Friday 29 January 2016

RootsIreland releases more County Monaghan records

RootsIreland.ie has added more than 8,000 new records to its County Monaghan database.

The records are predominantly church records from Roman Catholic, Church of Ireland and Presbyterian registers. But there are also some graveyard records, civil marriage records and, a real surprise, a vaccination register (see below)!

Roman Catholic Parish Records
Inishkeen Baptisms 1836-1849
Inniskeen Marriages 1839-1850 and 1876-1877

Church of Ireland Parish Records
Aghabog Marriages 1845-1915
Aughnamullen (Christchurch) Baptisms 1888-1901
Ballinode Marriages 1845-1852
Ballybay Baptisms 1867-1914
Kilmore Burials 1832-1915
Kilmore Marriages 1826-1844
Kilmore (Stranoodan) Baptisms 1861-1914
Rockcorry Marriages 1857-1916
Tehallan Baptisms 1806-1880

Presbyterian records

Aughnamullen (Corlea) Baptisms 1882-1915
Aughnamullen (Corlea) Marriages 1845-1915
Muckno (2nd Castleblayney or Frankford) Marriages 1845-1912

Reformed Presbyterian records

Tullycorbet (Creevagh) Marriages 1861-1912

Graveyard Records (Mixed denominations)
Ematris (Edergole Old Graveyard) Headstones 1574-2001
Errigal Truagh (Old Graveyard) Headstones 1670-1911

Civil registration
Kilmore Marriages 1864-1906

Vaccination Register
Donaghmoyne parish 1869-1884

The Vaccination Register records 'Successful Smallpox Vaccinations'. See below for sample search result for the townland of Carrickalisnalarny:

50% off 12-month sub to British Newspaper Archive

The British Newspaper Archive has a 50% discount on offer for researchers taking up a 12-month subscription before 11:59pm GMT on Sunday 31 January.

It's that simple. You pay £39.98 for a whole year's access to the online database, which now holds 587 publications including 111 Irish titles, and keeps on growing. The standard price is £79.95.

All you have to do is follow the link above, or click the image below, enter WEEKEND20 in the promotion code box, and select the 12-month package option. You'll instantly see the reduced price appear.

This offer has now expired

Sea Horse Commemoration 1816–2016, Tramore

Click for larger image
On 30 and 31 January 1816, a convoy of ships – the Sea Horse, Lord Melville and Boadicea – was shipwrecked in an unexpected storm off Ireland's south coast. En route from Kent in England to Kinsale in County Cork, the vessels were transporting soldiers of the 59th Regiment; some of the officers were accompanied by their wives and children, as was common practice at this time.

The human cost of the tragedies was high: some 570 military men, sailors, women and children lost their lives as the three ships. Of these, 363 perished in Tramore Bay after the Sea Horse broke into pieces.

Taken in tandem, the wrecks represent one of the greatest maritime disasters to have been recorded in Irish waters, surpassing even the horror of the wreck of L’Impatiente, a frigate from a French invasion fleet that foundered off Mizen Head (County Cork) on 29 December 1796, with the loss of 552 lives.

You can find out more about the tragedy in Ivan Fitzgerald's dedicated blog, http://theseahorseshipwreck.blogspot.ie/, which includes genealogical information, biographies and burial details, as well as listing the dead men on the Sea Horse. It also has biographical details and addresses of most of the 147 dead enlisted men on the Boadicea.

You might also like to know that the town of Tramore will be commemorating the Sea Horse this Saturday. Click the image to view the schedule.

You'll see that as part of the commemorations, a newly-built stone cairn is being dedicated to the Sea Horse on the town's Lower Promenade and will become a permanent feature of the Tramore Heritage Walk.

For more details, see the Sea Horse Commemoration Facebook page.

Thursday 28 January 2016

AncestryIreland adds 51,000 Roman Catholic records

The Ulster Historical Foundation (UHF) has added more than 51,000 new Roman Catholic baptism, marriage and burial records to its database on AncestryIreland.com. The majority of additions are not available online elsewhere. Details of the new records are below.

To celebrate this huge release, AncestryIreland's 50% discount on bmd records is being extended to 14 February.

These are the new records:
  • Holy Cross, Belfast – Baptisms, 1918-1929 (1,632 records)
  • Holy Family, Belfast – Baptisms, 1895-1929 (2,188 records)
  • St Malachy’s, Belfast – Baptisms, 1913-1923 (2,287 records)
  • St Matthew’s, Belfast – Baptisms, 1899-1929 (10,024 records)
  • Dundrum & Ballykinler, Co. Down – Baptisms, 1894-1920 (627 records)
  • Dundrum & Tyrella, Co. Down – Baptisms, 1921-1930 (274 records)
  • Holy Cross, Belfast – Marriages, 1908-1929 (716 records)
  • Holy Family, Belfast – Marriages, 1895-1929 (684 records)
  • Sacred Heart, Belfast – Marriages, 1890-1929 (846 records)
  • St Joseph’s, Belfast – Marriages, 1872-1930 (1,632 records)
  • St Malachy’s, Belfast – Marriages, 1883-1929 (3,014 records)
  • St Vincent de Paul, Belfast – Marriages, 1896-1929 (399 records)
  • Dundrum & Ballykinler, Co Down – Marriages, 1894-1920 (151 records)
  • Dundrum & Tyrella, Co Down – Marriages, 1921-1929 (52 records)
  • Milltown Cemetery, Belfast – Burials, 1869-1895 (27,232 records)
Please note that Guild members can access these burial records for free through the members’ databases. UPDATE 5 February: These records have also joined RootsIreland.ie's Antrim and Down databases.

In making the announcement of this release, the UHF has provided some interesting notes about the registers.

Catholic baptismal records can be very informative as often details of the individual’s later marriage – the date, place and name of spouse – were recorded alongside the baptismal entry. Places of marriage recorded in the St Malachy’s baptismal register include: Brisbane, Australia; Cairo, Egypt; London, England; New Jersey, USA and Ottawa, Canada. Other later notes included details of ordinations. Priests also often made notes if a parent was deceased, not a Catholic or from outside the parish, for example: ‘Mother a native of Falcarragh, Co. Donegal’. These additional details can be of huge importance in searching for ancestors, for example, within the baptismal register of Dundrum and Ballykinler in County Down the priest noted the following information on two baptisms:

‘Father is a Protestant living at 40 Garwood St Belfast; baptised conditionally in Ballykinlar chapel having previously been baptised in a Protestant church in Belfast.’

‘Father Presbyterian. Child received into Catholic Church at about 7 years old; both parents deceased, mother Catherine married a second time a Protestant named Nelson.’

