Monday 29 February 2016

Larne Times joins British Newspaper Archive

http://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=5895&awinaffid=123532&clickref=&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk%2FThe British Newspaper Archive has added the Larne Times (and Weekly Telegraph) to its database.

The initial upload sees all editions published in the following years digitised and ready for searching: 1896–1899, 1902–1909; 1911–1912; 1931–1939 and 1940–1949.

In due course, more editions will be added, so that the holding for this paper will eventually span from 1893 to 1955.

This paper will also join FindMyPast's Irish newspaper collection. It isn't appearing there yet, but will no doubt make its entrance soon.

To celebrate the launch of its Irish RC registers collection, FindMyPast is making its entire Irish collection free to access 1–7 March

Free access to the entire Irish collection starts 9am, Tuesday
On Tuesday 1 March, FindMyPast will launch its index to the National Library of Ireland's Roman Catholic parish register images. This FindMyPast Index will be free. Forever.

In order to access the Index, researchers will need only to have a registered account; they won't need a subscription.

The NLI's image-only RC parish register collection was launched online last July. It spans more than 200 years of Irish history, with the earliest records dating from 1671. The majority of the registers from the 1,000-odd parishes start in the early 1800s and most end in 1880-82.

The registers hold around 40million names and cover almost all of the island (only a few parishes are not included).

Via the FindMyPast Index, the entire collection can now be searched by name, year and place. The Ireland Roman Catholic Parish Baptisms record set holds 7.3million entries; the Ireland Roman Catholic Parish Marriages record set holds 3 million entries; the Ireland Roman Catholic Parish Burials record set holds just under quarter of a million entries.

To celebrate the release of this essential collection, Findmypast is also making its entire archive of over 110 million Irish records FREE from 9am Tuesday 1 March until 9am on Tuesday 8 March. If you don't already have an Ireland or World subscription, simply register for an account with one of the FindMyPast territories below; no financial information will be requested.

Researchers who have a current Ireland or World subscription will have their subscription extended by three days; this will be confirmed by email to each subscriber.


FindMyPast Ireland
FindMyPast USA
FindMyPast UK
FindMyPast Australia/NZ

Ancestry DNA: 20% discount for Mother's Day

http://www.jdoqocy.com/q6121tenkem1795952A1343974251364A29B828222
Offer has now expired
To coincide with Mother's Day, which, on the Eastern side of the Atlantic, falls this Sunday 6 March, AncestryDNA is offering a 20% discount on its DNA test kits.

Instead of £99*, the discounted price will be £79*, and it will hold until the end of Mother's Day, so you've a decent amount of time to convince your mam that this is what she really, really wants for Mother's Day, and to place your order.

* Shipping costs have to be added.


Irish genealogy & history events, 29 Feb to 13 March

Monday 29 February: The Kildare connection to the Easter Rising, 1916, with Seamus Cullen. Host: Clonalkin Historical Society. Venue: Áras Chrónáin Irish Cultural Centre, Watery Lane, Clondalkin, Dublin 22. 8pm.

Monday 29 February: What were your family doing in 1916? An afternoon of genealogy with Eneclann and FindMyPast. Host and venue: Sligo Central Library, Stephen St, Sligo. Noon to 5pm. Free. Talks and one-to-one consultations. Booking may be required: T (0)71 911 1850.

Monday 29 February: The Poets' Rising, with Deirdre O'Byrne. Part of the 1916 and Beyond lecture series. Host: Nottingham Irish Studies Group. Venue: Five Leaves Bookshop. 14a Long Row, Nottingham UK, NG1 2DH. Admission £3. Refreshments available. 7pm–8:30pm. Book by email.

From 1 March to end of the year: Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and the 1916 Rising: an exhibition. Host and venue: Deansgrange Cemetery, 2 Dean's Grange Rd, Dublin. Open during cemetery hours.

Tuesday 1 March: The Stack family – A 19th-century clerical dynasty with Vincent Brogan MAGI. North of Ireland Family History Society, Omagh branch. Venue: Omagh Library, Dublin Road, Omagh, BT78 1HL. 7:15pm. All welcome.

Tuesday 1 March: The Irish Volunteers, with Daithí Ó Corráin. Host: Kerry Archaeological & History Society. Venue: Killarney Library, Rock Road, Killarney, Co. Kerry. 7.30pm–8.30pm. Free. All welcome.

Wednesday 2 March: Researching family history in the Military Archives – a focus on 1916, with Capt Claire Mortimer. Part of Dublin City Council@s 1916/2016 Centenary Programme. Venue: Rathmines Library, 157 Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin 6. 1pm. Free, but booking essential: rathmineslibrary@dublincity.ie or telephone (0)1 497 3539.

Wednesday 2 March: What were your family doing in 1916? Day of genealogy with Eneclann and FindMyPast. Host and venue: Portlaoise Library, Dunamaise House, Lyster Square, Portlaoise, Co. Laois. 11am to 4pm. Free. Talks and one-to-one consultations. Booking may be required: T (0)57 862 2333.

Wednesday 2 March: Explore the Easter Rising, with Dr Brian Hanley. Second of a three-part lecture series examining the lead up, events and impact of the Rising. 3rd parts on 9 March. Venue: Rathmines Library, 157 Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin 6. 6:30pm. Free, but booking essential: rathmineslibrary@dublincity.ie or telephone (0)1 497 3539.

Thursday 3 March: Waterford men and the Gallipoli campaign, 1915–1916, with Pat McCarthy. Host: 10th series of Julian Walton Winter Lectures series. Venue: Dunhill Multi-Education Centre, Dunhill Ecopark, Ballyphilip, Dunhill, Co Waterford. 8pm, followed by Q&A and light refreshments. €5. No need to book. Enquiries: T (0)51 396 934.

Thursday 3 March:
Ulster-Scots emigration, with Dr Paddy Fitzgerald. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Belfast branch. Venue: Holywood Arches Library, Holywood Road, Belfast, BT4 1NT. 7:30pm. All welcome.

Thursday 3 March: Voluntary charities for the poor in Belfast, 1800–1838, with Robyn Atcheson. Part 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 3 March: The History of Spike Island and its Future, with Tom O'Neill. Host: Blarney & District Historical Society. Venue: Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál (Blarney Secondary School), Blarney, Co. Cork. 8pm. All welcome.

Thursday 3 March: Journalism, the last refuge of the middle class boy: the professionalisation of journalism in 19th century Ireland, with Michael Foley. Host: Irish Centre for the Histories of Labour & Class. Venue: Room GO11, Hardiman Research Building, NUI Galway. 4pm to 6pm. All welcome.

Friday 4 March: Personalities of the decade, 1912–1922, exploring the people who helped shape the political and social landscape of contemporary Ireland. Host and Venue: Derry Central Library, 35 Foyle Street, Londonderry BT48 6AL. Free. Tea/coffee/refreshments provided. 1:30–4pm. To register, E mhetherington@thejunction-ni.org or T: 02871 361942.

Saturday 5 March: Aspects of Irish family history, a day seminar. Host: Genealogical Society of Victoria. Venue: The Celtic Club, 316-320 Queen Street, Melbourne, Australia. 10am–4pm. $60. Lectures: Breaking down Brick Walls, with Liz Pidgeon; Irish Convict Petitions & Ships’ Journals, with Colleen Arulappu; Movements in, out & around Ireland, with Maureen Doyle; BDMs on line – the RC Films & more, with Beryl O'Gorman. Registration.

Saturday 5 March: Scotland and the Easter Rising. A day of talks, readings and workshops rounded off by a ceili in the evening. 11am to 3:30pm and 7pm to 11:30pm. Host and venue: Scottish Trades Union Congress, 333, Woodlands Road, Glasgow G3 6NG. Registration 10:30–10:45am. Admission: £6 for the day event. £6 for the ceili. £10 for both. Details and tickets.

Saturday 5 March: Ormond, Cromwell and the battle for Ireland, 1649–1650, with Michael O Siochru. Part of the Power & Privilege – the Butlers of Ormond lecture series. Host: Tipperary County Museum. Venue: Clonmel Library, Mick Delahunty Square, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. €5, includes refreshments. 10am–12noon. To book: T: Julia on 076 106 5564 or email julia.walsh@tipperarycoco.ie.

