 24 April: Survival in a medieval crisis – the Bruce Invasion and Black Death in medieval Kilkenny, with Fin Dwyer. Host: Medieval Week. Venue: Rothe House & Garden, Parliament Street, Kilkenny. 7pm. €7 (€5 for members of Kilkenny Archaeological Society).

Friday 24 April: Ireland in the 1970s, a History Ireland Hedge School. Venue: Mechanics Institute, Middle Street, Galway. Roundtable discussion with Mary Kenny, Eamonn McCann, Tom Inglis and Sarah-Anne Buckley. 8pm.

Friday 24 April: Spring Online Event: IT & Family History Taster Sessions. Host and Venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast BT3 9HQ. 10am to Noon. Free, but booking required. The Internet session will be followed by a tour of PRONI's research areas and a workshop on online sources for family history. For more details and to book, email proni@dcalni.gov.uk or telephone (+44) 028 90 534800.

Friday 24 to Sunday 26 April: Gallipoli 100 in Kells. Host: Hay/Kells Festival and RTE Radio 1's History Show. Venue: St Columba's, Cannon Street, Kells, Co Meath. Military genealogists and historians on hand for free tours and consultations. Event also includes lectures and music. Full details on RTE website.

Saturday 25 April: The Story of Grosse Ile, with Anne Renaud. Host: Québec Family History Society. Venue: Briarwood Presbyterian Church Hall, 70 Beaconsfield Blvd, Beaconsfield, Québec, Canada. 10:30am. Lecture followed by light refreshments. Free. Non-members welcome. Details.

Saturday 25 April: Genealogy Jumpstart for the Reluctant Irish. Venue: Irish Railroad Workers Museum, 920 Lemmon Street, Baltimore, MD 21223, USA. A workshop for beginners. $10.00 per person. Details.

Saturday 25 April: Beneath a Turkish Sky: the Royal Dublin Fusiliers and the Assault on Gallipoli, with Philip Lecane. Venue: Dublin City Library and Archive, Pearse Street, Dublin 2. Free. 3pm.

Saturday 25 April: ANZAC Day dawn service at 6:30am. Host: Australian Embassy. Venue: Grangegorman Military Cemetery, Blackhorse Avenue, Dublin 7. The service will last approximately 40 minutes. All are welcome and there is no requirement to provide notification of attendance in advance. There is no parking on site, but on-road and off-road parking is available within walking distance of the Cemetery. For more information, contact the Public Affairs Officer at the Australian Embassy on 01 6645312.

Sunday 26 April: Annual Service of Remembrance for the Gallipoli landings. Host: New Zealand Ireland Association & Dean and Chapter of Christchurch Cathedral. Venue: Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin 8. 3.30pm. The commemorative nature of the service includes Irish soldiers who served at Gallipoli as well as New Zealand and Australian casualties from World War One and other military operations. The event is open to the public. Free.

Sunday 26 April: The sinking of the Lusitania: Unravelling the mysteries, with Paddy Sullivan. Host: The Cobh Lusitania Lecture Series. Venue: Commodore Hotel, Cobh, Co. Cork. Free. 3pm. All welcome.

Sunday 26 April: Military aspects of the Easter Rising, with Lar Joye. Venue and host: National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Dublin 7. Free. 3–4pm. No booking. Seats allocated on first come, first served basis 15 minutes before lecture starts.

Monday 27 April: Mount Jerome – A Protestant Cemetery, with Henry Fairbrother. Host: Clondalkin History Society. Venue: Arás Chronáin Irish Cultural Centre, Watery Lane, Clondalkin, Co Dublin. 8pm. All welcome.

Tuesday 28 April: Grand dwellings and intimate settings: Stories of urban living, with Kelly Fitzgerald. Host: Dublin City & Irish Folklore series of lunchtime lectures at City Hall. Venue: Council Chamber, Dublin City Hall. 1:05 to 1:50pm. Free. No booking required.

Tuesday 28 April: The History of the West Clare Creameries, with Paul Markham. Host: Kilrush & District Historical Society. Venue: Teach Ceoil, Grace Street, Kilrush, Co Clare. 8pm. Admission free for KDHS members. Non-members €5. All welcome.

Tuesday 28 April: The industrial heritage of the Antrim Glens, with Fred Hamond. First of the Antrim Coast in the Age of Industry, 1750 to 1890, lunchtime lecture series. Host and Venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. Starts at 1pm. Free but need to book at proni@dcalni.gov.uk or (+44) 028 90 534800.

