Wednesday 31 August 2016

RootsIreland adds 40,000 Wexford RC baptism records

RootsIreland.ie has added 40,000 transcriptions (and links to images, where available) for the following County Wexford parishes:

Wexford RC parish – 1686-1815 and 1838-1883: Transcriptions of register entries up to the end of 1880 are linked to the images held on the National Library of Ireland's RC Registers website. Images to match the transcriptions covering 1881 to 1883 are not on the NLI site.

Ballygarrett RC parish – 1830-1863 and 1865-1899 : Transcriptions of register entries up to the end of 1863 are linked to the images held on the National Library of Ireland's RC Registers website. The later batch of baptism registers are not part of the NLI collection.

You can view all the County Wexford sources in the database here.

Ancestors from Cork? Free genealogy guide launched

http://epublishbyus.com/cork_county_library_family_history_booklet_/10044469#
The Local Studies team of Cork County Libraries has published a 32-page booklet to help beginners explore their ancestral heritage in the county.

The guide, Walking in the Footsteps of Your Ancestors, is filled with carefully focussed information about local genealogical record collections and provides tips and direction for the budding family historian genealogist. It's well presented, too, with images of birth certificates and census returns and maps and so on, and comes together in an attractive and neat package.

It's free, and is available in hard copy from all County Cork branch libraries. Alternatively, it can be viewed online or downloaded as a pdf from the County Cork Libraries Local Studies page.

Tuesday 30 August 2016

Online launch: Irish birth, marriage & death registers

Next Thursday, 8 September, will be a red-letter day for Irish genealogy.

The General Register Office's historical birth, marriage and death registers will be launched online on that date, joining the GRO Index and a collection of church records on www.IrishGenealogy.ie. Further details will be released early next week. For now, this is all the information being made public.

When this move was first mooted, back in July 2014, it came with an assurance that these records would be accessible free of charge. Subsequent intervention should also have made us quite certain that the records will be subject to the 100-75-50-years rule ie only those births more than 100 years old, marriages more than 75 years ago, and deaths 50 years ago.

I'll bring more news when it's available.

(September looks like it's going to see a bumper delivery for Irish genealogy. Those other record collections I've mentioned rather too many times will be along before the month is out, too.)

UPDATE: 7 September: The updated database has been launched a day early. See my blogpost for the latest updates.

IGRS adds to its growing collection of online resources

The Irish Genealogical Research Society (IGRS) seems to be continually in the news these days, and it's all well-deserved with a stream of new and unique resources and projects being delivered, one after the other to mark the Society's 80th anniversary.

In this instance, the Society has published a new database with links to articles published in the Society's highly-regarded journal, The Irish Genealogist, from 2002 to 2005 inclusive (Volume 11). The database can be searched by name; each entry in the search results links to a downloadeable pdf of the article in which the name appears.

In Volume 11, articles include references to the Society’s Farnham Manuscripts; Willamstown parish, Co. Galway; Griffith’s Valuation and the Poor Law Valuation; Galway Gentry; Cork Protestants; Catholic Converts; Nuns; Faulkner’s Dublin Journal newspaper and the Registry of Deeds. It also contains articles touching in some detail on families named Clare, Burke, Butler, Carew, Crowley, Daly, Fitzgerald, Forbes, Joyce, Keegan, Kenifeck, Langton, O’Brien, McDermott, McHugo, O’Neill. Power and Solsborough. In total, some 8,000 names are referenced.

While this new Volume 11 Names Database can be searched by any researcher, only IGRS members can download the articles. Future digitisation of TIG will be accessible in the same way.

However, the TIG Volume 10 (1998–2001) Names Database, with links to articles, has been freely available to both members and non-members for some 18 months. So, too, is a Names INDEX (no links to articles) covering 1937–2001 inclusive.

All three products – the Volume 1–10 Names Index 1937–2001, the Volume 10 Names Database 1998–2001 and the Volume 11 Names Database 2002–2005 – can be found on the IGRS's award-winning website, IrishAncestors.ie.

Announcing details of the enhanced database collection, IGRS Chairman Steven Smyrl said: “We are thrilled to make The Irish Genealogist more accessible to genealogists and historians by placing it online. We hope in the coming months to extend the online database by uploading volumes published since 2011. The journal contains so much information, not available anywhere else.”

Keeping itself busy and active, the IGRS will be releasing more updates to its growing collection of online resources later this year.

Monday 29 August 2016

Waterford and Tramore newspaper joins BNA

http://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=5895&awinaffid=123532&clickref=&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk%2F
The latest Irish title to join the British Newspaper Archive is the Waterford Mirror and Tramore Visitor. Distributed on Wednesdays, it published a mixture of local, national and international news and advertisements.

The BNA plans to create an online holding for this paper spanning 1860 to 1910 ie the full extent of its publication.

The initial upload sees full-year editions of the weekly paper available for 1862–1868; 1872; 1884–1886; 1888; 1891–1892; and 1896.

As well as being available via the BNA website, this title has joined the line-up of 123 Irish titles available via FindMyPast's Ireland and World subscriptions.





Irish genealogy & history events, 29 August – 10 Sept

Until mid-October Reading Room of National Archives of Ireland in Dublin closed. Details.

Monday 29 August: Bank holiday in Northern Ireland. All libraries and archives closed. Back to normal timetables the following day.

Tuesday 30 August: Patrick Pearse: a revolutionary life, with Dr Brian Crowley. Host and venue: Castletown House, Celbridge, Co Kildare. €5, includes refreshments. 7:15pm. Booking required: T (0)1 628 8252 or E castletwon@opw.ie. 8pm. Lecture held in the Hunting Room.

Tuesday 30 August: Stories from the parish registers, with Clodagh Tait. Part of the NLI Genealogy at lunchtime lecture series. Host and venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Free. 1pm. All welcome. Booking not required.

Wednesday 31 August: Free consultations with accredited genealogists. An exceptional full day of the NAI's Genealogy Advisory Service. Host and venue: National Archives of Ireland, Bishop Street, Dublin 8. No appointments necessary. 10am to 4pm.

Thursday 1 September: Ogham Stones: Our earliest genealogical sources, with Nora White. Part of the NLI Genealogy at Lunchtime lecture series. Host and venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Free. 1pm. All welcome. Booking not required.

Friday 2 September: Flax growing and linen production, with Liam Corry. Host and venue: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. Free. 1pm. All welcome. No need to book.

Friday 2 to Sunday 3 September: The Genealogy Event, a weekend conference of genealogy and dna lectures, workshops, and one to one consultations. Venue: Fitzgerald's Woodlands House Hotel, Adare, Co Limerick. Booking required. See full programme and details.

Monday 5 September: Researching Ancestors in the Army in India, workshop, with FIBIS. Host & venue: British Library, Euston Rd, London UK. 2pm–5pm. Free but you need to book. Details.

Tuesday 6 September: Women and the Legacy of the First World War, with Kate Adie. Host and venue: Ulster Museum (Lecture Theatre, ground floor), Botanic Gardens, Belfast BT9 5AB. 1–2pm. Free but booking is essential.

Tuesday 6 September: Ten free websites for US genealogical research, with Joe Buggy. Part of the NLI Genealogy at lunchtime lecture series. Host and venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Free. 1pm. All welcome. Booking not required.

Wednesday 7 September:  The City of Armagh and Christianity since St Patrick: Ireland’s Jerusalem?, with Roddy Hegarty. First of the County Armagh Lecture Series. Host and venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. 1pm. Free. Booking recommended - email proni@communities-ni.gov.uk to secure your place.

Thursday 8 September: Adventures in DNA: Who were the first Irish?, with Professor Dan Bradley. Part of the NLI Genealogy at lunchtime lecture series. Host and venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Free. 1pm. All welcome. Booking not required.

