Wednesday 28 February 2018

FindMyPast acquires genealogy start-up Twile

Findmypast has announced its acquisition of genealogy start-up Twile, creators of a visual family history timeline and winner of two RootsTech innovation awards.

Twile enables family historians to create interactive timelines with their family memories and set them against the context of world history. Twile provides new and engaging ways of telling a family’s story via beautiful infographics and other visualizations.

In the future, Twile’s storytelling features will be available on Findmypast, enabling users to automatically display their family history research in a media-rich timeline.

The Twile team will continue to develop and maintain Twile and there are no plans to change the features and services Twile users currently enjoy. Twile co-founder, Paul Brooks, will be overseeing all future integration work and regular updates will be shared with Twile subscribers.

Bad weather closes Ireland's major genealogy sites

Conditions are expected to deteriorate
dramatically as two storms arrive
Due to adverse weather conditions, much of Ireland is playing it safe and retreating indoors. While there are exceptions – the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland seems to be working normally as I write this (but see Update below) – many major repositories and local studies librairies have already closed or are in the process of closing early, and have ruled out opening tomorrow and Friday.

Among the major genealogical destinations involved are the National Archives of Ireland, National Library of Ireland, Dublin City Library & Archive and all City public libraries (closing at 3pm today), GRO Research Room in Dublin (closing at 2:30pm today) and the Representative Church Body Library.

Meteorological forecasts suggest the disruption may continue for the rest of the week in some places, especially in Leinster and Munster, and eastern Ulster.

UPDATE, 1 March: PRONI has cancelled its usual Thursday 'late night'. The offices will close at 4:45pm today. Later Update brings closure time forward to 3pm.
UPDATE, 2 March: PRONI appears to be open as normal.



Tuesday 27 February 2018

RootsIreland.ie launches 'Irish Genealogy Matters'

RootsIreland.ie, the online database of the Irish Family History Foundation (IFHF), has launched a newsletter called Irish Genealogy Matters.

The first edition has been published today and provides a round-up of last year's additions to the site, and advance notice of what we can expect to be joining the database in the near future. There are also details of an upgrade to the site's search facility and news from some of the IFHF's Heritage Centres, including events in which they will be involved during the year.

You can find out more on RootsIreland, and download the newsletter on the landing page.

UPDATE, 1 March: To receive the newsletter in your inbox, you need to register for an account (no need to have a sub). Be sure to tick the 'send me occasional emails' box on the registration page. Alternatively, follow the company on Facebook.

http://www.rootsireland.ie/2018/02/irish-genealogy-matters-newsletter/

Registry of Deeds Index Project: latest update

Following an update last weekend, the volunteer-managed Registry of Deeds Index Project holds 267,156 index records from 29,693 memorials of deeds.

A new search option has also been added to allow researchers to search for up to 100 contiguous memorials.

County Clare Library adds more RC baptism records

The Local Studies department of Clare County Library has added the following free material to its online Genealogy site:

Roman Catholic Baptisms, Parish of Rath/Killinaboy, Co Clare, 1819–1881

The material has been transcribed from the National Library of Ireland's online registers and donated by Sheila Duddy. Researchers can search the transcriptions in spreadsheets arranged chronologically, by Father's surname and by Mother's surname.

Military Archives: Reading Room closures in March

The Reading Room of the Military Archives at Cathal Brugha Barracks in Rathmines will be closed until Monday 12 March inclusive. Queries will not be accepted during this period.

There will be a further two-week closure of the Reading Room from Monday 19 March.

See the reasons for the closure and further details at MilitaryArchives.ie*.

* Along with several other Dublin sites having server problems, the militaryarchives site has been down most of this afternoon. They are aware and working to resolve the technical issue.

Monday 26 February 2018

Irish family history events, 26 February to 10 March

Monday 26 February: NLI Reading Room and Manuscript Room closed. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. On-going Monday closures are to facilitate extensive redevelopment of the premises. All other services/exhibitons/cafe, including Genealogy Advisory Service operating as normal. Details.

Tuesday 27 February: War, women and the gypsy caravan: the emergence of Belfast's first female police officers, 1914-43, with Dr Janice Holmes. This lecture about the first female police officers in Ireland is presented as part of PRONI's programme to mark the anniversary of suffrage for women and International Women's Day. Venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. Free. 1pm. Need to register.

Tuesday 27 February: Cinema in Revolutionary Ireland, a History Ireland Hedge School. Debate with Tommy Graham, Kevin Rockett, Ciara Chambers, Denis Condon and Joanne Carroll. Host: Host: History Ireland magazine. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. 7pm. All welcome. No booking, but early arrival advised to secure seat.

Tuesday 27 February: The usefulness of GRONI to the family historian, with a speaker from General Register Office of Northern Ireland. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Belfast branch. Venue: C. S. Lewis Room, Holywood Arches Library, 4-12 Holywood Road, Belfast, BT4 1NT. 7:30pm. Free. All welcome.

Tuesday 27 February: Using DNA in Genealogy, with Martin McDowell. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Causeway Coast and Glens branch. Venue: Guide Hall, Terrace Row, Coleraine, Co LondonDerry. 8pm. All welcome. No booking required.

Wednesday 28 February: Scale, Rail & Mail: Why Killaloe losts its steamer fleet, with Brian J Goggin. Host: Killaloe-Ballina Local History Society. Venue: Wood and Bell Café, Main St, Killaloe, Co Clare. Free. All welcome. 7pm.

Wednesday 28 February: The curious history of Irish dogs - A talk for The Year of the Dog, with David Blake Knox and illustrator Angela Wang. Host: Dublin Chinese New Year festival. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. 6:30pm. Free, but booking is required. (Fully booked... waiting list only.)

Saturday 3 March: Irish genealogy workshop, with Lynn Brady. Host: Glasnevin Trust. Venue: Glasnevin Museum, Finglas Road, Dublin 11. 2pm. Booking essential. €10.

Saturday 3 March: Irish records? - They all went up in smoke . . . or did they? a workshop with Jill Williams from the Irish Genealogical Research Society. Host and venue: Scottish Genealogy Society, SGS Family History Centre, 15 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2JL, UK. 10am to Noon. £10. Fully booked.

Saturday 3 March: Researching your Irish and Scots-Irish ancestors, a full day conference with Gillian Hunt and Fintan Mullin of the Ulster Historical Foundation. Hosts: Augusta Genealogical Society and the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library. Venue: Augusta-Richmond County Public Library, 823 Telfair Street, Augusta, GA, USA. 9am–5pm. Cost: $45 AGS members and Library Patrons; $50 non-members. Lunch and refreshment breaks included. Details.

Sunday 4 March: Irish genealogy workshop, with the Ulster Historical Foundation. Host: Heinz History Center and Westmoreland County Historical Society. Venue: Heinz History Center, 1212 Smallman St. Pittsburgh, Pa. 15222, USA. 9am–4:30pm. Need to register.

Monday 5 March: NLI Reading Room and Manuscript Room closed. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. On-going Monday closures are to facilitate extensive redevelopment of the premises. All other services/exhibitons/cafe, including Genealogy Advisory Service operating as normal. Details.