Wednesday 29 April: Landed Estate Records, with Stephen Scarth. Part of the Your Family Tree lunchtime lecture series. Venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. Starts at 1pm. Free but need to book at proni@dcalni.gov.uk or (+44) 028 90 534800.

Wednesday 29 April: Open Genealogy Consultation, with Lisa Dougherty. Host and Venue: Irish American Heritage Museum, 370 Broadway, Albany, New York 12207, USA. 11am to 2pm EDT.

Thursday 30 April: Ireland and Gallipoli Conference. Host: PRONI and Antrim and Down Western Front Association branch. Venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. This conferences seeks to examine this campaign 100 years on with special focus on the experience and role of Ireland and Irish people. 10am to 4pm. Free. Book your place by email to proni@dcalni.gov.uk or telephone 028 9053 4800.

Thursday 30 April: The Lost Irish - 3 million names in Southern Ireland, with Joy Roy FGSV. Host: Genealogical Society of Victoria (GSV). Venue: GSV Meeting Room, Level B1 257 Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia. 12:30pm–1:30pm. Members free. Non-members $8.

Thursday 30 April: Holy wells: patterns and rituals, with Dr Shane Lehane. Host: Ballygarvan & District Local History Society. Venue: Park Hotel by Radisson, Cork Airport, Cork. 8pm. €5 for non-members.

Thursday 30 April: Mount Jerome – a Protestant cemetery, with Henry Fairbrother. Host: Rathmines, Ranelagh and Rathgar Historical Society. Venue: Town Hall, Rathmines, Dublin 6, at 8pm. Non-Members: €3.00. all welcome.

Saturday 2 May: The Big House - handling/interactive session, with Dr Mellisa Shiels. Venue: Tipperary County Museum, Mick Delahunty Square, Clonmel, Co Tipperary. 10am to Noon, with refreshments provided. €5 per session. Bookings: julia.walsh@tipperarycoco.ie or 076 106 5564.


Duchas crowdsources transcriptions for Schools Collection

Manuscripts from the Schools' Collection for counties Kerry and Leitrim have been added to the dúchas.ie database. The online collection now includes the pages written by schoolchildren in Counties Donegal, Donegal, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Leitrim, Mayo and Waterford.

The Schools Collection is being digitised by the National Folklore Commission (NFC) and consists of some 740,000 pages of folklore and local tradition written by pupils in 5,000 schools in the Irish Free State between 1937 and 1939.

The school children recorded material from their parents, grandparents and neighbours on subjects ranging from oral history, topographical information, folktales and legends, riddles and proverbs, games and pastimes, trades and crafts.

I notice from the updated website that a crowdsourcing project – Meitheal Dúchas.ie – has been started. The NFC is inviting users of the site to transcribe, on a voluntary basis, the Irish-language stories among the Schools' Collection.

The hope is that crowdsourcing will increase community participation in the project and, at the same time, promote the Irish-language material from the Collection. The resulting transcriptions would make these texts available in a fully searchable format.

Further details of the Meitheal Dúchas.ie


Saturday 18 April 2015

Latest updates to Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives

St Senan's Kilmacrow parish, Kilkenny
Photo courtesy Candi Zizek/Rich Venezia
Below are the records added to IGP Archives during the first two weeks of April:

FERMANAGH Genealogy Archives – Church Records
Newtownbutler Methodist Births, 1873-1942
Newtownbutler Methodist Marriages, 1869-1935
Upper Erne Methodist Circuit Marriages, 1887-1935

KILKENNY Genealogy Archives – Headstones
Kilmacow Cemetery (part)
Slieverue Cemetery (part)
St. James Cemetery, Glenmore (part)

LEITRIM Genealogy Archives – Headstones
Mullies (R.C.) Cemetery (part)

SLIGO Genealogy Archives – Headstones
Keelogues Cemetery, Ballintrillick (part)

TIPPERARY Genealogy Archives – Newspapers
Vindicator 18th Sept. 1847 (Tenant Farmers Meeting)

