Friday 31 March 2017

AncestryDNA launches Genetic Communities

AncestryDNA has rolled out a beta experience for its customers called Genetic Communities™.

It is designed to give researchers a more detailed connection to the people, places, cultures, and stories of their heritage, and is the result of millions of AncestryDNA members around the world who participated in the Research Project as well as the huge collection of family trees created by Ancestry customers.

Ancestry DNA's Munster Irish map
More than 300 Genetic Communities around the globe have been identified by Ancestry. The science behind this feature was recently published in Nature Communications, a prominent scientific journal.

Whereas previously, AncestryDNA customers received an Ethnicity Estimate based on ethnicity 'thousands of years ago', Genetic Communities relate to ethnicity 'hundreds of years ago', and are more specific in geographical terms. So, rather than quoting an estimate of ethnicity based on, for example, ‘Ireland’, the Genetic Communities feature can currently distinguish 'genetic regions'.

In the case of Ireland, it has identified three regions — Munster Irish, Connaght Irish and Ulster Irish — each of which is further split into smaller Genetic Communities, as you can see from the 'Munster Irish' map above.

I'll use my own AncestryDNA tests to explain more clearly what this Genetic Communities development delivers. 

Previously, my AncestryDNA ethnicity test results showed that I'm 83% Irish, and 10% British. The high Irish percentage was no surprise as my paternal family is pure Cork and half my maternal line is based in Tipperary, but the Wicklow connection of my mother's family throws up a long line of Doolittles. Clearly that's not a Gaelic name! I can track this line back to 1756 in Wicklow, but can't connect it to Staffordshire in England, which is where the name seems to have originated.

I was interested, then, to see that the new Genetic Communities feature had identified not only my Munster Irish roots but honed this down to a 95% certainty of a genetic connection to the Irish in Cork community. Apparently, this genetic community is made up of 36,000 other researchers found in AncestryDNA's database.

It goes on to highlight 31 of my AncestryDNA matches that share a place in this community, and provides a list of the surnames appearing most often in this genetic community.  Eight of these surnames appear in my paternal tree alone.

The only other Genetic Community identified in my dna was The Welsh & English West Midlanders. This region takes in Staffordshire, so lends weight to the possibility of my Doolittles having sprung from this English county. With this connection marked up by the new feature as 'Possible', with only a 20% confidence rating, it's food for thought, at least.

There are other features to explore, too. There's a world map showing migration paths based on the family trees held in the database, and an overview of historical eras relevant to the ancestral lives of those in different Genetic Communities. For the Munster Irish these eras are identified as Home of Outlaws and Rebels (1775-1825), Poverty Amidst Plenty (1825–1850), The Great Famine Migration (1850–1875), Survival in the City (1875–1925) and On the Move to America (1925–1950), and each overview additionally offers short articles about specific issues from that era ie The Irish Rebellion of 1798 and Flax Farming in Ireland both feature in the Home of Outlaws and Rebels era.

AncestryDNA has created a video (below) to introduce these new developments, and there is also a more detailed Help file here.


Thursday 30 March 2017

Temporary closure of Waterford Archives Services

Waterford City and County Archives Services, which operate from High Street Waterford and Dungarvan Library respectively, will be closed from Monday 11 April to Monday 10 May inclusive. 

Normal opening hours (City Archive, Tuesdays 10am to 2pm only) and (County Archive, Fridays 1pm to 5pm only) will resume on Tuesday 11 May. 

The Service holds the records of local authorities in Waterford City and County, past and present, plus private collections relating to the City and County Waterford.

It also publishes an excellent free-to-download guide to tracing ancestors from the county: Sources for family history in County Waterford. Find out more here.

Back To Our Past heads to Belfast in 2018

S&L Promotions, the organisers of the Back To Our Past (BTOP) fair which has been running in Dublin for each of the last seven years, have confirmed that the event will be returning to the RDS in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, once again this October.

http://backtoourpast.ie/
In addition, BTOP is to head north for the first time. It will be held in the Titanic Suite of the Titanic Belfast attraction on Friday 16 February and Saturday 17 February. Doors will open at 10am and close at 5pm.

As advised last month, BTOP is returning to the Industries Hall at the RDS in Dublin's Ballsbridge from Friday 20 October to Sunday 22 October. The opening hours will be 11am to 5:30pm on each day.

The Genetic Genealogy Ireland conference will once again be held as a distinct but integral feature of the October weekend in the capital.

For further details, or to book half-price early-bird tickets to either event, call the organisers on + 353 1 496 9028 or click the logo above.

Wednesday 29 March 2017

Registry of Deeds Index Project: March update

Following this month's upload of newly transcribed material, the Registry of Deeds Index Project database holds 231,231 indexed entries from 26,109 memorials of deeds.

http://irishdeedsindex.net/search/index.php
All the entries are free to explore and are submitted by volunteers.

If you have transcribed details from Registry of Deeds materials during the course of your own research, please consider donating them to the Project. You'll find information about how to do so on the site.

Tuesday 28 March 2017

Warning of phishing emails purporting to be from IrishGenealogy.ie

Be aware that a phishing email is circulating purporting to be from IrishGenealogy.ie, the state-managed website that holds Ireland's historical civil registration records and a mixed denomination selection of church records for counties Cork, Kerry, Carlow and Dublin.

IrishGenealogy.ie advise that the email, which states "Subscription For Research Service (Payment confirmed) " should be blocked or deleted if it arrives in your inbox. No links or attachments should be opened.

Hopefully, most Irish family historians would be on alert if such an email landed, because IrishGenealogy.ie is a free access site, so there's no issue of subscriptions or payments being due or confirmed.

Monday 27 March 2017

Irish genealogy and history events, 27 March – 8 April

Tuesday 28 March: A visit to the Somme and the Ypres Salient, with Alan Hyndman. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Belfast branch. Venue: Holywood Arches Library, 4-12 Holywood Road, Belfast BT4 1NT. 7:30pm – 9:30pm. All welcome.

Tuesday 28 March: Vernacular architecture in South West Clare, with Fidelma Mullane. Host: Kilrush and District Historical Society. Venue: Teach Ceoil, Grace Street, Kilrush, Co Clare. 8pm. All welcome. Members free. Non-members €5.

Tuesday 28 March: John Hartpole - Constable of Carlow & Villain of Mullaghmast: His life and strange afterlife, with John Kelly. Host: Castledermot Local History Group. Venue: Teach Diarmada, Castledermot, Co Kildare. 8pm. All welcome. Members free. Non-members €2.

Tuesday 28 March: Ridding the burden – An early history of the Limerick Lunatic Asylum, 1822-1922, with Triona Waters. Host: Granary Library History Lecture Series. Venue: Granary Library, Michael Street, Limerick. 8pm. Free. All welcome.

Tuesday 28 March: Adding a story to your family tree, with Mike McKeag. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Causeway Coast & Glens Branch. Venue: Guide Hall, Terrace Row, Coleraine, Co LondonDerry, BT52 1HF. 8pm – 10pm. All welcome.

Wednesday 29 March: Open genealogy consultation, with Lisa Dougherty. Host and venue: Paul O'Dwyer Library, Irish American Heritage Museum, 370 Broadway, Albany, NY 12207 USA. 11am-2pm. Free. Book a consultation.

Thursday 30 March: A tour through Ulster’s graveyards, with Dr William Roulston. 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 – 9:15pm. All welcome.

Thursday 30 March: The 1867 Fenian Rising, with Tony Harpur. Host: Michael Collins House History Talks. Venue: The Parish Centre, Western Rd, Maulnaskehy, Clonakilty, Co Cork. 7:30pm. Free. No booking.

Friday 31 March and Saturday 1 April: Irish research lectures at the 2017 FxGS Spring Conference – Finding Elusive Ancestors - Tools and Techniques for the Search. Four lectures exploring search strategies, land and church records and online sources, with Donna Moughty. Venue: The Westin Tysons Corner, 7801 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, Virginia, USA. Lecture details. Registration ($).