Thursday 8 September: Emigration and our Galway diaspora, conference. Venue: Clarenbridge Oyster Festival Marquee, Clarinbridge, Co. Galway. Full day conference featuring a lineup of genealogy specialists. Free. Programme and details (4Mb pdf).

Thursday 8 September: WWI Ireland: Exploring the Irish Experience, an exhibition tour. Host and venue: National Library of Ireland, 2/3 Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Booking is not required. All welcome. 2pm.

Friday 9 September: Finding the Stories of Your Ancestors, with Pamela Guye Holland. Host: TIARA. Venue: Brandeis University, Mandel Center for the Humanities, Room G3, 415 South St., Waltham, Massachusetts 02453 USA. Doors open at 7pm. Lecture at 7:30pm.

Friday 9 September to Sunday 11 September: BIFHSGO Family History Conference, focussing mainly (but not exclusively) on Irish genealogy and DNA. Irish topic speakers include Kyle Betit, Maurice Gleeson, Gloria Tubman and Lucille Campey. Host: British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa 2016 Conference. Venue: Ben Franklin Place, 101 Centrepointe Drive, Ottawa, Canada. $40. Programme and details.

Saturday 10 September: School of Irish Genealogy, with the Friends of Irish Research Genealogy Team. Venue: The Irish Cultural Centre Library, 200 New Boston Drive, Canton, MA, USA. Using free research tools online, with Joe Petrie, and DNA – How to get the most of the available services, with Richard Reid. 1pm–4pm. Register by email: friendsofirishresearch@gmail.com.

Saturday 10 September: The National Library's History & Heritage, an introduction to the Library's rich architectural history and the Signatories exhibition, plus a guided tour of the Reading Room.  Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Admission free. All welcome. 1pm. No need to book.

Saturday 10 September: Genealogy drop-in, with Mayo Genealogy Group. Host and venue: National Museum of Ireland, Country Life, Turlough Park, Co Mayo. Free practical tips. No booking required. New researchers welcome. 11:30am to 1pm.

Saturday 10 September: European Heritage Open Day at PRONI. Tours of the building will be available and the Search Room will be open for access to self-service microfilm and other reference material.  There will no access to original records. Venue: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. 10am–4pm.

Sunday 11 September: The impact of WW1 on the domestic, economic, social and political life of Ulster, including the effect on women and children, industry and agriculture. Part of European Heritage Open Days series at Ulster Museum, Botanic Gardens, Belfast BT9 5AB. (Lecture Theatre, ground floor). 3-4pm. No need to book.

Friday 26 August 2016

Ancestry offers free access to Irish and UK records this weekend

http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-5737308-10819001-1408706803000?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ancestry.co.uk%2Fcs%2Ffree-access
Ancestry is offering free access to its Irish and UK records this weekend. The offer extends to 11:59pm IST/BST on Monday 29 August.

To take advantage of the free access, you'll need to have a registered account, but you won't need a subscription of any sort. If you don't already have an account, simply sign up with your name and email address (no financial details are requested) and you'll quickly be sent a user name and  password. It's that simple.

Scroll through the full list of collections included in the free package – you'll see you could get a lot of research done with those record sets if you pace yourself well!

Happy researching!

This offer has now expired.

Bank holiday Monday (29th) in Northern Ireland

It's a bank holiday in Northern Ireland on Monday, 29 August. All public libraries, as well as PRONI, GRONI and the Linen Hall Library will be closed for the day, reopening to normal schedules on Tuesday 30th.

Having had its late summer public holiday at the beginning of the month, the Republic of Ireland is open for business and research as usual.

Autumn edition of Irish Roots magazine published

Available in print and digital formats
A new edition of Irish Roots magazine has been published. Produced by mother and daughter team Maureen and Julie Phibbs in County Wicklow, the magazine is editorially independent of all commercial family history companies. As such, it carries a wide range of genuine news stories from across the Irish genealogy industry as well as helpful research advice features from expert genealogists from around the globe.

This quarter's main features include advice on tracing County Louth ancestors, a dip into the enviably extensive Coollattin Estate Papers, and the final part of a series exploring the family histories and careers of the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising.

Keeping the  history juices flowing are two more informative features. The first investigates the development of the urban native middle-class, while the other provides an overview of the Brehan Laws of Ireland's old Gaelic order and how these impacted on women, children and families.

There's also a preview of a new film 'Strange Occurrences in a Small Irish Village', which explores the big question of faith, in a small Irish village: Knock, in Co Mayo; a look at Ireland's changing adoption laws; and my own What's New? Review of record releases and developments over the last three months. Researchers from North America and Australia will benefit from two features with an international research focus: the care of the poor in America during the 1800s, which looks at hospitals, asylums and schools; and how C19th Irish emigrants to Australia maintained connections with Ireland and responded to pleas for assistance back home.

Add in a Q&A page, letters from readers, detailed notes from around Ireland's genealogical and historical societies,general news, book launches and forthcoming events and you have a terrific read.

The magazine is available in print format or digital format (see all the options at IrishRootsMedia.com).

Back To Our Past returns to Industries Hall in October

http://backtoourpast.ie/
As previously advised, Dublin's annual genealogy exhibition Back To Our Past (BTOP) will be returning to the RDS in Ballsbridge from Friday 21 October to Sunday 23 October for its 7th consecutive year.

Last year, BTOP's organisers had to rearrange its dates at fairly late notice after it became clear that the Ireland Rugby Team might make it to the Quarter Finals of the Rugby World Cup (they did, and it proved, sadly, to be their last game of the tournament).

As a result of the date switch, the event had to change venue within the RDS complex, moving to the Serpentine Hall, a somewhat smaller and frankly, gloomier, space than the Industries Hall where BTOP had successfully been held in each of the previous five years.

Speaking to the BTOP team earlier this week, I was advised that the 2016 event, which once again incorporates the internationally-acclaimed Genetic Genealogy Ireland conference, will be returning to the brighter and bigger Industries Hall. This is good news not just for its improved light and size but also because it has far superior facilities for the lecture programmes.

The BTOP website will be updated in due course. In the meantime, half-price tickets are currently available.

The Genealogy Event returns to Co. Limerick next week

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5-KQnqDiArgallnaFN6M2JHYnM/view?usp=sharing
Click for larger view
This time next week, The Genealogy Event will be underway in Adare, Co Limerick.

The event, now in its third year, offers two full days (Friday and Saturday, 2&3 September) of talks on a wide range of topics including valuation records, passenger lists, handwriting interpretation, DNA, landed gentry, immigration and much more.

The speakers include experts from universities, national institutions and genealogy companies as well as independent professional genealogists, so delegates can be assured of a great learning experience.

I'm delighted also to see Roz McCutcheon, a colleague from my days on the Council of the Irish Genealogical Research Society, is among the impressive line-up and will be presenting two talks; she is a very entertaining speaker and I know the delegates are in for a treat.

As well as a seat at the lectures, a ticket to the conference includes a 15-minute consultation with a professional genealogist (one-hour sessions are also available for an additional fee), and a series of social events take place each evening, including a pre-conference reception.

The conference venue is the Fitzgerald's Woodlands House Hotel and tickets are still available on the website. See the full programme to discover what's in store.

Thursday 25 August 2016

Free access to FindMyPast Australia this weekend

This weekend, FindMyPast Australia is offering free access to its collection of more than 70million Australian records. The free access period runs until 11:59pm AEST on Monday 29 August.

To access the records, you'll need to register with FindMyPast Australia. This is simple enough, and doesn't require you to provide credit card or personal details other than name and email address. Just follow the Start Now button on the free access page here.

When researching in the collection, be sure to check out FindMyPast Australia's latest addition: The Victoria Coastal Passenger Lists, 1852–1924.