Monday 5 March Getting started with genealogy research. Hosts: Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI) for Aontas Adult Learners’ Festival. Three short introductory lectures (civil registration, land records, and census records) from 11:30am to 1:30pm, with five-minute gaps between, followed by small group workshops from 2:15pm. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Further details. See also Friday 9 March.

Monday 5 March: The Irish in Chicago, the most segregated city in America, with Dr Christina Marrocco. Host: Carlow Historical and Archaeological Society. Venue: Cobden Hall, Carlow College, College Street, Carlow. 1:45pm. All welcome. Free.

Monday 5 March: Researching your Irish and Scots-Irish ancestors, a full-day conference with the Ulster Historical Foundation. Hosts and venue: The New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), 99-101 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116 USA. 9:30am to 4pm. Details. Sold out.

Tuesday 6 March: International Women’s Day: Women and Medicine during the First World War, a half-day conference. Host and venue: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. 10–1:30pm. Free, but need to register.

Tuesday 6 March: Irish and Scots-Irish family history research workshop, with the Ulster Historical Foundation. Hosts: The Filson Society. Venue: The Filson Society, 1310 S. 3rd St, Louisville, KY 40208 USA. Details. 1pm to 4:30pm.

Wednesday 7 March: Irish genealogy workshop, with the Ulster Historical Foundation. Hosts and venue: The Newberry Library, 60 W Walton Street, Chicago IL 60610 USA. 9:15am–3pm. Details. Fully booked.

Wednesday 7 March: Penal Times: Irish Catholics in the 18th century, with Prof Ian McBride. Host: Irish Association of Professional Historians. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. 7pm. Free. All welcome. No booking required.

Thursday 8 March: Irish genealogy, a full-day conference with the Ulster Historical Foundation. Host: Wisconsin Historical Society. Venue: Memorial Library Room 126816 State Street, Madison, WI 53706 USA. 9am–5pm. Details. SOLD OUT.

Friday 9 March Getting started with genealogy research. Hosts: Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI) for Aontas Adult Learners’ Festival. Three short introductory lectures (civil registration, land records, and census records) from 11:30am to 1:30pm, with five-minute gaps between, followed by small group workshops from 2:15pm. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Further details.

Saturday 10 March: Using Griffith’s Valuation to identify your ancestors' origins: A Case Study, and Online sources for Irish research, with Donna Moughty. Host: Lee County Public Library. Venue: Fort Myers Regional Library, South Building, 1651 Lee Street, Meeting Rooms A & B, Ft. Myers, FL 9:30am to 12:30pm. Need to register.

Saturday 10 March: Southern Protestants and the Irish Revolution, 1916-1923, with Dan Purcell, and DNA, with Paddy Waldron. Host: Irish Family History Society. Venue: Dublin City Library Archive, 138/144 Pearse Street, Dublin 2. Registration at 2pm. All welcome. Free.

Saturday 10 March: Griffith’s Valuation of Ireland: There’s more than just names to be found, with Fern Wilcox. Host: Irish Genealogical Society International. Venue: Minnesota Genealogical Society Center, 1385 Mendota Heights Rd, Mendota Heights, MN, USA. 10:30am to Noon. Fee: $15 for IGSI members and $20 for non-members. Details.

Saturday 10 March: Tracing your Irish and Scots-Irish Ancestors, a full day-conference with Fintan Mullan and Gillian Hunt of the Ulster Historical Foundation. Hosts: British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa. Venue: Ben Franklin Place, 101 Centrepointe Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 8:30am to 4:30pm. Need to register by 7 March. No walk-in registration. Details.

Saturday 10 March: Images of Irish migration, with Dr Paddy Fitzgerald. Host: NIFHS Tyrone Branch. Venue: Seminar Room, First Floor, Omagh Library, Dublin Road, Omagh, BT78 1HL. 10am to noon. All welcome.

Saturday 10 March: Scots-Irish immigration to America, a live webinar presented by Peggy Clemens Lauritzen AG. Host: Southern California Genealogical Society. 10am PDT. Free. Register.


Friday 23 February 2018

Irish & UK records are free on Ancestry this weekend

Ancestry UK is giving researchers free access to its Irish and UK collection this weekend.

http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-5737308-10819001?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsearch.ancestry.co.uk%2Fsearch%2Fgroup%2Fuk_irish_recordsYou can see all the record sets included in the featured collection by clicking the link above and scrolling through the long list. More than a billion records are included.

If you don't already have a free registered account, you'll need to set one up in order to gain the free access. This is very straightforward and doesn't involve you having to provide any financial details. You need only to register your name and email address, and you'll then be sent a username and password. That's it.

The free access weekend runs from today until 23:59 GMT on Sunday 25 February.

(Free access links have been removed.)


Thursday 22 February 2018

Liverpool & Edinburgh electoral registers join Ancestry

Ancestry has added two collections of historical electoral registers for Liverpool and Edinburgh dating from 1832.

Liverpool Electoral Registers, 1832-1970
With more than 8million names from the city of Liverpool from 1832 to 1970, this collection is full of Irish names, especially from the late 19th-century when voting eligibility criteria was relaxed somewhat.

Edinburgh, Scotland, Electoral Registers, 1832-1966
This collection holds nearly 5million names from the annual poll books listing names and residences of people in Edinburgh who were eligible to vote in elections.

For both collections, it is worth viewing Ancestry's 'about' details (use the links above for the landing pages) as there is a guide to the codes used in the registers and details of how each collection has been added to the database. Indexes were created for every fifth year, while a browse facility allows researchers to narrow down occupancy in the in-between years. No registers were produced during the war years 1916, 1917 and 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943 and 1944.

NEHGS releases second instalment of RC registers from Irish community in Marlborough MA

https://catholicrecords.americanancestors.org/
The New England Historical Genealogical Society (NEHGS) has added another nine volumes of Roman Catholic baptism, marriage and confirmation registers from the predominantly Irish congregation of Immaculate Conception in Marlborough, Massachusetts.

More than 26,000 records have delivered more than 103,000 names to the Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1900, database at AmericanAncestors.org.
Access to the collection is available with an NEHGS membership at Individual level or above.

The new register volumes are as below:

Immaculate Conception (Marlborough) Baptisms and Marriages, 1854-1869

Immaculate Conception (Marlborough) Baptisms, 1854-1861

Immaculate Conception (Marlborough) Baptisms, 1861-1869

Immaculate Conception (Marlborough) Baptisms, 1869-1896

Immaculate Conception (Marlborough) Baptisms, 1875-1886

Immaculate Conception (Marlborough) Baptisms, 1897-1900

Immaculate Conception (Marlborough) Confirmations, 1897-1900

Immaculate Conception (Marlborough) Marriages, 1854-1869

Immaculate Conception (Marlborough) Marriages, 1869-1896

(See my blogpost of January for details of the first releases.)

Wednesday 21 February 2018

Spring edition of Irish Roots Magazine published

The Spring edition of Irish Roots Magazine, Ireland's only independent genealogy magazine, has been published.

Inside there's a great spread of features, all written by well-established genealogists and experts. You can find out how DNA can help adoptees trace their birth family and how to start digitising your family tree. There's guidance on the resources available for researching ancestors in Co Offaly, how to use US and Canadian resources in your Irish research, and a dedicated look at National School Roll Books and their value to genealogy.