Saturday 1 April: The Quakers of Tipperary, with Michael Ahern. Host & venue: Tipperary County Museum, Mick Delahunty Square, Clonmel, Co Tipperary. 10:30am. €5. All welcome. Seats allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Saturday 1 April: Irish records? - They all went up in smoke . . . didn't they? An introductory workshop with Jill Williams FIGRS. Host: Scottish Genealogy Society. Venue: Scottish Genealogy Society Library, 15 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh, UK EH1 2JL. 10am–Noon. £10 to members/non-members. Booking essential: 0131 220 3677 or email.

Saturday 1 April: Peter Tait & Limerick Clothing Factory, with Sharon Slater. Part of Lifelong Learning Festival Limerick. Venue: Room T118, Tara Building, Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. 12:30pm. Free. No booking. All welcome.

Saturday 1 April: Beyond 1916: Cumann na mBan & Revolutionary propaganda, with Dr Mary McAuliffe. Host and venue: GPO Witness History, O'Connell Street, Dublin 1. Lecture at 5:30pm. Tickets €10, includes a visit to the exhibition at 4:45pm. Tickets at www.gpowitnesshistory.ie or (0)1 872 1916.

Monday 3 April: Killyleagh - its castle and celebrities, with Clive Scoular. Followed by AGM. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Killeleagh Branch. Venue: Masonic Hall, 50 High Street, Killyleagh, Co. Down, BT30 9QF. 8pm to 9:30pm. Free. All welcome.

Monday 3 April: Useful free family history sources to draw your family tree, with Lorna Moloney. Part of the 14th Cork Lifelong Learning Festival. Host: University College Cork Adult Continuing Education. Venue: Brookfield Health Sciences Complex, Room 102, UCC, College Rd, Cork. 1pm to 3pm. Free. No booking.

Monday 3 April: How to be a successful family historian without really trying, with Tony McCarthy. Part of the 14th Cork Lifelong Learning Festival. Host: University College Cork Adult Continuing Education. Venue: Brookfield Health Sciences Complex, Room 102, UCC, College Rd, Cork. 3pm to 4pm. Free. No booking.

Monday 3 April: The Quakers in Wicklow, with Philip Geoghegan. Host: Rathdrum Historical Society. Venue: Avondale Community College, Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow. 8pm. All welcome.

Tuesday 4 April: Genealogy workshop, with Lorna Moloney. Part of the Limerick Lifelong Learning programme. Venue: City Hall, Limerick. 10.30-12:30. Free. All welcome. Registration.

Tuesday 4 April: Why Can’t I Find my Ancestors? part of the LifeLong Learning Festival. Host and venue: Castletownbere Library, The Square, Castletownbere, Co. Cork.  Free. 1pm. All welcome.

Tuesday 4 April: The Irish Famine Roads, with Charles Egan. Host: Kilmacanogue History Society. Venue: Glenview Hotel, Glen of the Downs, Co Wicklow. 8pm. Entry €4 (members €3). All welcome.

Tuesday 4 April: How to start your family tree, by Ann Marie Coghlan. Joint hosts: Cork Genealogy Society and Cork City Libraries. Venue:  Tory Top Library, Tory Top Road, Ballyphehane, Cork. 11am to Noon. Free. Register.

Tuesday 4 April: Ireland and the Great War in Belgium, with Piet Chielens. Host: City Hall Lunch-time Lectures Series (Dublin CC). Venue: Council Chamber City Hall, Dame Street, Dublin. Doors open 12:30pmm. Talk starts 1:10pm. Bring your own headphones for enhanced sound. No booking required, but come early to ensure a place. Seats allocated on first come - first served basis. Admission free.

Tuesday 4 April: Awkward, Uncomfortable and Evil Items in Manuscripts and Archives, with Dr Jason McElligott, Keeper of Marsh's Library. Host: Irish Society for Archives. Venue: Conference Room, Dublin City Library and Archive, 138-144 Pearse Street, Dublin 2. Lecture at 6:30pm (preceded at 6pm by AGM). All welcome. No booking required.

Wednesday 5 April: Genealogy workshop, with Lorna Moloney. Part of the Limerick Lifelong Learning programme. Venue: Engineering Room EN1025, University of Limerick, Castletroy, Co Limerick. 7pm to 9pm. Free. All welcome. Registration

Thursday 6 April:
A few things you didn't know about the EAster Rising 1916, with Mick O'Farrell. Host and venue: GPO Witness History, O'Connell Street, Dublin 1. Lecture at 5:30pm. Tickets €10, includes a visit to the exhibition at 4:45pm. Tickets at www.gpowitnesshistory.ie or (0)1 872 1916.

Thursday 6 April: Genealogy workshop, with Lorna Moloney. Part of the Limerick Lifelong Learning programme. Venue: King John's Castle, Limerick City. Free. All welcome. 2pm to 4pm. Registration

Thursday 6 April: The McCormack Brothers, a screening. Filmed in Ireland, the production tells the story of two brothers wrongfully hanged for the murder of a local land agent in 1858. Host and venue: Offaly History Centre, Bury Quay, Tullamore, Co Offaly. This is the second film in the 'Stories from The Famine' series from Blue Socks Entertainment. Two screenings: 2pm (€5) and 8pm (€8).

Friday 7 April: Why can't I find my ancestors? A talk about overcoming family history research problems, with Karen O'Riordan. Part of the LifeLong Learning Festival. Host and venue: Cobh Library, Arch Building, Casement Square, Cobh, Co. Cork. Free. Starts at noon. To book, tel (021) 4811130 or email cobh.library@corkcoco.ie to book.

Saturday 8 April: Finding living descendants: Tracing your family forward, with Gigi Hickey. Host: Irish Genealogical Society Intl (IGSI). Venue: Minnesota Genealogical Society Library, 1185 N. Concord Street, South St. Paul, MN, USA. 10:30am to Noon. Cost: $15 for IGSI members, $20 for non-members. Register.

Saturday 8 April: Researching your family tree, with the Mayo Genealogy Group. Host and venue: National Museum of Ireland – CountryLife, Turlough, Castlebar, Co Mayo. 11.30am to 1pm. Free. No booking required.

Wednesday 22 March 2017

RCB Library updates parish register listing with recent acquisitions

https://www.ireland.anglican.org/about/rcb-library/catalogues/parish-records
The Representative Church Body Library has updated its free to download List of Church of Ireland Parish Registers.

This is a colour-coded resource for researchers to find out which parish registers survive, and where they are held – by the Library, other archives, local custody etc. It was relaunched last summer following a joint project with the Irish Genealogical Research Society, which saw notes added to identify online availability.

This latest edition of the list incorporates a number of additions to the Library's parish register holding (see below) since last summer.

Parish Union: Blessington (Diocese of Glendalough)

Co. Wexford: Ballymore-Eustace: Marriage register, 1957-2004
Co. Wicklow: Blessington: Marriage register, 1959-2005
Co. Wicklow: Hollywood: Marriage register, 1966-95
Co. Wicklow: Kilbride/Cloughlea: Baptismal register 1878; Marriage register, 1963-2007;

Parish Union:Bunclody (Diocese of Ferns)
Co. Carlow: Barragha: Combined register, 1830-37
Co. Wexford: Bunclody: Combined register, 1810-37
Co. Wexford: Clonegal: Combined registers, 1792-1838, 1831-1993

Parish Union: Kilkenny Diocese of Ossory)
Co. Kilkenny: St Canice: Baptismal register, 1906-2016, Burial register, 1862-2016
Co. Kilkenny: St John: Baptismal register, 1890-2016; Burial register, 1892-2013
Co. Kilkenny: Aghour/Freshford: Baptismal register, 1879-2016; Burial register, 1879-2016
Co. Kilkenny: Ballinamara: Baptismal register, 1879-2012; Burial register, 1879-1924
Co. Wexford: Kilnamanagh: Baptismal register, 1868-2016; Burial register, 1874-2016

Parish Union: Killala (Diocese of Killala)
Co. Mayo: Killala: Marriage register, 1957-2004;
Co. Mayo: Crossmolina: Marriage register, 1957-2005
Co. Mayo: Dunfeeny: Marriage register, 1957-62