Launched just a couple of weeks ago, these records contain details of more than 3.2million passengers and have never been online before. The lists record local journeys from port to port round Australia, which can help researchers locate the whereabouts of an ancestor who appears to have gone missing.

The information provided varies from record to record, but most will include name, age, estimated birth year, nationality, month and year of arrival, ship's name, departure and destination ports and native place. The latter may mean place of birth but sometimes means last place of residence.

This offer has now expired.

New home for Fermanagh Genealogy Centre

With the opening this morning of a state-of-the-art Visitor Information Centre at Enniskillen Castle, Fermanagh Genealogy Centre has returned to a much transformed home within the castle grounds.

The new Fermanagh Visitor Information Centre
is within the Castle grounds
The new Visitor Centre has been part of a £3.5million refurbishment programme to transform the castle complex, which incorporates the Fermanagh County Museum, into a heritage gateway for the area. As well as the Museum, which has received artefacts from the collection of the National Museum in Belfast, including the Bronze Age gold torc discovered at Corrard, near Upper Lough Erne, the new complex boasts new galleries and exhibitions and redeveloped grounds and will be able to offer more educational activities. The enhanced visitor facilities include self-service touch screens, access to the Museum's archives, a cafe and shop, and the genealogy centre.

The Fermanagh Genealogy Centre was established in 2012 at the Castle but had to move out when the redevelopment works started. It is entirely run by volunteers and a lot of their energy is put into sourcing and transcribing historical records from the county, and providing a free email enquiry service.

This work will continue in the new visitor centre, where the volunteers will additionally be offering free one-to-one consultations with genealogists on three afternoons (Monday, Wednesday and Thursday) each week. These consultations can be booked here or by telephone to +44 (0)28 6632 3110.

For more information about the Fermanagh Genealogy Centre and the new Visitor Information Centre see the revamped Enniskillen Castle website.


Wednesday 24 August 2016

Townland Of Origin blog explores North American collections for Irish family history records

TownlandOfOrigin.com, the blog of professional genealogist Joe Buggy, aims to help US and Canadian researchers locate details of their Irish ancestral home through North American record collections. It's one of my regular reads, and I want to highlight a couple of Joe's recent blogposts that shouldn't be missed:
Joe's book Finding your Irish ancestors in New York City was written while he was still living in the USA, but he's now back in Ireland (working with ProGenealogists in Dublin) and will be presenting a talk – Ten free websites for US genealogical research – at the National Library of Ireland on Tuesday 6 September at 1pm.

FindMyPast offers 33% discount on Ireland & UK subs

Ireland and UK-based family historians take note!

FindMyPast (IE and UK only) have one of their 'flash sales' up and running.

It offers one-third off the cost of any new monthly or annual local subscription ie the Ireland or Britain package, taken up by 11:59pm on Saturday 27 August.

The offer reduces the price, as follows:


Ireland monthly subscription reduced from €9.95 to €6.67 per month
Ireland annual subscription reduced from €114.50 to €76.72 per year.

Britain monthly subscription reduced from £9.95 to £6.67 per month
Britain annual subscription reduced from £119.95 to £80.37 per year.

You don't need to be a resident of Ireland or the UK to take advantage of this offer.

This offer does not apply to the World subscription package.


Monday 22 August 2016

Ireland Police Gazette (Hue and Cry) joins Ancestry

https://prf.hn/click/camref:1100l4pTC/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fsearch.ancestry.co.uk%2Fsearch%2Fdb.aspx%3Fdbid%3D61046
Following the successful completion of one of its World Archives Projects, which sees record collections indexed by volunteers, Ancestry has added the Irish Police Gazettes, 1861-1893 to its database. This twice-weekly paper, better known as the 'Hue and Cry', was the official publication of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) and was a means to communicate secretly between members of the police divisions.

The online collection comprises 150,000 indexed entries covering 28,353 reported crimes, 28,092 reports of breaking of License conditions, and 23,345 reports of theft. It is full of missing persons (including army deserters), wanted criminals, habitual criminals and details of those who had been apprehended.

In addition, all editions published during the stated 32 year period can be browsed.

Among the entries are reports of stolen heifers and the like, which might be of minor interest if the owner was an ancestor, but the level of detail in some of the reports of more serious crime can be outstanding.

Take this example from 9 July, 1878:

Sligo: The special attention of the Constabulary is directed to the following:
Description of Thomas Hunt (mother's surname Quigley), native of Knockgranagh, who stands charged with having, on the 29th November ult., in barony of Leyny, parish of Achonry, murdered John McGloin by fracturing his skill with a large stone: - Down-looking appearance, two upper front teeth large and prominent, high cheek bones, large heavy lips, sunken jaws, very broad shoulders; it is also stated that Hunt's left wrist is tattooed; glaring black eyes, slightly cocked nose, sallow complexion, oval face, stout make, 5 feet 9 or 10 inches high, about 27 or 28 years of age, black hair, small dark moustache; wore a dark cloth coat, trowsers, and vest. Was in America, and lately returned from England, where he worked as a labourer. Has a pair of English-made navvy boots with iron plates under toes, also a pair of light Wellington boots.
Tubbercurry, Dec 9, 1876.





Irish genealogy & history events, 22 Aug - 4 Sept

http://heritageweek.heritagecouncil.ie/
With Heritage Week now in full swing, there are a lot of genealogy events taking place in the week ahead. I haven't gone through the online programme (I reckon you're all capable of doing that for yourselves!) so the list below includes only those events I've been notified of, or have serendipitously discovered. There are also non-Heritage Week events in the list.

While it gives a good flavour of what's on, I'd recommend you check the official online listing for Heritage Week (click image, right) to be sure you don't miss a gem.

Monday 22 August to mid-October Reading Room of National Archives of Ireland in Dublin closed. Details.

Tuesday 23 August: Family history day. Talks, access to online resources and one-to-one consultations. Host and venue: Dublin City Library & Archive, Pearse Street, Dublin 2. 11am to 4pm. Free. Booking recommended by T:(1) 674 4999 or E:dublinstudies@dublincity.ie.

Tuesday 23 August: From Meath of the pastures to Smithfield: the story of Smithfield and a family who lived there, with Mary O’Connell. Host: Old Dublin Society. Venue: Dublin City Library & Archive, 138–144 Pearse St, Dublin 2. 6pm. Free.

Tuesday 23 August: A beginners guide to tracing your family tree, with County Sligo Heritage & Genealogy Centre. Venue: Aras Reddan, Temple St, Sligo. This event will focus on online research and tracing 1916 ancestors. 2:30pm to 3:30pm. Booking: T - 071 91 43728 or E - info@sligoroots.com.

Tuesday 23 August: Irish American Identity - how do we sustain the people-to-people links between Ireland and the United States? with Kevin F O'Malley. Part of the NLI Genealogy at lunchtime lecture series. Host and venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Free. 1pm. All welcome. Booking not required.

Wednesday 24 August: Behind the scenes – Conservation at the NLI, with conservator Louise O’Connor describing how the conservation department cares for and treats a wide range of library items. Venue: National Library, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Free. 1pm. All welcome. Booking not required.

Wednesday 24 August: Grave matters: disease, death and Dublin from the Middle Ages, with Ciaran Wallace and Lisa Marie Griffith. Host and venue: Walkinstown Library, Percy French Road, Dublin 12. Free. 7pm. Reserve your place by email to walkinstownlibrary@dublincity.ie.

Thursday 25 August: Mapping and protecting the shipwrecks of the First World War in Irish waters, with Karl Brady & Charise McKeon. Host and venue: National Museum of Ireland, Kildare St. Dublin 2. All welcome. 1pm. Reservations: +353 (0)1 6486334, educationarch@museum.ie.

Thursday 25 August: Irish genealogy, a presentation by Dr Paul McCotter MAGI, followed by free genealogical advice clinic. Venue: Franciscan Well brewpub, North Mall, Cork City. 8:30pm. All free. All welcome.

