Bank holiday closures, North and South

As there's a long holiday weekend coming up, here's a timely reminder that most libraries and archives will be closed on at least one day next week.

In the Republic, the National Archives and National Library will be closed on Monday 4 June. So, too, will all local archives and libraries. Most libraries that are normally open on Saturdays will not be open this weekend.

In Northern Ireland, PRONI, GRONI and all local libraries will be closed on Monday 4 June and Tuesday 5 June. Some that normally open at the weekend will be closed (ie Coleraine Library is usually open all weekend but will not open this Sunday 3 June). Best check individually. All local libraries will also be working to a new, reduced hours regime from Wednesday 6 June. Details can be found here.

Recent updates to IGP Archives

The Swifte Family Pyramid, Co Meath

In the last couple of weeks, Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives have been continuing their work on Declarations of Intent and other records, but there's also a sizeable package for Co Meath.

IRELAND - Marriages
ROBINETT Marriages 1773-1824

IRELAND
List of Converts and Protestant Settlers in Ireland

CARLOW - Military & Constabulary
1846 Royal Irish Constabulary Men

CAVAN - Military & Constabulary
1846 Royal Irish Constabulary Men

CORK - Military & Constabulary
1846 Royal Irish Constabulary Men

DUBLIN - Funeral miscellaneous
Assorted Funeral Entries - 1630's (7)

LEITRIM - Churchyards and cemeteries
Old Tarmon Abbey (partial)
Drumshanbo Famine Cemetery

LEITRIM - Emigration (5)
Declaration of Intention, Kings Co., NY - 1915

MAYO - Emigration (6)
Declaration of Intention, Kings Co., NY - 1915

MEATH - Headstones
Brannockstown, Trim
Cannistown Church Cemetery (near Navan)
Castlerickard, Trim
Castletown Kilpatrick Old Graveyard
Castletown Kilpatrick Graveyard New (Left Side)
Castletown Kilpatrick Graveyard New (Right Side)
Dunderry, Churchtown Cemetery
Trim-Newtown Abbey Graveyard
St Patrick's Cathedral Trim

SLIGO - Emigration (4)
Declaration of Intention, Kings Co., NY - 1915

National Archives Genealogy Service suspended

Bad, bad news came forth from the National Archives of Ireland today with an announcement that its free genealogy service would be suspended from this Friday, 1 June.

See update to this story on 3 June.

The Genealogy Service has been provided free of charge to users for several years. Members of APGI, the Association of Professional Genealogists of Ireland, manned the service exclusively, ensuring visiting researchers received the very highest standards of advice. The service, which has been running for the best part of a decade, had its hours cut last October to 10:00–1.30pm. That was bad enough.

I don't know what the reasons for the suspension are. I shall try to find out. This move seems completely out of step for a publicly-funded institution controlled by a government that claims to see genealogy research as an integral part of its recovery (genealogy tourism has huge earning potential). And at the start of the tourist season, too.

Let's hope this is a temporary blip. I hate to be pessimistic but I feel it won't be, despite the announcement's 'hopes to be reinstated soon'.

Incidentally, I was in the Reading Room last Friday week at about 1:30pm when genealogist Rosaleen Underwood should have been finishing for the day. I stuck my head around the genealogy service door and saw there were still three people queuing to speak to her. She was still there half an hour later when I left the building. That's dedication. And I know that all the APGI genealogists put in a similar level of commitment to help visitors from around the world uncover their Irish heritage.

'Families' lecture now on video

The last in the current PRONI/Open University Exploring Local History lecture series — Families, with Dr Janice Holmes — is now available on the PRONIonline channel on YouTube.

It's been split into 5 videos. Just click each link below in order.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

Two million more Irish Petty Sessions Records go live

Another slice of 19th-century life in Ireland (plus a good portion of early 20th-century, too) has been revealed today in FindMyPast Ireland's latest batch of online records from the Irish Petty Sessions Courts.

These records represent one of the greatest untapped resources for Irish genealogists.