Parish Union: Kilmoe Union (Diocese of Cork)
Co. Cork: Killmoe: Baptismal registers, 1880-1995: Marriage registers, 1845-1986: Burial register, 1882-2014; Register of banns, 1976-2002;
Co. Cork: Crookhaven: Marriage registers, 1852-90;
Co. Cork: Schull: Baptismal register, 1880-1962: Marriages, 1845-2005: Burials, 1882-2015;
Co. Cork: Teampol-na-mbocht (The Altar): Baptismal, 1881-2007; Marriages, 1866-2003; Burial register, 1859-2015;

Parish Union: Monkstown (Diocese of Dublin)

Co. Dublin: Monkstown: Baptismal registers 1884-2009; Marriage registers 1900-2007
Co. Dublin: Monkstown – St John: Baptismal registers 1885-1982; Marriage registers 1938-1972

Parish Union: Templemore (Diocese of Cashel)
Co. Tipperary: Glankeen/Borrisoleagh: Marriage register 1848-62; Tithe applotment book, 1831;
Co. Tipperary: Kilfithmone: Marriage register 1846-1952; Vestry minute book, 1790-1890 (incl nine burial entries 1793-1804);
Co. Tipperary: Thurles: Burial register, 1877-2000

Parish Union: Toombe (Diocese of Ferns)
Co. Wexford: Burial register, 1833-2009

Notes of these additions have also made their way to the RCB Library's county-by-county breakdown of the parish registers accessible by personal visitors at the Dublin archive. The upgraded handlist can be downloaded from the Library's Parish Registers page.

The Sligo Journal joins British Newspaper Archive

The Sligo Journal, a conservative, Protestant newspaper sold on subscription in the 19th century, has joined the British Newspaper Archive (BNA).

It joins two other Sligo titles: the Sligo Champion (its arch rival, both politically and in terms of circulation) and the Sligo Observer.

Its contents are fairly typical of the time, a mix of national, regional and local news; clerical, army and judiciary appointments; quarter sessions trials and coroner's inquests; and plenty of 'cures' for chronic health problems.

The BNA plans to hold editions of the bi-weekly paper spanning 1813–1866. The initial upload sees editions available from 1828-1830, 1832 and 1834-1861. As with all other titles in the BNA, The Sligo Journal simulataneously joins FindMyPast's Irish Newspaper Collection.

The BNA now holds 141 Irish titles.

Tuesday 21 March 2017

Just published: New Irish Genealogy Records 2011-16

I'm pleased to announce that an updated version of my ebook detailing all the record releases since January 2011 has been published.

http://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/Irish-genealogy-records-2011-2015.htmlAdding the record collections released in 2016 has added an extra dozen pages and resulted in a slightly heavier digital weight of 8.4Mb. I've checked all the older links to ensure they remain in good working order, and the ebook follows the same format (record-sets by theme and county) as the last edition.

The end result is an ebook entitled 'New Irish Genealogy Records, 2011–2016'.

It's now on sale at my website, Irish Genealogy Toolkit, for €7.99 / £ 6.99 / US$8.99.

You'll find more details, a sample, and payment and currency options by clicking the cover image.

Irish Ancestors & Irish Lives – a five-day Family History Getaway at the Society of Genealogists in London

The Society of Genealogists is to hold a Family History Getaway Week – Irish Ancestors & Irish Lives in June (5-9 June) at its Central London Library and HQ.

Each day runs from 10:30am to 5pm, and delegates will be able to attend talks and workshops for guidance on how to trace Irish ancestors and to learn about the resources that are available. The course is designed not only to help researchers find their ancestors but also to develop an understanding of how they lived and how the history of Ireland affected their lives.

The sessions will focus on some broad themes: basic church and civil records; 17th century records; 18th and 19th century life in Ireland; and lesser known and new sources.

As part of the programme, researchers can also explore books, documents and records in the SOG Library and catalogue, and have personal consultations with the SOG's Help & Advice Team. Even a daily sandwich lunch is included in the cost, which is £176 for SOG members/£220 for non members.

Download the detailed programme for more information and to view the timetable of individual sessions.

You can book a place on the Family History Getaway Week on the SOG website.

Registry of Deeds images at FamilySearch: a review

The recent release by FamilySearch of hundreds of thousands of images of Registry of Deeds records prompted an in-depth exploration of the new online resource by genealogist and tutor Sean J Murphy.

Having tested the resource by searching for the famous 1757 lease granted to Arthur Guinness for the land where he built his brewery, Sean has written a review of the resource on his facebook page, which you can find at https://www.facebook.com/Sean-J-Murphy-777246545723294

Monday 20 March 2017

Irish genealogy and history events, 20 March–2 April

Monday 20 March: Research workshop. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Larne branch. Venue: Larne Bowling & Lawn Tennis Club, 112-120 Glenarm Road, Larne, Co Antrim, BT40 1DZ. 7:30pm – 9:30pm

Wednesday 22 March: Right and Correct: Seven Donegal churches of Liam McCormick, with Carole Pollard MRIAI. Host: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society. Venue: The Old Museum Building, 7 College Square North, Belfast. Members £8/Non-Members £10. Includes a glass of wine. Details.

Wednesday 22 March: 1916 Easter Rising and Home Rule, with Pat Murphy. Host: The Historical Association, Nottingham branch. Venue: Bromley House Library, Angel Row, Nottingham, UK. 3pm. To book, email: enquiries@bromleyhouse. Free.

Wednesday 22 March: The history of Dún Laoghaire harbour, 1817 to present, with Cormac Lowth. Host: Dún Laoghaire District Historical Society. Venue: Royal Marine Hotel, Dún Laoghaire, Dublin. 8pm. Entrance fee:€3. All welcome.

Wednesday 22 March: A Éire! an deór is an tibhre id’ shúil’: the Irish manuscript collection at the Royal Irish Academy, with Siobhán Fitzpatrick. Host and venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Free. All welcome!

Thursday 23 March: The memory and afterlives of the revolutionary generation in Northern Ireland, with Dr Sarah Campbell. History Lecture Series. Host and venue: Tyneside Irish Centre, 41 Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, NE1 4SG. 7:30pm to 9pm. Free. Details.

Saturday March 25: Walking tour of an Irish neighborhood. Host: Irish Railroad Workers Museum, 920 Lemmon St, Baltimore, MD 21223, USA. Starts at Mount Clare Station. 10:30am to Noon. Free, but donations welcomed. Details.

Saturday March 25: Royalty, Resurrectionists and the Rotunda, with Maedhbh Murphy. Host: Stoneybatter & Smithfield People's History Project. Venue: The Cobblestone, 77 North King Street, Smithfield, Dublin 7. 4pm–5pm. Free. All welcome.

Saturday March 25: Guided tour of St. Augustine’s church and graveyard, with Hazel Philson. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Foyle Branch. 10am – 11am. Derry City. All welcome.

Tuesday 28 March: A visit to the Somme and the Ypres Salient, with Alan Hyndman. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Belfast branch. Venue: Holywood Arches Library, 4-12 Holywood Road, Belfast BT4 1NT. 7:30pm – 9:30pm. All welcome.

Tuesday 28 March: Vernacular architecture in South West Clare, with Fidelma Mullane. Host: Kilrush and District Historical Society. Venue: Teach Ceoil, Grace Street, Kilrush, Co Clare. 8pm. All welcome. Members free. Non-members €5.

Tuesday 28 March: John Hartpole - Constable of Carlow & Villain of Mullaghmast: His life and strange afterlife, with John Kelly. Host: Castledermot Local History Group. Venue: Teach Diarmada, Castledermot, Co Kildare. 8pm. All welcome. Members free. Non-members €2.

Tuesday 28 March: Adding a story to your family tree, with Mike McKeag. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Causeway Coast & Glens Branch. Venue: Guide Hall, Terrace Row, Coleraine, Co LondonDerry, BT52 1HF. 8pm – 10pm. All welcome.

