The National Library of Ireland is to host an 8-week Introduction to Genealogy course this Autumn. Presented by the well-known and much-respected genealogy tutor Sean Murphy, the course will be held in the seminar room in the main Kildare Street building on Wednesday afternoons, from 2pm to 4:30pm.
Each lecture will focus on a different topic, as shown in the outline schedule below. These are not 'drop in' classes; students are asked to commit to atttending all the lectures. They will also need to bring a laptop or tablet to some of the lectures and should have a reasonable level of IT skills.
Places on this free course will be strictly limited to 30.
Booking will not open until Thursday 1 September. From that date (and not before), you can email ckerrigan@nli.ie to book your place.
Lecture 1, 5 October: First Steps
Preview of course; principles of history and of genealogy, recommended texts, preparing draft pedigrees; advice on completing a personal genealogical project; research methods, National Library, National Archives, General Register Office and other record repositories. Please bring available laptops, tablets, etc, for practical classwork.
Lecture 2, 12 October: Computers and the Internet
Computers and online resources; websites of National Library and other repositories; the e-library; Ancestral Quest and other genealogy programs, online family trees; photographs, videos and digital images. Online workshop I.
Lecture 3, 19 October: Placenames, Forenames and Surnames
Origins and forms of Irish placenames, administrative divisions; forenames or first names; origins of surnames internationally and in Ireland, surnames of Gaelic and settler origin, septs and chiefs, the question of Irish ‘clans’.
Lecture 4, 26 October: Census Records
Census returns of 1901 and 1911 and pre-1901 fragments, census records online; review of progress in personal genealogical projects.
Lecture 5, 2 November: Vital Records and Property Valuation Records
Civil records of births, marriages and deaths commencing in 1864 (and non-Catholic marriages commencing in 1845); Tithe Applotment Books (1820s-30s), Griffith’s Valuation (1848-64), Valuation Office records. Online workshop II.
Lecture 6, 9 November: Church Records, Wills and Deeds
Parish and church registers (baptism, marriage and burial) of Roman Catholic, Church of Ireland, Presbyterian and other denominations; National Library and other online church register resources; wills pre- and post-1858, National Archives and online; the holdings of the Registry of Deeds
Lecture 7, 16 November: Memorial Inscriptions and Miscellaneous Sources
Memorial inscriptions in graveyards, churches and commercial cemeteries; an introduction to estate papers, newspapers, directories, occupational records, and other miscellaneous sources. Online workshop III.
Lecture 8, 23 November: Conclusion and Recapitulation
Recapitulation of main points of course, review of students’ progress, comparing portfolios, selected student case studies, planning further work.
UPDATE: Booking opened at 9am. Course was fully allocated by 11:30am.