WATERFORD Genealogy Archives – Census Substitutes
1826 Freeholders Tramore Area
A list of Tramore leases in the County of Waterford, 1831
Freeholders who voted for Marshal Sir William Beresford, 1812
Lord Doneraile’s Rentals in Tramore, 1848-49
Persons under licence in Tramore Town, 1831
Return of Tenants on Hill Quarter of Tramore, 1830’s
Tenants Polled for & against Lord G A Beresford on Lord Doneraile's Estate, 1830

WEXFORD Genealogy Archives – Memorial Cards
NAGLE - O'TOOLE (Additional)

AncestryIreland adds RC baptism records for Belfast

AncestryIreland has added just under 9,000 Roman Catholic baptismal records to its database. The records are as follows:
  • Sacred Heart, Belfast: 3,702 baptisms from 1890 to 1929
  • St Mary’s, Belfast: 3,681 baptism from 1901 to 1930
  • St Vincent de Paul, Belfast: 1,414 baptisms from 1869 to 1929
In addition to the details usually found in RC baptism registers, these records contain the names and address of the parents and the names of the sponsors. Some of the entries also contain details of the later marriage of the child; in a number of instances the marriage took place outside Ireland, in Britain, Canada, New Zealand or the United States.


Friday 17 April 2015

100 years of Ballyroe School Roll Books now available

Roll Books for Ballyroe National School in County Kerry are now available for consultation by personal visitors to the Local History & Archives department of County Kerry Library in Tralee.

They date from 1872 to 1971, when the school closed due to the declining numbers of pupils in the small community.

Tina Cronin of County Kerry Library told Irish Genealogy News that the books hold a great variety of information useful to family historians. "In addition to each named pupil's attendance record and date of entering the school, the books record the pupil's date of birth, residence and religion, as well as the occupation of the parent or guardian. If the pupil had previously attended another National School before Ballyroe, this was also noted.'

The whereabouts of the Roll Books had been a mystery for years. They were discovered when a former pupil was arranging a school reunion and mentioned the search for the books during a radio interview. She was contacted by the Christian Brothers School in nearby Clounalour, where many of the 1971 students transferred when the Ballyroe School closed.

Although an appointment to view the Roll Books may not always be necessary, it is recommended that researchers contact Archivist Michael Lynch in advance of a visit to arrange a date and time. Phone number: (066) 7121200. Email: archivist@kerrylibrary.ie.


More goodies from Clare County Library

Clare County Library's website has more valuable additions to its genealogy section.

More Baptism records for Kilmaley Parish

John Mayer has continued his transcription work from LDS microfilms of the parish registers for Kilmaley Parish. The most recent batch sees the 1846 to 1852 baptism registers completed. This addition means that all the baptism registers from 23 September 1828 to 27 December 1852 have been fully transcribed.

Immigration to Australia – Research suggestions

June Tomlinson, Secretary of the Genealogical Society of the Northern Territory and a member of Clare Roots Society, has written a handy and concise guide (a free to download 506kb pdf) on researching Irish convicts and other immigrants to Australia.

It will be useful to all family historians researching ancestors who headed Down Under, not just those who came from Clare.

Biographical Notices (mainly BMDs) in newspapers, 1751 – 1946

Donated by Lucille Ellis, this file holds some 900 Birth, Marriage and Death Reports transcribed from the Clare Journal, Ennis Chronicls, Saturday Record, Limerick Chronicle, Limerick Gazette and Irish Times. the timeframe is wide; the oldest entry dates to 1751, the most recent to 1946. Marriages are double-entered by name of bride and name of groom.

Newspaper Extracts of leases relating to Clare 1778-1894

Also from Lucille Ellis is a list of newspaper extracts relating to property (buildings and land) for sale/rent, as reported in the Clare Journal, Ennis Chronicle and Limerick Chronicle between 1778 and 1894. There are around 120 extracts, many of them mentioning the previous occupants of the property or land.

The Devon Commission, County Clare, 1845

This is an unusual addition to the website. It contains extracts from the 'Digest of Evidence taken before Her Majesty's Commissioners of Inquiry into the State of the Law and Practice in respect to the Occupation of Land in Ireland', which is a dry factual description but hardly a juicy enticement to explore further. This is unfortunate, because the extracts present interesting details about our rural ancestors' lives, and prevalent social attitudes just before the Famine.

If in-depth examination of sub-soil doesn't get you excited, you can swiftly move to the extracts about recovery of rents and ejectment, or agrarian outrages, conacre or cess charges. Rather than genealogical information, there's a lot of social history in these extracts and, while they relate only to County Clare, they are probably representative of most rural areas in Ireland at the time. Read the extracts here.