The first tranche of the 15 million record set, which relates only to courts in the 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland, was released back in February (see report). That release consisted of 1.2million records, and was hugely enjoyed by Irish genealogists for the colour it added to their research.

So it is great to have a second batch to play with! This set of entries dates from 1851 to 1910 and consists of more than 2 million cases from counties Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Galway, Kerry and Kilkenny (see the list of counties and courts below). Comprehensive details of each case typically include the names of the complainant, defendant and witnesses, the cause of complaint, the judgement, and details of any fine or sentence.

Another 10 million cases, originally scheduled for release by this summer are to follow throughout 2012.

Brian Donovan of FindMyPast Ireland recently admitted that the Irish Petty Sessions Order Books digitisation programme had been knocked off schedule because there are rather more records than originally expected. (Never mind. We can wait. The more records, the merrier.)

Find out more about the value of this huge record collection, which stretches from 1850 to 1924, on my website's Irish Petty Sessions Courts page.


Courts and years covered by today's release:

County of Court	Court	Year
CARLOW	CARLOW	1910
CARLOW	HACKETSTOWN	1902-03
CARLOW	MYSHALL	1860-69, 1884-1910
CAVAN	BALLINAGH	1852-1910
CAVAN	BAWNBOY	1851-68, 1883-1910
CAVAN	BELTURBET	1851-87
CAVAN	CAVAN	1851-1910
CAVAN	KILLESHANDRA	1862-1910
CAVAN	KINGSCOURT	1882-1901
CAVAN	SWANLINBAR	1877-99
CLARE	BALLYVAUGHAN	1910
CLARE	COROFIN	1910
CLARE	CRUSHEEN	1873-1910
CLARE	ENNIS	1866-1910
CLARE	KILDYSART	1885-86, 1898-99
CLARE	KNOCK	1860-73
CLARE	NEWMARKET-ON-FERGUS	1851-1910
CLARE	QUIN	1851-52, 1868-1910
CLARE	SIXMILEBRIDGE	1880-1910
CORK	AGHERN	1904-10
CORK	AHADALLANE	1864-65, 1877-78, 1884-1907
CORK	CASTLETOWNROCHE	1897-1902
CORK	COBH	1851-58
CORK	FERMOY	1891-99, 1910
CORK	KANTURK	1851-1910
CORK	QUEENSTOWN (COBH)	1853-1910
DONEGAL	ARDARA	1865-1910
DONEGAL	DUNFANAGHY	1877-1901
DONEGAL	GLENTIES	1852-1910
DONEGAL	LETTERKENNY	1859, 1871-72, 1878-79
DONEGAL	STRANORLAR	1859-1910
DUBLIN	BALBRIGGAN	1878-87, 1894-96, 1906-10
DUBLIN	LUCAN	1861-76
GALWAY	ARDRAHAN	1851-1910
GALWAY	ATHENRY	1851-66, 1871-91, 1895-1910
GALWAY	BALLINASLOE	1851-53, 1863-66, 1896-1910
GALWAY	BALLYMOE	1891-1910
GALWAY	CASTLETOWN	1860-63, 1866-1910
GALWAY	GORT	1851-1910
GALWAY	GURTEEN	1851-79, 1889-1910
GALWAY	SPIDDAL	1868-71
GALWAY	WILLIAMSTOWN	1851-1910
KERRY	CAHERCIVEEN	1879-1910
KERRY	CAHERDANIEL	1851-58, 1868-76
KERRY	COOLMAGORT	1861-66, 1872-78
KERRY	KILLARNEY	1857-60, 1866-67, 1880-87, 1899-1910
KERRY	VALENTIA	1906-10
KILKENNY	BALLYRAGGET	1858-62, 1885, 1892-99
KILKENNY	GORESBRIDGE	1854-1909
KILKENNY	GOWRAN	1865-67, 1893-1910
KILKENNY	GRACES OLDCASTLE	1856-71, 1881-88, 1894-1910
KILKENNY	KILKENNY	1854-1910
KILKENNY	KILMOGANNY	1891-1910