Saturday 5 March: Finding your Irish Ancestors, with Paul Milner. A day seminar. Hosts: Midwest Genealogy Center and Kansas City Irish Center. Venue: Stoney Creek Hotel & Conference Center, 18011 Bass Pro Dr, Independence, MO 64055, USA. $60, includes the seminar and buffect lunch.9am to 4pm. Register by 26 February by calling 816-252-7228.

Saturday 5 March: Finding your Irish and Scots-Irish ancestors, with the Ulster Historical Foundation. Hosts: Toronto Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society and Canadiana Dept, North York Central Library. Venue: North York Civic Centre, Memorial Hall, Burgundy Room, 5110 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M2N 5W4 Canada. $70 ($65 for OGS members). 9am to 4:30pm. Details.

Sunday 6 March: Irish family history day, with the Ulster Historical Foundation. Host: New England Historic Genealogical  Society. Venue: Courtyard Marriott Hotel, 275 Tremont Street, Boston, MA, USA. 9am–4pm. Booking T: 617 226 1226. $85. Registration details.

Monday 7 March: The road to 1916, with Pat Murphy. Part of the 1916 and Beyond lecture series. Host: Nottingham Irish Studies Group. Venue: Five Leaves Bookshop. 14a Long Row, Nottingham UK, NG1 2DH. Admission £3. Refreshments available. 7pm–8:30pm. Book by email.

Tuesday 8 March: What were your family doing in 1916? Host and venue: Mountmellick Library, O'Moore St, Mountmellick, Co. Laois. 11am to 4pm. Free. Talks and one-to-one consultations, with Eneclann and FindMyPast. Booking may be required: T (0)57 864 4572.

Tuesday 8 March: Celebrating Your Irish & Scots-Irish Ancestors, with the Ulster Historial Foundation. Host: The Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. Venue: Moriarty's Pub and Restaurant, 1116 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.. 4pm8pm. $60 in advance for members; $65 at the door and for non-members; buffet dinner and cash bar included. Details.

Tuesday 8 March: History of Police Records, with Hugh Forrester. North of Ireland Family History Society, Lisburn branch. Venue: Bridge Community Centre, 50 Railway Street, Lisburn, BT28 1XP. 7:30pm. Free.

Tuesday 8 March: Cumann na mBan and the 1916 Rising, with Ann Matthews. Host: South Dublin Libraries. Venue: Lucan Library, Unit 16, Superquinn Shopping Centre, Newcastle Rd, Lucan, Co. Dublin. 7pm. Free. All welcome.

Wednesday 9 March: The 1916 Rising in Galway, with Gerry Burke. Host: Western Family History Association. Venue: Lackagh Parish Centre, Lackagh, Co Galway. 8pm. Free. All welcome.

Wednesday 9 March: Explore the Easter Rising, with Dr Brian Hanley. Last of a three-part lecture series examining the lead up, events and impact of the Rising. Venue: Rathmines Library, 157 Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin 6. 6:30pm. Free, but booking essential: rathmineslibrary@dublincity.ie or telephone (0)1 497 3539.

Wednesday 9 March: Finding your Irish ancestors online, with John Grenham MAGI. Host: Libraries NI. Venue: Holywood Library,Sullivan Building, 86-88 High St, Holywood, Co. Down BT18 9AE. 2pm to 3:30pm. Free, but booking is advised: T 028 9042 4232.

Wednesday 9 March: Married to a soldier: Irishwomen and the Separation Allowance, with Ann Matthews. Host: Malahide Historical Society. Venue: Presbyterian Church Hall, Dublin Road, Malahide, Co Dublin. 8pm. All welcome. €4.

Wednesday 9 March: Tracing Irish ancestors, with Ulster Historical Foundation. Host and venue: Thomas Balch Library, 208 W Market St, Leesburg, VA, 20176, USA. Tickets: In advance: $15 for members of the Friends of Thomas Balch Library and $25 for non-members. At the door: $30. Details. 9am to 4pm.

Thursday 10 March: Tracing Irish ancestors, with the Ulster Historical Foundation. Host and venue: Venue: The Newberry Library, 60 W Walton St, Chicago, IL 60610, USA. Details. Noon to 4pm. Free. No registration required. Tel: +1 312-943-9090 (ask for the Genealogy and Local History department)

Friday 11 March: Born Ireland... What next...?, a full day workshop with the Ulster Historical Foundation. Host: Heritage Journeys. Venue: Salt Lake Plaza Hotel, 122 S Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101, USA. Details. $55 per ticket, or $75 at the door.

Friday 11 March: Personalities of the decade, 1912–1922, exploring the people who helped shape the political and social landscape of contemporary Ireland. Host and Venue: Derry Central Library, 35 Foyle Street, Londonderry BT48 6AL. Free. Tea/coffee/refreshments provided. 1:30–4pm. To register, email mhetherington@thejunction-ni.org or T: 02871 361942.

Saturday 12 March: Problems with Irish ancestors? with Audrey Leonard. Host: Irish Genealogical Society International. Venue: Minnesota Genealogical Society (MGS) Library, 1185 Concord St N, S St Paul, Minnesota, MN 55075. USA. $15 to members/$20 to non-members. 10:30am to Noon. Register.

Saturday 12 March: Family History Day. Host and venue: Dublin City Library & Archive, 138-144 Pearse Street, Dublin 2. 9:45am to 5pm. No booking required. All welcome. Free.

Saturday 12 March: Discover your Irish roots, with the Ulster Historical Foundation. Host: Genealogical Forum of Oregon. Venue: Milwaukie Center, 5440 SE Kellogg Creek Drive, Milwaukie, Oregon 97222, USA. Details (pdf download). 9am to 4:30pm. $45 members; $55 non-members.

Sunday 13 March: Irish land records workshop, with the Ulster Historical Foundation. Host: Genealogical Forum of Oregon, 2505 SE 11th Ave., Suite B-18, Portland, Oregon 97202, USA. 9:30am to 12:30pm. Details.



Thursday 25 February 2016

New titles to join IrishNewsArchive.com shortly

http://www.irishnewsarchive.comWhile IrishNewsArchive.com has recently closed its US version, IrishNewspaper.com (see previous blogpost here), it is busy preparing some new titles for upload to its global site.

These will include the Evening Herald, a Dublin-focussed daily carrying island-wide birth, marriage and death announcements, which will initially see editions published 1891–1949 made available by the end of March, and the weekly Donegal People's Press. Editions of this latter paper dating from 1919 to current will also join the site shortly.

Another title making an entrance will be the Carlow Nationalist, with editions published from 1881 to current going online. This is an important regional paper, and all three of its editions (Laois Nationalist and Kildare Nationalist) will be accessible on the archive site.

Meanwhile, the company continues the weekly or daily update of its 'current' newspaper titles.

US-only IrishNewspapers.com to close

IrishNewspapers.com, the US-only version of IrishNewsArchive.com, is to close down. Subscriptions are no longer available to purchase, but existing subscribers will be able to access all the content and resources of the site until their current sub expires.

IrishNewsArchive.com, which is owned and managed by the Martin family from Sandyford in County Dublin, will continue to be available globally. It is planning to add new titles shortly. (See following blogpost here.)

Announcing the news, Phillip Martin, the company's Operations Manager, told Irish Genealogy News that the existence of two sites – IrishNewspapers.com and IrishNewsArchive.com – each offering pretty much exactly the same content, was confusing users.

"There was a sense that we were competing with ourselves by having both sites available in the US," he said. "We've therefore decided to step back and re-evaluate our strategy in order to move forward. Overall, we have found the experience of launching into the USA in partnership with Ancestry to be a positive one and hope that we can build on this experience to bring the archives to a wider audience in the near future, possibly in a different format or package."

Surgeons and Insurgents: RCSI and the Easter Rising

The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) has announced the launch next month of a new free exhibition and public lecture series. Both will explore the RCSI's unique place in the historical events of the 1916 Easter Rising, when the College's building on St Stephen's Green was occupied by the Irish Citizen Army led by Commander Michael Mallin and Countess Constance Markievicz. All other significant buildings involved in the Rising have since been either rebuilt or demolished.

However, this was not the RCSI's only involvement in the Rising. RCSI surgeons worked tirelessly to treat the injured during the rebellion.

To commemorate the centenary of these events, the RCSI has developed a programme of exhibitions, displays and lectures, to provide fascinating insights into the stories of these surgeons and insurgents and how their lives were remarkably intertwined.