Ireland's ancient monuments get 3D treatment

Newgrange
A new website – www.3dicons.ie – has been published featuring 3D images and models of some of Ireland's most famous heritage sites and ancient monuments.

The monastery at Sceilg Mhichíl, the passage tomb at Newgrange and the Poulnabrone dolmen are among the ancient structures which have been scanned using cutting edge 3D technology, to produce highly detailed models, images and videos. 3D digital models have been produced of over 130 buildings and monuments. It is expected the data will benefit the education, tourism and conservation sectors.

Launching the site, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys TD said: "How many of us have been inside the passage tomb at Newgrange, or have scaled the heights of Sceilg Mhichíl?

"This fascinating website will give members of the public a much closer look at many of our best known heritage sites. The 3D online collection includes a series of high crosses, ancient burial tombs and heritage sites such as Brú na Bóinne, which can be viewed in incredible detail. In fact, the technology is so effective it makes it easier to view engravings and other features which might not otherwise be visible.

“By using the most up-to-date technology to reproduce some of our most ancient monuments, this project will make it easier for members of the public to explore heritage sites. We have such an incredible array of ancient monuments in this country; this website effectively brings them right into your home."

For each of the 130 monuments which have been scanned and digitised, online users can access images, a video, 3D models, a location map showing where the monument can be found in the country and information on its historical and archaeological significance. Technical information about how the 3D model was produced is also available.

The 3D-Icons project, funded under the European Commission’s ICT Policy Support Programme, aims to provide the European Cultural Portal Europeana with 3D models of architectural and archaeological monuments of remarkable cultural importance. The project brought together 16 partners from across 11 European countries with relevant expertise in 3D modelling and digitization.

Ireland’s contribution to the 3D Icons project has been conducted by the Discovery Programme, which is funded by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht through the Heritage Council.

Two Gallipoli exhibitions open in Dublin next week

Two complementary exhibitions, Fragments: Stories from Gallipoli 1915 and Çanakkale: Road to Peace out of War, will be on display in the Dublin Room at Dublin City Library and Archive from Monday 20 April to Friday 29 May.

Fragments: Stories from Gallipoli 1915

The exhibition had been curated by Dublin City Archives and draws mainly on sources from the Royal Dublin Fusiliers Association Archive which is held at Dublin City Library and Archive. It will give an overview of the failed 1915 Campaign by the Allies and use diaries, photographs and correspondence to highlight the personal experiences of a number of Irish-born World War 1 soldiers who fought in Gallipoli.

Çanakkale: Road to Peace out of War

The Gallipoli Campaign is known in Turkey as "Çanakkale Savaşı", the Battle of Çanakkale. This photographic exhibition has been funded by the Turkish Embassy in Ireland in remembrance of the gallantry and friendship that flourished on Turkish land. It reflects not only the military aspect of the Battle of Çanakkale as but also the humane relationship between the soldiers on both warring fronts.

The exhibitions are free to explore

* If you are particularly interested in Gallipoli and Irish involvement in the campaign, you'll also want to know that the Commonwealth War Graves Commission has launched a dedicated and informative Gallipoli section to its website.

* You should also check out Irish Genealogy News's current Events list as there are a number of talks and services being held in Ireland over the next week or so.

Thursday 16 April 2015

NYC's Irish immigrant girls: Exhibition opens in Cavan

Opening this evening (7pm) at Cavan County Museum is Bringing the Girls Home, a touring exhibition from The Irish Mission at Watson House in New York City.

The exhibition tells the story of a home for Irish immigrant girls in Lower Manhattan between 1883 and 1954. The Mission was set up in response to the huge flood of young Irish women arriving in New York, and it provided information, temporary accommodation, employment referrals, counselling and support for those just off the ship from Ireland.

The Mission's ledgers, which record the names and other details of the girls who were helped by this organisation, have been online for just over a year. You can find more information about these free to access records in my blogpost 'Records of Irish immigrant women in NYC'.

The exhibition will run until 19 June at the Museum on Virginia Road, Ballyjamesduff, County Cavan. Opening hours are Tuesday to Saturday 10am–5pm. Telephone: 353 49 8544070.

Free access to Ancestry's immigration collection

Ancestry.com is offering a long weekend of free access to its collection of 300 million immigration records. The offer is available now and runs until midnight US Eastern Time on Monday 20 April.