Wednesday 29 March: Open genealogy consultation, with Lisa Dougherty. Host and venue: Paul O'Dwyer Library, Irish American Heritage Museum, 370 Broadway, Albany, NY 12207 USA. 11am-2pm. Free. Book a consultation.

Thursday 30 March: A tour through Ulster’s graveyards, with Dr William Roulston. 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 – 9:15pm. All welcome.

Friday 31 March and Saturday 1 April: Irish research lectures at the 2017 FxGS Spring Conference – Finding Elusive Ancestors - Tools and Techniques for the Search. Four lectures exploring search strategies, land and church records and online sources, with Donna Moughty. Venue: The Westin Tysons Corner, 7801 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, Virginia, USA. Lecture details. Registration ($).

Saturday 1 April: The Quakers of Tipperary, with Michael Ahern. Host & venue: Tipperary County Museum, Mick Delahunty Square, Clonmel, Co Tipperary. 10:30am. €5. All welcome. Seats allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Saturday 1 April: Irish records? - They all went up in smoke . . . didn't they? An introductory workshop with Jill Williams FIGRS. Host: Scottish Genealogy Society. Venue: Scottish Genealogy Society Library, 15 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh,UK EH1 2JL. 10am–Noon. £10 to members/non-members. Booking essential: 0131 220 3677 or scotsgenpublicity@scotsgenealogy.com.

Sunday 19 March 2017

Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives: latest uploads

In the first two weeks of March, the following headstone photos and transcriptions of inscriptions were added to Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives:

It's definitely worth noting that the upload for Dublin's Mount Jereme Cemetery alone totted up to more than 1,000 headstones.

Headstone to James Delany, and others,
Ballygunner Temple, County Waterford
Photo courtesy Valerie Ackroyd & IGPArchives.
Click for larger image
DUBLIN Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Deansgrange Cemetery, St. Anne's Section, pt 1
Mt. Jerome Cemetery, Parts 149-155 (Additional)

MAYO Genealogy Archives – Headstones
Old Kilmeena Graveyard, Westport - Part 3

SLIGO Genealogy Archives – Headstones
Sligo Cemetery, Middle Part, Section A (F-K)

TYRONE Genealogy Archives – Headstones
Holy Trinity Church (CoI), Brackaville
St Andrew's Church (CoI), Killyman, Dungannon

WATERFORD Genealogy Archives – Headstones
Ballinakill, St. Thomas (CoI)
Ballygunner Temple
Our Lady's R.C. Church, Carbally - Pt 1
Our Lady's R.C. Church, Carbally - Pt 2
St. John's R.C. Church Waterford City

WICKLOW Genealogy Archives – Headstones
Macreddin Cemetery

Saturday 18 March 2017

£10 off AncestryDNA tests (UK and IE) until 26 March

 http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-5737308-10819001?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ancestry.co.uk%2Fireland%3Fs_tnt%3D80804%3A0%3A0AncestryDNA has a special offer running for Mother's Day, which is next Sunday (26 March) in the UK and Ireland.

The offer is already live, and will continue until the day itself.

The discount brings the price down from €95 to €80 or £79 to £69, and shipping is payable on top. Shipping costs €20/£20.

http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-5737308-12873512
Choose which currency you want to pay in by selecting the appropriate image to the right.

Ancestry's landing page has a good FAQ and general introduction to DNA, and the real-life examples should help you ascertain where a test may prove useful to your own genealogical research; it's worth reading if you're hesitating to take the plunge.

Friday 17 March 2017

10% discount on FindMyPast 12-month World package

FindMyPast is offering a 10% discount on a 12-month World subscription. The special offer runs until Wednesday 22 March.

To take up the offer, just follow one of the links below. It doesn't matter which one you choose, because the World subscription package gives you access to the same huge record collection no matter which of the FindMyPast territories you purchase it through. However, you may have a preference based on the currencies in which payment will have to be made.

Taking the discount into account, the cost of the annual subscription is: €161.55 | US£215.55 | £140.36 | AUS$215.55. In each case, it is charged in one up-front payment and gives you access to eight billion records.



FindMyPast Ireland
10% off 12-month World subscription

FindMyPast USA/Canada
10% off 12-month World subscription
FindMyPast UK
10% off 12-month World subscription

FindMyPast Australia/NZ
10% off 12-month World subscription

If you've been paying attention, you'll be aware that FindMyPast's free access to a selection of its Irish collection comes to a close tonight (just before midnight GMT).

40% discount from Irish Newspaper Archives

Looks like St Patrick's Day has put Dublin-based Irish Newspaper Archive in a sweet mood. Here's a whopping 40% off an annual subscription to the entire archive of more than 60 local, regional and national newspapers, both historical and current.

https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/To take advantage of the offer, sign up for a 12-month sub and type in the coupon code Patrick40. The discount will reduce the cost from €178 to €106.80.

If you can't quite convince yourself of the need for a full year's membership, there's still a treat for you, albeit somewhat smaller. it's a 10% discount on monthly membership. You'll need to use Coupon code Patrick10 to get it when you sign up .

The two offers run Monday, 20 March, so don't hang about.

FindMyPast adds 370,00 Irish records to its database

FindMyPast has uploaded an additional 372,900 records to its Irish collections, as below:

Directories 1636 - 1799: Browse over 20,000 records taken from 85 volumes of Irish directories and almanacs. This is a real mix of publications listing establishment figures such as church officials, government leaders, land owners, peers and aristocracy. A full list of all the publications available can be found at the bottom of the search page.

Legal Administration: The four publications in this record set relate to the law and courts and include prison studies (quality of food, living conditions, punishments etc), Assizes records, lists of judges and a guide book for Civil Service clerks produced by Bram Stoker.

Memorial Inscriptions: The collection consists eight publications of indexes to memorial inscriptions found in 58 cemeteries across Dublin, Meath, Louth, and Wicklow, and holds 1,400 records.

Surnames & Family Histories: Over 800 records have been added to FindMyPast's collection which holds pdf documents of assorted documents from ten family history and local history publications. A full list of the publications included is available at the bottom of the search page.

Histories & References: The various titles in this collection provide images of iconic landmarks in Ireland as well as descriptions of townlands and local people. Publications include the Album of Ireland, A Little Tour of Ireland, Ireland in Pictures and The Tourist's Picturesque Guide to Ireland.

Society of Friends (Quaker) births: The collection holds more than 85,000 new Irish Quaker records from all over Ireland. Information varies, but most records will include name, birth date and place, parish and address. Most will also contain parents' names, addresses and occupations.

Society of Friends (Quaker) marriages: An additional 20,000 marriage records have joined the existing collection. As well as the names, address and marriage details of the newlyweds, you may find parents' name and address for both husband and wife, an attendee list including names and dates of birth, and even details of the meeting.

Society of Friends (Quaker) deaths: An additional 24,000 records have joined the existing collection. They date back to 1654. Details included in the records can vary, but most will include the deceased's name, address, parish, death and burial dates, age at death and parents' and/or spouse's names. Additional notations may be also included in images of the original documents, such as "a young child" or "widow, an aged woman".

Society of Friends (Quaker) congregational records: An additional 250,000 records have joined the existing collection. These records, dating back to the mid-1600s, comprise minutes from half-yearly Quaker meetings. As well as a transcript, each entry includes an image of the original handwritten record. The information included will vary, but most will include name, congregation date, address, meeting, archive and reference.

Society of Friends (Quaker) school records: An additional 9,000 records have joined the existing collection, which now tots up to more than 53,000 records and covers six different schools. Details contained in each record will vary, but most will list the pupils name, age at last birthday, school and department, admission year, leaving year, parents' names and occupations

Wednesday 15 March 2017

IGRS publishes first instalment of stories that prove the wealth of detail available to Irish family historians

To celebrate St Patrick's Day, the Irish Genealogical Research Society (IGRS) is launching the first tranche of stories from its 80th Anniversary Archive.

Last year was the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Society in 1936. To mark this important milestone, the Society launched a story-writing project to collect and preserve stories about people's favourite Irish-born ancestors.

In publishing these stories, IGRS Chairman Steven Smyrl, said: "Throughout the year, the Society heard tales from all over the world describing the colourful lives of Irish men and women during the past 300 years.