The lecture series line-up includes:

Wednesday 23 March
, 7.30pm : Surgeons and Insurgents - RCSI and the Easter Rising, with Dr. Mary McAuliffe

Thursday 24 March, 7.30pm : The Easter Rising: Fighting for the Crown or Half Crown? with Padraig Yeates

Tuesday 29 March, 7.30pm : Shootout – The Battle for St Stephens Green, with Paul O'Brien

Wednesday 30 March, 7.30pm : Blood and Bandages – Medicine and the Easter Rising, with Tony Kinsella

Thursday 31 March
, 7.30pm : Stuff Matters – The Material Culture of 1916, with Lisa Godson and Joanna Bruck

Friday 1 April, 7.30pm : The Rising: A statement of intent, successes and failures, with Comdt Victor Laing

Saturday 2 April, 3pm : Michael Mallin, with Brian Hughes

Thursday 7 April, 7.30pm : St. John Ambulance and the Easter Rising, with Padraig Allen

Friday 15 April, 7.30pm : To RCSI and Beyond! RCSI, Rebels and the Republic, with Meadhbh Murphy

While the lectures are free to attend, registration is compulsory. Registration for lectures will include access to the exhibition one hour before the lecture commences.

The exhibition will open on 23 March and run to 17 April. It is free to attend, but registration will be necessary for those wishing to visit between 23 March and 2 April inclusive. From 3 April, registration will not be required; entrance will be limited, so you may experience a short wait time if the exhibition is full. See the above link for details.

FindMyPast offers 20% discount on World packages

The World collection includes all Irish, UK,
USA and Australia records, including the
1939 Register of England & Wales
FindMyPast is offering a 20% discount to all new subscribers who sign up for a 12-month World package before Saturday 27 February 11:59GMT. The discounted cost of the subscription is shown below in the local currencies.

In case you've forgotten, FindMyPast's World subscription now includes access to the 1939 National Register – a feature that will be of particular value and interest to those whose Irish ancestors moved to England or Wales.

Perhaps more importantly for the majority of Irish researchers, FindMyPast will be launching an index to the National Library of Ireland's register images collection during the course of March.

The offer is available across all FindMyPast territories.


FindMyPast Ireland – €143.60
FindMyPast USA – $191.60
FindMyPast UK - £124.76
FindMyPast Australia/NZ – AUS$191.60

Wednesday 24 February 2016

Latest issue of Irish Roots magazine published

Irish Roots is published in print and digital formats
The first 2016 edition of Irish Roots landed in my postbox yesterday, which means it is also now available on newsstands and in digital format online. There's also a free sample on the publisher's website.

Whether you are searching for connections to your Irish ancestors in Ireland, the UK, North America or Australia, in the ancient past or more recent centuries, there are plenty of useful information and motivating research tips within the covers of the magazine.

If your ancestors emigrated to the United States, you'll find some essential reading in Judith Eccles's new four-part article series on 19th-century care of the poor in the US; in part one, she explores indentured servitude, contractutal care and the many poorhouses, almshouses, County Farms and Poor Farms, explaining the history and development of these forms of poor relief and the type of records created by them. (Part II will look at military veteran homes and institutions such as
orphanages, hospitals and asylums.)

For Irish-Australian researchers there's a feature by genealogist Jennifer Harrison exploring the Ireland-born journalists who established or extended newspaper printing presses in the emerging cities of the 19th-century continent, while Raymond Keogh tells of his own project to organise a sample of 120 mainly handwritten comminiques dating 1917–1986 from Ireland, England and the USA; he highlights the need for genies to urge family members to write down their own associated story with recollections expressed in letters, or with photos, so that their descendants can interpret and understand their context.

My own What's New? feature reviews recent record releases and Irish genealogical developments, and throws in some crystal ball gazing for good measure, while James Ryan comprehensively sets out the record collections you'll need to consult for tracing ancestors in County Carlow. Genealogy tutor Sean Murphy continues his exploration into the family history of the 1916 Easter Rising leaders, and in this issue looks at the backgrounds of Thomas MacDonagh, Seán Mac Diarmada, Joseph Plunkett and Éamonn Ceannt.

Shifting way back in time some 5,500 years, a feature about the Hill of the Witch delves into the story of Queen Tailtu of the Firbolgs, the Hag's Chair and the numerous cairns that characterise Loughcrew, the highest point of County Meath.

In addition, the magazine brings you news from around the genealogy societies, details of events taking place between March and early June, book reviews, a revealing case study of 'house history' research carried out by Lorna Moloney and Lauren Cassidy on a property in Limerick City, an introduction to the Rising exhibition newly launched at the National Library of Ireland's Photographic Archive, and a reader's research into the history of the O'Rourkes, one of Ireland's most famous and ancient families. In addition, you'll find the Q&A page, which brings valuable guidance from Timeline's Nicola Morris to help readers unravel their research mysteries, Readers Letters, and much more.


New research tool – Townland Explorer – launched

A wonderful new research tool has been launched today by Dublin-based genealogist Shane Wilson, whose website swilson.info will already be known to many of you for its useful databases, maps and other research material.

This time, he's created the Townland Explorer. It allows researchers to search a Superintendent Registrar District (an area which administered the civil registration of births, marriages and deaths) to reveal a list of all the civil parishes and towns included within the Registrar's District. These towns can then be further interrogated for lists of all the townlands they cover.

The Townland Explorer will be a very helpful and easy route to understanding the areas covered by each district. Its content comes from the General Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns, Parishes & Baronies of Ireland (1861), which was based on the data used for the 1851 Irish census. And it's free. There's also a handy tutorial here.

Great work, Shane!

See below for a screengrab of data returned from a search of towns in the Skibbereen Registrar's District of South West Cork.


RootsIreland's online civil record collection now covers half of the island

Publishing yesterday's news about the upload of civil marriage records to RootsIreland's County Sligo database reminded me of a post I've been meaning to write for some time.

Quietly and surely, the Irish Family History Foundation's local genealogy/heritage centres have been adding transcriptions of civil birth, marriage and death records to the RootsIreland database, and this has now built up into a sizeable online collection that's been flying under the radar.

I've had a run through the 'online sources' page for each of the local genealogy centres and found that civil records are now available for half of all 32 of the historical counties of Ireland. Sligo's new database has only civil marriages, and Waterford's has only civil death registrations, but most of the others hold a wider mix of records.

There's no uniformity in coverage across each county – each of the centres negotiates with local record holders – so the civil collections may be complete in some counties and more scattered in others. For example, while Galway East has a full line up of births, marriages and deaths for 24 districts, some dating as late as the 1930s, the Galway West centre has no online civil records.

Where available, most of the record collections span from the start of civil registration to 1900 at least.

Transcriptions are on the site for the following counties: Antrim, Armagh, Cavan, Derry, Donegal, Down, Galway, Kilkenny, Leitrim, Limerick, Mayo, Monaghan, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary and Waterford.

If you have ancestral connections to these counties, you may find RootsIreland offers a handy alternative to the GRO's postal service.

Ancestry DNA extends its market to 29 more countries

AncestryDNA has announced that it is now offering its DNA testing kits and service to researchers in 29 new countries.

The new countries are: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Sweden, Turkey and Vatican City.

AncestryDNA's test was originally available only in the United States. The purchase area was extended to Ireland and the UK just over a year ago, and to Australia and Canada more recently. According to Ancestry's recently published corporate report, more than 1.5million samples are now included in the company's database. This new extension of geographical area is likely to open up even more interesting discoveries to those who have tested.

The price of the AncestryDNA kit and shipping will vary from country to country.

Tuesday 23 February 2016

RootsIreland adds 14,000 Co. Sligo marriage records

RootsIreland.ie has added some 14,000 civil marriage records to its Sligo database.

The marriages were registered in the districts of Aclare, Ballymote, Castleconnor, Coolaney, Easkey, Gurteen, Skreen, Sligo (1 & 2) and Tubbercurry. All the ceremonies took place between 1864 and 1920, except those for Aclare which start two years later to run 1866 - 1920.

The records have been transcribed from local registers and do not include images.


Monday 22 February 2016

Dr Susan Hood appointed RCBL Librarian & Archivist

Dr Susan Hood
I'm pleased to hear that Dr Susan Hood has been appointed Librarian and Archivist of the Representative Church Body Library (RCBL), where records associated with the work and history of the Church of Ireland are conserved and maintained.