On other pages you can learn about Irish connections in Australia, specifically through location and place names, and about Margaret Skinnider, a sniper during the Easter Rising who is buried in Glasnevin. There is also a surprising article about more than 20 men from Newmarket, Co Cork, who served as policemen in Hong Kong.

As always, there's a strong news and comment element in the magazine, with my own What's New? Review rounding up the latest record releases and other developments; reports from Irish genealogy societies at home and abroad; observations on intriguing genealogical discoveries; and in this issue, details of two new projects – one to recreate records lost in the 1922 Four Courts Fire, the other to gather details of men injured or killed in accidents while working on the railways 1911-1915.

There's always something to learn from the Q&A page, where professional research advice is provided to specific queries from readers, and a good selection of recently published history and genealogy books may help you find new direction and techniques for your research.

Irish Roots is an essential friend for Irish genealogists and for those interested in Irish heritage. It's published quarterly and is available in both digital and print format, on subscription or in one-off purchases. See the Irish Roots magazine website for more information and a free sample of this new edition.


Monday 19 February 2018

Irish genealogy and history events, 19 Feb to 4 March

Monday 19 February: NLI Reading Room and Manuscript Room closed. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. On-going Monday closures are to facilitate extensive redevelopment of the premises. All other services/exhibitons/cafe, including Genealogy Advisory Service operating as normal. Details.

Monday 19 February: The History of the Kelly Family from 1820 (Kelly Coal Boats), with Kelly Wilson. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Larne branch. Larne Bowling & Lawn Tennis Club, 112-120 Glenarm Road, Larne, BT40 1DZ. Visitors £3. Refreshments provided. 7:30pm.

Tuesday 20 February to Thursday 22 February: Trinity Secondhand Booksale. Host and venue: Trinity College Dublin, Examination Hall, Dublin 2. Starts Noon Tuesday. Ends lunchtime Thursday. Auction on Tuesday, 5:30pm.

Tuesday 20 February: Childhood and youth in Ireland from 1740, with Dr Sarah Anne Buckley. Host: Tipperary People & Places Lecture Series. Venue: Tipperary Studies, The Source, Cathedral Street, Thurles, Co Tipperary. 7:30pm. Admission free. Tea served. All welcome. More details studies@tipperarycoco.ie.

Tuesday 20 February: The early industrial heritage of Cork City, with Colin Rynne. Part of the 'Cork: Origins of a City' public talks series. Host and venue: St Peter's Cork, North Main Street, Cork City. 5pm. All welcome.

Tuesday 20 February: Torpedoed! The sinking of the RMS Leinster, with Philip Lecane. Plus A Civil War night of bombs and bullets in Shankill - August 1922, with James Scannell. Host: Foxrock Local History Club. Venue: Pastoral Centre, at rear of Foxrock Church, Dublin 18. Admission: Free to members/€5 for non-members. All welcome. 8pm.

Wednesday 21 February: The development of the Linen industry in the Upper Bann Valley, with Plunkett Campbell. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, North Armagh branch. Venue: Bleary Community Centre, 1 Deans Road, Bleary, Craigavon, Co Armagh, BT66 7AS. 7:30pm. All welcome. Free.

Wednesday 21 February: The Great War through the eyes of the poets, with Jim Shannon. Host: Carlow Historical and Archaeological Society. Venue: Leighlin Community Centre, St Lazerian's Street, Ballyknockan, Leighlinbridge, Co Carlow. 8pm.

Wednesday 21 February: Irish genealogy session, with Lisa Walsh Dougherty. Host and venue: Guilderland Public Library, 2228 Western Avenue, Guilderland, NY 12084, USA. 6-8pm. Free. Easy parking. No booking required.

Thursday 22 February: National Library of Ireland: Delayed opening. To facilitate a staff meeting, the NLI will not open until 11am. All NLI venues/services are affected, including Genealogy Advisory Service.

Thursday 22 February: Early Medieval Ireland, and book launch, with Matthew Stout. Host: Offaly Historical and Archaeological Society. Venue: Offaly History Centre, Bury Quay, Tullamore, Co Offaly. 8pm. Refreshments after lecture. All welcome. €2 members/€5 non-members. No need to book.

Thursday 22 February: Catholic/Irish/Protestant: Religious history and religious identity in Ireland 1600–2000, with Professor Alan Ford. The Annual Bishop Francis Mac Kiernan Memorial Lecture. Host: Cavan County Council's Library Service. Venue: Johnston Central Library, Farnham Street, Cavan. 7pm. Admission is free and all are welcome. No need to book.

Thursday 22 February: The Watchmen – Crime & Policing in Early-19th-century Monaghan, with Noel Campbell. Host and venue: Monaghan County Museum, 1-2 Hill Street, Monaghan. Free. 8pm. No booking.

Thursday 22 February: The Viking gold and silver hoards from Co Cork, with John Sheehan. Host: Duchas Clonakilty Heritage. Venue: The Parish Centre, Clonakilty, Co Cork. 8pm. Free. All welcome.

Thursday 22 February: Tracing your family history through free online sources, with Eilish Feeley. Host and venue: Roscommon County Library, Roscommon Town. 6pm to 7:30pm. Free. All welcome.

Friday 23 February: Cartoon representations of John Redmond, 1906–1916, with Dr Ăšna NĂ­ BhroimĂ©il. A special lecture marking the centenary of the death of John Redmond, MP for Waterford, in March 1918. Host: Waterford Historical Society. Venue: St Patrick's Gateway Centre, Patrick Street, Waterford City. 8pm. All welcome. Members free/non-members €5.

Sunday 25 February: Free genealogy help session. Host and venue: Library of the Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N Knox Avenue, Chicago, IL 60630, USA. From 1pm to 4pm. Free. All welcome.

Monday 26 February: NLI Reading Room and Manuscript Room closed. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. On-going Monday closures are to facilitate extensive redevelopment of the premises. All other services/exhibitons/cafe, including Genealogy Advisory Service operating as normal. Details.

Tuesday 27 February: War, women and the gypsy caravan: the emergence of Belfast's first female police officers, 1914-43, with Dr Janice Holmes. This lecture about the first female police officers in Ireland is presented as part of PRONI's programme to mark the anniversary of suffrage for women and International Women's Day. Venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. Free. 1pm. Need to register.

Tuesday 27 February: Cinema in Revolutionary Ireland, a History Ireland Hedge School. Debate with Tommy Graham, Kevin Rockett, Ciara Chambers, Denis Condon and Joanne Carroll. Host: Host: History Ireland magazine. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. 7pm. All welcome. No booking, but early arrival advised to secure seat.

Tuesday 27 February: The usefulness of GRONI to the family historian, with a speaker from General Register Office of Northern Ireland. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Belfast branch. Venue: C. S. Lewis Room, Holywood Arches Library, 4-12 Holywood Road, Belfast, BT4 1NT. 7:30pm. Free. All welcome.

Tuesday 27 February: Using DNA in Genealogy, with Martin McDowell. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Causeway Coast and Glens branch. Venue: Guide Hall, Terrace Row, Coleraine, Co LondonDerry. 8pm. All welcome. No booking required.

Wednesday 28 February: Scale, Rail & Mail: Why Killaloe losts its steamer fleet, with Brian J Goggin. Host: Killaloe-Ballina Local History Society. Venue: Wood and Bell Café, Main St, Killaloe, Co Clare. Free. All welcome. 7pm.