Marriage records vary in detail. For example the priest at St Joseph’s Church recorded the names and address of both parents of the bride and groom as well as the names and addresses of the witnesses from 1873; St Vincent de Paul registers include this level of detail from 1913. Civil marriage registers never record the names of the mothers or the addresses of the parents and witnesses so these are invaluable details unavailable elsewhere. In particular if the bride or groom had moved to Belfast but were not born there, it can often be very challenging to discover their original place of birth but marriage registers that include the parents’ address can suggest a potential area to research.

It should be noted that the addresses of the bride and groom referred to their address on the day of marriage, which was not always their usual residence. Often one spouse stayed somewhere other than their usual residence on the night before the wedding, to be close to the church. This is demonstrated in one register where the couple gave their address as Carrick Hill in Belfast but the priest noted ‘One night in Carrick Hill, immediately from Newry’. Often witnesses were found to be siblings of the bride or groom; knowing the addresses of the witnesses at the time of the marriage can help confirm these relationships.

There are examples of additional notes written by some priests in cases where the parents of the bride and groom were not Catholic, were deceased or were living elsewhere: ‘Father of bridegroom in America’. Other details recorded included whether the bride or groom were converts or had any sort of blood relationship, which required a dispensation from the Church. This was something to which priests in certain parishes seemed to pay particular attention. Other pieces of information, not always available elsewhere may have been recorded, for example, a priest recorded that the groom had been ‘shot in Boer War’. Finally, many priests made a note to say which parishes they had notified about the marriage which can also suggest a possible place of birth, for example: ‘Notice sent to Barrow-in-Furness; notice sent to Lisburn’.

Tracing your Irish Immigrant Ancestor: Webinar today

http://www.shopfamilytree.com/tracing-your-irish-immigrant-ancestors-live-webinar
Live webinar on Thursday 28 January
Click image for more details
Later today, a live webinar – Tracing Your Irish Immigrant Ancestors – will be presented by well-known Irish genealogy specialist Donna Moughty.

In this hour-long presentation, Donna aims to help US researchers find the traces of their Irish immigrant ancestors and to track down their place of origin, that so-important-but-so-often-elusive detail.

Donna will be showing delegates how to find essential records and resources, explaining common research problems and their solutions, and setting out the key historical events that set in train their descendants' departure from Ireland.

The webinar will start at 7pm Eastern/6pm Central/5pm Mountain/4pm Pacific on Thursday 28 January (this is 12midnight to 1am GMT, 29 January) and will include a live Q&A.

For those who cannot 'attend' the live broadcast, a recording is emailed to all registrants after the event, along with a pdf of the slide presentation.

The webinar is hosted by Family Tree University, part of the Family Tree Magazine publishing stable. It costs US$49.99. Find out more.


Military Archives' talks focus on revolutionary period

Military Archives is to present host three lunchtime lectures at Rathmines Library on research and access to revolutionary period collections including the various genealogical sources available with reference to the Irish Citizen Army, Cumann na mBan, Na Fianna Éireann and Dublin Brigade Activity Reports.

I attended one of the Military Archives lectures last year and it was extremely informative, so I'm happy to recommend this year's series to any researcher who wants to gain a deeper understanding of what's available.

Here are the details for this year's series:

Wednesday 17 February: Researching the Rising – The Military Service (1916–1923) Pensions Collection, with Michael Keane

Wednesday 24 February: Researching the revolutionary period at the Military Archives, with Comdt Padraic Kennedy

Wednesday 2 March      : Researching family history in the Military Archives – a focus on 1916, with Capt Claire Mortimer

The lectures are part of the Dublin City Council 1916/2016 Centenary Programme. They are free but booking is essential via the Library by email to rathmineslibrary@dublincity.ie or telephone (0)1 497 3539.

Venue: Rathmines Library, 157 Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin 6.
Time  : 1pm.

UCD & Irish Examiner launch The Irish Revolution

http://theirishrevolution.ie/
The Irish Revolution is another multi-media online exploration of 1916 to 1923 in Ireland. It's a collaborative online project between University College Cork (UCD) and the Irish Examiner newspaper.

The new website says it aims to inform and engage readers with a wide variety of authoritative and entertaining content that records the social, cultural and political events that shaped Ireland.

It seeks to become a unique educational and research tool for all ages and interests, and to stimulate debate among all ages and in both England and Irish, as the nation considers its aspirations for the next 100 years.

Such earnest focus doesn't mean the content is unduly heavy. There are newspaper reports from the period, features about secretive and un-reported planning for the Rising, witness statements, Police 'Movement of Extremists' reports, exclusive footage from the film Birth of a Nation by Corkman Gerard McCarthy, and information on 1916+ themed news and events.

There's even a 'History of Ireland in 6 minutes' video (by John D Duddy), which rattles through the centuries from the Stone Age to 2015. Keep up!

County Clare Library adds transcriptions of marriages 1835–1881 for O'Callaghan's Mills RC parish

Some 1,166 marriage records dating from 1835 to 1881 have been transcribed from the Roman Catholic registers for O’Callaghan’s Mills Parish by Sharon Carberry and donated to County Clare Library. They are now available for viewing, free of charge, on the Library's excellent Genealogy website.

Sharon, from Virginia in the USA, transcribed the records from images of the register pages available at the National Library of Ireland's registers.nli.ie. She transcribed all the entries in this register.

The transcriptions can be searched by date or by the surname of bride or groom. You'll find them here: O'Callaghan's Mills Parish – Marriage records.

They join 6,236 transcriptions of baptisms in this parish during the same period. These were already available on the library's site and are also Sharon's work (she's been mighty busy since the NLI's website went live in July!). They can be found here: O'Callaghan's Mills Parish – Baptism records

Wednesday 27 January 2016

Rare titles for sale from historian's book collection

An extensive private collection of local history
books is for sale through Red Cap Books
A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to be sent a copy of a catalogue of second-hand titles newly on sale from Red Cap Books. I pounced, and bought three books I've been wanting on my shelves for some time.

Red Cap Books is not a business, as such. It is run by a local historian living in Greystones, Co. Wicklow; over the last two decades, he has built up an extensive collection of books and historical items, which he is now selling.

In the first instance he is making contact with family/local history societies and individuals who might be interested in picking up a copy of a scarce, rare, out of print or general local history book.

He'd rather see the books make their way into the hands of people who are genuinely interested in historical research and who are going to make some use out of them, as he did, rather than into the hands of collectors.

This is a great opportunity for family and local historians to obtain some hard-to-find books. Most are in excellent condition, and many are unused and unopened.

You can download the current book list here. You can also ask to be included on the mailing list to receive updated lists; send an email to redcapbooks@gmail.com. The list is a detailed spreadsheet with good descriptions of the condition of each book. Those that I bought were exactly as had been described, were well packaged and swiftly despatched. When you see something you fancy, send an email.

You can also find RedCapBooks on facebook, along with more details and photos of the books.

