Thursday 31 August 2017

Tipperary Studies adds Murphy Ballinamona collection

The photo is indexed 'Kathleen and
Peter on wall at B Vale, 24 Sept 1913'.
Tipperary Studies
Tipperary Studies, the Local Studies archive of the Tipperary Library Service, has uploaded a large collection of photographs dating from the late 1890s to the early 1930s.

The collection – The Murphy Ballinamona (Cashel) Negative Collection – holds some 1,200+ images of Ballinamona House, grounds and family but there are also images from various parts of Tipperary, Ireland and England.

Among them are varied shots of social life, farm animals, horses and families in and around Ballinamona. There are also several images of the Galtee mountains.

To search the online photo collection, much of which was indexed by the family, click the link above.


Wednesday 30 August 2017

Short courses at NIFHS Resource Centre, Sept-Oct

The North of Ireland Family History Society (NIFHS) has a terrific programme of short family history and DNA courses starting soon at their Library and Resources Centre in Newtownabbey, which is easy to find and has plenty of free parking.

Courses include one to three sessions, and the costs range from £7 to £15. Many of them are held on Tuesdays when the NIFHS Library is open (2pm to 8pm), so delegates can take the opportunity to do further research while they're there. There's a cafe on-site to keep you going!

Bookings are open to everyone but non-members will need to be quick to reserve their place because members have had advance notice and some courses are already heavily booked.

Below are the Resource Centre events starting in September and October. They are in addition to the monthly meetings held by NIFHS local branches, and include a couple of free one-off events:

Tuesday 5 September: Family Finder 1 – 3 evenings
Saturday 9 September: Starting your Genealogy – Beginner’s Course – 3 afternoons
Saturday 30 September: Transcription – Methods and Benefits – 1 afternoon – FREE EVENT
Tuesday 3 October: Family Tree Maker – Basics and Benefits – 1 morning
Tuesday 3 October: Websites for Genealogy – 2 evenings
Tuesday 10 October: Valuation Records – 1 morning and afternoon
Monday 16 October: Family Finder 2 – 3 evenings
Tuesday 17 October: Writing up Your Family History – 3 mornings
Tuesday 17 October: Researching Military Ancestors – 2 evenings
Tuesday 31 October: Halloween Lock-In – 1 evening – FREE EVENT

You'll find more information about each of the courses and events on the NIFHS website.



Tuesday 29 August 2017

Registry of Deeds Index reaches important milestone

The Registry of Deeds Index Project reached an important milestone this month, with more than quarter of a million index entries (251,433 to be precise) now available to freely search. Each entry has been contributed by volunteer researchers.

These indexed entries come from just over 28,000 memorials of deeds.

While the latest milestone is worthy of celebration and the volunteers certainly deserve a hearty round of applause, the scale of the task still remaining is vast. The Registry of Deeds collection comprises more than 800,000 memorials of deeds dating before 1832, and many more after that date, so there is still much to do.

Fortunately, recent changes at FamilySearch have made contributing to the Index Project much easier. Nick Reddan FIGRS, the founder of the project, encourages all researchers to view some images of the memorial books via the FamilySearch site, and contribute entries to the Index Project for the benefit of other genealogists. You'll find guidance on how to do this (here).

Portadown Times joins British Newspaper Archive

Another Irish title has made its debut on the British Newspaper Archive (BNA): The Portadown Times.

The paper is still in circulation in County Armagh. The online database plans to make available historical editions published from 1922 to 1959, which includes the period (1956-1959) when it appeared as The Portadown Times and Portadown Express.

Editions published 1922-1941 and 1954-1956 are already available for searching and viewing at both the BNA and FindMyPast.


Monday 28 August 2017

Irish genealogy & history events, 28 Aug to 10 Sept

Monday 28 August: Late Summer Bank Holiday in Northern Ireland only. All libraries and repositories closed. (Normal hours in Republic.) Regular opening hours resume in Northern Ireland from Tuesday 29th.

Tuesday 29 August: Irish Genealogy Hour – hands-on research in the computer classroom, with different topic each week. Host & venue: Billings Public Library, 510 North 28th St, Billings, Montana, USA. Free. All welcome. Noon to 1pm. For more information, T: (406) 657-8258.

Wednesday 30 August: Open Genealogy Session, with Lisa Dougherty. Host: Irish American Heritage Museum. Venue: Paul O'Dwyer Library, Irish American Heritage Museum, 370 Broadway, Albany, New York, USA. Free admission. 11am to 2pm.

Thursday 31 August: Book launch: The Dublin Lockout 1913, New Perspectives on Class War & its Legacy, edited by Conor McNamara and Padraig Yeates. Host: Irish Academic Press. Venue: Galway Mechanics Institute, 6-8 Middle Street, Galway City. Guest speaker Dr John Cunningham. 8pm. RSVP info@iap.ie or tel (045) 432 497.

Friday 1 September: Women and the Irish Revolution 1917-23: Feminism, Violence, Nationalism, a day conference. Host: Maynooth University. Venue: The Royal Irish Academy, Dawson Street, Dublin 2. 9am to 6pm. Full programme and details. Fully booked, but waiting list registration still possible.

Friday 1 September and Saturday 2 September: The Genealogy Event, a conference. Venue: Fitzgerald's Woodlands House Hotel in Adare, Co Limerick. Full programme of lectures and social events for all levels. Details.

Saturday 2 September: Family History & DNA Fair. Lectures, exhibitors, one to one consultations and more. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Ballymena Branch. Venue: Braid Film Theatre, The Braid Ballymena Town Hall, Museum & Arts Centre, 1-29 Bridge Street, Ballymena, Co Antrim. 11am to 4pm. Free.

Tuesday 5 September: Irish Genealogy Hour – hands-on research in the computer classroom, with different topic each week. Host and venue: Billings Public Library, 510 North 28th Street, Billings, Montana, USA. Free. All welcome. Noon to 1pm. For more information, T: (406) 657-8258.

Saturday 9 September: Out of the Frame and into the Picture, with Sheena McClure, plus Member Registration. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Tyrone branch. Venue: Seminar Room, First Floor, Omagh Library, Dublin Road, Omagh, Co Tyrone, BT78 1HL. 10am. All welcome.

Saturday 9 September: Ship records (and immigration records), with Mary Wickersham. Host: Irish Genealogical Society International. Venue: Minnesota Genealogical Library, 1185 Concord St North, South St Paul, MN 55075, USA. Members $15/ Non-members $20. 10:30am to Noon. Register.

Saturday 9 September: Testing the Links: DNA and the Chain of Irish Ancestry, with Professor Dan Bradley. Host: Seamus Heaney's Human Chain weekend. Venue: Seamus Heaney HomePlace, 45 Main Street, Bellaghy, Magherafelt, Co LondonDerry BT45 8HT. 11.30am. Tickets £3.

Sunday 10 September: History of the Irish and The City of London (The Square mile), a guided walk. Host: London Easter 1916-1924 Centenary Committee. Meet at Holborn tube station, Kingsway, London WC2, UK. Noon to 2:30pm. Free, but donations to hosts appreciated. No booking necessary. Details.



Friday 25 August 2017

4 days of free access to all Ancestry's Irish & UK records

http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-5737308-10819001?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ancestry.co.uk%2Fcs%2Ffree-accessAncestry UK is offering free of charge access to UK and Ireland records on its genealogy website this long (UK-only) bank holiday weekend.

Scroll through the list of more than 2,250 collections included in the free package, and imagine how much research progress you could make over the next few days!

The free access runs until 23:59pm Dublin/London time on Monday 28 August 2017.

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.

Happy researching!