Wednesday 28 February: The Curious History of Irish Dogs - A talk for The Year of the Dog, with David Blake Knox and illustrator Angela Wang. Host: Dublin Chinese New Year festival. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. 6:30pm. Free, but booking is required. (Fully booked... waiting list only.)

Saturday 3 March: Irish genealogy workshop, with Lynn Brady. Host: Glasnevin Trust. Venue: Glasnevin Museum, Finglas Road, Dublin 11. 2pm. Booking essential. €10.

Saturday 3 March: Irish records? - They all went up in smoke . . . or did they? a workshop with Jill Williams from the Irish Genealogical Research Society. Host and venue: Scottish Genealogy Society, SGS Family History Centre, 15 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2JL, UK. 10am to Noon. £10. Fully booked.

Saturday 3 March: Researching your Irish and Scots-Irish ancestors, a full day conference with Gillian Hunt and Fintan Mullin of the Ulster Historical Foundation. Hosts: Augusta Genealogical Society and the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library. Venue: Augusta-Richmond County Public Library, 823 Telfair Street, Augusta, GA, USA. 9am–5pm. Cost: $45 AGS members and Library Patrons; $50 non-members. Lunch and refreshment breaks included. Details.

Sunday 4 March: Irish Genealogy Workshop, with the Ulster Historical Foundation. Host: Heinz History Center and Westmoreland County Historical Society. Venue: Heinz History Center, 1212 Smallman St. Pittsburgh, Pa. 15222, USA. 9am–4:30pm. Need to register.

Friday 16 February 2018

Doors open on first Back To Our Past (& GGI) in Belfast

The doors have opened on a bright sunny morning at the first-ever Back To Our Past (BTOP) Show in Belfast.

Held annually in Dublin since 2011, BTOP is a dedicated genealogy and family history exhibition and conference. It incorporates Genetic Genealogy Ireland, a distinct conference that attracts DNA specialists from around the world while offering a programme of lectures for researchers of all levels from beginners to experts. A traditional genealogy lecture programme is also part of the BTOP experience.

The debut Belfast show is being held at Titanic Belfast. There is an admission charge of £10, but once in, all lectures are free, and there is plenty of free advice on offer from many of the stall holders as well as products to purchase to help family historians learn and develop their research skills. Special show discounts are also likely to be much in evidence, and news of recent developments for some of the exhibitors.

For example, the Irish Genealogical Research Society (IGRS) will be launching the first three of a series of How-To videos offering expert research advice to its members*; FamilyTree DNA is offering big reductions on its Family Finder test, plus exclusive savings on mtDNA & Y-DNA test bundles to trace maternal and paternal ancestry; MyHeritage will be selling its DNA kit for £55 instead of normal price of £69; Irish Roots Magazine, Ireland's only independent genealogy magazine, has special bundle offers on back copies; and you should look out for some beautiful embroidered family trees by Niamh McCarthy, too.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1p4xxLCDXZMjgblWOXo4t-2VH4BemX9yU/view?usp=sharing
Beautiful stitching from artist Niamh McCarthy.
Click for larger view.
According to BTOP's organisers, the following exhibitors will be at the show: Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI); The Association of Scottish Genealogists in Archives (ASGRA); Belfast Newsletter; Belfast Telegraph; Croke Park Museum; Dublin Coin, Stamp and Medal Auctions; FamilytreeDNA; Fermanagh Genealogy; Genealogical Society of Ireland (GSI); Glasgow City Archives; Glasnevin Cemetery Museum; Hibernian Coins; Hidden Hearing; Imperial War Museum; Irish Genealogy Research Society (IGRS); Irish Genealogy Solutions; Irish Newspaper Archives; Irish Roots Magazine; Merriman Research; My Heritage; Naimh Designs; National Archives of Ireland; North of Ireland Family History Society (NIFHS); Percival Prints; Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI); Titanic Centre; Scottish Monumental Inscriptions; Senior Times magazine; Somme Museum; Tom Keane Antiques; Ulster Historical Foundation.

Both lecture programmes get underway at 10:30. View them here:
Genetic Genealogy Ireland lecture programme
Traditional and general genealogy lecture programme

Back To Our Past will be at Titanic Belfast today and tomorrow. Doors open each day at 10am and close at 5pm.

* For this launch weekend only, the videos are available for the public to view on the Society's IrishAncestors.ie. Thereafter, they will be accessible only to members.

Ancestry adds 20m records from London directories

Various types of directories are included in the collection
A whopping 19,793,623 records from 190 London directories published from 1736 to 1943 have joined Ancestry. The title of the collection – London, England, City Directories, 1736-1943 – is slightly misleading because most of the areas included are not in the City, and for much of the period covered, were not even classed as London but were in Middlesex. Nowadays, the area is better known as Greater London, and takes in parts of Essex, Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Surrey and Kent.

Apart from that cautionary grumble, I think this record set will be lapped up by researchers, whether their ancestors were born and raised in the wider capital area or, like so many over the years, migrated there from Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the English countryside.

I've already had a profitable search in the collection, coming up with a new address for my paternal grandfather during one of his brief post-war sojourns in London (and even more exciting, Google Street shows the building to still be standing), and a bookbinder Santry living in Borough High Street in the 1830s and 1840s who needs further investigation.

There are several types of directory included in the collection:
Street: listing of residents, businesses, and tradesmen according to street address
Commercial: includes businesses, but may also include private residences; generally an alphabetical listing of traders
Trade: not just for businesses, but anyone with a recognized trade or profession; an alphabetical listing of trades and businesses
Court: lists wealthy residents and government officials
Post Office: listing of householder's names and addresses

Many of the later directories include private residents, and they're not all wealthy or prominent members of the communities, either.

The collection is indexed, but Ancestry's search page also allows you to browse the individual directories by name. If you have searching for ancestors in specific places at specific times, I'd suggest you check the names of the publications, and their dates of publication via this browse facility.


Two new Irish titles join online British Newspaper Archive

The British Newspaper Archive (BNA) has added The Social Review and The Armagh Standard to its online database of historical Irish newspapers.

The Armagh Standard is now known as the The Ulster Gazette, or the Ulster Gazette and Armagh Standard. It claims to have had the largest readership in the Armagh City and district area since 1844.

The BNA's planned holding for this paper will cover only 1884–1896.

The Social Review was published from Dublin's Nassau Street and was controversially edited and sub-edited by a woman (Annie Colles, previously Ross, nee Sweeney) from 1893 to 1895.

It carried reports of official events at the Castle; reviews of theatre, concert and upper-crust charity events; news of high society weddings and deaths; and announcements and accounts of 'at home' events, soirees and balls hosted by Ireland's well-heeled elite. It also published short stories, fashion and beauty advice, and advertisements for such products and services as fashionable corsets, investment specialists and medical cures. The title was absorbed into the Irish Society newspaper in 1901.

The full run of the paper from 1893 to 1901 is planned for the BNA's holding.

The online holding of both papers will automatically join FindMyPast's Irish Newspaper Collection.

Thursday 15 February 2018

Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives: latest additions

http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/fermanagh/photos/tombstones/fermanagh-derryvullan-so/target7.html
Headstone to Beacon family, in St Tighernach
graveyard, Derryvullan South, Co Fermanagh.
Photo courtesy of Dave Hall and IGPArchives.
Ireland Genealogy Projects (IGP-web) Archives has added the following files to its database in the first two weeks of February.