"In this first batch of stories to be published, readers will hear of a British soldier gassed in the Great War; an Irish Republican who served in both the War of Independence and the Irish Civil War; a Dublin middle-class Protestant widow who brought a case in the Court of Common Pleas against a suitor's broken marriage proposal; and of a working class Catholic girl from Belfast who became entangled in the events of the Russian revolution of 1917."

These are just four of the stories which touch on lives lived not just in Ireland, but as far flung as England, Scotland, Malta, America, Canada and Australia. What each shows is that despite the lack of so much primary source material for Ireland, the lives of our ancestors can still be researched and documented.

The IGRS project coordinator, Ruth Mathewson, said: "Not only was it fascinating to hear these stories told through the precious evidence gleaned by diligent family historians worldwide, but I was also impressed by the creativity that several writers used to illustrate the narrative e.g. writing letters across the generations and including poignant photographs. Whilst some of the tales were inevitably sad and, at times, shocking, there were also wonderful flashes of humour and even favourite family jokes!"

So great is the amount of data now online that these days there can be too much emphasis on rigid, pedigree style genealogy: generations of 'who begat whom', without a shred of contextual detail. So it has been refreshing for the Society to encourage the research of detailed family history, through the collating of tales of our ancestors: their lives, their loves, their failures and successes.

More stories from the Society's 80th Anniversary Archive will be posted over the coming weeks.

More improvements to RootsIreland's search facility

RootsIreland.ie has announced another major improvement to the search facility for its database. Researchers can now search using the names of baptismal sponsors, marriage witnesses and burial informants.

The search facility has been subject to huge advances in the last year or so. It used to be, sorry to say, among the most restricted and irritating to use, demanding information that researchers were using the database to discover (!) but it is now as good as any you'll come across.

You can now search using just a surname, adding extra information, if you have any, as you go, ie county, parent's names, or narrowing the search by years, and so on.

If you haven't looked in on RootsIreland for a while, this could be a good time to check out these improvements, and see all the new records, while you're at it (they tot up to more than 20 million).

There's also a special offer available to those taking out a monthly or annual subscription: a one-third discount. This runs to the end of the month. Details here.

Thom's Irish Directories, 1850–1946, join Ancestry

Ancestry has added a collection of Thom’s Irish Almanac and Official Directory published from 1850 to 1946. These publications provide more than six million records, with names, places of residence, and sometimes occupation, provided for most.

http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-5737308-10819001?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.ancestry.co.uk%2Fsearch%2Fdb.aspx%3Fdbid%3D6131
The collection includes some gaps; the missing volumes are 1860-62, 1873, 1895, 1900, 1905, 1920, 1923, and 1927.

From its first publication in 1844, Thom's directories grew to include a Dublin street directory, and listed the names, addresses, and occupations for residents of other towns and districts in the country, They included a wide range of detail about state institutions and businesses, including Members of Parliament, the Civil Service and legal profession, the church, navy and army, educational establishments, and the peerage, as well as county fairs and markets, county and borough listings and postal directories.

With Ancestry giving free access to its Irish records this week (see blogpost), you'll be able to dip into these directories without charge until Sunday.

Free access to Irish resources at AmericanAncestors

AmericanAncestors.org, the website of the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), is offering free access to many of its resources to mark St Patrick's Day.

http://www.americanancestors.org/irish
The resources include its Irish databases and its Boston Catholic records, plus 'How-to' Irish Research Guides, a webinar, and more. These are all available with free Guest Registration

AmericanAncestors.org is the online source for Boston's RC records. The NEHGS is digitizing parish records from 1789 to 1900, a period of significant growth for both Boston’s Catholic Church and the Irish immigrant population, and researchers can browse record images of baptisms, marriages, and more from Boston’s oldest parishes, including the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Holy Trinity.

Additionally, the website holds free Irish collections, including Irish Immigrant Advertisements, 1831-1920, and the NEHGS-exclusive databases of The Annals of Beara and The Session Book of Aghadowey, 1702-1725, plus many more.

This Irish-themed promotion includes an hour-long webinar on NEHGS Irish resources, an online subject guide to locate key resources and records in Irish genealogy, and popular articles from American Ancestors magazine.

To take advantage of this week-long promotion, register as a Guest (it's free) at AmericanAncestors.org/Irish.

The promotion runs until midnight (EDST) on Wednesday 22 March.

Sligo Observer and Leinster Independent join BNA

Two more Irish titles have made their debut on the British Newspaper Archive: The Sligo Observer and The Leinster Independent.

The Sligo Observer was a short-lived weekly newspaper published in Castle Street from 1828 to 1831. I'm not sure of the precise dates, but the BNA holding already has all editions from 9 October 1828 to 10 February 1831, so this may now be complete.

The Leinster Independent was published in Portlaoise. According to its masthead, it covered Kildare, Kings, Queen' and the Midland counties. Just 24 editions from the first six months of 1872 are available so far, but the BNA plans to include editions from 1869-72. The paper published the usual fare of political, royal and British army news, but was also keen on sport and social news. It also reported with some enthusiasm on petty and quarter sessions reports of trials regarding violent crimes, some of them from other parts or Ireland, and even the UK or France when the crime was bloody or sufficiently salacious.

Both papers have also joined FindMyPast's Irish newspaper collection, which is included within a World or Ireland subscription package.



Tuesday 14 March 2017

Ancestry DNA (USA) – 10% discount for St Patrick's Day

Offer available only in USA
Ancestry DNA is offering researchers in the USA a St Patrick's Day discount of 10% on its DNA testing kits.

The discount reduces the cost of the testing kit from US$99 to US$89.

It's available only to addresses in the USA, and will expire on Sunday 19 March. 

20% off Ancestry DNA (Canada) for St Patrick's Day

http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-5737308-12868665
20% discount on offer for Canadian researchers
This year's St Patrick's Day discount for Irish-Canadians is a 20% discount on Ancestry DNA tests.

The Ancestry.ca offer reduces the price of a test from Can$129 to Can$109, plus shipping. That's a worthwhile saving, whether you've been thinking of finding out how dna might fit in with your traditional genealogy research, or you've already taken the plunge and started discovering your genetic cousins.

The promotion will run until Sunday 19 March.

Free access to Ancestry's Irish records until 19 March

Ancestry is offering free access to its Irish collection until Sunday 19th March.

You can use either Ancestry.com (USA) or Ancestry.co.uk (UK and Ireland). Other versions of the site may be offering the same opportunity to explore the Irish records in the database; I don't know for sure because Ancestry's (**!&*?!**) geo locator stops my computer viewing the home pages.

If you don't already have an account, you can register for a free one by providing your email and password. A user name is sent to you, and you can then search the records. It's a quick, automated process and you don't have to provide any financial details.

Access to the records in the featured collection will end at 11:59pm ET or GMT, depending on which site you're using. 

A Pocket Guide to Northern Ireland, for American GIs

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the arrival of US troops in Northern Ireland during WW2. More than 100,000 servicemen were stationed in the country at one point.

http://www.booksulster.com/texts/history/pocket-guide-ni/girls.php
Read online or download from Ulster Books
Before they landed, they were each issued with A Pocket Guide to Northern Ireland, which set out some background history to Northern Ireland and offered advice to GIs on how they should conduct themselves with the locals.

Originally produced by the War and Navy Departments in Washington DC, the 'Pocket Guide' is a fascinating period piece and is bound to raise a smile so many decades distant. Take this advice about 'The Girls': "Irish girls are friendly. They will stop on the country road and pass the time of day. Don’t think, on that account, that they are falling for you in a big way."

The Pocket Guide to Northern Ireland has been re-issued by Ulster Books as a free Kindle or e-pub download, or you can read it online.



Monday 13 March 2017

FindMyPast's Irish collection is free until 17 March

Marking St Patrick's Day, FindMyPast is making its entire Irish collection free to access for five days. The period of free access runs from today (now!) until Friday night.