Thursday 25 August: The use of Catholic parish registers in genealogy, with Dolores O'Shea. Host: South East Galway Archaeological & Historical Society. Venue: Irish Workhouse Centre, Portumna, Co Galway. Free. 3:30pm. No need to book. All welcome.

Thursday 25 August: Sisters, Surgeons and Soldiers on the Somme: One Hundred and Forty-Four Days of Casualty Management on the Somme, with Dr Yvonne McEwen. Host and venue: Ballymena Central Library, 5 Pat's Brae, Ballymena BT43 5AX. 6:30pm-7:30pm. Admission free. Booking recommended by T - 028 2563 3950 or E - ballymena.library@librariesni.org.uk.

Thursday 25 August: Children's records in 19th-century Ireland, with Aoife O'Connor. Part of the NLI Genealogy at lunchtime lecture series. Host and venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Free. 1pm. All welcome. Booking not required.

Thursday 25 August: The NLI as the ‘memory’ of Ireland, with Maeve Casserly. Host and venue: National Library, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Free. 1pm. All welcome. Booking not required. Details.

Friday 26 August to Sunday 28 August: Daniel O'Connell Summer School. Venue: Friday at The Library, Caherciveen, Co Kerry. Saturday at Derrynane House, Caherdaniel. Sunday at St Crohans and Caherdaniel Community Centre, Co Kerry. The Summer School will explore the links between Kerry and the 1916 Rising. Dr Mary MacAleese, former President of Ireland, will give this year’s Daniel O’Connell lecture. Programme.

Saturday 27 August: Irish Railway Records Society's Archive Open Day. Host and venue: Irish Railway Records Society. Behind Heuston Station, Dublin. 11am to 5pm. Free. All welcome. Details.

Sunday 28 August: 17th Annual Commemortion at the Great Irish Famine Monument. Venue: Hyde Park Barracks, Macquarie Street, Sydney, NSW, Australia. 12:30pm to 3:30pm. Tickets.

Monday 29 August: Bank holiday in Northern Ireland. All libraries and archives closed. Back to normal timetables the following day.

Tuesday 30 August: Patrick Pearse: a revolutionary life, with Dr Brian Crowley. Host and venue: Castletown House, Celbridge, Co Kildare. €5, includes refreshments. 7:15pm. Booking required: T (0)1 628 8252 or E castletwon@opw.ie. 8pm. Lecture held in the Hunting Room.

Tuesday 30 August: Stories from the parish registers, with Clodagh Tait. Part of the NLI Genealogy at lunchtime lecture series. Host and venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Free. 1pm. All welcome. Booking not required.

Thursday 1 September: Ogham Stones: Our earliest genealogical sources, with Nora White. Part of the NLI Genealogy at lunchtime lecture series. Host and venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Free. 1pm. All welcome. Booking not required.

Friday 2 to Sunday 3 September: The Genealogy Event, a weekend conference of genealogy and dna lectures, workshops, and one to one consultations. Venue: Fitzgerald's Woodlands House Hotel, Adare, Co Limerick. Booking required. See full programme and details.

Friday 19 August 2016

New Belfast City Hall exhibition receives go-ahead

The green light has been given to the creation of a major new exhibition area in Belfast City Hall, to provide a significant educational and tourism attraction. It’s due to open to the public in May 2017.

The interactive exhibition on the east side of City Hall’s ground floor will highlight the history of the city through a range of themes including its industrial past, significant events, language and its famous citizens.

Lord Mayor of Belfast, Alderman Brian Kingston, said: “Belfast City Hall has become one of the city's leading visitor attractions and this fascinating exhibition will further enhance the City Hall experience.

"We’re currently welcoming 70,000 visitors annually, and I’m looking forward to seeing footfall rise as a result of this development."

There will be some disruption during the construction phase. The Donegall Square East entrance will close from Monday 12 September and the popular Bobbin Coffee Shop will close from Sunday 2 October until early 2017.

For updates on the exhibition and access arrangements see www.belfastcity.gov.uk/exhibition.

FindMyPast adds crime and non-conformist records

This week's FindMyPast Friday releases have some records of interest to Irish family historians.

Crime and Punishment records

RIC Outrage Reports 1836-1840
This collection consists of about 18,000 summaries of incidents, crimes or disturbances reported by the Royal Irish Constabulary between 1836 and 1840. Written by the Chief Constables, the reports include descriptions of assaults, riots, arson, thefts, suicides and more and include details of any victims, names of serving RIC members and, if known, the offender.

Middlesex, London, Old Bailey Court records 1674-1913
Holding more than 782,000 court records from London's Old Bailey, the central criminal court of England & Wales, this collection covers some 198,000 court proceedings and many of them relate to Irish men and women. It holds transcripts and links to images of the original documents (the latter not for all years).

This record set appears to be the same as that available (free) at OldBaileyOnline.

England and Wales Non-Conformist Records

FindMyPast has increased the size of its existing collection of England and Wales non-conformist records by more than half a million bmd entries. The term Non-Conformist refers to churches that did not adhere to the established Church of England, and covers more than 50 denominations including Roman Catholics, Jews, Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, Society of Friends etc. This can be a good source for 'missing' Irish men and women.

England & Wales Non-Conformist Births and Baptisms
This collection has been topped up with more than 208,000 records to total 1.6million entries, each including both a transcript and image of the original document. The amount of information included varies depending on the church and date the records was taken although most will include a combination of your ancestors birth date, baptism date, baptism place, family denomination, the names of both parents and then godparent's. Images may reveal the additional information such as the occupation of the child's father.

England & Wales Non-Conformist Marriages
More than 3,100 records have been added to this small collection (now totalling 8,000 records), each including a transcript and image of the original register. The latter usually provides additional information such as the bride's maiden name and the names of witnesses.

England & Wales Non-Conformist Burials
More than 300,000 records have joined this collection, making a new total of 888,641 entries. The records reveal the deceased place and date of death and additional information such as year of birth, denomination, spouse's name and father's name.



Thursday 18 August 2016

Access to major Irish genealogy databases restored

After Monday's news (see blogpost) about the Dublin Electoral Registers being removed following intervention by the Data Protection Commission, Irish genealogists went into a bit of a spin this morning when first the National Archives of Ireland's Genealogy website was found to have gone offline overnight and then IrishGenealogy.ie became inaccessible.

Conspiracy theories abounded, but I'm glad to say that these can now be put to bed as both websites, and all their databases, have been restored in the last half an hour. I wasn't able to find out what caused the problem, and since it's now been resolved, I'll leave it there.

Ancestry adds Merchant Seamen Deaths, 1939–53

Ancestry has added the UK Merchant Seamen's Deaths, 1939–1953 collection to its database.

This record-set holds the details of more than 50,000 merchant seamen who lost their lives during and just after WWII; some 1,050 of the records relate to men born in Ireland.

http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-5737308-10819001-1408706803000?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.ancestry.co.uk%2Fsearch%2Fdb.aspx%3Fdbid%3D61094The details presented in the handwritten records follow a basic format. Here are a few examples I picked out:

Harold Austin, a 52 year old Radio Officer, was lost overboard from the SS Brazilian Prince on 15 Nov 1951. He was born in Johnstown (Co Kilkenny) but had settled in Durham. His unnamed next of kin lived at New Grange Road, Durham. His place of death note the ship's co-ordinates when he was lost (see image, right).

Cornelius William McCarthy, a 42-year-old 1st Radio Officer living in Ilford, Essex, died on the SS Chama on 23 March 1941. The file reports him as 'Missing supposed drowned following enemy action having been torpedoed and presumed sunk'. He was born in Killarney, and his medals were sent to his sister in Knockeenalicka, Kilcummin, Killarney.