Monday 28th Aug: Holiday closures in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland enjoys its Late Summer Bank Holiday on Monday 28 August.

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) will be closed on Monday and will re-open on Tuesday, as will all public lending libraries. Those branch libraries that normally open on Saturdays will be open tomorrow; closed Monday.

The Linen Hall Library in Belfast will be open on Saturday (9:30am–4pm) but not on Monday.

This public holiday does not apply to the Republic of Ireland.

Thursday 24 August 2017

Irish Roots magazine's Autumn edition published

The latest edition of Irish Roots, Ireland's only independent family history magazine, has been published. Its front cover sports a photo of County Cork's striking Kindred Spirits sculpture, which honours the generosity of the Choctaw Nation during the Great Famine, and was officially dedicated in June.

Why not peek into its pages with a free sample download?
Why not take a peek into its
pages with a free sample download?
Inside this issue are several in-depth guides guaranteed to help researchers. They explore resources for Derry ancestors, the much underused Enhanced British Parliamentary Papers on Ireland (EPPI), Irish Methodists and Irish Soldiers in Australia.

You'll also find advice on interpreting results from the most common DNA test (autosomal DNA/atDNA), an insight into the historical development of Derry's Top 300 Surnames, an overview of Irish place names and families from Leinster, and my own review of up-to-the-minute news about record releases and other developments in the world of Irish family history.

There's also an interesting feature about linen and lace production in Ireland during the 19th century, latest news from the island's genealogical societies and groups, upcoming events, readers' genealogical questions answered, and much more.

Irish Roots magazine is available in both paper and digital format. You can find out more details at www.irishrootsmagazine.com.

Wednesday 23 August 2017

New online platform for Limerick Archives

Limerick Archives has launched a webpage on Limerick.ie to increase awareness of and access to the county's archive holdings, exhibitions and digital publications.

Home page of the new
Limerick Archives online platform
In this pilot phase of Limerick City and County Council's Archive Digitisation Project, a selection of the most popular collections from Limerick City Council’s own records as well as private papers acquired by Limerick Archives have been scanned in colour. Some material previously captured on microfilm has also been uploaded.

To whet your appetite, I've listed below some of the online Archives Collection available to researchers (there are plenty more):

Digital Archives Categories
  • Cemeteries and Graveyards
  • Military and Policing
  • Records of the Christian Brothers Schools 1856-1925
  • Landed Estates
  • Society of Friends (Quakers): Limerick Papers

Limerick City & County Council and Local Government Collections
  • Limerick Union Board of Guardians Minute Books, 1842-1922
  • Rate Valuation Books, 1893-1971
  • Registration of Motor Vehicles, 1904-1982
  • Register of Cases of Successful Vaccination, 1864 – 1912
  • Limerick Police Force, 1922 (pdf)

Private Papers and Business Collections
  • Croker Papers, 1798-1858
  • Limerick County Infirmary, 1835-1958
  • Limerick Bakers Society, 1871-1923
  • Limerick County Militia, 1797-1846

In addition, the website holds Collection Lists (descriptive lists) for all its catalogued material.

It's a good-looking site, if a bit slow to download pages, and is well worth exploring for its wealth of historical resources about the city' development and the working and cultural life of its inhabitants.



Tuesday 22 August 2017

Introduction to Irish Family History course at NLI

National Library of Ireland,
Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
Sean Murphy’s Introduction to Family History course will be running again at the National Library of Ireland (NLI) this Autumn.

The eight-week course will be held 2pm to 4:30pm on Wednesdays starting on 11 October, with the last session on 28 November.

You can download the full course syllabus here.

While the course content is suitable for genealogy beginners, participants need to be familiar with using computers. Places on the course are limited to 30, and the course fee is €100. Booking opens on Monday 28 August.

For more information about the course, or (from 28 August) to book a place, contact Ciara Kerrigan by emailing ckerrigan@nli.ie.

UPDATE, 6 September: Sean has advised Irish Genealogy News that the course is now fully booked.


Leitrim Advertiser joins British Newspaper Archive

The British Newspaper Archive has added The Leitrim Advertiser to its online database.

This title, published in Mohill, Co Leitrim, was also known as The Leitrim and Longford Advertiser in the late 1860s. The BNA plans to add editions under both titles from 1845-1916.

So far, 1409 editions from 1886, 1890-1899, and 1901-1916 are available for searching on both the British Newspaper Archive and its sister site FindMyPast (Irish Newspaper Collection).


Monday 21 August 2017

Up to 40% discounts from Irish Newspaper Archive

To mark Ireland's fantastically popular Heritage Week, the Dublin-based Irish Newspaper Archives (INA) has announced some excellent discounts on its subscription packages.

Each of the packages provides full access to INA's online database, which holds more than six million pages published by 58 historical newspapers across the 32 counties of the island.

The fully digitised content starts in 1738 and continues to the current day.

The current discount range from 10% for the one-day offer to a whopping 40% for the annual subscription.

Whichever offer suits you best, you'll need to use the appropriate discount/promotion code.
For payment in Euros, click the image below.
For payment in US$, click here.
For payment in GB£, click here.
In all cases, the discounts will run until Wednesday 30 August.


https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/subscribe?cur=EUR


Irish genealogy & heritage events, 21 August to 2 Sept

This week's fortnightly events listing covers Heritage Week (19-27 August), when more than 2,200 interesting lectures, tours and walks and other events are held across Ireland.

The online programme – click the logo below – filters the events by places and topics, and generally does this job fairly well. Be aware, however, that the filter relies on how organisers 'tagged' or described their event; some events have been filtered only for 'genealogy' and some only for 'family history', while others show up for both terms.

http://www.heritageweek.ie/whats-on/events?where=&when=&type=&order=&q=genealogyIn my listing below, I haven't made any attempt to replicate the full official Heritage Week programme. Instead, I've included more than 25 events that I become aware of in a more piecemeal or organic way, which probably means there is some bias towards places connected with my research and my personal interests. There are also a couple taking place in the USA.

As is usual, the week after Heritage Week is rather light on happenings in the Republic. I'll update the list if I'm notified of any more events that week.

Monday 21 August: Tour of Mount St Lawrence Cemetery. Venue: Meet at Main entrance of cemetery, Limerick. Free. No booking necessary. 3pm to 4pm. More details: tel: (0)61 407017, email: matthew.potter@limerick.ie.

Monday 21 August: Merchants, marriage and mobility, Woodford 1850s to 1920s, with Monica Hynes. Host: East Galway Family History Society. Venue: Woodford Heritage Centre, Bolag, Woodford, Co. Galway. Free. No booking required. 2:30pm to 3:30pm.

Monday 21 August: Genealogy and family history advice service, with Margaret Bonar and Betty Craven. Host: Donaghmede Library, Donaghmede Shopping Centre, Grange Road, Dublin 13 or Raheny Library, if preferred. All welcome but you need to book by phone: 087 6491605. Free.

Monday 21 August: Family history workshop, with Sinead Holland, Laois County Library Archivist. Host: Laois Libraries. Venue: Rathdowney Library, Mill Street, Rathdowney, Co. Laois. Free. 3pm-5pm. Booking required: Tel 0505 46852 or email cafitzpatrick@laoiscoco.ie

Tuesday 22 August: Genealogical evening, with Dr Paul MacCotter. Host and venue: Franciscan Well Brewery pub, North Mall, Cork City. Introduction to Irish genealogy for beginners; family history and surname origins advice for the more advanced. 8:30pm. Free. No booking necessary.

Tuesday 22 August: Irish Genealogy Hour – hands-on research in the computer classroom. Different topic each week. Host and venue: Billings Public Library, 510 North 28th Street, Billings, Montana, USA. Free. All welcome. Noon to 1pm. More information, T: (406) 657-8258.