If you don't already have an account, you can set one up with just your email address. No credit card details needed.


http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-5737308-12183100-1428959399000

Ancestors from Tyrone? New research book launched

Top news out of WDYTYA?Live show: the North of Ireland Family History Society (NIFHS.org) has launched a new title in its 'Researching Your Ancestors in The North of Ireland' series. The latest book is for County Tyrone.

Reseaching your Ancestors in the North of Ireland: County Tyrone was co-authored by NIFHS officials Sandra Ardis and Ann Robinson, and will soon be available to purchase on the publications page of the NIFHS website. The book joins two others in the series: County Monaghan and County Cavan.

The WDYTYA?Live Show, which is being held at the NEC in Birmingham, UK, until Saturday, was chosen as the venue for the launch and the first copy of the new book was presented to Steven Smyrl, MAPGI, Chairman of the Irish Genealogical Research Society (IGRS), President of the Association of Professional Genealogists in Ireland (APGI) and Executive Liaison Officer of the Council of Irish Genealogical Organisations (CIGO).

L-R: Sandra Ardis, Education & Development Officer;
Steven Smyrl MAPGI; Ann Robinson, Chairperson.

Tuesday 14 April 2015

APGI welcomes new members and affiliates

The Association of Professional Genealogists in Ireland (APGI) has welcomed three new members to its ranks. They are:
Each of these professional genealogists has been accepted by APGI after a vigorous and independent accreditation process and is now entitled to use the initials MAPGI (Member of the Association of Professional Genealogists in Ireland) after her name.

They will also be subject to APGI's strict Code of Practice which seeks to maintain the highest standards among its members and to protect the interests of clients.

Two new Affiliate members have also joined the Association in the last couple of months. They are Georgina Scally and Jane Halloran Ryan.

Monday 13 April 2015

The Antrim Coast in the Age of Industry: PRONI talks

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland has announced another of its popular Lunchtime Lecture Series. This time, it's a five-lecture series called The Antrim Coast in the Age of Industry, 1750–1890, which will examine the arrival of Victorian technology and industrial activity in the Antrim coast and glens.

Until the 1800s much of the Antrim coast and Glens was wild and hard to access; during the nineteenth century the landscape was opened up and efforts were made to bring about an industrial revolution, like that of Belfast, in the country villages and peat-bogs.

The lectures will be held at PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast BT3 9HQ, at 1pm as follows:

Tuesday 28 April: The Industrial Heritage of the Antrim Glens, with Fred Hamond

Tuesday 5 May: The Limestone Town of Glenarm: quarries and quarrymen, with Gerard Muldoon

Thursday 21 May: The Ballintoy Project: how to organise a Local History Group, with Robert Corbett

Tuesday 26 May: William Bald and the Making of the Antrim Coast Road, 1832 to 1840, with Desmond McCabe

Tuesday 2 June:
Iron and Stone: the Earls of Antrim as Victorian industrialists, with Ian Montgomery

While the talks are free of charge and open to all, booking is essential. Contact PRONI to reserve a place by email to proni@dcalni.gov.uk or telephone (+44) 028 90 534800.

Northern Ireland to host Famine Commemoration

This year's Great Famine Commemoration will take place on Saturday 26 September in Newry, Co Down. It is the eighth year in which the Great Famine is being marked with a formal tribute and the first time that it is being held in Northern Ireland.

In recognition of the fact that the Famine affected all parts of the island, the location of the annual commemoration has rotated in sequence between the four provinces since the inaugural ceremony in Dublin in 2008. When it last fell to Ulster in 2011, it was held in Clones, Co Monaghan.

The announcement was made by Heather Humphreys TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and was welcomed by Northern Ireland's Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure, Carál Ní Chuilín, who said: “This landmark initiative in Newry will help communities across this island to better understand the impact and legacy of the famine on all sections and traditions in our society. The famine was a time of unspeakable horror and hardship throughout Ireland. It was not held at bay by creed or boundaries drawn on any map.

"It is important that we take time to remember the plight of our ancestors who died from starvation and disease or who were forced into exile, never to return to their native shores. Nor can we forget those who died on the famine ships as they tried to escape their plight in Ireland or the grief and pain of those who were left behind. It truly was a terrible time.

“No part of the island was spared the terrible atrocity of ‘an gorta mor’ (the great hunger) and it is fitting that the annual famine commemoration should be held in the north for the first time."