Susan has served as Assistant Librarian and Archivist with the RCBL since 1998 and will succeed Dr Raymond Refaussé who is due to retire as Librarian and Archivist in the summer.

Announcing news of the appointment, the Archbishop of Armagh, The Most Revd Dr Richard Clarke said: "I have known Susan Hood well for many years, and am very aware of her deep commitment to maintaining a record of the work of the Church of Ireland during her years in the RCB Library.

"I am delighted to welcome her to this new role, as she prepares to take charge of the future direction and development of the Library. The Library has always played an important part in the life of the Church, acting as a vital resource for those in training for future ministry and for many involved in research, in addition to conserving the record of our witness as a Church in the island of Ireland.

"Susan is well–known across the Church for her promotion of different facets of the life and ministry of the Church through her writing for the Church’s website, including the highly acclaimed 'Archive of the Month', and papers in many research journals. I wish her well as she takes up her new responsibilities as Librarian and Archivist."

Sunday 21 February 2016

Irish genealogy & history events, 22 Feb to 6 March

Monday 22 February: Were your Ancestors active in 1916?: Sources in the Irish Military Archives, with Nicola Morris MAGI. Hosts: Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI) and National Library of Ireland. Part of Adult Learners' Week. Venue: NLI, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. 1pm. Free. No need to book.

Monday 22 February: The women of the Rising, with Liz Gillis. Host: South Dublin Libraries. Venue: Ballyroan Library, Orchardstown Avenue, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14. 7:30pm. Free. All welcome.

Tuesday 23 February: Tales from Draperstown, with Graham Mawwhinney. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Coleraine branch. Venue: Guide Hall, Terrace Row, Coleraine, Co Londonderry. 8pm. All welcome.

Tuesday 23 February: Reporting on the Rising: Using Irish Newspapers in the National Library of Ireland, with Helen Kelly MAGI. Hosts: Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI) and National Library of Ireland. Part of Adult Learners' Week. Venue: NLI, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. 1pm. Free. No need to book.

Tuesday 23 February: Exploring County Clare's Armada past and the search for the San Marcos, with Dr John Treacy. Host: Kilrush and District Historical Society. Venue: Teach Ceoil, Grace Street, Kilrush, Co Clare. 8pm. All welcome.

Wednesday 24 February: Researching the revolutionary period at the Military Archives, with Comdt Padraic Kennedy. Part of Dublin City Council@s 1916/2016 Centenary Programme. Venue: Rathmines Library, 157 Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin 6. 1pm. Free, but booking essential: rathmineslibrary@dublincity.ie or telephone (0)1 497 3539.

Wednesday 24 February: Census Returns, Electoral Rolls and Covenants: Where were your ancestors in 1916? with Rob Davison MAGI. Hosts: Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI) and National Library of Ireland. Part of Adult Learners' Week. Venue: NLI, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. 1pm. Free. No need to book.

Wednesday 24 February: Open genealogy consultations, with Lisa Dougherty. Host: Irish American Heritage Museum, 370 Broadway, Albany, New York 12207 USA. 11am to 2pm. Free.

Wednesday 24 February: What were your family doing in 1916? Day of genealogy with Eneclann and FindMyPast. Host and venue: Aidan Heavey Public Library. Athlone Civic Centre, Church Street, Athlone, Co. Westmeath. 11am to 4pm. Free. Talks and one-to-one consultations. Booking may be required: T (0)90 644 2157.

Wednesday 24 February: Explore the Easter Rising, with Dr Brian Hanley. First of a three-part lecture series examining the lead up, events and impact of the Rising. 2nd/3rd parts on 2&9 March. Venue: Rathmines Library, 157 Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin 6. 6:30pm. Free, but booking essential: rathmineslibrary@dublincity.ie or telephone (0)1 497 3539.

Thursday 25 February: The Gaelic Revival, with Dr. Claire Nally. Part of the Road to the Rising lecture series. Host Tyneside Irish Cultural Society. Venue: Tyneside Irish Centre, 43 Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, NE1 4SG. 7:30pm. Bookings and information: 0191 261 0384.

Thursday 25 February: The Belfast Corporation and Council archive in PRONI, with Ian Montgomery. Part of the Surviving the City lecture series. Host and Venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. 1pm. Free. Booking recommended: E: proni@dcalni.gov.uk / T: 028 90534800.

Thursday 25 February: Resources and Research Methods, a hands-on class. Basic computer skills required. Host and venue: Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, South Court Classroom, New York Public Library. Fifth Avenue/42nd Street, New York City, USA. Noon. Free.

Thursday 25 February: The Easter Rising, with Philip Orr. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Ballymena branch. Venue: Michelin Arts Workshop, Braid Arts Centre 1-29 Bridge Street, Ballymena, Co Antrim BT43 5EJ. 7:15pm. All welcome.

Thursday 25 February: Waterford and the Blueshirts, with Eugene Broderick. Host: 10th series of Julian Walton Winter Lectures series. Venue: Dunhill Multi-Education Centre, Dunhill Ecopark, Ballyphilip, Dunhill, Co Waterford. 8pm, followed by Q&A and light refreshments. €5. No need to book. Enquiries: T (0)51 396 934.

Thursday 25 February: Introduction to PRONI, a practical workshop covering online sources, use of microfilm, a guided tour and presentation of documents. Host and venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. 2–4pm. Spaces limited. Free. Need to book by email to proni@dcalni.gov.uk, or telephone: 02890 534800.

Thursday 25 February: The records of Dublin’s Congregations at the time of the Rising, with Rosaleen Underwood MAGI. Hosts: Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI) and National Library of Ireland. Part of Adult Learners' Week. Venue: NLI, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. 1pm. Free. No need to book.

Friday 26 February: Researching the Rising: a case study from the National Archives of Ireland, with John Grenham MAGI. Hosts: Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI) and National Library of Ireland. Part of Adult Learners' Week. Venue: NLI, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. 1pm. Free. No need to book.

Friday 26 February: Personalities of the decade, 1912–1922, exploring the people who helped shape the political and social landscape of contemporary Ireland. Host and Venue: Derry Central Library, 35 Foyle Street, Londonderry BT48 6AL. Free. Tea/coffee/refreshments provided. 1:30–4pm. To register, E mhetherington@thejunction-ni.org or T: 02871 361942.

Friday 26 & Saturday 27 February: The 1916 Rising, a seminar hosted by Roundwood & District Historical & Folklore Society. Venue: Roundwood Parish Hall and Centre, Main Street, Roundwood, Co. Wicklow. Five lectures and a History Ireland Hedge School. Guests: Professor Kevin Whelan, Dr Mary McAuliffe, Professor Eunan O’Halpin, Padraig Yeates, Margaret Ward and Robert Ballagh. Tickets €20. To book email mon.farrel@gmail.com.

Saturday 27 February: Paths to freedom, day conference exploring the run-up to the Rising, with Myles Dungan, Joe Duffy, Catriona Crowe, Turtle Bunbury, Liz Gillis. Venue: Tallaght Stadium, Whitestown Way, Tallaght, Dublin 24. 10:30am to 4pm. Free, but you need to register in advance.

Saturday 27 February: Tracing your Irish ancestors, a practical approach, with Michael Brophy. Venue: Abington Public Library, 600 Gliniewicz Way, Abington, MA 02351, USA. 2pm. No booking, but admission on first-to-arrive basis. For details, contact Deborah Grimmett: T: 781-982-2139, E: ablib@ocln.org.

Monday 29 February: What were your family doing in 1916? Day of genealogy with Eneclann and FindMyPast. Host and venue: Sligo Central Library, Stephen St, Sligo. Noon to 5pm. Free. Talks and one-to-one consultations. Booking may be required: T (0)71 911 1850.

Monday 29 February: The Kildare connection to the Easter Rising, 1916, with Seamus Cullen. Host: Clonalkin Historical Society. Venue: Áras Chrónáin Irish Cultural Centre, Watery Lane, Clondalkin, Dublin 22. 8pm.

Monday 29 February: The Poets' Rising, with Deirdre O'Byrne. Part of the 1916 and Beyond lecture series. Host: Nottingham Irish Studies Group. Venue: Five Leaves Bookshop. 14a Long Row, Nottingham UK, NG1 2DH. Admission £3. Refreshments available. 7pm–8:30pm. Book by email.

From 1 March to end of the year: Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and the 1916 Rising: an exhibition. Host and venue: Deansgrange Cemetery, 2 Dean's Grange Rd, Dublin. Open during cemetery hours.