Tuesday 22 August: Clans and Surnames of East Galway in medieval times, with Dr Joe Mannion. Host: East Galway Family History Society. Venue: Woodford Heritage Centre, Bolag, Woodford, Co. Galway. Free. No booking required. 2:30pm to 3:30pm.

Tuesday 22 August: Historical walking tour of the Grand Canal Dock area, with members of Ancestry's ProGenealogists team. Host: Ancestry. Venue: Meet outside Ancestry's offices at 52-55 Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin 2. 1pm to 2pm. Free. For more details.

Tuesday 22 August: Cillini of West Cork, with William Casey. Host: Skibbereen Heritage Centre. Venue: Skibbereen Credit Union Conference Room, Main Street, Skibbereen, Co Cork. 8pm. Free. Need to reserve a place on 028 40900.

Tuesday 22 August: Launch of new local history website followed by Thomas Adderley's golden years of flax and linen manufacture in West Cork, with Paddy O'Sullivan. Host: Cork County Library. Venue: Bandon Library, Bandon Shopping Centre, South Main Street, Bandon, Co. Cork. 7pm. All welcome. Free but need to book: t (0)23 884 4830, e bandonlibrary@corkcoco.ie.

Tuesday 22 August: Emigration from the port of Sligo, a presentation by Sligo Heritage and Genealogy Society. Venue: County Sligo Heritage & Genealogy Centre, Aras Reddan, Temple Street, Sligo, Co Sligo. 2:30pm to 4:30pm. Free. For more details, phone 071 9143728.

Wednesday 23 August: The early story of brewing in Cork: history and archaeology, a walking tour, with Caen Harris. Host: Cork Historical & Archaeological Society. Meet at Beamish & Crawford Brewery, South Gate Bridge, Main Street, Cork. 7pm. €3 per person.

Wednesday 23 August: Exploring the Holy Wells of Woodford and Ballinakill, a field trip with Dr Christy Cunniffe. Host: East Galway Family History Society. Venue: Woodford Heritage Centre, Bolag, Woodford, Co. Galway. Free. No booking required. 2:30pm to 3:30pm.

Wednesday 23 August: Medieval Riots, Murder and Mayhem, with Finbar Dwyer. Host: Tipperary Local Studies. Venue: Tipperary County Museum, Mick Delahunty Square, Clonmel, Co Tipperary. 7.30pm. Admission is free but places are limited and seats will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

Wednesday 23 August: The online revolution in Irish family history, with John Grenham MAGI. Host and venue: Central Library, Lady Lane, Waterford, Co Waterford. 6:15pm to 7:15pm. All welcome. While the event is free, booking is advised by telephone to 0761 10 2975 or email: ecowman@waterfordcouncil.ie.

Wednesday 23 August: Historical walk around Skibbereen Town, with Philip O'Regan. Host: Skibbereen Heritage Centre. Meet at Skibbereen Courthouse. Skibbereen, Co Cork. 6:30pm. Free, but booking essential on 028 40900.

Wednesday 23 August: Family History Curiosities, with Karen O'Riordan. Host: Local Studies, Cork County Library, Carrigrohane Road, Cork City. 1:30pm to 2:30pm. All welcome. Free, but booking required – tel (0)23 4285640 or email localstudieslibrary@corkcoco.ie.

Thursday 24 August: People who made Waterford famous, a miscellany of short talks by members. Host: Waterford Archaeological & Historical Society. Venue: The Tapestry Room, Granville Hotel, Meagher's Quay, Waterford City. 7pm. All welcome. Free.

Thursday 24 August: Historical walking tour of the Grand Canal Dock area, with members of Ancestry's ProGenealogists team. Host: Ancestry. Venue: Meet outside Ancestry's offices at 52-55 Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin 2. 1pm to 2pm. Free. For more details.

Thursday 24 August: Fenians in Skibbereen, with William Casey, marking the 150th anniversary of the Fenian Rising, 1867. Host: Skibbereen Heritage Centre. Venue: Skibbereen Credit Union Conference Room, Main Street, Skibbereen, Co Cork. 8pm. Free. Need to reserve a place on 028 40900.

Thursday 24 August: The Congested District Board in the Sliabh Aughty area (1891-1923) and its work in the Sliabh Aughty area, with Brian Keary. Host: East Galway Family History Society. Venue: Woodford Heritage Centre, Bolag, Woodford, Co. Galway. Free. No booking required. 2:30pm to 3:30pm.

Thursday 24 August: The online revolution in Irish family history, with John Grenham MAGI. Host and venue: Dungarvan Library, Davitt’s Quay, Dungarvan, Co Waterford. 11:15am-12:15pm. All welcome. While the event is free, booking is advised by telephone to 0761 10 2975 or email: ecowman@waterfordcouncil.ie.

Friday 25 August: Conscription and Recruitment during the First World War, an afternoon conference, with Dr Timothy Bowman, Emmanuel Destenay, Stephen Scarth and Bruno Longmore. Host and venue: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, 2 Titanic Blvd., Titanic Quarter, Belfast, BT3 9HQ. 2pm-4pm. Admission is FREE, however booking is essential as spaces are limited. Register for this event at Eventbrite.

Friday 25 August: Sile na Gig - Midwife of the soul, with Aine Brosnan. Host: Skibbereen Heritage Centre. Venue: Skibbereen Credit Union Conference Room, Main Street, Skibbereen, Co Cork. 8pm. Free. Need to reserve a place on 028 40900.

Friday 25 August: The C19th clergy of Clonfert diocese: folklore, perception and reality, with Declan Kelly. Host: East Galway Family History Society. Venue: Woodford Heritage Centre, Bolag, Woodford, Co. Galway. Free. No booking required. 2:30pm to 3:30pm.

Saturday 26 August: Introduction to genealogy Workshop, a Heritage Week event. Host: Western Family History Association. Venue: Lackagh Parish Centre, Lackagh, Co Galway. 2pm to 5:30pm. All welcome.

Saturday 26 August: History of the Woodford ironworks, with Dr Paul Rondelez. Host: East Galway Family History Society. Venue: Woodford Heritage Centre, Bolag, Woodford, Co. Galway. Free. No booking required. 2:30pm to 3:30pm.

Saturday 26 August: Getting started in genealogy, a workshop. Hosts:Tulla XO and Clare Roots Society. Venue: Upstairs Meeting Room, Tulla Courthouse, Main Street, Tulla, Co. Clare. Free. 10am - 12pm. More information: T - (087) 9771385; E - tulla@irelandxo.com

Sunday 27 August: Family History Day, St. Peter's Exhibition Centre, North Main Street, Cork City, Co Cork. A day of talks and consultations with genealogy experts. Free admission. 11am to 3pm. More information: T: (021) 427 8187, E: info@stpeterscork.ie.

Monday 28 August: Late Summer Bank Holiday in Northern Ireland only. All libraries and repositories closed. Regular opening hours resume from Tuesday 29th. (Normal hours in Republic.)

Tuesday 29 August: Irish Genealogy Hour – hands-on research in the computer classroom, with different topic each week. Host & venue: Billings Public Library, 510 North 28th St, Billings, Montana, USA. Free. All welcome. Noon to 1pm. For more information, T: (406) 657-8258.

Wednesday 30 August: Open Genealogy Session, with Lisa Dougherty. Host: Irish American Heritage Museum. Venue: Paul O'Dwyer Library, Irish American Heritage Museum, 370 Broadway, Albany, New York, USA. Free admission. 11am to 2pm.