UPDATE 2 Feb: The seller has now placed online a regularly updated list of books for sale. I've amended the link above to take you to the list.

Finding Your Ancestors conference, Cork, 19 March

The Irish Genealogical Research Society (IGRS) and Cork Genealogical Society (CGS) are to co-host a one-day conference in Cork on Saturday 19 March.

Finding Your Ancestors will be a friendly and relaxed event consisting of three lectures and a workshop (details below), a light lunch, and plenty of time to meet and chat with other family historians. It will run from 10am to 5pm, and the venue is the Clayton Hotel, Silversprings, Cork.

Lectures:

British Parliamentary Papers: their value in Irish family history, with Tony McCarthy
Well-known author and editor Tony McCarthy explores the immense body of material covering all aspects of Irish life found in the British Parliamentary Papers.

The Registry of Deeds – a treasure trove for researchers with Rosalind McCutcheon FIGRS
Roz has been exploring the many treasures of the Registry of Deeds for over thirty years. Along the way she has amassed a huge store of information, tit-bits and unexpected finds.

Early 20th Century Sources for Irish Family Historians: where they are and what they can tell us about our family, with Ann Marie Coghlan
Ann-Marie looks at both online and offline materials found in international collections.

Workshop:

Irish Church Records, with Claire Bradley
Claire will detail which records are where, and what you can expect to find in parish registers. This practical session will include online access to help users learn how to do it themselves.

AGM
As part of the programme, the IGRS, which is celebrating its 80th year, will also hold its AGM. This is free to attend but only members can vote.

Fee

The conference fee is €20, and includes a light lunch of soup, sandwiches and tea/coffee. The IGRS AGM is free to attend.

Tickets
You can book tickets on either of the hosts' websites, or email for more information:
IGRS: IrishAncestors.ie   E: ibhonsecretary@irishancestors.ie
CGS : corkgenealogicalsociety.com   E: corkgensoc@gmail.com

NAI adds Post-Truce Compensation files for Co Dublin


Files can be inspected in the NAI's Reading Room
The National Archives of Ireland (NAI) has added the Finance Compensation files for County Dublin to its catalogue. Those for Dublin City and Cork City were already available, along with 19 other counties, as below.

These files relate to claims for compensation for loss of or damage to property that occurred as a result of military action between July 1921 and March 1923. Claims were made under the Damage to Property (Compensation) Act, 1923.

The National Archives describes these files as recording 'the name and address of the claimant and the amount paid in compensation and also a brief narrative of the military action or incident that led to the loss of the property, along with an inventory of the property lost. Using these files, a detailed picture of every incident causing loss of, destruction of, or damage to property during the Civil War can be established.'

While unlikely to help your research in a genealogical sense, these files can add to your understanding of your family's experiences, and those of their neighbours, in the early 1920s. 

To view the lists of files for each county, just click on the links below (if you experience any difficulties, use the links on this NAI page). Images of the files are not available and the files can be inspected in the NAI's Reading Room in Bishop Street, Dublin 8.


Seven counties remain uncatalogued: Cavan, Galway, Kildare, Offaly, Roscommon, Wexford and Waterford. These will be listed as they are completed.

In total, the collection includes an estimated 20,000 files, and the listing work has been funded by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

BBC's Voices16 tells the story of a tumultuous year

http://www.bbc.co.uk/events/e2d
Voices16 follows the personal stories of those in the
frontlines in Dublin and Somme in 1916
Here's another online route to a greater understanding of the two seismic events of 1916 that shaped Ireland.

Created by BBC Northern Ireland, Voices16 follows the personal stories of those in the frontlines in Dublin and at the Somme in 1916. It revisits the testimony of those who were witness to history and looks at how people's lives were affected by the Easter Rising and the Battle of the Somme.

The site also features short films that explore the history and importance of such artefacts as the Proclamation of the Irish Republic and the flag of the 36th Ulster Division at the Somme. These can be found in the Voices16 Objects section of the site. The items come from a number of archives, including:
  • Church of Ireland (Representative Church Body)
  • Irish Jesuit Archives
  • Libraries NI
  • Linen Hall Library
  • Military Archives Dublin
  • National Library of Ireland
  • National Museums Northern Ireland
  • Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
  • The Somme Association

Later in the year, two landmark BBC Northern Ireland films will air on BBC One featuring characters found on Voices16.

It's a well-presented site and worth taking a look at.

Tuesday 26 January 2016

Beat the price hike: 10% off FindMyPast World subs

Following on from last weekend's free access, FindMyPast is giving researchers the chance to 'beat the imminent price increase' with a 10% discount on all new* 12-month World subscriptions.

As all FindMyPast subscription costs will rise by 20% from Tuesday 16 February, this 10% discount on the existing price is worth more than it might seem! If my sums are right, the savings are approximately €44 / £38 / US$59 / AUS$59.

And as if that's not enough, you'll also automatically have full access to the 1939 Register as soon as it becomes part of the subscription packages in mid-February.

* Existing 12-month World subscribers are already protected from the hike with a price freeze (their next renewals will be offered at the pre-increase price).

To take up this last offer before the price hike, choose your preferred currency below and pay for your World subscription before 30 January, 23:59 GMT. Prices shown are net of the 10% discount.


FindMyPast Ireland – 12-month
World subscription €134.55

FindMyPast USA – 12-month
World subscription $179.55
FindMyPast UK – 12-month
World subscription £116.55

FindMyPast Australia/NZ – 12-month
World subscription AUS$179.55

This discount offer has now expired

Be part of RTÉ 1's 1916 centenary broadcast

http://www.anpost.ie/NR/rdonlyres/48CF2DC6-15A2-45F9-82B0-381AEC36FF98/0/Largeproclamation2.gif
Click image to view wording of the    
1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic
Would you like to be part of a television programme celebrating the 1916 centenary?

RTE 1 and Tyrone Productions are looking for Irish people and members of the Diaspora from around the world to record sections of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic to camera.

These recordings will be included in a 1916 commemoration progamme, which will be aired on RTÉ 1 on Easter Monday.

Interested individuals from around the world should record themselves reciting one-line sections of the Proclamation at an iconic landmark near where they live or work.

All you need to do is to record yourself individually or as part of a group on your phone, digital camera or
any other device.

To express your interest and to receive a full brief on the filming and delivery of your recording, email ireland@tyroneproductions.ie as soon as possible.

All recordings need to be submitted by Friday 12 February.

Genealogical sources for 1916: five lectures at NLI (Feb)

Members of Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI) will present five lunchtime lectures during Adult Learners’ Week at the National Library of Ireland.

The lectures will introduce genealogical sources that might be used to document ancestors who were alive in 1916 or who were active during the Rising. While the sources will be discussed in the context of the Rising, they are not all exclusive to that period or specifically for Dublin City.