Thomas FitzGerald was a 17-year-old Assistant Cook from Thomastown, County Kilkenny. He was reported as 'Missing presumed drowned (enemy action)' on 10 April 1942 from the SS Empire Prairie. His next of kin was his mother, Elizabeth.

Wednesday 17 August 2016

Roscommon & Leitrim Gazette joins BNA

The British Newspaper Archive (BNA) has added the Roscommon & Leitrim Gazette to its online database.

The initial upload includes all weekly editions published in 1863 and 1881, but the planned holding for this title will, when complete, span 1822 to 1882.

This addition means there are now 122 Irish titles available (for a fee) in the BNA archive. The complete line-up is also available as part of FindMyPast's Ireland or World subscription.

Researchers who can make personal visits to any of Roscommon libraries are able to view this paper (1822–1872) on microfilm, free of charge. See the full list of digitised and microfilmed publications freely available through that council's library service here.

Tuesday 16 August 2016

Data protection concerns force Dublin records offline

Courtesy of the Data Protection Commission (DPC), the Dublin City Electoral Lists for 1937-64 have been taken offline from the free to access Dublin City Libraries & Archives Heritage Databases site. See note on the site.

As I understand it, this instance of the DPC getting involved in the removal of online access to records has come about rather more organically than the last, which saw online availability of the General Register Office's birth, marriage and death indexes seriously curtailed in July 2014. That earlier occasion came about as the result of a complaint from one person with a vested interest in the records being kept offline.

This time round has nothing to do with 'protectionism', but once again, the DPC's intervention means that public access to the records of a lot of dead people is being restricted.

In the 1937 list, for example, eligibility for the vote started at age 21, so it is made up in its entirety of people born at least 100 years ago. Only 600 or so over-100 year olds live in Ireland; I wonder how many would be even slightly troubled by someone knowing where they lived 79-odd years ago. Even if you take the 1964 list, the youngest people in the list would now be in their mid-70s. What possible harm could be done by anyone (never mind genealogists!) knowing where someone lived more than half a century ago?

The lists didn't provide any other information: not ages, not household members, nada. Just name and address, and the certainty that the person listed was of voting age.

The knee-jerk response by the DPC is made all the more ridiculous when you consider that you can freely check the CURRENT electoral list for anywhere in Ireland at checktheregister.ie.

Representations to the DPC are being made, and I'll bring you more information in due course*.

Note: The database is available to personal visitors in the Reading Room of the DCL&A in Pearse Street, Dublin.

*Monday 22 August: See Irish Times : Removal of Dublin electoral database unwarranted, by Steven Smyrl MAGI FIGRS.

Two World Archive Projects join Ancestry's database

A couple of updates to Ancestry's database in the last few days:

More than 300,000 entries have been added to the South Australia, Australia, Police Gazettes, 1862-1947 collection. This was a World Archive Project (WAP) ie indexed by volunteers, but you'll need a Worldwide or Australia.com.au subscription to view the records.

Emigrants in Bondage 1614-1775 is the product of another WAP. It holds some 50,000 entries of men, women, and children sentenced to deportion to the American colonies for various crimes, many of them very minor. Although the description of these records refers to English deportees, this seems to be an assumption. The deportees had been tried in English courts, but having searched using a number of traditional Irish surnames, I'd suggest that many of the individuals were Irish. You'll need a Worldwide or US subscription to view the records.

Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives: latest additions

Below are the files added to Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives (IGP-web) in the first two weeks of August. The new headstones files see the launch of a feature that will be continued going forward: a link to Google Map on the index page for each individual cemetery. Very handy!

CORK Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Schull, St. Mary's Graveyard

DONEGAL Genealogy Archives - Vital Records
Death certs 1869 (Updated)

GALWAY Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Kilcummin Cem. Oughterard (Updated)

SLIGO Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Sligo Cemetery - Middle Pt, Section F (A-L)
Sligo Abbey - General views
Clogher Cemetery, Calry (transcribed)

WICKLOW Genealogy Archives - Headstones
St Peter's Old Cem Pt 2, Little Bray

http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/cork/photos/tombstones/st-marys-schull/index.html
St Mary's Cemetery, Schull, Co Cork
Photo courtesy Mark Wholihan and Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives

Monday 15 August 2016

Irish genealogy and history events, 15-28 August

Monday 15 August: Medieval Rathdown, with Chris Corlett. Part of the 42nd Summer Series of Evening Lectures by Rathmichael Historical Society. Venue: Rathmichael School, Stonebridge Road, Shankill, Co. Dublin. (Junction of Dublin Road and Stonebridge Road, Shankill). Members free. Non-members €5. Tea/coffee and biscuits served after lecture. 8pm.

Monday 15 August: 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.

Tuesday 16 August: Irish genealogy, a presentation by Dr Paul McCotter MAGI, followed by free genealogical advice clinic. Venue: Franciscan Well pub, North Mall, Cork City. 8:30pm. Free. All welcome.

Tuesday 16 August: Wilde's women: how Oscar Wilde was shaped by the women he knew, with Eleanor Fitzsimons. Part of the NLI Genealogy at lunchtime lecture series. Host and venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Free. 1pm. All welcome. Booking not required.

Tuesday 16 August: Before De Ridelesford: Mapping the Proto Manor of Bre 1171-1173, with David McIlreavy. Part of the 42nd Summer Series of Evening Lectures by Rathmichael Historical Society. Venue: Rathmichael School, Stonebridge Road, Shankill, Co. Dublin. (Junction of Dublin Road and Stonebridge Road, Shankill). Members free. Non-members €5. Tea/coffee and biscuits served after lecture. 8pm.

Wednesday 17 August: Seeking Your Scots-Irish Ancestors webinar, with Donna Moughty. Host: Georgia Genealogical Society, USA. Members and non-members can view the live webinar free. Only members can view the recording. Live online broadcast 8pm–9:30pm EST. Need to register. Details.

Wednesday 17 August: The National Museum of Ireland: Memories and Anecdotes, with Dr Patrick Wallace. The Leo Swan Memorial Lecture, and part of the 42nd Summer Series of Evening Lectures by Rathmichael Historical Society. Venue: Rathmichael School, Stonebridge Road, Shankill, Co. Dublin. (Junction of Dublin Road and Stonebridge Road, Shankill). Members free. Non-members €5. Tea/coffee and biscuits served after lecture. 8pm.

Thursday 18 August: The Forgotten Irish: Revealing the voices of Irish 19th-century emigrants, with Damien Shiels. Part of the NLI Genealogy at lunchtime lecture series. Host and venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Free. 1pm. All welcome. Booking not required.

Thursday 18 August: Recent Archaeological Research at Glendalough, with Dr Graeme Warren. Part of the 42nd Summer Series of Evening Lectures by Rathmichael Historical Society. Venue: Rathmichael School, Stonebridge Road, Shankill, Co. Dublin. (Junction of Dublin Road and Stonebridge Road, Shankill). Members free. Non-members €5. Tea/coffee and biscuits served after lecture. 8pm.

Friday 19 August to Wednesday 24 August: Gleeson Gathering. A six-day event including genealogy and history talks (full day on Saturday), visit to Local Studies archives, guided walks and tours of local attractions, genealogy consultations at the North Tipperary Genealogy Centre, and social events. Venue: Various, Nenagh, Co Tipperary. Programme.

Friday 19 August: Some exceptional women in early medieval Ireland – Evidence from the grave, with Dr Elixabeth O'Brien. Part of the 42nd Summer Series of Evening Lectures by Rathmichael Historical Society. Venue: Rathmichael School, Stonebridge Road, Shankill, Co. Dublin. (Junction of Dublin Road and Stonebridge Road, Shankill). Members free. Non-members €5. Tea/coffee and biscuits served after lecture. 8pm.