Friday 1 September: Women and the Irish Revolution 1917-23: Feminism, Violence, Nationalism, a day conference. Host: Maynooth University. Venue: The Royal Irish Academy, Dawson Street, Dublin 2. 9am to 6pm. Full programme and details. Fully booked, but waiting list registration still possible.

Saturday 2 September: Family History & DNA Fair. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Ballymena Branch. Venue: Braid Film Theatre, The Braid Ballymena Town Hall, Museum & Arts Centre, 1-29 Bridge Street, Ballymena, Co Antrim. 11am to 4pm. Free.

Friday 18 August 2017

Cork County Libraries launches local studies site

The Local Studies Department of Cork County Libraries has launched a new online presence in which to house its growing collection of digital resources.

List of Bandonbridge Catholic electors 1884
Click for larger image on CorkLocalStudies.ie
This new site – corklocalstudies.ie – will be officially launched next week in Bandon Library (see below for details). By pure coincidence, a good quantity of the new resources originate from that town, which is known as the Gateway to West Cork.

Since it is also very much the home territory of my paternal ancestors, I've spent a couple of happy hours rooting around the new site and can confirm it has some real goodies. How about lists of Electors from 1884? An 1879 voting poll ledger for the Town Improvement Act, showing who voted for, and who voted against? Or the Bandon Town Council Minute Books from 1838 to 2004?

Moving further afield in the county, there is a collection of 19th-century town maps of Mallow, Passage West, Queenstown (Cobh) and Youghal; these maps are at a scale of ten feet to one mile, showing in great detail the layout of the town in the second half of the 1870s. There are also several collections of photographs and postcards, a number of historical town guides, some rebel pamplets from the Revolutionary Era, two collections to delight railway enthusiasts, and one for those with an interest or connection to the theatre.

In addition, thirteen 'exhibitions' are available for viewing. These cover various aspects of County Cork history and were created by the Local Studies Library team to highlight the collections and resources on offer in the Local Studies library. Topics have varied widely, and include Ford – the Cork Connection; The Battle of the Somme – the Irish Connection; Cork County Hall – from inception to completion; and Seán O'Ríordáin (1916-1977).

I recommend all researchers dip in to explore this new site. There are more than 2,200 items in this digital library, and there will be more to come, as financial and staff resources allow.

The official launch of the new local history site will take place on Tuesday 22 August at 7pm in Bandon Library, on the corner of Market Street and South Main Street. After the formalities, Paddy O'Sullivan will present a talk on Thomas Adderley's golden years of flax and linen manufacture in West Cork. Everyone is welcome, but you need to book by telephone to (0)23 884 4830 or by email to bandonlibrary@corkcoco.ie.

FindMyPast adds Index to Will Calendars, 1858-1920

FindMyPast has added an index to Ireland's Calendars Of Wills & Administrations 1858-1920.

There are just over one million names in these calendars, with each entry providing a summary of the probate information include the date of death, address and occupation of the deceased, the value of the estate, the names of beneficiaries and sometimes limited additional details.

The Index on FindMyPast can be freely searched (you need only a free registered account). The search results provide a link from the indexed entries link to the National Archives of Ireland's Genealogy website where images of the Calendars can be downloaded free of charge. Below is an example of a couple of entries in the 1886 Calendar.


Wednesday 16 August 2017

Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives: August updates/1

Below are the photos and other files uploaded to the Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives database in the first two weeks of August:

Aylward Family Headstone
Tramore Holy Cross Graveyard, Co Waterford
Photo courtesy Valerie Ackroyd & IGPArchives
Click image for larger version.
CORK Genealogy Archives - Headstones
St. Multose (CoI), Kinsale. Plaques

DONEGAL Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Donaghmore Presbyterian Graveyard
Lifford, St.Lugadius Graveyard

DUBLIN Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Mount Jerome Cemetery, Parts 172 - 176

FERMANAGH
Genealogy Archives - Church Records
Galloon CoI Register, Baptisms, 1845-57
Galloon St Mary's RC, Baptisms, 1853-59

GALWAY
Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Kilmacduagh Monastery Graveyard

MEATH
Genealogy Archives - Headstones
St. Mary's, Navan (Right Side) (R-Y) - Updated

WATERFORD
Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Tramore, Holy Cross (R.C.) Part 1 & 2

WEXFORD Genealogy Archives
Headstones
Rathmacknee (or Rathmanee) Graveyard
Newspapers
Wexford Independent - Workhouse Entries & Deaths 15 Dec 1858 and 2 July 1862
Wexford Independent - Workhouse Entries 1 & 22nd Jun 1859 & 1 Aug 1860

WICKLOW Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Little Bray; St. Peter's Old Cemetery Part 4

Tuesday 15 August 2017

New: Maynooth Studies in Local History 2017 - 2

Following on from the earlier blogpost – New: Maynooth Studies in Local History 2017 - 1 – please see brief details below of three more of this year's Maynooth Studies in Local History volumes, which have been published by Four Courts Press.

Each paperback has a catalogue price of €9.95 but is on sale via Four Courts Press for €8.95.

http://www.fourcourtspress.ie/books/2017/tenement-dwellers-of-church-st/
The tenement dwellers of Church Street, Dublin, 1911, by Janet Moody.

This publication explores a micro-community of 132 families living in the slums of Church Street, Dublin, using the 1911 census as main primary source. The street became notorious in September 1913 when nos 66 and 67 collapsed.

Focusing on the families living in nos 39–76 in 1911, the census enables these tenement dwellers to emerge from anonymity. The 66-page study reveals horrific child mortality rates, low levels of literacy, over-crowding, subsistence level incomes and much more.

Other records used to gain a glimpse into this world include prison and workhouse registers and newspapers. ISBN: 978-1-84682-645-0. Click image for more information.



http://www.fourcourtspress.ie/books/2017/stradbally-hall-co-laois/
The eighteenth-century landscape of Stradbally Hall, Co. Laois, by Clair Mc Donald.

This 70-page study examines Stradbally Hall’s landscape during the 18th century. It takes the perspectives of four diverse groups within contemporary society – the owners, tenants, cartographers and visitors.

The story begins with the Crosby family, who used the landscape to convey messages of power, rank, authority and taste, and moves on to explores the tenants’ role in the landscape’s emerging shape, form and character. It then examines the role of cartographers who delineated its lands and represented them in map form, and finally looks to the visitors who viewed, commented upon and depicted the estate as a product of enlightened culture and as a place for Queen’s County’s high society. ISBN: 978-1-84682-646-7. Click image for more information.



http://www.fourcourtspress.ie/books/2017/kerry-1600-to-1730/Kerry, 1600–1730: The emergence of a British Atlantic county, by Marc Caball.

Kerry’s coastal location within the north-western corner of the north Atlantic positioned it strategically within a wider sphere of unparalleled discovery, migration and demographic upheaval, trade and commerce, and cultural interchange during the period 1600 to 1730.

Viewed from a British Atlantic perspective, this 64-page study locates early modern Kerry within a transformative context of change. ISBN: 978-1-84682-642-9. Click image for more information.

New: Maynooth Studies in Local History 2017 - 1

This year's Maynooth Studies in Local History volumes have been published by Four Courts Press.

The series, first published in 1995, has built into an impressive library of more than 130 high-quality theses based on original research by MA in Local History students at Maynooth University. Each is a comprehensive (15k-20k word/64-70 page) account of a subject, theme or episode in local history. (Full list of titles and authors.)

Below are brief details of three of the 2017 titles. (Details of the other three are in a separate blogpost – New: Maynooth Studies in Local History 2017 - 2.) Each paperback has a catalogue price of €9.95 but is on sale via Four Courts Press for €8.95.

http://www.fourcourtspress.ie/books/2017/castle-hyde/Castle Hyde – The changing fortunes of an Irish country house, by Terence Dooley.