Monday 22 February: Were your Ancestors active in 1916?: Sources in the Irish Military Archives, with Nicola Morris MAGI

Tuesday 23 February: Reporting on the Rising: Using Irish Newspapers in the National Library of Ireland, with Helen Kelly MAGI

Wednesday 24 February: Census Returns, Electoral Rolls and Covenants: Where were your ancestors in 1916? with Rob Davison MAGI

Thursday 25 February: The records of Dublin’s Congregations at the time of the Rising, with Rosaleen Underwood MAGI

Friday 26 February: Researching the Rising: a case study from the National Archives of Ireland, with John Grenham MAGI

Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
Time: 1pm
Cost: Free
Booking: No need to book. Just turn up.


Monday 25 January 2016

Irish Directory Database continues to find new sources

The Irish Directory Database has been updated with links to an additional 150 online directories, bringing the total to 1,024.

These directories are scattered across the web. Some are held within commercial sites, so can be viewed only with a subscription, but many are available without charge on the websites of archives, libraries and other online repositories.

Some are available for purchase on CD, others for download.

The Irish Directory Database, which launched in May 2014 with 550 links, is a collaboration between Shane Wilson, a family historian based in Dublin, and Joe Buggy, a ProGenealogist based at Ancestry's Dublin office and publisher of the Townland of Origin blog. It is hosted on Shane's excellent website, www.swilson.info, which is full of wonderful free resources for the genealogist.



First 'Troubles' Museum to open in June in Derry

The Museum of Free Derry project, which is currently being constructed at Glenfada Park in the city’s Bogside, has received additional funding of £500,000 from the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure.

This chunk of funding complements the £2.4m already received from a variety of agencies, the largest being the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Making the announcement, Culture Minister Carál Ní Chuilín said: “The Museum of Free Derry is a unique project which will tell the story of the recent history of Derry.

"It is situated right at the heart of where the traumatic events of Bloody Sunday took place and will vividly portray the impact, trauma and division of ‘the troubles’ directly, through education and the exploration of the root causes of the conflict.

“As the first museum to deal directly with ‘the troubles,’ it will also play a significant role in the ongoing debate around how events of the conflict should be suitably remembered and recorded.”

The museum currently has an archive of over 25,000 individual items, most of them donated museum by local residents, and include some items of immense historical importance. The Trust managing the project say the museum will be "the community’s story told from the community’s perspective, not the distorted version parroted by the government and most of the media over the years."

Construction work started last summer and the project is due for completion in June 2016. Its location in Glenfada Park is close to the Bloody Sunday Monument, Free Derry Corner and the Bogside Artist’s murals.

Irish genealogy and history events, 25 Jan to 7 Feb

Monday 25 January: Dan Donnelly: Irish boxing champion, with Larry Breen. Host: Clondalkin Historical Society. Venue: Áras Cronáin, Watery Lane, Clondalkin, Dublin 22. 8pm

Tuesday 26 January: Pubs and patriotism - Fenianism from the 1860s to 1916, with Maura Cronin. Host: Kilrush and District Historical Society. Venue: Teach Ceoil, Grace Street, Kilrush, Co Clare. 8pm. Members free. €5 for non-members. New members are welcome.

Tuesday 26 January: People and stories from the Bann Disc, with Jennifer Cunningham. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Coleraine Branch. Venue: Guide Hall, Terrace Row, Coleraine, Co Derry. 8pm. All welcome.

Wednesday 27 January: Powers of Redemption: The Irish Famine as a Crisis of Governmentally, with Dr David Nally. Host: Society for the Study of 19th-century Ireland. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. All welcome. Free Admission. Booking is not required. 6pm.

Wednesday 27 January: Open genealogy consultations, with Lisa Dougherty. Host & Venue: Irish American Heritage Museum, 370 Broadway, Albany, New York 12207 USA. 11am to 2pm. Free but need to register.

Wednesday 27 January: 'They have rights who dare maintain them' - The Formation of the Irish Volunteers, with Gerry White. Host: Dúchas Heritage Clonakilty. Venue: The Parish Centre, Clonakilty, Co. Cork. 8:30pm. All welcome.

From Thursday 28 January: Dublin Fire Brigade and the 1916 Rising, an exhibition. Venue: City Hall, Dame Street, Dublin 2. Open 10am–5pm. Free. Continues until 30 June. (The Flag of Countess Markievicz will also be on display at City Hall from 1 March.)

Thursday 28 January: Deansgrange Cemetery and its association with the Rising, with Jamie Moran. Host: Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown 1916 Committee. Venue: DLR Lexicon, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin. 7pm–9pm. Free. No booking required.

Thursday 28 January: From shoe box to window box: Commemoration of the First World War in Ireland from 1919 to present day, with Tom Burke of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers Association. Hosts: Glasnevin Trust & Trinity College Dublin. Part of the '1916: Rebellion, War and Commemoration in Ireland and beyond’ lecture series. Venue: Glasnevin Cemetery Museum, Finglas Rd, Dublin 11. 7pm. Tickets €10.

Thursday 28 January: Corkmen in the American Civil War, with Damien Shiels. Host: Skibbereen and District Historical Society. Venue: West Cork Hotel, Skibbereen, Co Cork. 8:30pm. Members free. Non-members pay small fee at door. All welcome.

Thursday 28 January: From Family Tree to Family History, with Mike McKeag. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Ballemena Branch. Venue: Michelin Arts Workshop, Braid Arts Centre 1-29 Bridge Street, Ballymena, Co Antrim. BT43 5EJ. Starts at 7:15pm. All welcome.

Sunday 31 January: Living in the margins: Early Irish scribes and their manuscripts, with Dr. Angela Gleason. The 2016 Karen Lemke Lecture. Hosts: St. Joseph’s College and Maine Irish Heritage Center. Venue: Maine Irish Heritage Center, Corner of State and Gray Streets, Portland, Maine, USA. Admission: $5 (Free for MIHC members and the St Joseph’s College Community). More info: Tel 207.780.0118 or see www.maineirish.com.

Sunday 31 January: 1916 Irish historical and social walking tour through central London, with Peter Middleton. Host: London Easter 1916 Centenary Committee. Meeting at Great Northern Hotel, King’s Cross Station, Pancras Road, London N1, at Noon. Tour lasts about 3 hours. The event is free, but donations to the London Easter 1916 Centenary Committee accepted. Details

Monday 1 February: The Flight of the Earls, with Deirdra Friel. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Foyle Branch. Venue: Derry City’s Central Library, 35 Foyle Street, Londonderry, BT48 6AL. 7pm. Free. All welcome.

Monday 1 February: The Strangford Islanders, with Beverly Brown. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Killyleagh Branch. Venue: Killyleagh Masonic Hall, 50 High Street, Killyleagh, Co Down BT30 9QF. 8pm. Free. All welcome.

