Monday 15 September 2014

Irish genealogy & history events, 15–28 September

Monday 15 September: Hands of History – one Donegal: many pasts, one future. Monreach Heritage Centre's project focuses on the involvement of people from Donegal in WW1. Venue: Finn Valley Centre, Milbrae, Stranorlar, Co Donegal. 7:30pm–9:30pm. Free admission. Light refreshments provided free. For further details, tel (0)74 914 0708.

Monday 15 September: Family research for beginners and others, with Mike McKeag. Host: Larne Branch of North of Ireland Family History Society. Venue: Larne Bowling & Lawn Tennis Club, 112-120 Glenarm Road, Larne, BT40 1DZ. All welcome. 7:30pm.

Monday 15 September: A call to arms: Portadown and the Great War, with Richard Edgar. Host: Craighavon Museum Services. Venue: Portadown Town Hall, Edward Street, Portadown BT63 3LX. 7:45pm. Free. All welcome.

Wednesday 17 September: Surnames – their origins and meanings, with Rev Gareth Harron. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, North Armagh Branch. Venue: Portadown Town Hall, Edward Street, Portadown BT63 3LX. 7:30pm. New members and guests very welcome.

Thursday 18 September: Back to school – Education in Co Wicklow, with Michael Seery. Host: Bray Cualann Historical Society. Venue: Bray Chamber of Commerce House, 10 Prince of Wales TCE, Quinsboro Road, Bray, Co Wicklow. €4. 8:00pm.

Thursday 18 September: Hands of History – one Donegal: many pasts, one future. Monreach Heritage Centre's project focuses on the involvement of people from Donegal in WW1. Venue: Ionad Teampaill Chroine, Chapel Road, Dungloe, Co Donegal. 7:30pm–9:30pm. Free admission. Light refreshments provided free. For further details, tel (0)74 914 0708.

Thursday 18 September: LDS Library & website; what is available?, with Marjo Reid. Host: North Down and Ards Branch of North of Ireland Family History Society. Venue: 1st Presbyterian Church Hall, Main Street, Bangor. All welcome. 7:30pm.

Friday 19 September: Culture Night. Across the island, a huge programme of free evening events takes place. It's a night when libraries, museums, galleries, archives, country houses, cinemas and theatres open their doors to the public for a feast of culture, and tours, walks and live performances are held in city streets and parks, and heritage buildings. Download your local programme here.

Friday 19 September: PRONI and the Home Front, PRONI’s contribution to Culture Night will have a war-time theme with music and poetry readings from war poets such as Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon. More details. 4:30pm to 7:30pm. Venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. All welcome. Free.

Friday 19 September: Free family history advice, from the library's Genealogy Service. Host: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin. 5pm-11pm. In addition, at 6pm and 6:30pm, paper conservators Gabrielle Vergnoux and Louise O'Connor will speak about the conservation of the Pearse Papers. All welcome and booking is not required. Details.

Friday 19 September to Sunday 21 September: A Gathering of Friends, a celebration of the history of the Quakers. Youghal's 12th annual 'Youghal Celebrates History' conference. The event includes entertainment in Tynte's Castle, a field trip, optional visits, and a busy lecture programme. Venue: Mall Arts Centre, Youghal, Co Cork. For more details and rates, download pdf programme. Bookings.

Saturday 20 September: Finding Your Ancestors in New York City, at 10am, and Advanced Irish genealogy, at 11am, both workshops with Joe Buggy. Host: Irish Family History Forum. Venue: Bethpage Public Library, 47 Powell Avenue, Bethpage, New York, 11714. Details: (516) 931-3907.

Saturday 20th September:
Beginners Guide to Family History, including recent updates. Host: Fermanagh Branch of North of Ireland Family History Society. Venue: Enniskillen Library (Seminar Room upstairs), Halls Lane, Enniskillen BT74 7DR. New members and guests very welcome. 2.15pm.

Saturday 20 September: The Great War Roadshow. Hosts: Roscommon County Council and Connaught Rangers. A day of talks and presentations on the Irish experience of WW1. Venue: King House, Main Street, Boyle, Co Roscommon. 10am to 4:30pm. Free but booking advised (via King House).

Saturday 20 September: Medieval Walking Tour of Dublin, with Fin Dwyer of Irishhistorypodcast.ie. Meet at 2pm at the Dublin Castle gate, off Dame Street. €10 per person. All funds raised go towards the Street Stories Festival taking place the following weekend.

Tuesday 23 September: Working towards accreditation, a workshop for those working towards a career as a professional genealogist. Host: The Association of Professional Genealogists in Ireland (APGI). Venue: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. 12:30pm to 3:30pm. Free, but need to book by email to info@apgi.ie by 19 September. Details.

Thursday 25 September: Ireland's entry into WW1, 1914: Acceptance or refusal? with Dr Catriona Pennell. Part of The Road to War Lecture Series. Hosted by PRONI and National Museums Northern Ireland. Venue: Ulster Museum Lecture Theatre, Botanic Gardens, Belfast. 7pm. Free but booking essential. Email proni@dcalni.gov.uk or phone 44+ 028 905 34800.

Thursday 25 September: Introduction to the world of genealogy and registration. Host: Ballymena Branch of North of Ireland Family History Society. Venue: Michelin Arts Workshop, Braid Arts Centre 1-29 Bridge Street, Ballymena, BT43 5EJ. All welcome. 7:15pm.

Thursday 25 September: Remembering WW1, with Dr Eamon Phoenix. Part of the Lisburn Museum Lecture Series: Ireland during the Great War. Venue: Lisburn Museum, Market Square, Lisburn, BT28 1AG. 7pm. Free but must be booked in advance – tickets available from museum reception or, for more information call 028 9266 3377.

Thursday 25 September: Local families in WW1: The Pollocks, Earleys and Corbitts, with Adrian Beattie, Gavin Earley and others. Host: Strabane History Society. Venue: Room 5, Strabane Library, 1 Railway Street, Strabane, co Tyrone Tyrone BT82 8EF. 7:30pm.

Thursday 25 September: The Cootehill Riot of 1833, with Dr Darragh Curran. Venue: Cootehill Library, Bridge Street, Cootehill, Co Cavan. Admission free but booking advised by phone: (0)49 555 9873.

Friday 26 September to Sunday 28 September: Street Stories Festival in Smithfield and Stonybatter, telling the stories of Dublin life. Saturday sees a series of talks throughout the day on a wide range of subjects from the Mother and Baby homes, to Dublin in World War I, from Life in Medieval Smithfield to the Massacre in North King Street during the 1916 Rising and lots more. Sunday is a relaxed day of tours and walks and film screenings. Facebook page.

Friday 26 September to Sunday 28 September: A Festival of History Weekend and Great War Roadshow, Greystones, County Wicklow. Venue: Charlesland Golf & Country Club. Hosts: The La Touche Legacy in association with the Greystones Archaeological and Historical Society. Programme and details. To buy tickets, tel: 01 2878448.