This book details the rise of Castle Hyde (Co. Cork) as a country residence during the heyday of the Irish landed class, when such properties symbolised social standing and political power. It examines the consequences of the Great Famine on the Hyde family, forcing them to sell the mansion and estate, a sale characterized by skulduggery and intrigue.

Post independence, when hundreds of similar mansions were disappearing from the Irish landscape, Castle Hyde was purchased by an American publishing tycoon but fell into near ruin after his death. It was saved after the dancer Michael Flatley purchased it in 1999. 64pp. ISBN: 978-1-84682-643-6. Click image for more information.


http://www.fourcourtspress.ie/books/2017/the-shawlies/The Shawlies: Cork's women street traders and the 'merchant city', 1901–50, by Susan Marie Martin.

For centuries, working-class Irish women survived as street traders, selling fruit, vegetables and second-hand clothing. In Cork they were known as ‘the Shawlies’ because of the distinctive, traditional black shawls they wore on the streets well into the 20th century.

In 1926, the Irish Free State government introduced the Street Trading Act, insisting it was fair legislation needed to regulate street trading. In practice, it limited the rights of the Shawlies to earn, and facilitated their disappearance from the streets. This 64-page study assembles the first narrative of the lives of the Shawlies, and places it within the story of the larger strategies of governance that came to shape Cork’s urban landscape. ISBN: 978-1-84682-644-3. Click image for more information.


http://www.fourcourtspress.ie/books/2017/culture-politics-and-local-government-in-fingal/Culture, politics and local government in Fingal, 1891–1914, by Declan Brady.

Falling between more momentous events, the period from the death of Parnell to the Home Rule crisis is popularly thought to be somewhat stagnant. Instead, this era was filled by a radical discourse influenced by the cultural and literary revivals and the development of a more informed nationalist identity and objective.

This 56-page study examines the changing composition and conduct of the political elites in Fingal and explores the conditions that preceded and ultimately influenced the Irish revolutionary period. ISBN: 978-1-84682-641-2. Click image for more information.

Monday 14 August 2017

Free access to MyHeritage's Irish, UK, US & Canadian census collections until 20 August

To celebrate its database passing its 8billion records milestone earlier this month, My Heritage is opening up its collection of one billion census records for seven days.

https://www.myheritage.com/research/category-1000/census-voter-lists
More than 90 record sets are included in the free access period, some of them exclusive to MyHeritage.

While Irish family historians are accustomed to having year-round free access to Ireland's 1901 and 1911 censuses, it's not often there's a chance to delve into the US (1790-1940), Canadian (1825-1911) and England/Wales (1841-1911) collections without charge.

Extracts from the Scotland 1841, 1851, and 1861 censuses are also included, as are censuses from Denmark, Sweden and Finland.

You don't need to register or provide any personal details to get access. Just go to MyHeritage's Census search page and get started.

Irish family history and heritage events, 14-27 August

This week's fortnightly events listing takes us into Heritage Week 19-27 August, when a huge number (2,200+) of interesting lectures, tours and walks are held across Ireland.

http://www.heritageweek.ie/I've not attempted to include details of all the genealogy events taking place that week. Instead, I've noted below the events I've become aware of in a more piecemeal or organic way, which probably means there is some bias towards places connected with my research and my personal interests.

As such, the job of the listing over the next couple of weeks is just to whet your appetite and point you towards the Heritage Week website where you can quickly find the full selection of events for your own locality.

Monday 14 to Monday 21 August: Waterford City and County Archives will be closed. Reopening at High Street, Waterford City on 22 August (10am to 2pm).

Monday 14 August: Landscapes of Death: Goldenbridge and the Garden Cemetery, with Ciarán Wallace. Host and Venue: Richmond Barracks Mess, off Bulfin Rd, Inchicore, Dublin 8. 11am Refreshments will be served in te Mess Cafe after the talk. Weather permitting a short visit to Goldenbridge Cemetery will also take place. Tickets €5 (includes tea/coffee & scone).

Monday 14 August: Closure of Main and Manuscript Reading Rooms of National Library of Ireland. First of the service restrictions resulting from start of four-year redevelopment work at the Kildare Street, Dublin 2 library buildings. See NLI for details.

Tuesday 15 August: Irish Genealogy Hour – hands-on research in the computer classroom with different topic each week. Host and venue: Billings Public Library, 510 North 28th Street, Billings, Montana, USA. Free. All welcome. Noon to 1pm. More information, T: (406) 657-8258.

Tuesday 15 August: Genealogical evening, with Dr Paul MacCotter. Host & venue: Franciscan Well Brewery pub, North Mall, Cork City. Introduction to Irish genealogy for beginners; family history and surname origins advice for more advanced. 8:30pm. Free. No booking. Just turn up.

Saturday 19 August: Genealogy Workshop – how to trace your family history, with Lynn Brady. Host and venue: Glasnevin Cemetery Museum, Finglas Road, Dublin 11. 2pm-3pm. Free. Booking is essential: email Lynn Brady on lbrady@glasnevintrust.ie or call 0(1) 882 6536.

Saturday 19 August: Old Kilcummin Graveyard - recent genealogical and historical findings. Host: Kilcummin Historical Group. Venue: Old Kilcummin Graveyard, Glebe, Kilcummin, Killarney, Co. Kerry. 3pm to 4:30pm. Free. No booking. Information: kilcumminhistoricalgroup@gmail.com

Monday 21 August: Tour of Mount St Lawrence Cemetery. Venue: Meet at Main entrance of cemetery, Limerick. Free. No booking necessary. 3pm to 4pm. More details: tel: (0)61 407017, email: matthew.potter@limerick.ie.

Monday 21 August: Merchants, marriage and mobility, Woodford 1850s to 1920s, with Monica Hynes. Host: East Galway Family History Society. Venue: Woodford Heritage Centre, Bolag, Woodford, Co. Galway. Free. No booking required. 2:30pm to 3:30pm.

Monday 21 August: Genealogy and family history advice service, with Margaret Bonar and Betty Craven. Host: Donaghmede Library, Donaghmede Shopping Centre, Grange Road, Dublin 13 or Raheny Library, if preferred. All welcome but you need to book by phone: 087 6491605. Free.

Monday 21 August: Family history workshop, with Sinead Holland, Laois County Library Archivist. Host: Laois Libraries. Venue: Rathdowney Library, Mill Street, Rathdowney, Co. Laois. Free. 3pm-5pm. Booking required: Tel 0505 46852 or email cafitzpatrick@laoiscoco.ie

Tuesday 22 August: Genealogical evening, with Dr Paul MacCotter. Host and venue: Franciscan Well Brewery pub, North Mall, Cork City. Introduction to Irish genealogy for beginners; family history and surname origins advice for the more advanced. 8:30pm. Free. No booking necessary.

Tuesday 22 August: Irish Genealogy Hour – hands-on research in the computer classroom. Different topic each week. Host and venue: Billings Public Library, 510 North 28th Street, Billings, Montana, USA. Free. All welcome. Noon to 1pm. More information, T: (406) 657-8258.

Tuesday 22 August: Clans and Surnames of East Galway in medieval times, with Dr Joe Mannion. Host: East Galway Family History Society. Venue: Woodford Heritage Centre, Bolag, Woodford, Co. Galway. Free. No booking required. 2:30pm to 3:30pm.