Monday 1 February: 1916 – When the dawn is come – Thomas MacDonagh and the Easter Rising, with Dr Shane Kenna. Venue: Dublin Castle, Dame Street, Dublin. 6:30pm. Free. All welcome but need to book a place. E: DublinCastleTickets@opw.ie, T: (0)1 645 8812.

Tuesday 2 February: Selfridges of London and Ardstraw, with Frank Collins. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Omagh Branch. Venue: Omagh Library, Dublin Road, Omagh, Co Tyrone BT78 1HL. 7:15pm. Free. All welcome.

Wednesday 3 February: Petty thieves and rebel volunteers; a shared history at Kilmainham Gaol, with Dr Lisa Marie Griffith. Host: Dublin City Council 1916-2016 Centenary Programme. Venue: Inchicore Library, 34 Emmet Road, Dublin 8. 6:30pm. Free. Booking required. E: inchicorelibrary@dublincity.ie T: (0)1 453 3793.

Thursday 4 February: A Tour tbrough Ulster's graveyards, with Dr William Roulston. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Belfast Branch. Venue: Holywood Arches Library, Holywood Road, Belfast, BT4 1NT. 7:30pm. All Welcome.

Thursday 4 February: Free at last: Irish records, so peculiar, so cheap, with John Grenham MAGI. Host: Family Search. Venue: RootsTech, Salt Palace Convention Center, 100 South West Temple St, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.

Thursday 4 February: Using FindMyPast to unlock your Irish ancestry, with Brian Donovan. Venue: RootsTech, Salt Palace Convention Center, 100 South West Temple St, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.

Thursday 4 February: The Belfast workhouse in the nineteenth century, with Dr Olwen Perdue. First of the Surviving the City: Lunchtime Lecture Series. Host and Venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. 1pm. Free. Booking recommended: E: proni@dcalni.gov.uk / T: 028 90534800.

Thursday 4 February: Wikimedia Edithon – This will comprise a number of talks on the Somme and Ireland 1916 as well as a workshop to show how to edit and upload information to Wikipedia articles. Host and Venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. 2:30pm to 5:30pm. Free. Booking recommended: E: proni@dcalni.gov.uk / T: 028 90534800.

Thursday 4 February: Abandoned mansions of Ireland, with Tarquin Blake. Host: Blarney & District Historical Society. Venue: Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál (Blarney Secondary School), Blarney, Co. Cork. 8pm. All welcome.

Friday 5 February: The Coast, The Copper, The Ancient East: County Waterford's archaeology, with Dave Pollock. Host and venue: The Copper Coast UNESCO Global Geopark Visitor Centre, Knockmahon, Bunmahon, Co. Waterford. 7:30pm. Tickets €5 (includes tea/coffee). See www.coppercoastgeopark or telephone (0)51 292828.

Friday 5 & Saturday 6 February : Globalising the Rising – 1916 in context, an interdisciplinary conference. Venue: O’Reilly Hall, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4. Although free to attend, tickets need to be booked for each day. See full programme. 8:45am to 5:30pm on Friday; 9:30am to 5pm on Saturday. All welcome.

Saturday 6 February: Family history on the web, part of the library's Family Fun Day. Host and venue: Antrim Library, 10 Railway St, Antrim BT41 4AE. 11:30am to 1pm and 1:30pm to 3pm. Free. No need to book. Just drop in.





Friday 22 January 2016

Mapping Ireland exhibition: online and in Belfast

Libraries NI's virtual exhibition for January is ‘Mapping Ireland’.

Items in this online exhibition come from collections held in Belfast Central Library's Heritage Department, and include a selection of early maps of Ireland dating from 1572 to the 1790s. Some of them are really beautiful, and the online platform allows you to look at sections of much larger maps in zoomable detail.

If you're lucky enough to be in Belfast over the next couple of months, you might like to see the full Mapping Ireland exhibition in the foyer of Belfast Central Libary. The maps will remain on display until March, and there's no charge to view them.

Venue:
Belfast Central Library
Royal Avenue
Belfast
BT1 1EA

Hours:
9am to 8pm Monday and Thursday
9am to 5:30pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday
10am to 4:30pm Saturday.

NIFHS Research Centre extends opening hours

The North of Ireland Family History Society (NIFHS) recently announced that its Research Centre in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, will be open on the third Saturday of each month. Hours will be 10:30am to 12:30pm, and are in addition to the Society's weekly Tuesday opening: 2pm to 8pm.

The NIFHS has eleven branches across Northern Ireland and volunteers from the Lisburn Branch have stepped up to facilitate the additional weekend opening on a regular basis.

The Randall Gill Libary is part of the Research Centre at the Society's premises at C4, Valley Business Centre, Newtownabbey, where there is plenty of parking. All are welcome to come along to the Centre, to see the Society's many resources (see the Resources section at www.nifhs.org) and to talk to members, who may be able to help with sticky family history research queries.

Date of next Saturday opening is 20 February.


Globalising the Rising: 1916 in context - conference

The free conference at UCD Belfield is open
to all, from school students to specialists
Renowned national and international speakers will consider the impact and legacy of 1916 on global political systems at the Globalising the Rising: 1916 in context Conference next month (Friday 5 and Saturday 6 February).

The conference is interdisciplinary. Panels across the two days will feature experts in history, political science, the Irish language, English literature, memory studies, the history of medicine, archives, and digital humanities. The papers and panels presented are aimed to be of interest to everyone from school students to specialists.

Download the full programme here.(pdf 422kB)

Please register in advance in order to secure your place. Attendees should note that, although the conference is free of charge, tickets must be booked for each day of the conference. Please print your ticket and bring it with you to secure entry on the day.

Times
Friday 5 February : 8:45am to 5:30pm
Saturday 6 February: 9:30am to 5pm.

Venue: O’Reilly Hall, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4

Cost: Free.

Thursday 21 January 2016

On podcast: 1916 lecture at London's Irish Embassy

At the Irish Embassy in London earlier this week, the first of this year's Embassy Lectures Series was presented by historian Professor Joe Lee, Glucksman Chair of Irish History and Professor of Irish Studies at New York University.

In his topic – The Easter Rising 1916: why did it happen & how did it change Ireland? – Professor Lee explored some of the factors that led to the Rising and the key figures involved. During a lively Q&A following the lecture, Professor Lee and Ambassador Dan Mulhall delved further into the complexities of 1916.

A recording (1hr 9mins) of the event is now available (free) on Soundcloud, which you can listen to below.

The event is part of a series of discussions the Embassy will be organising to explore the themes around the Ireland 2016 programme. See Ireland 2016 in Britain for details of the programme.

IGRS Birth Index adds 2,600 records

The Irish Genealogical Research Society (IGRS) has updated its Early Irish Births Index with 2,600 additional records bringing the total number of entries in the database to 8,605. All entries in the Index come from sources other than parish registers or civil registration records collection.