As always, they have all been donated by generous volunteers and are free to view.

CAVAN Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Holy Trinity Presbyterian Graveyard, Kildorough

DUBLIN Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Mt. Jerome Little Angels

FERMANAGH Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Derryvullen South, St. Tighernach (CoI) Graveyard (partial)

MAYO Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Bekan Village, Bekan Cemetery (B-J)

MONAGHAN & FERMANAH, Genealogy Archives - Church Records
Clones Parish Registers - Baptisms & Burials (additional)

SLIGO Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Achonry Cathedral Graveyard (Updated)

TIPPERARY Genealogy Archives - Miscellaneous
Tipperary Vagabonds Ordered for Transportation - 1743

WEXFORD Genealogy Archives - Newspapers
Assorted Work House Entries

More free online material from Clare Library's Local Studies Centre

The Local Studies department of Clare County Library has added the following free material to its online Genealogy site:

RC Baptism Records for Clondagad/Kilchreest Parish, 1846-Jan 1881: The NLI's baptism register images for this parish have been transcribed by Kevin Murphy. See his note of caution regarding maiden names of mothers.

RC Baptism Records (Complete) for Carron Parish, 1853-1881. The NLI's baptism register for this parish has been transcribed by Sheila Duddy. See her notes for further information regarding entries from the first 15 years of the register.

RC Marriage Records (Complete) for Carron Parish, 1856-1882. The NLI's marriage register for this parish has also been transcribed by Sheila Duddy. The transcriptions have been indexed by date, by groom's surname and by bride's surname.

1808 Meeting of Ennis Catholics. This list of Ennis Catholics dates from twenty years before Catholic Emancipation. It relates to a meeting held in the old Ennis Courthouse and was originally published in the Ennis Chronicle and Clare Advertiser newspaper on Saturday 20 February 1808. It was transcribed by staff in the Local Studies Centre and is presented in Excel Spreadsheet format.


Wednesday 14 February 2018

Free access to MyHeritage's global marriage records

https://www.myheritage.com/research/category-2020/marriage-divorce?
Feel the love! MyHeritage is celebrating Valentine's Day by opening up its collection of marriage records for free.

The collection includes records from across the globe, so wherever your Irish emigrant ancestors settled, you're likely to find an appropriate set of records to search.

You don't need to register or have a subscription to search or view these records during the free access period, which will expire at the end of Thursday, 15 February, so don't delay. Click the image to start your search.

Tuesday 13 February 2018

Ancestry's ProGenealogist team in Dublin continues to expand

The ProGenealogists Dublin team is based at Ancestry's
modern offices on Sir John Rogerson's Quay
Ancestry is looking for another 'Associate Researcher - Genealogist' to join its ProGenealogists team in Dublin. This is a new position at Sir John Rogerson's Quay; it is in addition to those created last Autumn which resulted in two genealogists joining, and will see the team in Ireland expand to a total of 9.

The 'Associate Researcher - Genealogist' works with Research Managers to research, document, and prepare client sessions. They assist in gathering materials, clerical work, records dissemination and support to allow the Research Managers to focus on the research project and analysis.

This role will focus predominantly on genealogy research in Ireland and U.S. records concerning emigrants from Ireland.

If you think you may have what it takes, check out the full description and requirements for the role here.

Monday 12 February 2018

Irish genealogy and history/heritage events, 12-25 Feb

Monday 12 February: NLI Reading Room and Manuscript Room closed. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. On-going Monday closures are to facilitate extensive redevelopment of the premises. All other services/exhibitons/cafe, including Genealogy Advisory Service operating as normal. Details.

Monday 12 February: Dr George Cumming: a United Irishman, with Eddy Lowe. Host: Carryduff Historical Society. Venue: Committee Room, Lough Moss Leisure Centre, Hillsborough Road, Carryduff, Co Down. 8pm. All welcome. Members free. Non-members £2.

Irish Family History events this fortnight
Monday 12 February: Clifton House and Mary Ann McCracken, with Louise Cavanan. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Newtownabbey Branch. Venue: Drama Theatre, Glengormley High School, 134 Ballyclare Road, Newtownabbey, BT36 5HP. 7pm. Free. All welcome.

Monday 12 February: Research Workshop: Using the National Library. Host & Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. 5:30pm. Free. To reserve a place, contact: learning@nli.ie or 01 6030 259/346. Details.

Tuesday 13 February: Pottery and trade connections in medieval Cork. Host and venue: St Peter's Cork, North Main Street, Cork City. 5pm. All welcome.

Tuesday 13 February: The photograph as a historical source, with John Lynch. North of Ireland Family History Society, Lisburn Branch. Venue: The Bridge Community Centre, 50 Railway Street, Lisburn, BT28 1XP. 7:30pm. Free. All welcome.

Tuesday 13 February: An update on the Irish DNA Atlas, with Ed Gilbert. Host: Genealogical Society of Ireland. Venue: Dun Laoghaire Further Education Institute, Cumberland St, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin. 8pm. All welcome. €3.

Tuesday 13 February: The Brewer's Tale, with Christina Wade. Host: More Tales of Medieval Dublin lecture series. Venue: Wood Quay Venue, Dublin City Council, Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8. 1:05–1:55pm. Free. All welcome.

Wednesday 14 February: A life of crime: Stealing books in 18th- and 19th-century Ireland, with Dr James McElliott. Host: Old Dublin Society. Venue: Dublin City Library & Archive, Pearse Street, Dublin 1. Free admission. All welcome. 6pm.

Thursday 15 February: The impact of having Sighle Humphreys as a grandmother and The O'Rahilly as great grand uncle, with Manchan Magan. Host: Glasnevin Trust and Trinity College Dublin Winter Lecture Series 2018. Venue: Glasnevin Musum's Milestone Gallery, Finglas Road, Glasnevin, Dublin 11. 7pm. All welcome. €10. Booking required.

Thursday 15 February: Ballyvorheen House: A History from Cromwell to Cosgrave, with John Hassett. Host: Murroe-Boher Historical Society. Venue: Muintir na TĂ­re Hall, Murroe, Co Limerick. Starts 8:30pm. All welcome. Members free. Admission €5 to non-members (including refreshments).

Friday 16 February: Dublin as a global city, 1600-2017, with Professor Kevin Whelan. Host: Princess Grace Irish Library. Venue: Princess Grace Irish Library, 9 rue Princesse Marie-de-Lorraine, Monaco. Reservations are essential due to the limited number of seats. Admission €10 payable on the door. Details.

Friday 16 February and Saturday 17 February Back To Our Past and Genetic Genealogy Ireland. Exhibition and fair, and two conferences: traditional genealogy and genetic genealogy. Venue: Titanic Suite, Titanic Belfast. Belfast. 10am – 5pm each day, admission £10. See lecture schedules and further details on organiser's website.

Saturday 17 February: Not all Irish were Catholic, with Audrey Leonard. Host: Irish Genealogical Society International. Venue: Celtic Junction Arts Center, 836 Prior Avenue North, St Paul, Minnesota, USA. All welcome. 10:30am. $15 for IGSI members/$20 for non-members. Register or simply turn up on the day.