Tuesday 22 August: Historical walking tour of the Grand Canal Dock area, with members of Ancestry's ProGenealogists team. Host: Ancestry. Venue: Meet outside Ancestry's offices at 52-55 Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin 2. 1pm to 2pm. Free. For more details.

Tuesday 22 August: Cillini of West Cork, with William Casey. Host: Skibbereen Heritage Centre. Venue: Skibbereen Credit Union Conference Room, Main Street, Skibbereen, Co Cork. 8pm. Free. Need to reserve a place on 028 40900.

Tuesday 22 August: Launch of new local history website followed by Thomas Adderley's golden years of flax and linen manufacture in West Cork, with Paddy O'Sullivan. Host: Cork County Library. Venue: Bandon Library, Bandon Shopping Centre, South Main Street, Bandon, Co. Cork. 7pm. All welcome. Free but need to book: t (0)23 884 4830, e bandonlibrary@corkcoco.ie.

Tuesday 22 August: Emigration from the port of Sligo, a presentation by Sligo Heritage and Genealogy Society. Venue: County Sligo Heritage & Genealogy Centre, Aras Reddan, Temple Street, Sligo, Co Sligo. 2:30pm to 4:30pm. Free. For more details, phone 071 9143728.

Wednesday 23 August: The early story of brewing in Cork: history and archaeology, a walking tour, with Caen Harris. Host: Cork Historical & Archaeological Society. Meet at Beamish & Crawford Brewery, South Gate Bridge, Main Street, Cork. 7pm. €3 per person.

Wednesday 23 August: Exploring the Holy Wells of Woodford and Ballinakill, a field trip with Dr Christy Cunniffe. Host: East Galway Family History Society. Venue: Woodford Heritage Centre, Bolag, Woodford, Co. Galway. Free. No booking required. 2:30pm to 3:30pm.

Wednesday 23 August: Medieval Riots, Murder and Mayhem, with Finbar Dwyer. Host: Tipperary Local Studies. Venue: Tipperary County Museum, Mick Delahunty Square, Clonmel, Co Tipperary. 7.30pm. Admission is free but places are limited and seats will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

Wednesday 23 August: The online revolution in Irish family history, with John Grenham MAGI. Host and venue: Central Library, Lady Lane, Waterford, Co Waterford. 6:15pm to 7:15pm. All welcome. While the event is free, booking is advised by telephone to 0761 10 2975 or email: ecowman@waterfordcouncil.ie.

Wednesday 23 August: Historical walk around Skibbereen Town, with Philip O'Regan. Host: Skibbereen Heritage Centre. Meet at Skibbereen Courthouse. Skibbereen, Co Cork. 6:30pm. Free, but booking essential on 028 40900.

Wednesday 23 August: Family History Curiosities, with Karen O'Riordan. Host: Local Studies, Cork County Library, Carrigrohane Road, Cork City. 1:30pm to 2:30pm. All welcome. Free, but booking required – tel (0)23
4285640 or email localstudieslibrary@corkcoco.ie.

Thursday 24 August: People who made Waterford famous, a miscellany of short talks by members. Host: Waterford Archaeological & Historical Society. Venue: The Tapestry Room, Granville Hotel, Meagher's Quay, Waterford City. 7pm. All welcome. Free.

Thursday 24 August: Historical walking tour of the Grand Canal Dock area, with members of Ancestry's ProGenealogists team. Host: Ancestry. Venue: Meet outside Ancestry's offices at 52-55 Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin 2. 1pm to 2pm. Free. For more details.

Thursday 24 August: Fenians in Skibbereen, with William Casey, marking the 150th anniversary of the Fenian Rising, 1867. Host: Skibbereen Heritage Centre. Venue: Skibbereen Credit Union Conference Room, Main Street, Skibbereen, Co Cork. 8pm. Free. Need to reserve a place on 028 40900.

Thursday 24 August: The Congested District Board in the Sliabh Aughty area (1891-1923) and its work in the Sliabh Aughty area, with Brian Keary. Host: East Galway Family History Society. Venue: Woodford Heritage Centre, Bolag, Woodford, Co. Galway. Free. No booking required. 2:30pm to 3:30pm.

Thursday 24 August: The online revolution in Irish family history, with John Grenham MAGI. Host and venue: Dungarvan Library, Davitt’s Quay, Dungarvan, Co Waterford. 11:15am-12:15pm. All welcome. While the event is free, booking is advised by telephone to 0761 10 2975 or email: ecowman@waterfordcouncil.ie.

Friday 25 August: Conscription and Recruitment during the First World War, an afternoon conference, with Dr Timothy Bowman, Emmanuel Destenay, Stephen Scarth and Bruno Longmore. Host and venue: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, 2 Titanic Blvd., Titanic Quarter, Belfast, BT3 9HQ. 2pm-4pm. Admission is FREE, however booking is essential as spaces are limited. Register for this event at Eventbrite.

Friday 25 August: Sile na Gig - Midwife of the soul, with Aine Brosnan. Host: Skibbereen Heritage Centre. Venue: Skibbereen Credit Union Conference Room, Main Street, Skibbereen, Co Cork. 8pm. Free. Need to reserve a place on 028 40900.

Friday 25 August: The C19th clergy of Clonfert diocese: folklore, perception and reality, with Declan Kelly. Host: East Galway Family History Society. Venue: Woodford Heritage Centre, Bolag, Woodford, Co. Galway. Free. No booking required. 2:30pm to 3:30pm.

Saturday 26 August: Introduction to genealogy Workshop, a Heritage Week event. Host: Western Family History Association. Venue: Lackagh Parish Centre, Lackagh, Co Galway. 2pm to 5:30pm. All welcome.

Saturday 26 August: History of the Woodford ironworks, with Dr Paul Rondelez. Host: East Galway Family History Society. Venue: Woodford Heritage Centre, Bolag, Woodford, Co. Galway. Free. No booking required. 2:30pm to 3:30pm.

Saturday 26 August: Getting started in genealogy, a workshop. Hosts:Tulla XO and Clare Roots Society. Venue: Upstairs Meeting Room, Tulla Courthouse, Main Street, Tulla, Co. Clare. Free. 10am - 12pm. More information: T - (087) 9771385; E - tulla@irelandxo.com

Sunday 27 August: Family History Day, St. Peter's Exhibition Centre, North Main Street, Cork City, Co Cork. A day of talks and consultations with genealogy experts. Free admission. 11am to 3pm. More information: T: (021) 427 8187, E: info@stpeterscork.ie.





Friday 11 August 2017

Major online update to CSORP (State Papers), 1823-30

After a five-year wait, a second major update to the online catalogue of the Chief Secretary of Ireland's Office Registered Papers (CSORP) has been launched today by Heather Humphreys TD, Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. The newly-available catalogue entries cover 1823-1830, and join those for 1818-1822 (online since 2012 - see blogpost).

This important resource is one of the most valuable 19th-century collections. The Chief Secretary's Office, located in Dublin Castle, was a key political office for the British administration at the time. As well as the official records, the archives include unofficial correspondence from private individuals and bodies on a wide variety of topics; some are topics of national importance but there are also many personal stories and plights concerning employment, health, unfair incarceration/punishment, religious intolerance, neighbour disputes, and so on.

Among the material are many petitions accompanied by long lists of signatures – an untapped resource that I'm sure genealogists will quickly get stuck into.

Launching the update, Minister Humpreys said: “I am very pleased to announce the online publication of this fascinating material by the National Archives. The updated website includes a catalogue containing over 33,500 items, providing a rich insight into Irish political, social, religious and economic life in the early 19th century. The records include petitions, police reports, official memoranda and private correspondence which flowed into and out of the Dublin Castle administration."

