Monday 15 February 2016

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.