Tuesday 1 March: The Stack family – A 19th-century clerical dynasty with Vincent Brogan MAGI. North of Ireland Family History Society, Omagh branch. Venue: Omagh Library, Dublin Road, Omagh, BT78 1HL. 7:15pm. All welcome.

Tuesday 1 March: The Irish Volunteers, with Daithí Ó Corráin. Host: Kerry Archaeological & History Society. Venue: Killarney Library, Rock Road, Killarney, Co. Kerry. 7.30pm–8.30pm. Free. All welcome.

Wednesday 2 March: Researching family history in the Military Archives – a focus on 1916, with Capt Claire Mortimer. Part of Dublin City Council@s 1916/2016 Centenary Programme. Venue: Rathmines Library, 157 Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin 6. 1pm. Free, but booking essential: rathmineslibrary@dublincity.ie or telephone (0)1 497 3539.

Wednesday 2 March: What were your family doing in 1916? Day of genealogy with Eneclann and FindMyPast. Host and venue: Portlaoise Library, Dunamaise House, Lyster Square, Portlaoise, Co. Laois. 11am to 4pm. Free. Talks and one-to-one consultations. Booking may be required: T (0)57 862 2333.

Wednesday 2 March: Explore the Easter Rising, with Dr Brian Hanley. Second of a three-part lecture series examining the lead up, events and impact of the Rising. 3rd parts on 9 March. Venue: Rathmines Library, 157 Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin 6. 6:30pm. Free, but booking essential: rathmineslibrary@dublincity.ie or telephone (0)1 497 3539.

Thursday 3 March: Waterford men and the Gallipoli campaign, 1915–1916, with Pat McCarthy. Host: 10th series of Julian Walton Winter Lectures series. Venue: Dunhill Multi-Education Centre, Dunhill Ecopark, Ballyphilip, Dunhill, Co Waterford. 8pm, followed by Q&A and light refreshments. €5. No need to book. Enquiries: T (0)51 396 934.

Thursday 3 March:
Ulster-Scots emigration, with Dr Paddy Fitzgerald. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Belfast branch. Venue: Holywood Arches Library, Holywood Road, Belfast, BT4 1NT. 7:30pm. All welcome.

Thursday 3 March: Voluntary charities for the poor in Belfast, 1800–1838, with Robyn Atcheson. Part 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 3 March: The History of Spike Island and its Future, with Tom O'Neill. Host: Blarney & District Historical Society. Venue: Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál (Blarney Secondary School), Blarney, Co. Cork. 8pm. All welcome.

Thursday 3 March: Journalism, the last refuge of the middle class boy: the professionalisation of journalism in 19th century Ireland, with Michael Foley. Host: Irish Centre for the Histories of Labour & Class. Venue: Room GO11, Hardiman Research Building, NUI Galway. 4pm to 6pm. All welcome.

Friday 4 March: Personalities of the decade, 1912–1922, exploring the people who helped shape the political and social landscape of contemporary Ireland. Host and Venue: Derry Central Library, 35 Foyle Street, Londonderry BT48 6AL. Free. Tea/coffee/refreshments provided. 1:30–4pm. To register, E mhetherington@thejunction-ni.org or T: 02871 361942.

Saturday 5 March: Aspects of Irish family history, a day seminar. Host: Genealogical Society of Victoria. Venue: The Celtic Club, 316-320 Queen Street, Melbourne, Australia. 10am–4pm. $60. Lectures: Breaking down Brick Walls, with Liz Pidgeon; Irish Convict Petitions & Ships’ Journals, with Colleen Arulappu; Movements in, out & around Ireland, with Maureen Doyle; BDMs on line – the RC Films & more, with Beryl O'Gorman. Registration.

Saturday 5 March: Scotland and the Easter Rising. A day of talks, readings and workshops rounded off by a ceili in the evening. 11am to 3:30pm and 7pm to 11:30pm. Host and venue: Scottish Trades Union Congress, 333, Woodlands Road, Glasgow G3 6NG. Registration 10:30–10:45am. Admission: £6 for the day event. £6 for the ceili. £10 for both. Details and tickets.

Saturday 5 March: Ormond, Cromwell and the battle for Ireland, 1649–1650, with Michael O Siochru. Part of the Power & Privilege – the Butlers of Ormond lecture series. Host: Tipperary County Museum. Venue: Clonmel Library, Mick Delahunty Square, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. €5, includes refreshments. 10am–12noon. To book: T: Julia on 076 106 5564 or email julia.walsh@tipperarycoco.ie.

Saturday 5 March: Finding your Irish Ancestors, with Paul Milner. A day seminar. Hosts: Midwest Genealogy Center and Kansas City Irish Center. Venue: Stoney Creek Hotel & Conference Center, 18011 Bass Pro Dr, Independence, MO 64055, USA. $60, includes the seminar and buffect lunch.9am to 4pm. Register by 26 February by calling 816-252-7228.

Saturday 5 March: Finding your Irish and Scots-Irish ancestors, with the Ulster Historical Foundation. Hosts: Toronto Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society and Canadiana Dept, North York Central Library. Venue: North York Civic Centre, Memorial Hall, Burgundy Room
5110 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M2N 5W4 Canada. $70 ($65 for OGS members). 9am to 4:30pm. Details.

Sunday 6 March: Irish family history day, with the Ulster Historical Foundation. Host: New England Historic Genealogical  Society. Venue: Courtyard Marriott Hotel, 275 Tremont Street, Boston, MA, USA. 9am–4pm. Booking T: 617 226 1226. $85. Registration details.

Friday 19 February 2016

Scotland & the Easter Rising: day conference, Glasgow

To commemorate the contingent of Glasgow-based members of the Irish Volunteers, Cumann na mBan and Na Fianna Éireann who participated in the 1916 Rising, a day of talks, readings and workshops will be held in the city on Saturday 5 March. An evening céilí will round off the event. Here's the programme:

Opening session:
Anne-Marie Flynn, Vice Consul General of Ireland to Scotland will introduce the event.
Reciting of Padraig Pearse’s oration at the funeral of O’Donovan Rossa
Reading of the Proclamation

Morning session:
Irish Volunteers from Scotland the 1916 Rising, with Máirtín Ó Catháin
Women of the Rising, with Pauline Conroy

Workshops:
The Irish Language and 1916, with Caoimhín Ó Cadhla
Seamus Reader and the Rising, with Eddi Reader
Scottish Responses to the Easter Rising, with Chloe Alexander

Afternoon session:
The 1916 Rising‎, the ITGWU, ICA and the Socialist Dimension, with Francis Devine
From a Land beyond the Wave: Irish Volunteers from Scotland and the 1916 Rising, Book Launch

Evening celebration Céilí
Songs and Music of the Easter Rising. An evening of entertainment and commemoration with local musicians including Eddi Reader and Brendan McHugh and friends

Date: Saturday 5 March
Times: 10:30am to 23:30pm
Venue: Scottish Trades Union Congress - 333 Woodlands Road Glasgow G3 6NG GB
Tickets: £6 for day ticket (includes lunch); £6 for evening ticket; £10 for combined day and evening ticket. Booking.

More searchable copies of IFHS journals go online

The Irish Family History Society (IFHS) has added more searchable copies of its historic annual journal to the members area of its website: www.ifhs.ie.

The newly-online editions cover the years 1995 to 2004, and join those first published in the previous ten years, which were uploaded a couple of years ago.  In due course, the collection will expand again, when more recent editions will be added along with a searchable index.

Of the first 20 journal editions now available, eleven are out of print, so making copies available for members has been a priority for the Society.  Among the articles now searchable by members are the Register of Freeholders, County Wexford 1833-1841, by Hilary Murphy (Vols. 16 and 17), and The Presbyterian Congregation at Dromore West, Co. Sligo 1846-1965 (Vol.X111).

The journal back issues were digitised by Eneclann in memory of John Heueston, a long-time member and past-Chairman of the Society. He was IFHS Treasurer when he died in 2012.

Free weekend access to Ancestry's Irish & UK collection

 Ancestry.co.uk is offering free access to its Irish and UK collection this weekend.

The entire Irish and UK collection includes around one billion records, according to Ancestry. See the full list of record sets in the collection here.