Irish genealogy, history & heritage events, 13–26 April

Monday 13 April: The Ballinalass Evictions, with Tom Crehan. Host: Galway Archaeological and Historical Society. Venue: Harbour Hotel, Dock Road, Galway. 8pm.

Tuesday 14 April: 'One Day for recreation': Eilis Brady and Frank Harte as chroniclers of Dublin, with Bairbre Ni Fhloinn. Host: Dublin City & Irish Folklore series of lunchtime lectures at City Hall. Venue: Council Chamber, Dublin City Hall. 1:05 to 1:50pm. Free. No booking required.

Tuesday 14 April: History of Ireland from the first settlers to Christianity, with Frank Tracy. Host: Tallaght Historical Society. Venue: County Library, Tallaght, Co Dublin. 7pm.

Tuesday 14 April: The Magaurans of Tullyhaw, with Fr Liam Kelly. Host: Cavan County Council Library Services. Venue: Johnston Central Library, Farnham St, Cavan. 7pm. A free event. No booking. All weclome.

Tuesday 14 April: Ancestry.com as a resource for the genealogist. Host: Genealogical Society of Ireland. Venue: Dún Laoghaire FE Institute, Cumberland Street, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin. 8pm. Admission: €3.

Tuesday 14 April: Settlers or invaders? with Roddy Hegarty. And AGM. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Lisburn Branch. Venue: Bridge Community Centre, 50 Railway Street, Lisburn BT28 1XP. 7:30pm. All welcome.

Tuesday 14 April: The road to Gallipoli, a History Ireland Hedge School. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. The debate will be chaired by History Ireland editor Tommy Graham and the panel will include Myles Dungan, John Horne, and Lar Joye. 7pm. Free. All welcome.

Wednesday 15 April: Board of Guardian Records, with Janet Hancock. Part of the Your Family Tree lunchtime lecture series. Venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. Starts at 1pm. Free but need to book at proni@dcalni.gov.uk or (+44) 028 90 534800.

Wednesday 15 April: The Molly Maguires, County Donegal and the Irish immigrant experience in Pennsylvania, with Mark Bulik and Breandán Mac Suibhne. Host: Greater Hazelton Area Historical Society. Venue: Penn State Hazelton, Evelyn Graham Academic Building, Room 114, Pennsylvania, USA. 7pm. All welcome.

Wednesday 15 April: Exiles and Expatriates in the History of Knowledge, with Professor Peter Burke. Host: Irish Association of Professional Historians. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. 7pm. Free. All welcome and no booking required.

Thursday 16 April to Saturday 18 April: WDYTYA?Live at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham, UK. Details.

Thursday 16 April: The rise and fall of the Irish Manor Courts 1785-1859, with John Larkin QC. Venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. 7pm. Free, but need to book by email to proni@dcalni.gov.uk or telephone 028 90534800. Cancelled.

Thursday 16 April: Letters of 1916 – Wexford Launch. Venue: Enniscorthy Library, Lymington Road, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford. 6-7pm: Letters 1916 DIY – Meet the team, demo, transcribe and digitise. 7-8pm: Talks on the Letters 1916, highlighting letters of local interest. 8-9pm: Reception. Bring your family letters written Nov 1915 to Oct 1916 for digitisation. Free. All welcome.

Thursday 16 April: The Great Fair of 1864 at Queen's, with Ivor Strachan. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, North Down & Ards Branch. Venue: 1st Presbyterian Church Hall, Upper Main Street, Bangor BT20 4AG. 7:30pm. All welcome.

Thursday 16 April: The countdown to Easter 1916, wth Dr Fearghal McGarry. Host: Bray Cualann Historical Society. Venue: Bray Chamber of Commerce House, 10 Quinsboro Road, Bray, Co Wicklow. 8pm. €4. All welcome.

Thursday 16 April:
The American Civil War and Major General Patrick Ronane Cleburne, with Liam Mac Allister. Venue: D.J. Murphy's, Bridepark Cottage, Killumney, Ovens, Co. Cork. €10. Refreshments will be served. 8pm. Limited seating so booking essential – tel Gerard on 023 8842260 or 086 3060542.

Friday 17 April: Late night opening at the Representative Church Body Library, Braemor Park, Churchtown, Dublin 14. Closes 7pm.