The cataloguing of the collection has been undertaken by archivists at the National Archives funded by the Crowley Bequest and the Department of Culture, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht.

The online catalogue is available at www.csorp.nationalarchives.ie and the original documents are freely available for public consultation at the Reading Room of the National Archives in Bishop Street, Dublin 8, subject to the normal rules of the National Archives.

Wednesday 9 August 2017

Two Irish genealogy conferences for September

Next month will see two major Irish genealogy gatherings taking place, one in County Limerick, the other in County Antrim. Here are the details:

Friday 1 and Saturday 2 September: The Genealogy Event, a family history and DNA conference. Also a pre-conference Beginners' Workshop. Venue: Fitzgerald's Woodlands House Hotel, Adare, Co. Limerick. Booking essential. Flexible ticket purchase options for lectures, workshops and social events.
Details: www.thegenealogyevent.com

Monday 25 to Friday 29 September: Return to the Causeway, a genealogy conference, with lectures, discussions, walking and coach tours to places of historic relevance, research assistance, a conference dinner and more. Aimed primarily at the descendents of Causeway Coast families. Host: Causeway Coast and Glens Branch of the North of Ireland Family History Society. Venue: The Atlantic Hotel, Portrush, Co Antrim. All-in price includes all admission fees, most meals, coach transport and conference dinner.
Details: Return to the Causeway



1826 Church Census joins Emerald Ancestors database

Only a couple of weeks since its relaunch, Emerald Ancestors has updated its database with another record set.

https://www.emeraldancestors.com/This time it's an 1826 Church Census, and it lists more than 650 names from the congregation of the Newtownhamilton Second Presbyterian Church in the parish of Newtownhamilton, County Armagh.

The areas within the catchment area included Armagh Brague, Ballymoyer, Blackbank, Camley, Dungormany (Dongormally in Tullyvallen), Newtownhamilton and Tullyvallen.

The census lists all members within a household including children, and identifies the family's townland of origin. Occasional annotations on individual members of the congregation are also recorded.

Among the names noted in the census are: Allen, Andrew, Atcheson, Boyse, Bradford, Brown, Buchanan, Campbell (Cambel), Castles, Clugston, Cole, Conn, Crozier, Cully, Deaney, Dobbin, Donaldson, Glenny, Gordon, Graham, Hare, Horner, Ingram, Innis, Johnson, Kennedy (Kenedy), Maxwell, McCann, McCart, McClean, McConnell (McConnel), McIlroy, McRoberts, Melvin, Moore, Morrison, Nickle, Parr, Preston, Scott, Simpson, Sprott, Starret, Strain, Watson, West & Wilson.

Copies of the census extracts are available to members through the site's Look Up facility. They can also be found at PRONI under microfilm reference MIC 1P/443.

Tuesday 8 August 2017

Military Service Pensions Collection blog launched

The Military Archives has launched a Military Service (1916-1923) Pensions Collection blog with a view to increasing awareness of this important historical material and highlighting some of the stories unearthed from its 250,000 records.

https://militarypensions.wordpress.com/A regular stream of blogposts will also keep researchers up to date with some of the discoveries still being made in the MSPC collection, which includes applications for pensions, gratuities and allowances lodged by those who participated in the events from 1916 to the end of the Civil War in 1923.

So far, four blogposts have been published. Three of them explore applications by named individuals, while another examines the incidences of reported deafness in the records.

In all cases, copies of original material are included, as are links to additional information.


Monday 7 August 2017

30% off in Ancestry DNA's Summer Sale: US only

 http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-5737308-13023266
Ancestry.com is offering a 30% discount on its DNA testing kits. The offer is available only to researchers in the USA.

This Summer Sale reduces the cost of the test from US$99 to US$69, with taxes/shipping costs additional.

To take advantage of the offer, click the image and sign up before the promotion ends on Tuesday 15 August. You'll find details about the Ancestry DNA tests and T&Cs on the landing page.

Irish family history & heritage events, 7-20 August

Monday 7 August: Public Holiday in Republic of Ireland. All repositories, archives, libraries etc closed. Free Genealogy Advisory Services at National Archives of Ireland and National Library of Ireland will not be operating.

Tuesday 8 August: Irish Genealogy Hour – hands-on research in the computer classroom. Host and venue: Billings Public Library, 510 North 28th Street, Billings, Montana, USA. Free. All welcome. Noon to 1pm. For more information, T: (406) 657-8258.

Tuesday 8 August: British & Irish newspapers, and Irish Family History Resources Online, two lectures with Chris Paton as part of the Researching Abroad, British Isles & European Ancestors conference taking place 8 and 9 August at Kedron Wavell Services Club, 21 Kittyhawk Drive, Chermside South, Queensland 4032, Australia. 9:00am-4:50pm each day. Day fees apply. Details and registration.

Tuesday 8 August: Genealogical evening, with Dr Paul MacCotter. Host and venue: Franciscan Well Brewery pub, North Mall, Cork City. Introduction to Irish genealogy for beginners; family history and surname origins advice for the more advanced. 8:30pm. Free. No booking required.

Wednesday 9 August: The Big Houses of East Belfast, with Roger Dixon. Part of the Eastside Arts Festival 2017. Host: PRONI. Venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. 1pm. Free. Advance registration necessary.

Thursday 10 August: Irish nurses in the First World War, with Dr Phylomena Badsey. Hosts: Western Front Association and PRONI. Venue: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast, BT3 9HQ. All welcome. £4 donation requested. 6:30pm to 8:45pm. Details.

Thursday 10 August: Delayed opening at National Library of Ireland. All areas/locations of the National Library in Dublin will remain closed until 11am to facilitate a staff development meeting.

Thursday 10 August: Public tour of WWIreland Exhibition, Exploring the Irish Experience at home and abroad. Host and Venue: National Library of Ireland, 2/3 Kildare Street (next door to main building), Dublin 2. Free. 2pm. No booking required.

Thursday 10 August: Waterford's medieval walls, an evening fieldtrip with Ben Murtagh. Host: Waterford Archaeological & Historical Society. Venue: Meet in the Apple Market (opposite Babycare), Waterford City at 7pm. All welcome. Members free. Non-members €5.

Friday 11 August: Behind-the-Scenes Tour of PRONI, with archival staff. Covers the research areas, the sorting, listing and cataloguing of new materials, the secure stores, the Conservation Suite and the Photography Studio. Host and Venue: Hosts: The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland and the Belfast Titanic Society. Venue: PRONI, 2 Titanic Blvd, Titanic Quarter, Belfast, BT3 9HQ. Free. Two identical two-hour tours: choose 10am or 2pm. Register.

Friday 11 August to Sunday 13 August: The Irish Fair of Minnesota. The largest free Irish fair in the USA takes place this weekend, with entertainment, Celtic Kitchen, a cultural area, vendors. Family history help will be on offer from the Irish Genealogical Society International, and the society will also be presenting a free lecture, Facts and Myths about Irish Research, at 11am on the Sunday. Venue: Harriet Island, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. Open Friday, Noon to 7pm; Saturday & Sunday, 10am to 6pm. More details.

Monday 14 to Monday 21 August: Waterford City and County Archives will be closed. Reopening at High Street, Waterford City on 22 August (10am to 2pm).

Monday 14 August: Landscapes of Death: Goldenbridge and the Garden Cemetery, with Ciarán Wallace. Host and Venue: Richmond Barracks Mess, off Bulfin Rd, Inchicore, Dublin 8. 11am Refreshments will be served in te Mess Cafe after the talk. Weather permitting a short visit to Goldenbridge Cemetery will also take place. Tickets €5 (includes tea/coffee & scone).