Access to the records in the featured collections will be free until 23:59GMT on Sunday 21 February. To view these records you will need to register for free with Ancestry.co.uk with your name and email address. No financial information will be requested. You will then be sent a user name and password with which you can access the collections.

Once the free access period ends, you won't be able to view the Irish and UK record collection unless you purchase an Ancestry UK subscription.

County Laois stories join online Schools Collection

Stories written in the late 1930s by children in more than 70 schools in County Laois have been published on Dúchas.ie, the online platform of the National Folklore Collection.

The Schools Collection
is the first major project to be published on the website. The project ran from 1937 to 1939 and involved more than 50,000 schoolchildren from 5,000 schools in the 26 counties of the Irish Free State. They were asked to collect folklore from their parents, grandparents and neighbours, and record their findings on oral history, local topography, folktales and legends, riddles and proverbs, games and pastimes, trades and crafts, and so on. Importantly, they were also asked to record the name, address and age of their informants – details which can provide useful genealogical clues.

The scheme resulted in the creation of over half a million manuscript pages. Those written in counties Dublin, Mayo, Donegal, Waterford, Galway, Leitrim, Kildare, Kerry, Sligo, Limerick, Monaghan, Laois and Kilkenny are now online and it is hoped to have material from all 26 counties on the site by the end of this year.

FindMyPast adds Irish statistical surveys

FindMyPast has added two new record-sets: Ireland Census Reports and Ireland Statistical Surveys. Neither provides genealogical details, and you won't find your ancestors listed or named in these documents, but they may provide you with information about your ancestor's community, their customs and way of life.

If you can work out how to browse them! I've just wasted the best part of an hour trying to do so and have downloaded I don't know how many dead-end single pages. There is also, for some reason, a name field in the search page (there are no names in these reports, so a name field is unnecessary).

I've given up, but if statistical information gets you excited you may be prepared to persevere.

Ireland Census Reports provide statistical details regarding the number of inhabitants in a given townland and cover all 32 counties of Ireland. The statistics are broken down by gender, age, or other similar categories. The collection contains 194 census reports spanning the years between 1851 and 1911.

Ireland Statistical Surveys consist of surveys for Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, King's (Offaly), Leitrim, Mayo, Meath, Roscommon, and Tyrone, and date from the early 1800s.

Thursday 18 February 2016

Trove 7 to be released next week

http://trove.nla.gov.au/The National Library of Australia has announced that it will be publishing a new release of its popular TROVE database next Thursday, 25 February.

Trove is an essential tool for any family historian with Australian connections. It's probably best known for its database of digitised copies of historical Australian newspapers, most of them published between 1803 and 1954, but it also holds all kinds of goodies including journal articles, reports, theses, books (full, or individual chapters), maps, diaries, letters, photos, music and written/video/oral interviews.

This content comes from a number of libraries, museums, archives and other research organisations. The site also has a busy forum and other services. And it's free.

The update, one of the largest in Trove history, is eagerly awaited. It will include faster, more responsive searching and improved viewing on mobile devices. In addition the newspaper zone will see a simplified interface, customisable view displays and new browse features. Samples from the NSW Government Gazette (1832 to 2001) collection will also give a taste of what is to come from this one million page digitisation project.

Before Trove 7 is released, however, there will be three days of 'shut down' to allow the upgrade to be put in place. From 5pm AEDT on Monday 22 February until the relaunch on Thursday 25 February, Trove will be offline.

If you're new to Trove, check out the introductory video below:


(Thanks to Nick Reddan for letting me know about the temporary Trove shutdown.)

Ancestry's 2015 results at a glance

Ancestry released its financial results for 2015 yesterday (the full statement can be read here). 

While the beancounters will no doubt be engrossed in the profit and loss account, EBITDA reconciliations and free cash flow figures, genealogists might prefer my very boiled down version:

2015 Revenues/income: $683 million (€613m/£478m at today's FX rates), up >10% on 2014.

Number of subscribers: 2.64million, up 150,000 on the previous year.

Content updates: More than 1.7billion records added during the year

AncestryDNA tests: appox 1million tests sold

AncestryDNA database: now holds DNA samples from 1.5million

Family trees update: since 1996, users have created more than 70 million trees across all Ancestry and affiliated international sites.

Tim Sullivan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ancestry.com said: " On the strategic front, we delivered a greatly enhanced customer experience, launched major new content collections, grew AncestryDNA into the largest consumer genomic database and progressed on important growth iniatives interntionally and in our emerging businesses. We're off to a great start in 2016, a year in which we will be focused on continuing to diversify and expand the growth profile of the company, executing well in our core businesses and investing in our future."

Wednesday 17 February 2016

Ulster Historical Foundation to present week-long intermediate/advanced course in Glasgow this summer

http://www.strath.ac.uk/cll/cpd/genealogicalstudies/summerinstitute/A week-long Irish family history course aimed at professional genealogists and interemediate/advanced hobbyists will be held from Monday 27 June to Friday 1 July 2016 as part of the Summer Institute of Genealogical Studies at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.

The course – Irish resources and research techniques – will be led by the Ulster Historical Foundation's Dr William Roulston and Gillian Hunt and will include trips to local archives and guest lecturers. Here is the programme:

Monday 27 June
  • Introduction to Irish Family History Research: Land divisions, Four Courts fire, Surnames
  • 19th- and early 20th-century census returns – what survives and what they contain
  • Archives and libraries in Ireland
  • Civil records – birth, marriage & death certificates and where to access them

Tuesday 28 June
  • The different religious denominations in Ireland and how their histories affect the available records
  • Church records for use in genealogical research – baptismal, marriage and burial registers
  • Administrative records of the churches and the family historian
  • Graveyards and gravestone inscriptions
  • Testamentary papers
  • School registers and education records
  • Workhouse records

Wednesday 29 June
  • Griffith’s Valuation & Valuation revision books: mid- to late-19th-century census substitutes
  • Tithe applotment books, freeholders’ registers and other early-19th-century census substitutes
  • The history of landed estates in Ireland
  • Estate papers and their use in family history research
  • The Registry of Deeds – what it contains and how to use it

Thursday 30 June
  • 17th- and 18th-century records
  • Local government records
  • Printed sources: newspapers, street directories and Ordnance Survey Memoirs
  • A visit to the Mitchell Library/Glasgow City Archives (tbc)

Friday 1 July
  • Sources for studying the ‘Decade of Centenaries’ (1912-1922) in Ireland (tbc)
  • Looking for Irish ancestors in Scottish records (tbc)
  • The Plantation – Ulster & Scotland

Other topics that will be included in the week include:
  • Occupational and business records
  • Parliamentary papers
  • Emigration records
  • Law and order

The standard fee for attending the course is £90 but there is a reduced Early Bird fee of £80 for those who book before 1 May. Booking.

Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives: latest updates

All records held in the Ireland Genealogy Projects
Archives are donated by researchers and are free to
access. They're arranged by county, for easy searching.
IRELAND Genealogy Archives - Newspapers
Clonmel Gazette, 2 Jul 1842: Involvent Cases in counties Tipperary, Galway, Limerick, Waterford and Clare.

DONEGAL Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Bundoran, St. Ninnidhs Graveyard (Left Side)

LOUTH Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Monasterboice Graveyard

ROSCOMMON Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Killapogue Cemetery, Croghan
Killummod Old Cemetery, (Croghan Parish)

SLIGO Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Carrentemple Old Cemetery
Sligo Town Cemetery: Middle Parts, Section I & M

TIPPERARY Genealogy Archives - Newspapers
Vindicator, 24 Dec 1845: Reward offered

WICKLOW Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Barraniskey New Cemetery
Barraniskey Old Cemetery

Tuesday 16 February 2016

National Library launches series of 1916 podcasts

The National Library of Ireland (NLI) has launched a series of short audio recordings detailing first-hand accounts of the Easter Rising. Called Voices of the Rising, the series can be accessed free of charge through iTunes.

The podcasts build on recordings from the NLI’s flagship exhibition Rising, which opened at the National Photographic Archive earlier this month. They feature recordings from the men and women who took part in or witnessed the dramatic events of Easter 1916. Short introductions provide the listener with context for each of the recordings.

“The podcasts provide listeners with a very personal account of people’s experiences of the Rising," said Katherine McSharry, Head of Outreach at the NLI. "They paint a vivid picture of the range of emotions Irish citizens experienced as the fighting raged and landmarks in Dublin’s city centre were destroyed."