As well as the more usual sources such as newspapers, census records and memorial inscriptions, this latest batch of birth records have been gleaned from the Admiralty Passing Certificates held at The National Archives in Kew, London, and (more than 500 entries) from the Registry of Deeds. In addition, a delighted genealogist in London presented Vice-President Roz McCutcheon FIGRS, the founder and manager of the Index, with an exact birthdate in 1861 for her Irish-born great grandfather, found in the 1939 National Register

Launched last year at RootsTech, the Early Irish Births Index is an online members-only resource. So, too, is the Early Irish Deaths Index.

However, the first of the Society's trio of bmd Indexes – the IGRS Early Irish Marriage Index – is free to access by members and non-members. It holds details of more than 70,000 marriages.

Ancestry uploads big bundle of new Australia records

Ancestry has uploaded a big bundle of Australian records that will be of use to those with Irish ancestors who emigrated 'down under'.

These are the new record sets:



This record set has been updated:



And these are the latest 'Web' record sets (indexed on Ancestry but directing to third party sites):

Wednesday 20 January 2016

National Archives of Ireland's expansion underway

Redevelopment work starts this September at
the rear of the NAI in Bishop St, Dublin 7
The €8million expansion of the National Archives of Ireland (NAI) is finally underway!

The major revamp will see the Bishop Street site transformed into a state-of-the-art archival storage facility, capable of holding approximately four million files containing about 100 million pages.

Launching the design and construction phase of the redevelopment project, Minister for the Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humprheys TD said: “The Government intends to gradually move to a 20-year rule for the release of State papers. Expanding and upgrading the National Archives is essential to cope with the increased demand that will come about as a result of this change.

"Investment in the future accessibility and preservation of public records is also timely given this decade of centenaries, as we turn to resources held by the National Archives and other institutions to reflect and remember on the events of 1916 and beyond as the Irish State emerged from the Rising, and the Civil War.”

The first phase of the works will require the decanting of over 1,900 pallets of archives from the existing warehouse building to the rear of the Bishop Street premises and its conversion into a works site for developing archival quality storage and ancillary facilities. Works are expected to commence in September 2016 and, once completed, will provide accommodation for 137,000 archival boxes.

FindMyPast to increase costs of subscriptions

FindMyPast has announced that it is to increase the cost of its subscriptions by 20% on Tuesday 16 February. The exact prices haven't yet been confirmed, but I'm sure you can do your own sums!

In making the announcement, FindMyPast explains that it has added almost half a million records to the site in the past year alone. "We plan to add the same number again this year to ensure value for our subscribers and to help them discover even more about their family story. We have opened a further 2.5 million closed 1939 Register records and continue to open thousands more every week.

"Findmypast now offers access to over eight billion records and we are committed to adding thousands of new records every week.”

Existing 12-month subscribers will be offered their next annual renewal at today's price, but this price freeze is only for researchers with an annual package, whether it's a World package or one of the 'local' packages.

Monthly subscribers and new subscribers won't be so lucky. So, if you have a monthly package or no current subscription and you want to beat the price increase, it'll be worth considering upgrading to an annual package in the next four weeks; buying at today's price could save you some money over the next year! Current annual rates are below:


FindMyPast Ireland – World sub €149.50; Ireland sub €99.50  

FindMyPast USA – World sub $199.50; US sub $99.50
FindMyPast UK – World sub £129.50, Britain sub £99.50     

FindMyPast Australia/NZ – World sub AUS$199.50; Aus/NZ sub $99.50

Access to 1939 Register will be free to FindMyPast's annual Britain & World subscribers from 16 February

FindMyPast has announced that unlimited access to its 'premium rate' 1939 Register record set will be made available free of charge to all annual Britain and World subscribers with effect from Tuesday 16 February.

The 1939 Register holds the records of 30.5million people living in or visiting England and Wales on 29 September 1939, on the eve of World War Two. The records were launched online on 2 November last year and I know a lot of researchers have found some really useful information within it, but many subscribers complained loudly and bitterly about the collection not being included in the main FindMyPast subscription packages.

Well, the company has listened to its customers and responded with this latest move. You should note that it applies only to those subscribers with 12-monthly packages, not to those on a monthly subscription.

Annual subscribers will receive confirmation by email in the next day or so.

The news comes with a squeeze of lemon, however, as the company will be increasing the cost of its subscriptions by 20% on the same day. But, there's some good news for existing 12-month subscribers: FindMyPast is freezing the price of your next 12-month subscription renewal. See the following blogpost: FindMyPast to increase costs of subscriptions.

Free weekend access to FindMyPast's World, 22–25 Jan

FindMyPast has announced a free access weekend. This will give researchers unlimited free access to billions of family history records and newspaper pages from all over the world, as well as innovative research tools.

The free access will start at 12 Noon (GMT) on Friday 22 January and expire at 11:59am (GMT) on Monday 25 January.

To access the records you'll need to be registered and signed in, so if you don't already have an account, you can set that up before the free weekend starts (it doesn't cost anything and you don't have to provide any financial details).

Existing 'local' subscribers ie those with an active Ireland, UK, USA/Canada or Australia/NZ subscription will find they have access to the entire world collection over the weekend.

Those researchers with an existing World subscription will find their sub extended by three days at no extra charge.

Please note that while nearly all World records are included in the free access, just a few collections are excluded due to licencing agreements. These excluded collections are the 1939 National Register, the UK Electoral Registers (2002-2013) and the UK Companies House Directors (2002-2013).

Choose the most appropriate 'territory' for your research, and enjoy the weekend!


FindMyPast Ireland  

FindMyPast USA
FindMyPast UK     

FindMyPast Australia/NZ

Bargain book sale from Ulster Historical Foundation

Prior to its move to the centre of Belfast, the Ulster Historical Foundation is selling some of its titles at bargain prices. And I mean bargains.

See below for the full list of titles remaining at noon today. The figures in brackets tell you how many copies were available when the list was drawn up. If there's something you fancy, get your order in because this list was about four times longer at 9am this morning!

You can order by telephone or email or race around to the UHF office at 49 Malone Road, Belfast BT9 6RY! You can see more here.

Hardbacks are 3 for £5 (or £2 each) while paperbacks are 50p per book (excepting Famine in Ulster, which is just £1). Postage and packing costs will be added.

Bear in mind that some of the books are slightly damaged.