Free access will give you access to the following record sets:
  • Irish Catholic Parish Registers
  • Petty Sessions Court Registers
  • Workhouse & poor law records
  • Irish Quaker records
  • Easter Uprising/Ireland under martial law records
  • Prison Registers
  • Landed Estates Court records
  • Griffith's Valuation
  • Irish trade directories back to 1814
  • Gravestones and church memorials
To take advantage of this free access, you'll need a registered account. If you don't already have one, it's a simple enough process, and very quick. Just your name and email address are requested. No financial details.

FindMyPast Ireland
Free Irish records

FindMyPast USA/Canada
Free Irish records
FindMyPast UK
Free Irish records

FindMyPast Australia/NZ
Free Irish records

Irish genealogy, history & heritage events, 13-25 March

Monday 13 March: Researching your Irish ancestors, with the Ulster Historical Foundation. Venue: Brown County Library, 515 Pine Street, Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA. Afternoon/evening seminar (3:15pm - 8:30pm). Bookable consultations on following morning. Details.

Monday 13 March:
Postcards from Home: Ulster Place Names and their Stories, with Dr David Hume. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Newtownabbey Branch. Venue: Drama Theatre, Glengormley High School, 134 Ballyclare Road, Newtownabbey, BT36 5HP. 7pm. All welcome.

Tuesday 14 March: Sources of Hope? Cork Emigrants in North America, with Martin Millerick. Host: Heritage Unit, Cork County Council. Venue: Council Chamber, Floor 2, County Hall, Carrigrohane Road, Cork City. All welcome. Free. 4pm.

Tuesday 14 March: The Irish in London - The century and a half to the Great Hunger, with Gearóid Ó Faoleán. Last of The Irish in London lecture series. Host and venue: London Irish Centre, 50-52 Camden Square, London NW1 9XB. 7pm. All welcome. £6 per lecture. Booking.

Tuesday 14 March: Covenanters, with Mark Thompson. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, North Down & Ards Branch. Venue: 1st Bangor Presbyterian Church Hall, Main Street, Bangor, BT20 4AG. 7:30pm. All welcome.

Tuesday 14 March: The History of Belfast Hills, with Jim Bradley. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Lisburn Branch. Venue: The Bridge Community Centre, 50 Railway Street, Lisburn, BT28 1XP. 7:30pm. All welcome.

Tuesday 14 March: National Library of Ireland: The Manuscript Collections of the Genealogical Office, with Ciara Kerrigan. Host: Genealogical Society of Ireland. Venue: DFEi, Cumberland St, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin. 8pm. All welcome. A donation of €3 is requested.

Wednesday 15 March: Why are Irish records so weird? Free webinar with John Grenham MAGI. 2pm EST. Need to register. Full details.

Wednesday 15 March: Roses from the Heart', an Irish/Australian Story, by Dr. Christina Henri. Host: Waterford County Museum. Venue: Green Room, Town Hall Theatre, Dungarvan, County Waterford. 8pm. All welcome. €5. Details.

Wednesday 15 March: Commemorating contested identities in West Cork, with Vincent Duggan (focussing on commemorations arising from the Conflicts of 1914-23). Host: Bandon Historical Society. Venue: Parish Centre, Bandon, Co Cork.

Wednesday 15 March and Thursday 16 March: Irish Genealogy: Resources for success, with Ulster Historical Foundation. Host: Plainfield Public Libraries. Venue: Fountaindale Library, 300 W Briarcliff Rd, Bolingbrook, IL 60440, USA. Full day seminars (9:30am - 4:30pm) with different programme on each day. Both dates fully booked (waiting list available). Details.

Thursday 16 March: The Irish Michelangelo: the life and work of Waterford artist Michelangelo Hayes, with William Fraher. Host: Dunhill History Lecture Series XI, 2017. Venue: Dunhill Multi-Education Centre (opp GAA grounds), Dunhill, Co Waterford. 8pm. €5. Lecture is followed by Q&A and light refreshments. All welcome. Details of lecture series.

Thursday 16 March: US Launch: The Forgotten Irish: Irish Emigrant Experiences in America, by Damian Shiels. Venue: William G. McGowan Theater, National Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington DC, USA. 7:00pm to 8:30pm. Free. Reserve a seat.

Friday 17 March. St Patrick's Day. Bank holiday in Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, so no archives or libraries, nor their free genealogy services, will be open.

Friday 17 March. Irish and Scots-Irish genealogy research, with the Ulster Historical Foundation. Host and venue: Library of Virginia, 800 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA, USA. Half-day seminar (9am - 12:30), followed by immigration and migration workshops by library staff. $25. Need to register. Details.

Saturday 18 March: Strategies for finding your Irish ancestors and Online sources for Irish research, both with Donna Moughty. Host: Pinellas Genealogy Society. Venue: Largo Library, 120 Central Park Drive, Largo, FL 33771-2110, USA. 11am.

Saturday 18 March: Beginning Irish genealogy, with Theresa Liewer. Host: Iowa Genealogical Society. Venue: IGS Library, 628 E Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50309, USA. 10:30am to 12:30pm. $5 members and $15 non-members. All welcome. Need to book.

Saturday March 18: Building a Bridge Back from Here: Finding Your Irish Ancestral Place of Origin, with Terry Koch-Bostic. Host: The Irish Family History Forum. Venue: Bethpage Public Library, 47 Powell Avenue, Bethpage, NY, 11714, USA. 10am. All welcome.

Saturday 18 March: Celebrating Your Irish & Scots-Irish Ancestors, with the Ulster Historical Foundation. Host: Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. Venue: Brookside Manor, 50 Bustleton Pike, Feasterville, PA, USA. $100 for Members/ $125 for Non-Members includes buffet lunch. 9am to 4:30pm. Details.

Sunday 19 March: Irish genealogy workshop with the Ulster Historical Foundation. Hosts: Heinz History Center (HHC) & Westmoreland County Historical Society. Venue: HHC, 1212 Smallman St., Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Full day seminar (9:00am-4:30pm). Need to register in advance.

Wednesday 22 March: Right and Correct: Seven Donegal Churches of Liam McCormick, with Carole Pollard MRIAI. Host: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society. Venue: The Old Museum Building, 7 College Square North, Belfast. Members £8/Non-Members £10. Includes a glass of wine. Details.

Wednesday 22 March: 1916 Easter Rising and Home Rule, with Pat Murphy. Host: The Historical Association, Nottingham branch. Venue: Bromley House Library, Angel Row, Nottingham, UK. 3pm. To book, email: enquiries@bromleyhouse. Free.

Wednesday 22 March: The History of Dun Laoghaire Harbour, 1817 to present, with Cormac Lowth. Host: Dún Laoghaire District Historical Society. Venue: Royal Marine Hotel, Dún Laoghaire, Dublin. 8pm. Entrance fee:€3. All welcome.

Thursday 23 March: The memory and afterlives of the revolutionary generation in Northern Ireland, with Dr Sarah Campbell. History Lecture Series. Host and venue: Tyneside Irish Centre, 41 Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, NE1 4SG. 7:30pm to 9pm. Free. Details.

Saturday March 25: Walking Tour of an Irish Neighborhood. Host: Irish Railroad Workers Museum, 920 Lemmon St, Baltimore, MD 21223, USA. Starts at Mount Clare Station. 10:30am to Noon. Free, but donations welcomed. Details.

Friday 10 March 2017

20% discount on offer from Irish Newspaper Archives, plus addition of The Donegal Democrat

There's been another big addition to the Dublin-based Irish Newspaper Archive (INA): The Donegal Democrat.

https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/
The Donegal Democrat is County Donegal's
largest circulation newspaper
The full archive of the title is now online and searchable via INA, right from when the paper launched in Ballyshannon in June 1919 to the current editions, which are published in Donegal Town and Letterkenny. The paper is the largest circulation newspaper focused solely on County Donegal.

To mark the launch of The Donegal Democrat on Irish Newspaper Archive, a 20% discount is on offer for researchers purchasing a monthly or annual subscription to INA's entire database, which holds more than 60 historical titles, some of them – like the latest addition – right up to current dates.

To take advantage of the discount, follow the link above and select your preferred subscription; on the payment page, type Donegal001 in the coupon code box. The discount will then be automatically applied to your purchase.