Friday 19 August: Irish genealogy research consultation. Host: Friends of Irish Research. Venue: The Irish Cultural Centre Library, 200 New Boston Drive, Canton, MA, USA. 7-9pm. Free. Register by email: friendsofirishresearch@gmail.com.

Saturday 20 August to Sunday 28 August: Heritage Week. Island-wide genealogy and history events, and more. See HeritageWeek.ie and search use Genealogy as keyword.

Saturday 20 August and Sunday 21 August:
Houses of the Landed Society in County Galway, an exhibition of more than 300 houses. Hosts: Skehana & District Heritage Group. Venue: Skehana Community Development Astro-Turf Pitch, Skehana, Co Galway. Saturday 5–7pm. Sunday 11am–4pm. Free. All welcome.

Monday 22 August: Reading Room of National Archives of Ireland in Dublin closed until 11 October earliest. Details.

Tuesday 23 August: Family history day. Talks, free access to online resources and consultations with genealogists. Host and venue: Dublin City Library & Archive, Pearse Street, Dublin 2. 11am to 4pm. Booking recommended by T:(1) 674 4999 or E:dublinstudies@dublincity.ie.

Tuesday 23 August: From Meath of the pastures to Smithfield: the story of Smithfield and a family who lived there, with Mary O’Connell. Host: Old Dublin Society. Venue: Dublin City Library & Archive, 138–144 Pearse St, Dublin 2. 6pm. Free.

Tuesday 23 August: A Beginners Guide to Tracing your Family Tree, with County Sligo Heritage & Genealogy Centre. Venue: Aras Reddan, Temple St, Sligo. This event will focus on online research and tracing 1916 ancestors. 2:30pm to 3:30pm. Need to book: 071 91 43728 or email info@sligoroots.com.

Wednesday 24 August: Behind the scenes – Conservation at the NLI, with conservator Louise O’Connor describing how the conservation department cares for and treats a wide range of library items. Venue: National Library, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Free. 1pm. All welcome. Booking not required.

Wednesday 24 August:
Grave matters: disease, death and Dublin from the Middle Ages, with Ciaran Wallace and Lisa Marie Griffith. Host and venue: Walkinstown Library, Percy French Road, Dublin 12. Free. 7pm. Reserve your place by email to walkinstownlibrary@dublincity.ie.

Thursday 25 August: Mapping and protecting the shipwrecks of the First World War in Irish waters, with Karl Brady & Charise McKeon. Host and venue: National Museum of Ireland, Kildare St. Dublin 2. All welcome. 1pm. Reservations: +353 (0)1 6486334, educationarch@museum.ie.

Thursday 25 August: Irish genealogy, a presentation by Dr Paul McCotter MAGI, followed by free genealogical advice clinic. Venue: Franciscan Well brewpub, North Mall, Cork City. 8:30pm. All free. All welcome.

Thursday 25 August: The use of Catholic parish registers in genealogy, with Dolores O'Shea. Host: South East Galway Archaeological & Historical Society. Venue: Irish Workhouse Centre, Portumna, Co Galway. Free. 3:30pm. No need to book. All welcome.

Thursday 25 August: Children's records in 19th-century Ireland, with Aoife O'Connor. Part of the NLI Genealogy at lunchtime lecture series. Host and venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Free. 1pm. All welcome. Booking not required.

Thursday 25 August: The NLI as the ‘memory’ of Ireland, with Maeve Casserly. Host and venue: National Library, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Free. 1pm. All welcome. Booking not required. Details.

Friday 26 August to Sunday 28 August: Daniel O'Connell Summer School. Venue: Friday at The Library, Caherciveen, Co Kerry. Saturday at Derrynane House, Caherdaniel. Sunday at St Crohans and Caherdaniel Community Centre, Co Kerry. The Summer School will explore the links between Kerry and the 1916 Rising, including the contributions of Mortimer O’Connell, Fionán Lynch and Tom Clifford. Dr Mary MacAleese, former President of Ireland, will give this year’s Daniel O’Connell lecture. Programme.

Saturday 27 August: Irish Railway Records Society's Archive Open Day. Host and venue: Irish Railway Records Society. Behind Heuston Station, Dublin. 11am to 5pm. Free. All welcome. Details.

Sunday 28 August: 17th Annual Commemortion at the Great Irish Famine Monument. Venue: Hyde Park Barracks, Macquarie Street, Sydney, NSW, Australia. 12:30pm to 3:30pm. Tickets.

Friday 12 August 2016

National Archives of Ireland prepares for temporary closure of Reading Room

Regular readers of Irish Genealogy News will be aware that the Reading Room of the National Archives of Ireland (NAI) will be closed to the public from Monday 22 August until at least mid-October while renovation works are carried out.

In preparation for the temporary closure, the NAI's Advance Orders Service has now been suspended.

Researchers wishing to consult records during the Reading Room closure can email the NAI setting out precisely what it is they wish to consult. See my original blogpost for further details about arrangements for readers and genealogists during the closure period.

Ancestry adds UK & Ireland Nursing registers

Ancestry has added a trio of nursing record collections holding a total of more than 1.6million records for the UK & Ireland. These are the three record sets:

The information provided centres around name, age or birthdate, where educated, date of appointment/official registration, and residence. The Scottish records provide rather more detail, with number of lectures attended and applicant's handwriting in some instances.

My great aunt Rosanne appears three times in the Nursing Register, showing that she studied at the Dreadnought Hospital in Greenwich, London from 1934 to 1937, qualifying by examination prior to her registration as a nurse on 19 March 1937. The 1940 register records the family home in Bagenalstown, County Carlow, as her permanent address. Three years later, the register shows her living in Surbiton Hill in Surrey, England, and in 1946 she is living at the same address but she is recorded under both her maiden and new married surname. That's a pretty good chunk of information.

I knew Rosanne quite well but hadn't realised she'd trained at the Dreadnought. Her elder sister, Hester, had also studied there but she had a cardiac arrest during an emergency operation to remove her appendix when she was just 26. She was a second-year student when she died, so Hester doesn't figure in these registers of fully qualified nurses. I can't help wondering if Rosanne had any choice in her place of training. It can't have been easy at 22 years of age to leave Ireland to live and work in the building and operating theatre where her elder sister had died only a few years previously.

Thursday 11 August 2016

Ulster Historical Foundation's genealogy evening course at Stranmillis, Belfast, to start in October

The Ulster Historical Foundation will once again present its popular evening course in genealogy at Stranmillis University College in Belfast this Autumn.

The 10-week course will run from 7pm–9pm on Tuesday evenings from 4 October to 13 December (no class on 2 November) and is held in the main building. The course explores all the major Irish resources for family history research including Church registers, valuation records and estate papers. It also includes a visit to the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) in the city's Titanic Quarter.

It costs only £50 per person.

You can download the Stranmillis Lifelong Learning prospectus here. For more information or to book, contact the college on (44) 028 90384345 or email lifelong@stran.ac.uk.

Tipperary Studies closed on Saturday 13 August

Tipperary Studies, the local studies & archive department of Tipperary County Council based in Thurles, will be closed this Saturday, 13 August.

It will reopen at the usual time of 9:30am on Monday, 15 August.

Wednesday 10 August 2016

Ancestry DNA – 25% discount – Ireland and UK only

AncestryDNA has another great offer on its DNA testing kits.

With a 25% discount, the price is now down to £59 – the lowest it's ever been, as far as I'm aware. (Hard to believe the cost of a kit was £99 only a matter of a few months ago!)

You have to add shipping, but that's always been the case.

The discount is available only to households in the UK and Ireland and the offer will expire on Thursday 18 August.

National Library of Ireland to host 8-week genealogy course, presented by Sean Murphy

The National Library of Ireland is to host an 8-week Introduction to Genealogy course this Autumn. Presented by the well-known and much-respected genealogy tutor Sean Murphy, the course will be held in the seminar room in the main Kildare Street building on Wednesday afternoons, from 2pm to 4:30pm.