Friday 17 April: Vikings and the West, with Michael Gibbons. Host: Sligo Field Club, Venue: Sligo Education Centre, Institute of Technology Campus, Ballinode, Sligo. 8pm. Free. All welcome.

Saturday 18 April: IGRS Ireland Branch AGM and lecture. Host: The Irish Genealogical Research Society. Venue: Dublin City Library and Archive, Pearse Street, Dublin 2. AGM at 2:30pm (members only), followed by public lecture at 3pm: Loughlinstown (Dublin) Workhouse, with Liam Clare. Followed by Q&A session. Free. No booking, and everyone welcome.

Saturday 18 April: WW1 – The Nationalist perspective, an afternoon seminar. Three lectures: Northern Nationalism, the Great War and the 1916 Rising, with Dr Eamon Phoenix; The GAA and the First World War, with Dr Donal McAnallen; Frank Aiken and the Troubles in South Armagh, 1918-1923, with Dr Eoin Maginness. Venue: Newry and Mourne Museum, Bagenal's Castle, Castle Street, 1A Bank Parade, Newry Co Down BT34 2BY. 2pm–5pm. Book by email.

Saturday 18 April: Irish Genealogy Help Session, followed by Fulton NY Postcards website, with Laura Congleton. Host: Irish Family History Forum. Venue: Bethpage Public Library
47 Powell Avenue, Bethpage, NY, 11714, USA. Details: (516) 931-3907. Help sessions open to non-members on a one-off basis.

Monday 20 April: Irish place names, with Mary Delargy. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Larne Branch. Venue: Larne Bowling and Lawn Tennis Club, 112-120 Glenarm Road, Larne, Co Antrim BT40 1DZ. 7:30pm. All welcome.

Tuesday 21 April: Bytes of Dublin - digitising Dublin content in the National Folklore Collection, UCD: samples of audio, visual and manuscript material, with Anna Bale. Host: Dublin City & Irish Folklore series of lunchtime lectures at City Hall. Venue: Council Chamber, Dublin City Hall. 1:05 to 1:50pm. Free. No booking required.

Tuesday 21 April: Panel discussion on Gallipoli campaigh, to mark the centenary of the landings of April 1915. Host: Irish Historical Society. Speakers will be Tom Burke, Dr William Mulligan and Dr David Murphy. Chair: Lar Joye. 7pm in the Seminar Room, Centre for Irish Programmes, Boston College, 43 St Stephen’ s Green, Dublin 2. All welcome. Free.

Wednesday 22 April: Valuation Records, with William McAfee. Part of the Your Family Tree lunchtime lecture series. Venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. Starts at 1pm. Free but need to book at proni@dcalni.gov.uk or (+44) 028 90 534800.

Wednesday 22 April: Children's burial grounds (Cilliní) in Ireland, with Dr Eileen Murphy. Host: Mayo Historical and Archaeological Society. Venue: Roseanne Clear Lecture Theatre (P002), GMIT Mayo, Castlebar, Co Mayo. 8pm. Non-members €6; Students with valid ID €2.

Wednesday 22 April: Explore the Archives Workshop. Host and venue: PRONI, Belfast. Fully Booked.

Thursday 23 April: The Battle for Douglas-Rochestown, a key engagement in the Irish Civil War, with Dr John Borgonovo. Venue: Parish Assembly Room, St Columba's, Douglas, Cork. Free. All welcome. 8pm.

Thursday 23 April: The History of Linen in South Derry, with Bruce Clark. Host: Maghera Historical Society. Venue: Walsh's Hotel, 53 Main Street, Maghera, Co LondonDerry BT46 5BN. 8:00pm. Members free. Non-members £5.

Friday 24 April: Gallipoli 1915 – the first phase, the April landings, with Dr Mark Phelan. Host: Military History Society of Ireland. Venue: Griffith College, South Circular Road, Dublin 8. Non-members welcome. 8pm.

Friday 24 April: Book Launch: City and Cemetery, A history of Mount Saint Lawrence, Limerick, by Dr Matthew Potter. Formalities by Jan O'Sullivan TD, Minister for Education and Skills. Venue: Glazed Street of City Hall, Limerick. 6:30pm. All welcome.

Friday 24 April: Survival in a medieval crisis – the Bruce Invasion and Black Death in medieval Kilkenny, with Fin Dwyer. Host: Medieval Week. Venue: Rothe House & Garden, Parliament Street, Kilkenny. 7pm. €7 (€5 for members of Kilkenny Archaeological Society).