Saturday 17 February: Griffith’s Valuation and other Irish land and property records, a Level II, Intermediate seminar with Miles Davenport. Host: Irish Cultural Centre & McClelland Irish Library. Venue: McClelland Library's Norton Room, 1106 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona, USA. 10:30am to 1:00pm. Members $15/non-members $20. (The seminar will be held again on 14 April - registration is not yet open.) Details.

Sunday 18 February: Irish Historical Walking Tour of central London. Host: Wolfe Tone Society London. Meeting venue: German Gymnasium, 1 King's Blvd, N1C 4BU London. Noon – 2:30pm. Free. All welcome. No booking. Just turn up.

Monday 19 February: NLI Reading Room and Manuscript Room closed. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. On-going Monday closures are to facilitate extensive redevelopment of the premises. All other services/exhibitons/cafe, including Genealogy Advisory Service operating as normal. Details.

Monday 19 February: The History of the Kelly Family from 1820 (Kelly Coal Boats), with Kelly Wilson. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Larne branch. Larne Bowling & Lawn Tennis Club, 112-120 Glenarm Road, Larne, BT40 1DZ. Visitors £3. Refreshments provided. 7:30pm.

Tuesday 20 February to Thursday 22 February: Trinity Secondhand Booksale. Host and venue: Trinity College Dublin, Examination Hall, Dublin 2. Starts Noon Tuesday. Ends lunchtime Thursday. Auction on Tuesday, 5:30pm.

Tuesday 20 February: Childhood and youth in Ireland from 1740, with Dr Sarah Anne Buckley. Host: Tipperary People & Places Lecture Series. Venue: Tipperary Studies, The Source, Cathedral Street, Thurles, Co Tipperary. 7:30pm. Admission free. Tea served. All welcome. More details studies@tipperarycoco.ie.

Tuesday 20 February: The early industrial heritage of Cork City, with Colin Rynne. Part of the 'Cork: Origins of a City' public talks series. Host and venue: St Peter's Cork, North Main Street, Cork City. 5pm. All welcome.

Wednesday 21 February: The development of the Linen industry in the Upper Bann Valley, with Plunkett Campbell. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, North Armagh branch. Venue: Bleary Community Centre, 1 Deans Road, Bleary, Craigavon, Co Armagh, BT66 7AS. 7:30pm. All welcome. Free.

Wednesday 21 February: The Great War through the eyes of the poets, with Jim Shannon. Host: Carlow Historical and Archaeological Society. Venue: Leighlin Community Centre, St Lazerian's Street, Ballyknockan, Leighlinbridge, Co Carlow. 8pm.

Thursday 22 February: National Library of Ireland: Delayed opening. To facilitate a staff meeting, the NLI will not open until 11am. All NLI venues/services are affected, including Genealogy Advisory Service.

Thursday 22 February: Early Medieval Ireland, and book launch, with Matthew Stout. Host: Offaly Historical and Archaeological Society. Venue: Offaly History Centre, Bury Quay, Tullamore, Co Offaly. 8pm. Refreshments after lecture. All welcome. €2 members/€5 non-members. No need to book.

Thursday 22 February: Catholic/Irish/Protestant: Religious history and religious identity in Ireland 1600–2000, with Professor Alan Ford. The Annual Bishop Francis Mac Kiernan Memorial Lecture. Host: Cavan County Council's Library Service. Venue: Johnston Central Library, Farnham Street, Cavan. 7pm. Admission is free and all are welcome. No need to book.

Thursday 22 February: The Watchmen – Crime & Policing in Early-19th-century Monaghan, with Noel Campbell. Host and venue: Monaghan County Museum, 1-2 Hill Street, Monaghan. Free. 8pm. No booking.

Friday 23 February: Cartoon representations of John Redmond, 1906–1916, with Dr Ăšna NĂ­ BhroimĂ©il. A special lecture marking the centenary of the death of John Redmond, MP for Waterford, in March 1918. Host: Waterford Historical Society. Venue: St Patrick's Gateway Centre, Patrick Street, Waterford City. 8pm. All welcome. Members free/non-members €5.

Sunday 25 February: Free genealogy help session. Host and venue: Library of the Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N Knox Avenue, Chicago, IL 60630, USA. From 1pm to 4pm. Free. All welcome.

Friday 9 February 2018

FindMyPast UK & Ireland: 10% discount offer

FindMyPast is offering a 10% discount on a 12-month World package via FindMyPast Ireland or a 12-month Pro package via FindMyPast UK. Both packages give researchers full access to every record collection in the FindMyPast database, including the British and Irish newspapers.

The discount cannot be applied to subscription renewals.

To take advantage of the offer, which runs until 18 February*, choose from the flags below. Be sure to read the Terms and Conditions on the landing page.

http://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=5947&awinaffid=123532&clickref=&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.findmypast.ie%2Fsuffragettes-offer10
10% discount on FindMyPast.ie's 12-month World package – new subscribers only*.


http://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=2114&awinaffid=123532&clickref=&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.findmypast.co.uk%2Fsuffragettes-offer10
10% discount on FindMyPast UK's 12-month PRO package - new subscribers only*.


* UPDATE: This offer has since been extended to Wednesday 28 February and is now open to new subscribers and 'returning' subscribers ie those who have previously had a subscriber. Returners have to sign in using their registered account. The discount is not available to those who with a current subscription.


Ancestry DNA Winter Sale: USA & Canada

Ancestry DNA has announced a Winter Sale for researchers residing in the USA and Canada. (There's no word yet of a sale in Ireland or the UK... I'll update this blogpost when/if a discount is announced.) Click the relevant flag below:

http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-5737308-13162513Canadian residents can order Ancestry DNA kits for the discounted price of CAD$109 (normal price CAD$129), excluding shipping costs. Offer will expire on 25 February.


http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-5737308-13158684For USA residents, Ancestry DNA kits are reduced from $99 to $69, excluding taxes & shipping. The offer will expire on 25 February.

Thursday 8 February 2018

Beyond 2022: project aims to recreate the Public Record Office of Ireland before the 1922 fire

http://beyond2022.ie/An exciting new project – Beyond 2022– launches today with ambitious aims to digitally recreate the six-storey building and contents of the Public Record Office of Ireland at the time of its destruction on 30 June 1922.

The project will see the creation of a virtual reality reconstruction of the PRO. It will also assemble a complete inventory of loss and survival from the fire and serve as a vital hub to present surviving records and substitute copies identified in archives and other repositories around the world.

The team has identified ten main categories of surviving/substitute sources, as follows:
  • Survivors: records that survived almost unscathed because they were held in the Reading Room of the Public Record Office, not the Record Treasury itself
  • Salved records: records damaged by the fire, but not completely destroyed, now in varying states of conservation
  • Duplicates of original records now held in partner archives
  • Facsimile images made before 1922
  • Antiquarian transcripts
  • Printed editions
  • Certified copies
  • Published calendars summarizing the contents of the records
  • Unpublished calendars in manuscript form
  • Legal abstracts
The project, funded by the Irish Research Council, is a collaboration between Trinity College Dublin and its four archival partners: The National Archives of Ireland, The National Archives (UK), The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland and The Irish Manuscripts Commission.