Monday 14 August: Closure of Main and Manuscript Reading Rooms of National Library of Ireland. First of the service restrictions resulting from start of four-year redevelopment work at the Kildare Street, Dublin, library buildings. See NLI for details.

Tuesday 15 August: Irish Genealogy Hour – hands-on research in the computer classroom with different topic each week. Host and venue: Billings Public Library, 510 North 28th Street, Billings, Montana, USA. Free. All welcome. Noon to 1pm. For more information, T: (406) 657-8258.

Tuesday 15 August: Genealogical evening, with Dr Paul MacCotter. Host & venue: Franciscan Well Brewery pub, North Mall, Cork City. Introduction to Irish genealogy for beginners; family history and surname origins advice for more advanced. 8:30pm. Free. No booking. Just turn up.

Saturday 19 August: Genealogy Workshop – how to trace your family history, with Lynn Brady. Host and venue: Glasnevin Cemetery Museum, Finglas Road, Dublin 11. 2pm-3pm. Free. Booking is essential: email Lynn Brady on lbrady@glasnevintrust.ie or call 0(1) 882 6536.

Friday 4 August 2017

Bank Holiday Weekend closures, RoI only

The Republic of Ireland will be taking the last of its summer public holidays on Monday, 7 August.

Here are the changes to standard opening times for the main repositories and institutions used by genealogists:

Dublin City Public Libraries will not open on Saturday 5 August or on Monday 7 August. Normal schedules resume Tuesday 8 August.

The National Archives of Ireland, including its free Genealogy Advisory Service, will be closed to the public on Monday 7 August and will re-open on Tuesday 8 August at 9.15am.

The National Library of Ireland Reading Room will be closed on Monday 7 August and there will be no Genealogy Advisory Service operating on that day. The popular Yeats exhibition and the World War Ireland exhibition at Kildare Street will be open normal hours on Saturday and Sunday and from 12pm to 5pm on Monday. Cafe Joly will be closed on both Saturday 5 August and Monday 7 August. All back to normal (9:30am) on Tuesday 8 August.

The GRO Research Room at Werburgh Street will be closed on Monday 7 August, reopening Tuesday 8 August at 9:00am.

Local branch libraries will be closed on Saturday 5 August and Monday 7 August, returning to regular timetables from Tuesday 8 August.

NOTE: Northern Ireland is open for business as usual on Monday 7 August but note that it'll be enjoying its own Late Summer Bank Holiday on Monday 28 August.

'Buried in Fingal' adds Balbriggan Registers 1929-2013

Part of the opening page of the
Balbriggan New Cemetery Bural Register
The Burial Registers for Balbriggan New Cemetery have been added to the free Buried in Fingal website.

They date from 13 October 1929, when Mary Lee of Drogheda Street, the 80-year-old widow of a Herdsman, was laid to rest and noted in the register's Observations column as 'The first interment in this cemetery', and end on 7 July 2013. They are presented in two pdfs, downloaded in a zip file of 41Mb. The registers can also be searched, by name, address, and by cemetery name.

The Buried in Fingal site was launched in May (see blogpost) and holds details of more than 30 cemeteries.

Thursday 3 August 2017

John Grenham's review of my Irish Genealogy Guide

https://www.johngrenham.com/blog/2017/08/01/the-bees-knees-and-the-cats-pyjamas/
I'm going to come over all bashful in a minute, but not until after I've pointed you towards a review by well-known professional genealogist John Grenham of my newly published book, the Family Tree Irish Genealogy Guide: How To Trace Your Ancestors In Ireland.

Click the thumbnail to visit his blog to find out why he's described the book as "the Bee's Knees and the Cat's Pyjamas, all rolled into one", and why it's now his favourite book on Irish genealogy.





PRONI's Archives Unlocked lunchtime lecture series

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
Starting in September, the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) is to hold a short series of Thursday lunchtime public talks.

These talks will be led by PRONI staff and will centre on archival collections at the Belfast repository and provide insight to using PRONI's sources for family and local history.

Each of the talks will take place at 1pm and will be held at PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast.

Thursday 14 September: Drawn from our land: revealing maps from the collections, with Dr Glynn Kelso

Thursday 21 September: Prison records at PRONI, with Graham Jackson

Thursday 28 September: Sport in the Archives, with Andrew Toland

Thursday 5 October: Capturing the past - photographic collections and digitisation, with Joy Carey and Lorraine Bourke.

Each of the lectures is free to attend and everyone is welcome. However, booking is essential as spaces are limited and these lecture series are often oversubscribed. Register at Eventbrite.

Ballymena Family History & DNA Fair: 2 September

The Ballymena branch of the North of Ireland Family History Society (NIFHS) is to hold its first Family History Fair on Saturday 2 September.

A broad selection of genealogical and historical groups, government bodies, specialist genealogists and DNA experts will be exhibiting and offering their expertise at the event, which will be held in the Braid Film Theatre, The Braid Ballymena Town Hall, Museum & Arts Centre, 1–29 Bridge Street, Ballymena, County Antrim.

The NIFHS hopes the event will increase awareness of both the Society's work and the research benefits of DNA testing. The Fair will be sponsored by Family Tree DNA.

The event will run from 11am to 4pm, and more details will be available later this month. For now, just make sure to save the date.

Wednesday 2 August 2017

IGRS launches 1775 Dublin Directory database

The Irish Genealogical Research Society (IGRS) has launched another online resource. This time it's a database index to Wilson's Dublin Directory, forming part of the 1775 edition of The Treble Almanac.

As the name suggests, The Treble Almanac is comprised of three separate directories:
  • The first is John Watson Stewart's Almanac, which notes a wide variety of information relating to Ireland, encompassing details about mail and stage coach timetables, establishment lists for the army and navy, schools etc.
  • The second is the English Court Registry, listing royalty, nobility, parliamentarians, military and naval lists, the civil establishment and judiciary lists etc;
  • The third, and by far the most useful to genealogists, is Wilson's Dublin Directory. It includes a very comprehensive list of Dublin's barristers, attorneys, medical practitioners, merchants, pawnbrokers, grocers, shoemakers, tanners, upholsters, auctioneers, brewers, painters, ironmongers, drapers, butchers, bakers, tailors etc. It also includes a list of the capital city's streets, lanes and alleyways.
In the new online database, entries include the first name and surname of the individual, their occupation and street address, and provide a link to a map taken from the Statistical Survey of the County Dublin, (Dublin, 1802). There are just over 3,600 entries available to search.

This edition of the Almanac is dated a year before the American Declaration of Independence in 1776; interestingly, the list of attorneys and barristers notes several who had qualified in Ireland but then migrated to the North American colonies. Among them are barristers Thomas Knox Gordon, who qualified in 1755 and by 1775 was the Chief Justice of North Carolina, and Edward Savage, who qualified in 1760 and subsequently became the Second Justice of North Carolina. There are also references to Canada, eg barrister Jonathan Belcher, who qualified in Michaelmas term 1741 and by 1775 was the Chief Justice of Nova Scotia.

In launching the new resource, Steven Smyrl, the Society's chairman, said: "This is yet another valuable resource being added to the IGRS website. Trade directories allow family historians to quickly identify where in a large town their merchant or tradesman ancestor lived and worked, and thus open up other relevant material such as guild records, parish registers, land deeds and freeman rolls.

"I would like to thank Nick Reddan, the Society's webmaster, for his dedication in compiling this valuable database. Nick is based in Australia, proving that distance is no barrier to assisting the Society through volunteer indexing and transcribing." Everyone can access the free-to-all database, which includes each resident’s surname, occupation and address. However, only members can see first names.

The 1775 Dublin Directory can be searched here.