So far, four podcasts are available, each running for two or three minutes. In total, 18 podcasts will be released on a weekly basis until May.

All documents selected for Voices of the Rising are held in the NLI’s 1916 collections; most have been digitised and are also available online via the NLI’s online catalogue

Irish workshops at Society of Genealogists, London

The Society of Genealogists in London has two Irish genealogy workshops scheduled, one in the Spring and one in the Summer. These courses often fill up well in advance of the event, so if you want to be sure of your place, I'd advise you to book soon.

Both courses will be held at the SOG's premises at 14 Charterhouse Buildings, Goswell Road, London EC1M 7BA, which is conveniently located close to Farringdon and Barbican tube stations.


Irish Family History for Beginners and Refreshers, with Maggie Loughran

Over the centuries, one of Ireland’s greatest exports has been its people. It is estimated that there are over one million people of Irish birth in Britain today, plus numerous second, third or fourth generation Irish.

This session will guide you through the steps involved to help discover your Irish roots. You will get a broad understanding of what Ireland is and also gain some insight into Ireland's turbulent past. You will be introduced to the records involved in research, the information that they contain and discover how they can most effectively be used.

Date: Saturday 23 April.
Time: The workshop will run from 2pm to 5pm.
Cost:  £20.
Booking.


Tracing Irish Ancestors - for Intermediate-Advanced Researchers, with Roz McCutcheon FIGRS and Jill Williams FIGRS

The day will be broken down into eight sessions of about 25 minutes with time for Q&As. There will be in-depth treatment of the Registry of Deeds (18th & 19th century) and a detailed look at 19th-century land records.  Other topics will include church records and alternative sources of births, marriages and deaths from the mid-1600s onwards. 

The 1600s, with its huge land ownership changes etc, will be illustrated through the story of one family – a married couple arriving in Ireland in the first decade, whose sons fought on opposing sides during the Cromwellian campaign and whose grandsons (two devoted brothers) fought on opposing sides in the Williamite Wars near the end of the century.

20th-century military records will also be explored.

Date: Saturday 23 July 
Time:  A seven-hour session, this workshop will run from 10:30am to 5pm.
Cost: £35.
Booking.

Ulster Historical Foundation relocates to Belfast centre

Ulster Historical Foundation
If you've been keeping up with news from the Ulster Historical Foundation, you'll be aware that they have moved, lock, stock and barrell, to new offices in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter. The new address is:

Ulster Historical Foundation
The Corn Exchange
31 Gordon Street
Belfast
BT1 2LG.

There's been no change to the contact details (T: +44 (028) 9066 1988 E: enquiry@uhf.org.uk).

I had a chat with the UHF's Research Officer, Gillian Hunt, at the end of last week. She says the move has been a good excuse for a spring clean of accumulated 'stuff', but rather more disruptive than she'd expected. Even so, with the delivery of new desks, the office is now taking shape and she expects some order will have been achieved by the end of this week.

Just in time to start finalising the presentations that she and Executive Director Fintan Mullan will be giving on the Ulster Historical Foundation's North American tour, which starts in Toronto in just over two weeks.

Monday 15 February 2016

National Archives of Ireland publishes 2014 Report

The Annual Report of the Director of the National Archives, 2014, has been published.

It makes for an interesting read as it sets out all the legislative and wide-ranging responsibilities of the National Archives of Ireland (NAI) – a useful reminder to those of us who might sometimes forget that the NAI's world does not begin and end with facilitating family historians!

The report also highlights the serious under-staffing of the archive, and its knock-on effects. This is an under-funding issue that's been the reality of the repository for far too long, and really does need addressing. (Perhaps a subject worth raising with any political hopefuls who come knocking for votes in the countdown to next week's election in the Republic!)

In 2014, the NAI's genealogy website saw the addition of Census Search Forms for 1841–1851, the pre-1901 Census Fragments 1821–1851, and the Irish Soldiers' Wills collection.

Here is a statistical summary of the NAI's year:
  • 14,854 visits to the Bishop Street Reading Room
  • 23,715 items produced for consultation
  • 7,127 copies of archives made
  • 18 million hits on the parent nationalarchives.ie website
  • 564,188 unique visitors to the parent website
  • 146 million hits on the 1901/1911 census.nationalarchives.ie website
Download the Report in pdf format (1.3Mb).

Take advantage of these offers before they expire

This is a just a reminder of a few rather handy and money-saving offers that are running out shortly.

FindMyPast's new US Marriage records
Earlier this month, FindMyPast launched the first 33 million records of a new collection of US marriage records. The new collection covers 360 years of marriages from 1650-2010 and will stretch to at least 100million records when all of them have been digitised and uploaded to the database.

With more than 60% of the new collection never online before, this is certainly a record set to check out, and if you're quick, you can do so without a subscription. FindMyPast launched the collection with free access, but this will expire tonight. You need only to register. You don't need to sign up for a free trial or provide financial details. See my original blogpost for details and links.

Tracing your Irish Ancestors Conferences – Early Bird Offer
The Ulster Historical Foundation (UHF) will be running two week-long conferences this year – one in June, one in September – both of them offering family history assistance from experts, guided research in Dublin and Belfast repositories and escorted heritage tours and sightseeing.

Although places at these popular conferences are filling up, the UHF is holding it's Early Bird offer until the very end of this month (29 February). This reduces the cost of the conference to £699 ($999 approx.) per person, a saving of £50. See full details of the Summer Conference, or the Autumn Conference.

FindMyPast 12-month World subscription
With the cost of a FindMyPast subscription increasing by 20% tomorrow, you'll kick yourself if you don't take advantage of the pre-hike 10% discount on the annual World package. You can see the saving amounts below. You've got until 23:59 GMT tonight to sign-up before the new rates apply.

  FindMyPast 'territory'  
  New price from
  16 February*  
  Today's price,
  including 10% off  
   Saving* if you
sign up today

FindMyPast Ireland
€179.42
€134.55
€44.87

FindMyPast UK
£155.37
£116.55
£38.82

FindMyPast USA
US$239.47
US$179.55
US$59.92

FindMyPast Aust & NZ
AUS$239.47
AUS$179.55
AUS$59.92
    * The exact new subscription rates haven't been published yet, so my figures are approximate.


Irish genealogy and history events, 15–27 February

Monday 15 February Genealogy information sessions, with Margaret Bonar and Elizabeth Craven. Morning and afternoon sessions. 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.

Wednesday 17 February: Lurgan Photographs, with David Weir. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, North Armagh branch. Venue: Town Hall, 15-17 Edward Street, Portadown, Co Armagh BT62 3LX. 7:30. All welcome.

Wednesday 17 February: Researching the Rising – The Military Service (1916–1923) Pensions Collection, with Michael Keane. Part of Dublin City Council@s 1916/2016 Centenary Programme. Venue: Rathmines Library, 157 Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin 6. 1pm. Free, but booking essential: rathmineslibrary@dublincity.ie or telephone (0)1 497 3539.

Wednesday 17 February: Frank Hugh O'Donnell, the Member for Dungarvan, with Muiris O'Keeffe. Host: Waterford County Museum. Venue: Dungarvan Library, Davitts Quay, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford. 8pm. Free.

Wednesday 17 February: The Jewish community in Northern Ireland, with Stuart Rosenblatt. Followed by a book presentation – The A-Z of Belfast & Northern Irish Jewry – to The North of Ireland Family History Society. Host: Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council. Venue: The Flax Gallery at The Museum at the Mill, Mossley Mill, Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, BT36 5QA. 7pm. To attend, please email NIFHS.

Thursday 18 February: Criminal Irish Drunkards – the Inebriate Reformatory System 1900-1920, with Conor Reidy. Host: Clare Roots Society. Venue: Old Ground Hotel, Ennis, Co Clare. 8pm.

Thursday 18 February: The 'Rising' exhibition, a walk and talk tour. Host: National Library of Ireland’s National Photographic Archive, Meeting House Square, Temple Bar, Dublin 2. 2pm. Free. Booking not required.

Thursday 18 February: Finding your Irish ancestors online, with John Grenham MAGI. Host: Libraries NI. Venue: Belfast Central Library, Royal Ave, Belfast BT1 1EA. 1pm to 2:30pm. Free, but booking is advised.

Thursday 18 February: 150 years of train travel between Holywood and Bangor, with Robin Masefield. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, North Down & Ards branch. Venue: 1st Bangor Presbyterian Church Hall, Main Street, Bangor, Co Down BT20 4AG. 7:30pm. All welcome.