Each lecture will focus on a different topic, as shown in the outline schedule below. These are not 'drop in' classes; students are asked to commit to atttending all the lectures. They will also need to bring a laptop or tablet to some of the lectures and should have a reasonable level of IT skills.

Places on this free course will be strictly limited to 30.

Booking will not open until Thursday 1 September. From that date (and not before), you can email ckerrigan@nli.ie to book your place.

Lecture 1, 5 October: First Steps
Preview of course; principles of history and of genealogy, recommended texts, preparing draft pedigrees; advice on completing a personal genealogical project; research methods, National Library, National Archives, General Register Office and other record repositories. Please bring available laptops, tablets, etc, for practical classwork.

Lecture 2, 12 October
: Computers and the Internet
Computers and online resources; websites of National Library and other repositories; the e-library; Ancestral Quest and other genealogy programs, online family trees; photographs, videos and digital images. Online workshop I.

Lecture 3, 19 October: Placenames, Forenames and Surnames
Origins and forms of Irish placenames, administrative divisions; forenames or first names; origins of surnames internationally and in Ireland, surnames of Gaelic and settler origin, septs and chiefs, the question of Irish ‘clans’.

Lecture 4, 26 October
: Census Records
Census returns of 1901 and 1911 and pre-1901 fragments, census records online; review of progress in personal genealogical projects.

Lecture 5, 2 November: Vital Records and Property Valuation Records
Civil records of births, marriages and deaths commencing in 1864 (and non-Catholic marriages commencing in 1845); Tithe Applotment Books (1820s-30s), Griffith’s Valuation (1848-64), Valuation Office records. Online workshop II.

Lecture 6, 9 November: Church Records, Wills and Deeds
Parish and church registers (baptism, marriage and burial) of Roman Catholic, Church of Ireland, Presbyterian and other denominations; National Library and other online church register resources; wills pre- and post-1858, National Archives and online; the holdings of the Registry of Deeds

Lecture 7, 16 November
: Memorial Inscriptions and Miscellaneous Sources
Memorial inscriptions in graveyards, churches and commercial cemeteries; an introduction to estate papers, newspapers, directories, occupational records, and other miscellaneous sources. Online workshop III.

Lecture 8, 23 November: Conclusion and Recapitulation
Recapitulation of main points of course, review of students’ progress, comparing portfolios, selected student case studies, planning further work.

UPDATE: Booking opened at 9am. Course was fully allocated by 11:30am.

Ancestry extends England & Wales probate coverage

Ancestry's England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations) 1858-1966 collection has been extended with the addition of calendars from 1973 to 1997. This update adds six million records to the collection.

All the calendars in the collection can be searched by surname or, in the browse function, by year.

This record set is a great source for locating Irish men and women over nearly 140 years, and the latest additions will be particulary handy for anyone researching towards living relatives. The calendar format changes a little over the time-period covered in the collection but each entry typically include date of probate, full name of the deceased, death date and place, and the Registry where probate was issued.

Atlantic Canada's Irish Immigrants – book launch

https://www.dundurn.com/books/Atlantic-Canada-s-Irish-Immigrants
The book is available in three formats
– paperback, epub and kindle – via Dundurn
Billed as 'a transformative work that explodes assumptions about the importance of the Great Irish Potato Famine to Irish immigration', a new book – Atlantic Canada's Irish Immigrants: A Fish and Timber Story – has been published by Dundurn.

Its author is Lucille H Campey who was awarded the prestigious Prix du Quebec by the Quebec government earlier this year in recognition of her ongoing contribution to Canadian immigration studies. She has written several books on the subject of Scottish and English immigration to Canada and this is the first of three books on the Irish.

In its 424 pages, she traces the relocation of around 90,000 Irish people to their new homes in Atlantic Canada and considers why they close their various locatons in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland.

She shatters the widespread misconception that the exodus was primarily driven by dire events in Ireland and highlights how, through their skill and energy, they benefitted themselves and contributed much to the development of Atlantic Canada.

The publisher describes the book as essential reading for anyone wishing to understand the history of the Irish exodus to North America and says it provides a mine of information useful to family historians.

The book will be available via Amazon shortly.

The North of Ireland Family History Society announces its Autumn course programme

The North of Ireland Family History Society (NIFHS) has announced its range of Autumn courses, all held at its Research Centre in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, where there's plenty of parking. Some of the courses are held in the mornings, some in the afternoons, and some in the evening, and they run for between one and three sessions.

The course topic and starting date are shown below, so when you see a class of interest, hop over to the NIFHS website for full details.

Saturday 1 October   –   The Advantages of Y-DNA
Monday 3 October    –   You’ve taken the DNA Test, what next? – Understanding Family Finder
Tuesday 4 October    –  Writing up Your Family History
Saturday 8 October  –  Dublin Archives & Visit to Dublin
Saturday 8 October    –  You’ve taken the DNA Test, what next? – Understanding Family Finder
Tuesday 11 October    –  Life in Ulster in the 1830s
Tuesday 18 October    –  A Beginners’ Guide to Facebook
Tuesday 25 October    –  The Plantation of Ulster – Names & Places
Saturday 29 October    –   Memory Box – a creative craft class
Saturday 5 November    –   A Beginner's Guide to Facebook
Wednesday 9 November  –   A Beginner's Guide to Word
Tuesday 15 November  –   Land Records & Maps
Wednesday 16 November –   Manipulating Images in Word
Saturday 19 November    –   Researching Military Ancestors
Wednesday 23 November   –   A Beginner's Guide to PowerPoint

Ancestral connections to the SS Hare, torpedoed 1917?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5-KQnqDiArgeG52YUhpbHA5MDg/view?usp=sharing
Do you, or anyone you know, have a connection to the SS Hare? The cargo ship was sailing from Manchester to Dublin on 14 December 1917 when it was torpedoed by a German submarine some 21km east of Howth Head. The captain survived, but his crew of 12 people went down with the ship.

A group has been formed to plan events to commemorate the centenary of the sinking and to remember all the crew members who lost their lives. It is currently trying to trace relatives and descendants of the crew, half of whom lived in Dublin and resided at addresses in the Sandymount, Ringsend, Irishtown and Pearse Street areas.

If you would like to get involved, contact David Cotter of the Provisional S.S. Hare Commemoration 2017 Committee. Click the image, right, for further details.

Summer savings from Family Tree DNA

https://www.familytreedna.com/sale.aspx
FamilyTree DNA is running a summer sale promotion with some worthwhile savings.

Its Family Finder test is reduced by $30 to just $69, and a number of packages are also available with similarly sized discounts, as below.

Family Finder + Y37 – Male-specific bundle includes Family Finder plus Y-chromosome test that analyzes 37-markers.
Reduced from $268 to $238USD

Family Finder + Y67 – Male-specific bundle incl. Family Finder plus 67 marker Y-DNA test.
Reduced from $367 to $337USD

Family Finder + mtFull Sequence – Family Finder plus a Full Mitochondrial Sequence, for both males and females. This mtDNA test traces the maternal line.
Reduced from $298 to $268USD

Comprehensive Genome – The ultimate bundle. Family Finder plus male-specific Y-chromosome tests and mtFull Sequence tests.
Reduced from $566 to $536USD.

I'm not sure when the sale ends, so probably best to act quickly to ensure you take advantage of the savings.

NAI Genealogy Service change of hours, 11 August only

The Reading Room of the National Archives of Ireland (NAI) in Bishop Street will be closed on Thursday 11 August until 2pm.

As a result, the NAI's free Genealogy Advisory Service will not operate to its normal hours*. For this one day only, it will start at 2pm and end at 5pm.