Friday 24 April: Ireland in the 1970s, a History Ireland Hedge School. Venue: Mechanics Institute, Middle Street, Galway. Roundtable discussion with Mary Kenny, Eamonn McCann, Tom Inglis and Sarah-Anne Buckley. 8pm.

Friday 24 April: Spring Online Event: IT & Family History Taster Sessions. Host and Venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast BT3 9HQ. 10am to Noon. Free, but booking required. The Internet session will be followed by a tour of PRONI's research areas and a workshop on online sources for family history. For more details and to book, email proni@dcalni.gov.uk or telephone (+44) 028 90 534800.

Friday 24 to Sunday 26 April: Gallipoli 100 in Kells. Host: Hay/Kells Festival and RTE Radio 1's History Show. Venue: St Columba's, Cannon Street, Kells, Co Meath. Military genealogists and historians on hand for free tours and consultations. Event also includes lectures and music. Full details on RTE website.

Saturday 25 April: The Story of Grosse Ile, with Anne Renaud. Host: Québec Family History Society. Venue: Briarwood Presbyterian Church Hall, 70 Beaconsfield Blvd, Beaconsfield, Québec, Canada. 10:30am. Lecture followed by light refreshments. Free. Non-members welcome. Details.

Saturday 25 April: Genealogy Jumpstart for the Reluctant Irish. Venue: Irish Railroad Workers Museum, 920 Lemmon Street, Baltimore, MD 21223, USA. A workshop for beginners. $10.00 per person. Details.

Saturday 25 April: Beneath a Turkish Sky: the Royal Dublin Fusiliers and the Assault on Gallipoli, with Philip Lecane. Venue: Dublin City Library and Archive, Pearse Street, Dublin 2. Free. 3pm.

Saturday 25 April: ANZAC Day dawn service at 6:30am. Host: Australian Embassy. Venue: Grangegorman Military Cemetery, Blackhorse Avenue, Dublin 7. The service will last approximately 40 minutes. All are welcome and there is no requirement to provide notification of attendance in advance. There is no parking on site, but on-road and off-road parking is available within walking distance of the Cemetery. For more information, contact the Public Affairs Officer at the Australian Embassy on 01 6645312.

Sunday 26 April:
Annual Service of Remembrance for the Gallipoli landings. Host: New Zealand Ireland Association & Dean and Chapter of Christchurch Cathedral. Venue: Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin 8. 3.30pm. The commemorative nature of the service includes Irish soldiers who served at Gallipoli as well as New Zealand and Australian casualties from World War One and other military operations. The event is open to the public. Free.


Thursday 9 April 2015

Irish family history at WDYTYA?Live, 16–18 April

http://www.whodoyouthinkyouarelive.com/
Who Do You Think You Are? Live will be throwing open its doors this time next week at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, UK. This is a new venue (it's previously been held in London and Glasgow) and it'll be interesting to see if it manages to attract the same crowds as it has in previous years.

Its numbers will be short by at least one person – me! I shan't be attending this year.

There will be just five Irish genealogy exhibitors and five Irish-themed lectures at the show. They are:

Exhibitors

Irish Genealogical Research Society – Stand 424
North of Ireland Family History Society – Table 75
GRONI – Stand 108
Eneclann – Stand 218
Irish Ancestors 4U – Table 138

Lectures

Thursday 16th: 1:15–2pm: Place of Birth 'Ireland': How do I find out more? with Maggie Loughran
Friday 17th: 12:15–1pm: Irish Soldiers & Rebels, with Brian Donovan
Friday 17th: 4:15–5pm: Irish Valuation Office Records, with Maeve Mullin
Saturday 18th: 1:15–2pm: Irish Catholic Church Records, with Jim Ryan
Saturday 18th: 2:15–3pm: The Registry of Deeds in Dublin? with Fiona Fitzsimons

There will, of course, be plenty of interest from other exhibitors and a good few discounts and special promotions on offer. FamilyTreeDNA and AncestryDNA will also be busy destinations, I'm sure. Ask The (Irish) Experts will be offering free 20-minute genealogy consultations, photographic detectives will be detecting clues in visitors' old family snaps, and there will no doubt be a few celebrities holding forth here and there.

You can find out more about show and ticket prices by clicking the logo above.