Books for sale:

The Call of the North: A History of the Sisters of Mercy (HB) (3)
Clergy of Dublin (HB) (4)
Derry Beyond Walls: Social and Economic Aspects of the Growth of Derry, 1825-1850(1)
Familia: Ulster Genealogical Review, 2012 (13)
Famine in Ulster (56)
Football in Ireland (HB)(1)
From Special Care to Specialist Care: A History of Muckamore Abbey Hospital (14)
George Best Not Playing Today (HB) (13)
History of Irish Parliament: Vol. 2 (1)
Directory of Irish Family History Research Interest List 2007 (17)
Directory of Irish Family History Research Interest List 2008 (17)
Directory of Irish Family History Research Interest List 2012 (18)
Ireland and South Africa in modern times (26)
Merchants in Plenty: Joseph Smyth's Belfast Directories 1807 and 1808 (1)
Place Names of NI Vol 1 (1)
Place Names of NI Vol 2 (3)
Place Names of NI Vol 3 (1)
Place Names of NI Vol 4 (3)
Place Names of NI Vol 7 (1)



1916 Easter Rising commemorative coin issued

The Central Bank of Ireland is to issue a commemorative €2 coin into circulation this morning to mark the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising and the Proclamation of the Irish Republic.

The designer of the coin, Emmet Mullins, describes the design as, “featuring a depiction of the statue of Hibernia on top of the GPO where she has witnessed the events of 1916 and watched the growth of a nation since the Rising*." The coin includes the centenary dates, and the name Hibernia in hand-rendered lettering influenced by the book of Kells.

This is the first time Ireland has issued a circulating euro coin to mark an event in Irish history. Some 4.5million of the coins will be released.

Collector/Presentation coins are also available.

*The original was destroyed in 1916. 

Tuesday 19 January 2016

Genealogy is a key focus for DAHG's 2016 Action Plan

In its newly published Action Plan for Jobs 2016 (APJ16), the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht sets out its commitment to the Irish genealogy sector.

Among its 'Key Departmental actions' is a commitment to 'enhance genealogy tourism through ongoing development of cultural digitisation initiatives'. No further detail has been made available, as far as I can see, but I won't be the only one hoping for an early update – the addition of 1915 births, 1940 marriages and 1965 deaths – and more marriage entries showing both parties to the union.

Hopefully it also means the plan to create an online pay-to-view facility for bmd certificates, similar to that available in Northern Ireland, will also be chugging its way to the light.

Announcing the APJ16, the Minister for the DAHG, Heather Humphreys TD, said: “Our language, culture and heritage contribute enormously to making Ireland an attractive place to live in, to invest in and to visit. The economic recovery will allow for increased investment in the arts, heritage and Gaeltacht sectors in the year ahead and my Department will contribute to job creation across a range of sectors in 2016, including tourism, the arts and the audio visual sector.

“The 2016 Action Plan for Jobs includes commitments to promote Irish art and artists worldwide and to support a wide range of arts venues, festivals, arts organisations and touring initiatives around Ireland. We will continue to support digitisation projects, which will be a boost to genealogy tourism as more and more people seek to explore their Irish roots.

“The Government will invest in a range of major cultural infrastructure projects in the year ahead. This includes the heritage projects being developed as part of Ireland 2016, such as the new visitor centres at the GPO and Teach an Phiarsaigh, and the new Tenement Museum. Other major projects include the refurbishment at the National Gallery, the expansion of the National Archives and the development of the Cork Events Centre."

'Inspiring Ireland 1916': new online exhibitions capture unknown stories of people and events

A new phase of the Digital Repository of Ireland's Inspiring Ireland project was launched this evening at the Royal Irish Academy by Minister of State for the Diaspora Jimmy Deenihan TD.

Inspiring Ireland 1916: Weaving Public and Private Narratives combines expert narrative with objects from the National Library of Ireland, the National Archives of Ireland, the National Museum of Ireland and RTÉ Archives, to create a multi-media reflection on the people, events and legacy of 1916. In addition to the material gathered from the repositories, previously unseen memorabilia, gathered at Collection Days hosted by the National Library of Ireland, is included, revealing a side of the Rising that is not well documented.

This fresh series of seven exhibits focusing on the known and not-so-known stories of people and events surrounding the Rising that will be brought to life online over the first six months of 2016 as part of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme.

The schedule of the online exhibitions begins with stories of 'Women and the Rising', and explores class, politics, grief and survival through this remarkable period in Irish history. Inspiring Ireland 1916 will also unveil exhibitions that use brand new sources; for example, the witness testimonies of British soldiers sent to quell the fighting in Dublin, and official compensation claims for damaged property from businesses and individuals – including artists Jack B. Yeats and Harry Clarke. Here's the line up of exhibitions scheduled to appear before the end of May:
  • Communicating the Rising
  • Rising in the Regions
  • The Seven Signatories
  • Reactions to the Rising
  • Impact of the Rising
  • Remembering the Rising
Officially launching the new series of exhibitions, Minister Deenihan said: “It gives me tremendous pride to launch this new phase of Inspiring Ireland, dedicated to telling the stories of 1916, from both private and public collections. These exhibits are truly revealing Ireland at its best, and by bringing them together in one online space, we allow people to participate in commemorating the events and lives of 1916 from wherever they may currently reside, with whatever connection brings them to explore the history of this island.”

Inspiring Ireland is built on the preservation infrastructure of the Digital Repository of Ireland, which means that digital objects are preserved for long term access and discovery, ensuring Ireland’s digital cultural heritage will be available when the next centenary rolls around in another hundred years. Three exhibitions are already online: Sense of Freedom, Sense of Identity and Sense of Place.

There's a short overview of the Inspiring Ireland 1916 project in the video below.

FindMyPast and Mocavo to merge

FindMyPast has announced that it will be merging Mocavo's records and archives into its site in the coming months.

The company bought Mocavo in June 2014, when Mocavo was just three years old, and confirmed that it would maintain Mocavo's 'Free Forever' promise. This will continue after the merger, with existing subscribers still able to enjoy free access to all the same records that were previously published free on Mocavo. These subscribers will be notified individually when their account is to be transferred.

FindMyPast's press release says the move will 'create a single experience for our US customers in a move that aims to deliver a more focused, efficient and comprehensive service to US family historians.'

Monday 18 January 2016

Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives: first 2016 update

http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/laois/photos/tombstones/laois-coolbanagher/target24.html
Detail of memorial stone carving dating from 1774
in Old Coolbanagher Cemetery, Laois. Click image
for full view. Photo courtesy of Bridgid Wilson.

ARMAGH Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Crossmaglen, St. Patrick's Cem. (R.C.)