*Normal hours are Monday to Friday, 10:30am to 1:30pm, year-round. No need for appointment.

Monday 8 August 2016

Irish genealogy & history events, 8–21 August

Tuesday 9 August: Researching the Rising Workshop, with Dr Emma Edwards. Advice on researching the collections of theh NLI. Host and venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Suitable for anyone looking to embark on a research project or to enhance research skills in navigating the catalogue, accessing the various collections and interpreting the sources. 2pm. Free. Need to book. Details.

Tuesday 9 August: The manor of Kilmainham, with Paolo Virtuani. Part of the Milestones of Medieval Dublin Lunchtime Lectures series. Host: Friends of Medieval Dublin. Venue: Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8. 1:05–1:50pm. Free. No booking. All welcome.

Tuesday 9 August: Sisters of the Revolutionaries: Margaret and Mary Bridget Pearse, with Teresa O’ Donnell. Host: Genealogical Society of Ireland. Venue: Dún Laoghaire Further Education Institute, Cumberland Street, Dún Laoghaire, Dublin 18. 8–10pm. All Welcome. €3.

Tuesday 9 August: History of Deaf Culture in Ireland, with Liam Breen/Cormac Leonard (interpreter). Part of the NLI Genealogy at lunchtime lecture series. Host and venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Free. 1pm. All welcome. Booking not required.

Thursday 11 August: The Yanks are Coming: The American Expeditionary Force in the Great War, with John Lee. Host: Western Front Association. Venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. 6:30pm. All welcome. Free. No need to book.

Thursday 11 August: WWI Ireland: Exploring the Irish Experience, an exhibition tour. Host and venue: National Library of Ireland, 2/3 Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Booking is not required. All welcome. 2pm.

Thursday 11 August: The Reading Room and free Genealogy Service of the National Archives of Ireland, Bishop Street, Dublin 8, will be available 2pm to 5pm only.

Thursday 11 August: Oral traditions, with Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill. Part of the NLI Genealogy at lunchtime lecture series. Host and venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Free. 1pm. All welcome. Booking not required.

Saturday 13 August: Tipperary Studies closed. The local studies and archive department of Tipperary Libraries will not open. Venue: The Source, Cathedral Street, Thurles, Co. Tipperary. Re-opens Monday 15 August. Phone for details: (0504) 29278.

Saturday 13 August: Genealogy drop-in, with Mayo Genealogy Group. Host and venue: National Museum of Ireland, Country Life, Turlough Park, Co Mayo. If you have an interest in finding out about your family history come along for free practical tips. No booking required. New researchers welcome. 11:30am to 1pm.

Saturday 13 August: The National Library's History & Heritage, an introduction to the Library's rich architectural history and the Signatories exhibition, plus a guided tour of the Reading Room.  Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Admission free. All welcome. 1pm. No need to book.

Sunday 14 August: Bonnets and Brothels: The Women of Dublin Castle, with Kimberley Foy. Host and venue: Dublin Castle, Dame Street, Dublin 2. Talk tailored to adults. 4:15pm. Free, but booking required by email to DublinCastleEducation@opw.ie.

Monday 15 August: Medieval Rathdown, with Chris Corlett. Part of the 42nd Summer Series of Evening Lectures by Rathmichael Historical Society. Venue: Rathmichael School, Stonebridge Road, Shankill, Co. Dublin. (Junction of Dublin Road and Stonebridge Road, Shankill). Members free. Non-members €5. Tea/coffee and biscuits served after lecture. 8pm.

Monday 15 August: 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.

Tuesday 16 August: Irish genealogy, a presentation by Dr Paul McCotter MAGI, followed by free genealogical advice clinic. Venue: Franciscan Well pub, North Mall, Cork City. 8:30pm. Free. All welcome.

Tuesday 16 August: Wilde's women: how Oscar Wilde was shaped by the women he knew, with Eleanor Fitzsimons. Part of the NLI Genealogy at lunchtime lecture series. Host and venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Free. 1pm. All welcome. Booking not required.

Tuesday 16 August: Before De Ridelesford: Mapping the Proto Manor of Bre 1171-1173, with David McIlreavy. Part of the 42nd Summer Series of Evening Lectures by Rathmichael Historical Society. Venue: Rathmichael School, Stonebridge Road, Shankill, Co. Dublin. (Junction of Dublin Road and Stonebridge Road, Shankill). Members free. Non-members €5. Tea/coffee and biscuits served after lecture. 8pm.

Wednesday 17 August: Seeking Your Scots-Irish Ancestors webinar, with Donna Moughty. Host: Georgia Genealogical Society, USA. Members and non-members can view the live webinar free. Only members can view the recording. Live online broadcast 8pm–9:30pm EST. Need to register. Details.

Wednesday 17 August: The National Museum of Ireland: Memories and Anecdotes, with Dr Patrick Wallace. The Leo Swan Memorial Lecture, and part of the 42nd Summer Series of Evening Lectures by Rathmichael Historical Society. Venue: Rathmichael School, Stonebridge Road, Shankill, Co. Dublin. (Junction of Dublin Road and Stonebridge Road, Shankill). Members free. Non-members €5. Tea/coffee and biscuits served after lecture. 8pm.

Thursday 18 August: The Forgotten Irish: Revealing the voices of Irish 19th-century emigrants, with Damien Shiels. Part of the NLI Genealogy at lunchtime lecture series. Host and venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Free. 1pm. All welcome. Booking not required.

Thursday 18 August: Recent Archaeological Research at Glendalough, with Dr Graeme Warren. Part of the 42nd Summer Series of Evening Lectures by Rathmichael Historical Society. Venue: Rathmichael School, Stonebridge Road, Shankill, Co. Dublin. (Junction of Dublin Road and Stonebridge Road, Shankill). Members free. Non-members €5. Tea/coffee and biscuits served after lecture. 8pm.

Friday 19 August to Wednesday 24 August: Gleeson Gathering. A six-day event including genealogy and history talks (full day on Saturday), visit to Local Studies archives, guided walks and tours of local attractions, genealogy consultations at the North Tipperary Genealogy Centre, and social events. Venue: Various, Nenagh, Co Tipperary. Programme.

Friday 19 August: Some exceptional women in early medieval Ireland – Evidence from the grave, with Dr Elixabeth O'Brien. Part of the 42nd Summer Series of Evening Lectures by Rathmichael Historical Society. Venue: Rathmichael School, Stonebridge Road, Shankill, Co. Dublin. (Junction of Dublin Road and Stonebridge Road, Shankill). Members free. Non-members €5. Tea/coffee and biscuits served after lecture. 8pm.

Wednesday 3 August 2016

RCBLibrary relaunches List of Church of Ireland Parish Registers

The Representative Church Body Library will be relaunching its List of Church of Ireland Parish Registers this evening at a reception in St Audoen’s parish church, Dublin.

The list accounts for all Church of Ireland parochial registers of baptism, marriage and burial – noting what survives, the dates covered, and where they are located. Where registers were destroyed in the burning of the Public Record Office of Ireland (PROI) during the Irish Civil War in 1922, the list records details about abstracts and transcripts and where they are held.

In its new online version, the list has been reformatted into an accessible colour-coded resource. Additionally, it now includes live links to other websites holding indexes, transcripts and scanned images of parish registers. It will continue to be free to researchers.

The new resource has been produced by the RCB Library in collaboration with the Irish Genealogical Research Society (IGRS) who undertook the project as a celebration of its 80th anniversary. The reworking of the list was carried out by Yours Truly, and I believe it will quickly become a first port of call for all family historians intending to research their ancestral connections through Church of Ireland parish registers.

The formalities of the evening will be conducted by John McDonough, Director of the National Archive of Ireland, and the List will be available as the RCBL's Archive of the Month (August).

I'll blog a report of the launch in a day or so.