Thursday 18 February: Hedge Schools of Wicklow, with Tommy O'Rourke. Host: Greystones Archaeological & Historical Society, Holy Rosary Family Centre, Greystones, Co Wicklow. 8pm.

Thursday 18 February: The Great Famine in Belfast, with Professor Peter Gray. Part 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.

Friday 19 February: Exploring 1916: a Midlands perspective, an evening seminar. Host: Edenderry Historical Society. Venue: Oaklands Community College, Edenderry, Co Offaly. 7–10pm. Admission: €10, which includes refreshments. All welcome. Details.

Friday 19 February: Personalities of the decade, 1912–1922, exploring the people who helped shape the political and social landscape of contemporary Ireland. Host and Venue: Derry Central Library, 35 Foyle Street, Londonderry BT48 6AL. Free. Tea/coffee/refreshments provided. 1:30–4pm. To register, E mhetherington@thejunction-ni.org or T: 02871 361942.

Saturday 20 February: Finding the Source: A Survey of Irish Genealogical Websites and Databases, with Miles Davenport. Intermediate level workshop. Good working knowledge of Irish records and jurisdictions is strongly recommended. Venue: Norton Room, McClelland Library & Irish Cultural Center, 1106 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA. $15 Library/ICC members; $20 non-members. 10:30am&12:30pm. Register.

Saturday 20 February: Local History Day. A morning of talks at Dublin City Library & Archives, Pearse Street, Dublin 2. 10am to 12:30pm. Admission free and all are welcome, but booking is essential. Details. 10am to 12:30pm.

Saturday 20 February: Reviewing the Rising – a workshop exploring historical sources, with Cecelia Hartsell. Includes lecture on the Rising with Dr Shane Kenna. Venue: Rathmines Library, 157 Rathmines Road Lower, Dublin 6. 2pm to 4:30pm. Free but need to book: T 01 497 3539.

Sunday 21 February: An introduction to using DNA for genealogy, with Krista J Ozyazgan. Host and venue: Maine Irish Heritage Center, 34 Gray St, Portland, ME 04112 USA. 1pm. $5 members/$10 non-members. Bookings: irishhc@maine.rr.com.

Monday 22 February: Were your Ancestors active in 1916?: Sources in the Irish Military Archives, with Nicola Morris MAGI. Hosts: Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI) and National Library of Ireland. Part of Adult Learners' Week. Venue: NLI, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. 1pm. Free. No need to book.

Monday 22 February: The women of the Rising, with Liz Gillis. Host: South Dublin Libraries. Venue: Ballyroan Library, Orchardstown Avenue, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14. 7:30pm. Free. All welcome.

Tuesday 23 February: Tales from Draperstown, with Graham Mawwhinney. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Coleraine branch. Venue: Guide Hall, Terrace Row, Coleraine, Co Londonderry. 8pm. All welcome.

Tuesday 23 February: Reporting on the Rising: Using Irish Newspapers in the National Library of Ireland, with Helen Kelly MAGI. Hosts: Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI) and National Library of Ireland. Part of Adult Learners' Week. Venue: NLI, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. 1pm. Free. No need to book.

Tuesday 23 February: Exploring County Clare's Armada past and the search for the San Marcos, with Dr John Treacy. Host: Kilrush and District Historical Society. Venue: Teach Ceoil, Grace Street, Kilrush, Co Clare. 8pm. All welcome.

Wednesday 24 February: Researching the revolutionary period at the Military Archives, with Comdt Padraic Kennedy. Part of Dublin City Council@s 1916/2016 Centenary Programme. Venue: Rathmines Library, 157 Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin 6. 1pm. Free, but booking essential: rathmineslibrary@dublincity.ie or telephone (0)1 497 3539.

Wednesday 24 February: Census Returns, Electoral Rolls and Covenants: Where were your ancestors in 1916? with Rob Davison MAGI. Hosts: Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI) and National Library of Ireland. Part of Adult Learners' Week. Venue: NLI, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. 1pm. Free. No need to book.

Wednesday 24 February: Open genealogy consultations, with Lisa Dougherty. Host: Irish American Heritage Museum, 370 Broadway, Albany, New York 12207 USA. 11am to 2pm. Free.

Wednesday 24 February: What were your family doing in 1916? Day of genealogy with Eneclann and FindMyPast. Host and venue: Aidan Heavey Public Library. Athlone Civic Centre, Church Street, Athlone, Co. Westmeath. 11am to 4pm. Free. Talks and one-to-one consultations. Booking may be required: T (0)90 644 2157.

Wednesday 24 February: Explore the Easter Rising, with Dr Brian Hanley. First of a three-part lecture series examining the lead up, events and impact of the Rising. 2nd/3rd parts on 2&9 March. Venue: Rathmines Library, 157 Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin 6. 6:30pm. Free, but booking essential: rathmineslibrary@dublincity.ie or telephone (0)1 497 3539.

Thursday 25 February: The Belfast Corporation and Council archive in PRONI, with Ian Montgomery. Part of the Surviving the City lecture series. Host and Venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. 1pm. Free. Booking recommended: E: proni@dcalni.gov.uk / T: 028 90534800.

Thursday 25 February: Resources and Research Methods, a hands-on class. Basic computer skills required. Host and venue: Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, South Court Classroom, New York Public Library. Fifth Avenue/42nd Street, New York City, USA. Noon. Free.

Thursday 25 February: The Easter Rising, with Philip Orr. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Ballymena branch. Venue: Michelin Arts Workshop, Braid Arts Centre 1-29 Bridge Street, Ballymena, Co Antrim BT43 5EJ. 7:15pm. All welcome.

Thursday 25 February: Waterford and the Blueshirts, with Eugene Broderick. Host: 10th series of Julian Walton Winter Lectures series. Venue: Dunhill Multi-Education Centre, Dunhill Ecopark, Ballyphilip, Dunhill, Co Waterford. 8pm, followed by Q&A and light refreshments. €5. No need to book. Enquiries: T (0)51 396 934.

Thursday 25 February: Introduction to PRONI, a practical workshop covering online sources, use of microfilm, a guided tour and presentation of documents. Host and venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. 2–4pm. Spaces limited. Free. Need to book by email to proni@dcalni.gov.uk, or telephone: 02890 534800.

Thursday 25 February: The records of Dublin’s Congregations at the time of the Rising, with Rosaleen Underwood MAGI. Hosts: Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI) and National Library of Ireland. Part of Adult Learners' Week. Venue: NLI, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. 1pm. Free. No need to book.

Friday 26 February: Researching the Rising: a case study from the National Archives of Ireland, with John Grenham MAGI. Hosts: Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI) and National Library of Ireland. Part of Adult Learners' Week. Venue: NLI, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. 1pm. Free. No need to book.

Friday 26 February: Personalities of the decade, 1912–1922, exploring the people who helped shape the political and social landscape of contemporary Ireland. Host and Venue: Derry Central Library, 35 Foyle Street, Londonderry BT48 6AL. Free. Tea/coffee/refreshments provided. 1:30–4pm. To register, E mhetherington@thejunction-ni.org or T: 02871 361942.

Friday 26 & Saturday 27 February: The 1916 Rising, a seminar hosted by Roundwood & District Historical & Folklore Society. Venue: Roundwood Parish Hall and Centre, Main Street, Roundwood, Co. Wicklow. Five lectures and a History Ireland Hedge School. Guests: Professor Kevin Whelan, Dr Mary McAuliffe, Professor Eunan O’Halpin, Padraig Yeates, Margaret Ward and Robert Ballagh. Tickets €20. To book email mon.farrel@gmail.com.

Saturday 27 February: Paths to freedom, day conference exploring the run-up to the Rising, with Myles Dungan, Joe Duffy, Catriona Crowe, Turtle Bunbury, Liz Gillis. Venue: Tallaght Stadium, Whitestown Way, Tallaght, Dublin 24. 10:30am to 4pm. Free, but you need to register in advance.

Saturday 27 February: Tracing your Irish ancestors, a practical approach, with Michael Brophy. Venue: Abington Public Library, 600 Gliniewicz Way, Abington, MA 02351, USA. 2pm. No booking, but admission on first-to-arrive basis. For details, contact Deborah Grimmett: T: 781-982-2139, E: ablib@ocln.org.