The completed project will be made available on the centenary of the Four Courts fire on 30 June 2022. In the meantime, take a look around the smart website. I recommend the Work and Archive Fever pages.

Ancestry adds Church of Ireland baptism, marriage and burial records for Co. Clare, 1744 to 1991

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CH88WirNGaJAN6Up7Vi9w7aANXu97lQ3/view?usp=sharing
A page from the Drumcliffe Parish marriage
register, 1842. Click for larger image.
Ancestry has uploaded a collection of Church of Ireland baptism, marriage and burial register entries for County Clare. They date from 1744 to 1991. See Update below.

In addition to the searchable index to the collection, which holds 13,764 entries,  images of the original register pages can be browsed, as follows:

Corofin
Baptisms 1877-1907
Burials 1877-1990
Burials 1878-1989

Drumcliffe
Baptisms 1846-1891
Baptisms 1891-1916
Baptisms, Marriages and Burials 1740-1747
Baptisms, Marriages and Burials 1785-1825
Baptisms, Marriages and Burials 1827-1871
Burials 1871-1990
Marriages 1845-1879

Ennis (Drumcliffe)
Baptisms, Marriages and Burials 1740-1920

Kilfarboy
Burials 1911-1974

Kilfenora
Burials 1878-1965

Kilfinaughty
Baptisms 1878-1913

Kilkee
Baptisms 1879-1907

Kilmanaheem
Burials 1886-1981

Kilnasoolagh
Baptisms, Marriages and Burials 1843-1991

Kilrush
Baptisms 1862-1911
Baptisms, Marriages and Burials 1842-1990
Marriages 1845-1861
Marriages 1862-1918

Kilrush/Kilkee (indexes)
Baptisms, Marriages and Burials 1842-1920

UPDATE, 10 April 2018: This collection has been withdrawn from public access. As I understand it, copyright approval had not been requested from the Representative Church Body Library, the appropriate authority. See blogpost 10 April.

Tuesday 6 February 2018

North of Ireland FHS: Spring 2018 classes programme

The North of Ireland Family History Society (NIFHS) has announced its programme of classes for Spring 2018. Brief details are below; see the NIFHS website for more information about each class.

Each class is open to non-members and is held at the NIFHS Library and Research Centre, which is easy to find and there's plenty of free parking. It's in Newtownabbey, just outside Belfast. All classes need to be booked in advance.

  • Tuesday 6 February: Family Finder 1 – 3 Tuesday evenings
  • Tuesday 20 February: JSTOR, a free online resource for NIFHS members – 1 Tuesday at noon
  • Tuesday 27 February: The Plantation of Ulster, Names and Places – 1 Tuesday morning
  • Saturday 3 March: Family Finder 2 – 3 Saturday afternoons
  • Tuesday 13 March: Using GEDmatch – 1 Tuesday evening
  • Tuesday 20 March: Family Tree Maker, Basics and Benefits – 1 Tuesday morning
  • Saturday 24 March: Using My Heritage DNA – 1 Saturday morning
  • Saturday 14 April: Making the Most of Your Autosomal DNA Results – 2 Saturday afternoons
  • Tuesday 8 May: Scottish Records – 1 Tuesday afternoon

The JSTOR class is free. NIFHS members also get free at-home access to JSTOR (a fantastic membership benefit). Only £18/year for Associate membership and this is a good time of year to join as membership lasts right through to December.

The My Heritage DNA class is new and fits in nicely with their popular package of DNA classes, including one about GEDmatch, which helps people who have tested with different companies compare their results.

The Scottish records class is new and will help people researching family links between Scotland and Ulster – they are only 12 miles apart.


Heather, Peat and Stone republished as an e-book

An e-book edition of ‘Heather, Peat and Stone: The Parishes and Townlands of County Tyrone has been published by Irish World in conjunction with Ontario-based Ulster Heritage.

http://www.cotyroneireland.com/estore/index.php?detailrecid=18Originally published in 1992, Heather, Peat and Stone has 165 pages and contains clear maps of every civil parish and Catholic parish in the county, with the town-lands numbered and named on each one. It was the first time that both types of maps had been available in the same format, and the book proved very popular with people of Tyrone origin worldwide. The original print-run soon sold out and in response to repeated requests, it was felt the time was right for re-publication – this time as an e-book.

The e-book is an exact facsimile of the original A4 edition and is easily navigated with a built-in word-search facility. Editor Willie O’Kane said that people from across the world had found the book a great starting point for their ancestral research and had fired their enthusiasm for finding out more about Tyrone and Ulster in general.

Heather, Peat and Stone also seeks to convey a sense of the wider culture of Tyrone, so there are sections on folklore, history and topography, together with extracts from writings about the county. Tyrone has been well served by its fine writers and poets, and the publishers have sought to bring their voices into the mix so that the reader will encounter a range of the flavours associated with this historic county. The foreword, by the renowned Tyrone poet John Montague who died in early 2017, adds a note of richness and poignancy to the book.

Heather, Peat and Stone is priced at $12.95 (Canadian) and can be obtained direct from Ontario-based Ulster Heritage as a downloadable, fully searchable PDF file. Click the image above to purchase and download a copy. ISBN 0951078232 / 9780951078235.

(With thanks to RootsIreland.ie)


RootsIreland adds more RC records for Co Wexford

RootsIreland has added more than 11,000 Roman Catholic records to its County Wexford database, as follows:

Monageer RC Baptisms: 1838–1910
Piercestown RC Baptisms: 1811–1900
Piercestown RC Marriages: 1854–1900
Piercestown RC Deaths: From 1785

Transcriptions of records dating up to 1880/1 link to the National Library of Ireland's images of the register entries (which end at that date). From 1881/2, the RootsIreland records are transcription-only.

To search the new records, go to http://wexford.rootsireland.ie and select Piercestown or Monageer from the ‘Parish / District’ drop down list. Login and Subscribe if required.

See a full list of the Co. Wexford records on RootsIreland

Monday 5 February 2018

Irish genealogy and history events, 5-18 February

Monday 5 February: NLI Reading Room and Manuscript Room closed. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. On-going Monday closures are to facilitate extensive redevelopment of the premises. All other services/exhibitons/cafe, including Genealogy Advisory Service, operating as normal. Details.

Monday 5 February: Newspapers, Journalism, and Special Collections, with Dr Mark O'Brien. A free lunchtime lecture hosted by the Library Association of Ireland's Rare Books Group. Venue: Royal Irish Academy, 19 Dawson Street, Dublin 2. 1pm. All welcome. No booking required. 

Tuesday 6 February: Who got the vote in 1918? with Joanne Rothwell. Host: Waterford Council. Venue: Central Library, Lady Lane, Waterford. 11:30am. Free. All welcome. No need to book.

Tuesday 6 February: Archaeological excavations at South Main Street, with Rose Cleary. Part of the 'Cork: Origins of a City' public talks series. Host and venue: St Peter's Cork, North Main Street, Cork City. 5pm. All welcome.

Tuesday 6 February: Suffrage and Society: Then and Now – Reflections on the Representation of the People Act, 1918, a full-day conference. Hosts: Queens University Belfast, the Ulster Society of Irish Historical Studies, and PRONI. Venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. 10am to 4pm. Free, but booking required.