The discount offer will expire on Saturday 18 March.

Wednesday 8 March 2017

Book launch: Women and the Great Hunger in Ireland

Perfectly timed for International Women's Day, Quinnipiac University Press has just published 'Women and the Great Hunger in Ireland', which examines the diverse and still largely unexplored role of women during the great tragedy that unfolded on the island between 1845 and 1852.

http://www.corkuniversitypress.com/Women-and-the-Great-Hunger-p/9780990945420.htmEdited by Christine Kinealy, Jason King and Ciarán Reilly, the 234-page softback brings together the work of some of the leading researchers in Irish studies, with new scholarship, methodologies and perspectives.

In addition to more traditional sources, the collection of 16 essays include contributions that draw on folklore and popular culture.

For a detailed review of the new book, see Margaret Kelleher's piece in The Irish Times.

The book is being distributed by and can be ordered from Cork University Press, price €25.

ISBN: 9780990945420

Catholic ancestors in the USA?

Since returning from a five-year stint in the USA to join Ancestry's ProGenealogists team in Dublin, Joe Buggy has continued to maintain his excellent blog, TownlandOfOrigin.com, which specialises in Irish genealogical research in North America. Many of you will know it already.

The reason I'm calling it out today, is to direct researchers to Joe's most recent post, the   Online U.S. Catholic Parish Registers 2017 List. This up-to-date list follows a series of major announcements about new RC records collection releases in the USA, and sets out the parishes, regions and dates for the records now available to family historians.

It's just begging to be bookmarked by every genie with Irish roots, no matter from which side of the Atlantic (or any other ocean) their family may now hail. See the blogpost for further details.

Big thanks to Joe for creating the list!



Monday 6 March 2017

RootsIreland.ie offers 1/3rd discount on annual sub

RootsIreland.ie, the online database of an island-wide network of local genealogy and heritage centres, has announced a terrific discount offer with a one-third reduction on annual subscriptions running from now until Monday 27 March. That's not only a good-sized saving, it's also a relatively rare price-cut – RootsIreland doesn't run too many special offers.

http://www.rootsireland.ie/map/
The unique database has more than 20million records, the majority of them church register transcriptions. In addition to Roman Catholic records up to the 1920s, the site has the only sizeable collection of transcribed Church Of Ireland, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist and Congregationist registers. It also has full transcriptions of civil registration birth and marriage records for about half the island.

As you can see from the map, right, RootsIreland's coverage extends across most of Ireland. You can check the precise records it holds for each county using the site's Online Sources widget.

The current Special Offer reduces the cost of the RootsIreland 12-month subscription to €150 (down from €225); £123 (down from £185); and $170 (down from $255).

The Irish Society & Social Review joins BNA database

The British Newspaper Archive (BNA) has added the Irish Society and Social Review to its online database. It's also joined the Irish Newspaper Collection of FindMyPast. The paper, with a masthead that swung over the years from gaily flamboyant to stylised art deco elegance, and back again, was the 'only Society Journal in Ireland' and claimed a 'Guaranteed largest circulation in Ireland of any Society Paper Published in the UK'.

It doesn't trouble itself with political or world news. Instead, it concentrates on the taxing issues of keeping up with fashions, whether that be for clothing ('White goat fur is very fashionable on evening cloaks') or wedding stationery, and reporting on what little Lord Fauntleroy wore to his cousin Figgy's fancy dress party. The opening of the fishing season in Waterford was deemed worthy of an 1893 report with all the participants suitably mentioned, with similar treatment applied to an outing by the Kildare Hounds, numerous balls, receptions and 'at home' events and, of course, society funerals.

Advertising takes up about half the pages of the paper and include promotions for many of the items you'd expect to be in demand by the idle rich: dancing and deportment classes, upcoming orchestra concerts, diagonal seam corsets, milliners, fur coats, hotel accommodation, health remedies and, for the skivvy, grate polish supplies.

The BNA plans the holding for this newspaper to run from 1888 to 1924. So far, 535 editions of the weekly title have been uploaded, dating from 1889 to June 1924, so it's nearly complete.

Irish genealogy, history & heritage events, 6–19 March

Monday 6 March: The changing face of Dublin cemeteries and graveyards 1500-2000, with Lisa Marie Griffith. Host: 'Mondays at the Mess' lecture series. Venue: Richmond Barracks, off Bulfin Road, Inchicore, Dublin 8. 11am. All welcome. Entry €5 includes tea/coffee and a scone in the cafe. Tickets.

Monday 6 March: Proclaiming a (Fenian) Republic: The Fenian Movement in Co. Cork, with Martin Millerick. Host: Heritage Unit, Cork County Council. Venue: Council Chamber, Floor 2, County Hall, Carrigrohane Road, Cork City. All welcome. 3pm.

Monday 6 March:
A beginner’s guide to Gaelic place names, with Linda Ervine of the Skainos Centre. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Killyleagh Branch. Venue: Killyleagh Masonic Hall, 50 High Street, Killyleagh, County Down. BT30 9QF. 8pm. All welcome.

Tuesday 7 March: Exploring your Scots-Irish genealogy, with the Ulster Historical Foundation. Host & venue: Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage, 4580 Rachel's Lane, Nashville, TN, USA. Evening seminar (6pm - 9pm). Afternoon: individual consultations. Details.

Tuesday 7 March: The Irish in London - Early Modern Era, with Gearóid Ó Faoleán. Second of The Irish in London lecture series. Host and venue: London Irish Centre, 50-52 Camden Square, London NW1 9XB. 7pm. All welcome. £6 per lecture. Booking.

Tuesday 7 March: Introduction to online resources for family history: civil registration and church records. A talk by John Grenham MAGI at 1pm will be followed by a workshop with Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI) where participants will have the opportunity to discuss their research with professional genealogists and members of AGI from 2:15pm-4pm. The event is part of Adult Learners Festival and is jointly hosted by the National Library of Ireland and AGI. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. No booking required. All welcome. First come-first served on the day. (See also Friday 10 March.) More details.

Tuesday 7 March: Common Myths about Immigrant Ancestors and how to find out the truth, with Lisa Dougherty. Host and venue: Paul O'Dwyer Library, Irish American Heritage Museum, 370 Broadway, Albany, NY 12207 USA. 11am-2pm. $5 to non-members. Free to members. Booking.

Wednesday 8 March: King of all balloons: the first flight across the Irish Sea to Holyhead in 1817, and other Dublin aerial escapades, with Mark Davies. Host: The Old Dublin Society. Venue: Dublin City Library & Archive Conference Room, 138–144 Pearse Street, Dublin 2. 6pm. Free. All welcome.

Wednesday 8 March: The Women of Ireland – International Women’s Day Lecture, with Katie Liddane. Host and venue: Tyneside Irish Centre, 41 Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. NE1 4SG. Free 7.30pm to 9:30pm. All welcome. Details.

Wednesday 8 March: Irish Republican Women, with Dr Azrini Wahidin. An International Women’s Day event. Host: Nottingham Irish Studies Group. Venue: Five Leaves Bookshop, 14A Long Row, Nottingham, UK. 7pm to 8:30pm. Tickets: £3 on the door; register by email: fiveleaves.bookshopevents@gmail.com.

Wednesday 8 March: The Down Survey of Ireland, with Jimmy Laffey. Host: The Western Family History Association Venue: Lackagh Parish Centre, Lackagh, Turloughmore, Co Galway. 8pm. All welcome. Details: laffeyjimmy@gmail.com or(085) 2187544.

Thursday 9 March: The Redmonds and Waterford, 1891–1952, with Pat McCarthy. Host: Dunhill History Lecture Series XI, 2017. Venue: Dunhill Multi-Education Centre (opp GAA grounds), Dunhill, Co Waterford. 8pm. €5. Lecture is followed by Q&A and light refreshments. All welcome. Details of lecture series.

Thursday 9 March: Discover your Irish roots, a day seminar with the Ulster Historical Foundation. Hosts: Michigan City Public Library and La Porte County Genealogical Society. Venue: Michigan City Public Library, 100 E. 4th St., Michigan City, USA. 9:30am - 4pm. Register by calling 219-873-3049. Details.