ANTRIM Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Toberkeigh Presby Graveyard (CHESTNUTT)
Dunluce Presby. Graveyard (KNOX & CHESTNUTT)

FERMANAGH Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Callow Hill (Callowhill) Graveyard

KERRY Genealogy Archives - Headstones
O'Connell, Edward (Buried in NZ)

MEATH Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Dunboyne; St Peter's CoI (Updated)

LAOIS Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Coolbanagher Cemetery (Old)

SLIGO Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Sligo Cem - New Pt, Sec. B (Surnames K-W)

WEXFORD Genealogy Archives - Headstones
St. Peters, Glenbrien (Oylegate) SWEETMAN


Irish genealogy & history events: 18–31 January

Monday 18 January: From the Glens to Gallipoli, with Nigel Henderson. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Larne Branch. Venue: Bowling & Lawn Tennis Club, 112-120 Glenarm Road, Larne, Co Antrim BT40 1DZ. 7:30pm. All welcome.

Monday 18 January: Genealogy information sessions, with Margaret Bonar and Elizabeth Craven. Morning venue: Raheny Library, Howth Rd, Dublin 5 from 10:30am to 11:45am. Afternoon venue: Donaghmede library, Donaghmede Shopping Centre, Dublin 13 from 2:30pm to 4pm. Free. Bookings to 085 1444883 or impossibleancestors@gmail.com.

Tuesday 19 January: Irish Victorian mountaineers, with Declan O'Keeffe, and The diet of ordinary Irish people in ancient times, with Liam Downey. Host: Foxrock History Club. Venue: Pastoral Centre beside Foxrock RC Church, Co Dublin. 8pm. €5.

Tuesday 19 January: Irish Demesne Landscapes, with Vandra Costello. Host: Irish Georgian Society. Venue: RSAI, 63 Merrion Square, Dublin 2. 6:30pm–7:30pm. All welcome. 6:30pm–7:30pm. Tickets: €10.00. €5 student tickets also available. Details.

Wednesday 20 January: Carlow & The Famine Girls, with Dr Elaine Byrne. Host: Carlow Historical and Archaeological Society. Venue: Mount Wolesley Hotel, Tullow, Co Carlow. 8pm. All welcome.

Wednesday 20 January: Kearneys of Lackagh - genealogy research, with Frank Kearney. Host: Western Family History Association. Venue: Lackagh Parish Centre, Lackagh, Co Galway. 8pm. Free. All welcome. AGM will follow lecture.

Wednesday 20 January: DNA & how to use it for successful family history research, with Martin McDowell. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, North Armagh Branch. Venue: Town Hall, 15-17 Edward Street, Portadown, BT62 3LX. 7:30pm. All welcome.

Wednesday 20 January:  Waterford's links to Newfoundland, with Jack Burtchaell. Venue: Dungarvan Town Hall Theatre, Friary Street, Dungarvan, Co Waterford. 8pm.  €5. All welcome.

Thursday 21 January: 1916 and the Great War, with Jay Winter. First of the '1916 as a Global Event' lecture series. Hosts: Royal Irish Academy and University College Dublin. Venue: Royal Irish Academy, 19 Dawson St. Dublin 2. 4:30pm. Free, but booking required.


Thursday 21 January: Ethics & the 1916 Rising workshop, with Seamus Farrell. Venue: Central Library, St Oliver Plunkett Rd, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal. 6:30pm–8pm. Free of charge but booking essential. Tel: 074 9124950 or e-mail central@donegallibrary.ie.

Thursday 21 January: DNA and Family History, with Martin McDowell. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, North Down and Ards Branch. Venue: 1st Bangor Presbyterian Church Hall, Main Street, Bangor BT20 4AG. 7:30pm. Guests and visitors are welcome to attend (£3).

Thursday 21 January: The women were worse than the men: crime in Dublin in 1916, with Pádraig Yeates. The 19th annual Sir John T. Gilbert Commemorative Lecture. Host and Venue: Dublin City Archive & Library, Pearse Street, Dublin 2. Free. No booking required. Details.

Saturday 23 January: 19th-Century Irish Genealogy Research: What’s Available and How to Use It, with Miles Davenport. A Level II/Intermediate workshop. Venue: Norton Room, McClelland Library & Irish Cultural Center, 1106 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona, USA. 10:30am to 12:30pm. $15 Library/ICC Members; $20 non-members. Register.

Sunday 24 January: The Maine Gaeltacht DNA Project, an introduction. Host: Host and Venue: Maine Irish Heritage Center, 34 Gray St, Portland, Maine 04102 USA. 1pm. Free. All welcome. Need to register: irishhc@maine.rr.com

Monday 25 January: Dan Donnelly: Irish boxing champion, with Larry Breen. Host: Clondalkin Historical Society. Venue: Áras Cronáin, Watery Lane, Clondalkin, Dublin 22. 8pm

From Wednesday 28 January: Dublin Fire Brigade and the 1916 Rising, an exhibition. Venue: City Hall, Dame Street, Dublin 2. Open 10am–5pm. Free. Continues until 30 June. (The Flag of Countess Markievicz will also be on display at City Hall from 1 March.)

Tuesday 26 January: Pubs and patriotism - Fenianism from the 1860s to 1916, with Maura Cronin. Host: Kilrush and District Historical Society. Venue: Teach Ceoil, Grace Street, Kilrush, Co Clare. 8pm. Members free. €5 for non-members. New members are welcome.

Wednesday 27 January: Powers of Redemption: The Irish Famine as a Crisis of Governmentally, with Dr David Nally. Host: Society for the Study of 19th-century Ireland. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. All welcome. Free Admission. Booking is not required. 6pm.

Wednesday 27 January: Open genealogy consultations, with Lisa Dougherty. Host & Venue: Irish American Heritage Museum, 370 Broadway, Albany, New York 12207 USA. 11am to 2pm. Free but need to register.

Thursday 28 January: Deansgrange Cemetery and its association with the Rising, with Jamie Moran. Host: Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown 1916 Committee. Venue: DLR Lexicon, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin. 7pm–9pm. Free. No booking required.

Thursday 28 January: From shoe box to window box: Commemoration of the First World War in Ireland from 1919 to present day, with Tom Burke of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers Association. Hosts: Glasnevin Trust & Trinity College Dublin. Part of the '1916: Rebellion, War and Commemoration in Ireland and beyond’ lecture series. Venue: Glasnevin Cemetery Museum, Finglas Rd, Dublin 11. 7pm. Tickets €10.

Thursday 28 January: From Family Tree to Family History, with Mike McKeag. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Ballemena Branch. Venue: Michelin Arts Workshop, Braid Arts Centre 1-29 Bridge Street, Ballymena, Co Antrim. BT43 5EJ. Starts at 7:15pm. All welcome.

Sunday 31 January: Living in the Margins: Early Irish Scribes and Their Manuscripts, with Dr. Angela Gleason. The 2016 Karen Lemke Lecture. Hosts: St. Joseph’s College and Maine Irish Heritage Center. Venue: Maine Irish Heritage Center, Corner of State and Gray Streets, Portland, Maine, USA. Admission: $5 (Free for MIHC members and the St Joseph’s College Community). More info: Tel 207.780.0118 or see www.maineirish.com.