Friday 10 March: Taking the next steps in family history research: understanding land and property records. A talk by Helen Kelly MAGI at 1pm will be followed by a workshop with Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI) where participants will have the opportunity to discuss their research with professional genealogists and members of AGI from 2:15pm-4pm. The event is part of Adult Learners Festival and is jointly hosted by the National Library of Ireland and AGI. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. No booking required. All welcome. First come-first served on the day. More details.

Saturday 11 March: Four Irish research lectures, all presented by Donna Moughty: Using Griffith’s Valuation to identify your ancestors’ origins, Unpuzzling Ireland’s Church records, Sources for Irish research, and Seeking your Irish ancestors before and after the Famine. Host: DuPage County Genealogical Society Conference. Venue: NIU Conference Center, 1120 E. Diehl Road, Naperville, IL,USA. Conference fee $70 includes lunch. See full conference programme. SOLD OUT.

Saturday 11 March: The Big House: Life & Living, a one-day seminar. Host: Tipperary County Council. Venue: Nenagh Arts Centre, Banba Square, Nenagh, Co Tipperary. All welcome. 10am-5pm. Tickets €15. Details.

Saturday 11 March: Getting the most out of Ancestry, with Mary Wickersham. Host: Irish Genealogical Society Intl (IGSI). Venue: Minnesota Genealogical Society Library, 1185 North Concord, South St Paul, MN. USA. 10:30am–12 noon. The cost is $15 for IGSI members and $20 for non-members. Need to book.

Saturday 11 March: Family history seminar. Host and venue: Dublin City Library and Archive, 138-144 Pearse Street, Dublin 2. Free. 9.45am to 3.30pm. (Lunch 1-2pm, not provided,) Booking not required. All welcome. Details.

Saturday 11 March: National Irish Studies Conference. Host: Manchester Irish Education Group. Venue: Irish World Heritage Centre, Irish Town (off Queens Road), Cheetham, Manchester, UK, M8 0AE. 9:15am to 4:30pm. Advance tickets £20/ £25 on the door. Includes lunch and refreshments. Details.

Saturday 11 March: Neighbours, landlords and tenants on the Mountjoy and Abercorn Estates, with Dr Brian Lambkin. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Tyrone Branch. Venue: Seminar Room, Omagh Library, Dublin Road, Omagh, Co Tyrone BT78 1HL. 10am. All welcome.

Saturday 11 March: Researching your Irish and Scots-Irish ancestors, a day seminar with the Ulster Historical Foundation. Host: Northwest Arkansas Genealogical Society. Venue: Bentonville Community Center, 1101 SW Citizen’s Circle, Bentonville, AR, USA. 9:00am–4:00pm. Details (pdf download).

Sunday 12 March: Irish and Scots-Irish family history research, an afternoon seminar with the Ulster Historical Foundation. Host: South Central Pennsylvania Genealogy Society. Venue: Historical Society Museum, 250 E. Market St, York County, PA, USA. 1:00pm–5:00pm. Details.

Monday 13 March: Researching your Irish ancestors, with the Ulster Historical Foundation. Venue: Brown County Library, 515 Pine Street, Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA. Afternoon/evening seminar (3:15pm - 8:30pm). Bookable consultations on following morning. Details.

Tuesday 14 March: Sources of Hope? Cork Emigrants in North America, with Martin Millerick. Host: Heritage Unit, Cork County Council. Venue: Council Chamber, Floor 2, County Hall, Carrigrohane Road, Cork City. All welcome. Free. 4pm.

Tuesday 14 March: The Irish in London - The century and a half to the Great Hunger, with Gearóid Ó Faoleán. Last of The Irish in London lecture series. Host and venue: London Irish Centre, 50-52 Camden Square, London NW1 9XB. 7pm. All welcome. £6 per lecture. Booking.

Tuesday 14 March: Covenanters, with Mark Thompson. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, North Down & Ards Branch. Venue: 1st Bangor Presbyterian Church Hall, Main Street, Bangor, BT20 4AG. 7:30pm. All welcome.

Tuesday 14 March: The History of Belfast Hills, with Jim Bradley. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Lisburn Branch. Venue: The Bridge Community Centre, 50 Railway Street, Lisburn, BT28 1XP. 7:30pm. All welcome.

Tuesday 14 March: National Library of Ireland: The Manuscript Collections of the Genealogical Office, with Ciara Kerrigan. Host: Genealogical Society of Ireland. Venue: DFEi, Cumberland St, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin. 8pm. All welcome. A donation of €3 is requested.

Wednesday 15 March: Why are Irish records so weird? Free webinar with John Grenham MAGI. 2pm EST. Need to register. Full details.

Wednesday 15 March: Roses from the Heart', an Irish/Australian Story, by Dr. Christina Henri. Host: Waterford County Museum. Venue: Green Room, Town Hall Theatre, Dungarvan, County Waterford. 8pm. All welcome. €5. Details.

Wednesday 15 March: Commemorating contested identities in West Cork, with Vincent Duggan (focussing on commemorations arising from the Conflicts of 1914-23). Host: Bandon Historical Society. Venue: Parish Centre, Bandon, Co Cork.

Wednesday 15 March and Thursday 16 March: Irish Genealogy: Resources for success, with Ulster Historical Foundation. Host: Plainfield Public Libraries. Venue: Fountaindale Library, 300 W Briarcliff Rd, Bolingbrook, IL 60440, USA> Full day seminars (9:30am - 4:30pm) with different programme on each day. Day 2 fully booked (waiting list available). Details. Fully booked. Waiting list available.

Thursday 16 March: The Irish Michelangelo: the life and work of Waterford artist Michelangelo Hayes, with William Fraher. Host: Dunhill History Lecture Series XI, 2017. Venue: Dunhill Multi-Education Centre (opp GAA grounds), Dunhill, Co Waterford. 8pm. €5. Lecture is followed by Q&A and light refreshments. All welcome. Details of lecture series.

Thursday 16 March: US Launch: The Forgotten Irish: Irish Emigrant Experiences in America, by Damian Shiels. Venue: William G. McGowan Theater, National Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington DC, USA. 7:00pm to 8:30pm. Free. Reserve a seat.

Friday 17 March. St Patrick's Day. Bank holiday in Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, so no archives or libraries, nor their free genealogy services, will be open.

Friday 17 March. Irish and Scots-Irish genealogy research, with the Ulster Historical Foundation. Host and venue: Library of Virginia, 800 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA, USA. Half-day seminar (9am - 12:30), followed by immigration and migration workshops by library staff. $25. Need to register. Details.

Saturday 18 March: Strategies for finding your Irish ancestors and Online sources for Irish research, both with Donna Moughty. Host: Pinellas Genealogy Society. Venue: Largo Library, 120 Central Park Drive, Largo, FL 33771-2110, USA. 11am.

Saturday 18 March: Beginning Irish genealogy, with Theresa Liewer. Host: Iowa Genealogical Society. Venue: IGS Library, 628 E Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50309, USA. 10:30am to 12:30pm. $5 members and $15 non-members. All welcome. Need to book.

Saturday March 18: Building a Bridge Back from Here: Finding Your Irish Ancestral Place of Origin, with Terry Koch-Bostic. Host: The Irish Family History Forum. Venue: Bethpage Public Library, 47 Powell Avenue, Bethpage, NY, 11714, USA. 10am. All welcome.

Saturday 18 March: Celebrating Your Irish & Scots-Irish Ancestors, with the Ulster Historical Foundation. Host: Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. Venue: Brookside Manor, 50 Bustleton Pike, Feasterville, PA, USA. $100 for Members/ $125 for Non-Members includes buffet lunch. 9am to 4:30pm. Details.

Sunday 19 March: Irish genealogy workshop with the Ulster Historical Foundation. Hosts: Heinz History Center (HHC) & Westmoreland County Historical Society. Venue: HHC, 1212 Smallman St., Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Full day seminar (9:00am-4:30pm). Need to register in advance.