Tuesday 6 February: Irish Women at Work in 1918: the impact of WWI on life outside the home, with Maeve Casserly, marking the centenary of the Representation of the People Act on 6th February 1918 and the start of women’s suffrage in Ireland and Great Britain. Host and venue: Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Free. All welcome. 6:30pm.

Wednesday 7 February: Celebrating the life of Constance Markievicz - the Rebel Countess, with Elizabeth Gillis. Hosted by Connolly Association. Venue: McNamara Suite, London Irish Centre, 50-52 Camden Square, NW1 9XB London, UK. 7pm. Free. No need to register. All welcome.

Wednesday 7 February: Dublin since 1922, with Tim Carey. Host: Rathmichael Historical Society. Venue: Rathmichael National School, Stonebridge Road, Shankill, Co Dublin. 8pm. All welcome. €4 at the door.

Thursday 8 February: Waterford’s Quaker heritage , with Joan Johnson. Host: Dunhill History Lectures, Series XII, 2018. Venue: Dunhill Multi-Education Centre (opposite GAA grounds), Dunhill, Co Waterford. 8pm. Admission €5, includes light refreshments. All welcome.

Thursday 8 February: Review the Revisionist: a reconsideration of the Shot At Dawn controversy, with Mike Jackson. Host: Western Front Association, Antrim and Down branch. Venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast BT3 9HQ. 6:30pm. All welcome. Free.

Thursday 8 February: Lost medals and old photographs: Relatives in the British Army during WW1, with Neil Richardson. Host: Glasnevin Trust and Trinity College Dublin Winter Lecture Series 2018. Venue: Glasnevin Musum's Milestone Gallery, Finglas Road, Glasnevin, Dublin 11. 7pm. All welcome. €10. Booking required.

Thursday 8 February: Stacking the coffins: the 1918-19 influenza pan-epidemic in Ireland, with Dr Ida Milne. Host and venue: Maynooth University, An Foras Feasa Seminar Room (First Floor, Iontas), Maynooth, Co Kildare. 6pm. Free. Open to all.

Friday 9 February: Training Kitchener’s New Army 1914-18: Perspectives on the Irish Experience, with Heather Montgomery. Part of the National Monuments and Buildings Record NI lecture series. Host and venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. 1pm–2pm. Free. No booking required.

Saturday 10 February: Finding an Immigrant's Place of Origin, with Tom Rice. Host: Irish Genealogical Society International. Venue: Minnesota Genealogical Society Center, 1385 Mendota Heights Rd, Mendota Heights, Minnesota, USA. 10:30am. $15 for members, $20 for non-members. Walk in on day of class, or register online.

Saturday 10 February: Irish Study Group. Monthly gathering. Host: New England Historical Genealogical Society. Venue: NEHGS, 99-101 Newbury Street, Boston, MA,USA. 9:30am to Noon. Free. All welcome. Participants are invited to stay and use the library resources afterwards. No registration necessary.

Saturday 10 February: Family Research on the Internet, with Vincent Brogan. Host: NIFHS Tyrone Branch. Venue: Seminar Room, First Floor, Omagh Library, Dublin Road, Omagh, BT78 1HL. 10am to noon. All welcome.

Sunday 11 February: Follow your family through their chain migration, with Kevin Cassidy. Host: Lincoln-Lancaster County Genealogical Society. Venue: Walt Branch Library, 6701 S 14th St, Lincoln, NE, USA. 2pm–4pm. Free. All welcome. Details.

Monday 12 February: NLI Reading Room and Manuscript Room closed. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. On-going Monday closures are to facilitate extensive redevelopment of the premises. All other services/exhibitons/cafe, including Genealogy Advisory Service operating as normal. Details.

Monday 12 February: Dr George Cumming: a United Irishman, with Eddy Lowe. Host: Carryduff Historical Society. Venue: Committee Room, Lough Moss Leisure Centre, Hillsborough Road, Carryduff, Co Down. 8pm. All welcome. Members free. Non-members £2.

Monday 12 February: Clifton House and Mary Ann McCracken, with Louise Cavanan. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Newtownabbey Branch. Venue: Drama Theatre, Glengormley High School, 134 Ballyclare Road, Newtownabbey, BT36 5HP. 7pm. Free. All welcome.

Monday 12 February: Research Workshop: Using the National Library. Host & Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. 5:30pm. Free. To reserve a place, contact: learning@nli.ie or 01 6030 259/346. Details.

Tuesday 13 February: Pottery and trade connections in medieval Cork. Part of the 'Cork: Origins of a City' public talks series. Host and venue: St Peter's Cork, North Main Street, Cork City. 5pm. All welcome.

Tuesday 13 February: The photograph as a historical source, with John Lynch. North of Ireland Family History Society, Lisburn Branch. Venue: The Bridge Community Centre, 50 Railway Street, Lisburn, BT28 1XP. 7:30pm. Free. All welcome.

Tuesday 13 February: An update on the Irish DNA Atlas, with Ed Gilbert. Host: Genealogical Society of Ireland. Venue: Dun Laoghaire Further Education Institute, Cumberland St, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin. 8pm. All welcome. €3.

Tuesday 13 February: The Brewer's Tale, with Christina Wade. Host: More Tales of Medieval Dublin lecture series. Venue: Wood Quay Venue, Dublin City Council, Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8. 1:05–1:55pm. Free. All welcome.

Wednesday 14 February: A life of crime: Stealing books in 18th- and 19th-century Ireland, with Dr James McElliott. Host: Old Dublin Society. Venue: Dublin City Library & Archive, Pearse Street, Dublin 1. Free admission. All welcome. 6pm.

Thursday 15 February: The impact of having Sighle Humphreys as a grandmother and The O'Rahilly as great grand uncle, with Manchan Magan. Host: Glasnevin Trust and Trinity College Dublin Winter Lecture Series 2018. Venue: Glasnevin Musum's Milestone Gallery, Finglas Road, Glasnevin, Dublin 11. 7pm. All welcome. €10. Booking required.

Thursday 15 February: Ballyvorheen House: A History from Cromwell to Cosgrave, with John Hassett. Host: Murroe-Boher Historical Society. Venue: Muintir na TĂ­re Hall, Murroe, Co Limerick. Starts 8:30pm. All welcome. Members free. Admission €5 to non-members (including refreshments).

Friday 16 February: Dublin as a global city, 1600-2017, with Professor Kevin Whelan. Host: Princess Grace Irish Library. Venue: Princess Grace Irish Library, 9 rue Princesse Marie-de-Lorraine, Monaco. Reservations are essential due to the limited number of seats. Admission €10 payable on the door. Details.

Friday 16 February and Saturday 17 February Back To Our Past and Genetic Genealogy Ireland. Exhibition and fair, and two conferences: traditional genealogy and genetic genealogy. Venue: Titanic Suite, Titanic Belfast. Belfast. 10am – 5pm each day, admission £10. See lecture schedules and further details on organiser's website.

Saturday 17 February: Not all Irish were Catholic, with Audrey Leonard. Host: Irish Genealogical Society International. Venue: Celtic Junction Arts Center, 836 Prior Avenue North, St Paul, Minnesota, USA. All welcome. 10:30am. $15 for IGSI members/$20 for non-members. Register or simply turn up on the day.

Saturday 17 February: Griffith’s Valuation and other Irish land and property records, a Level II, Intermediate seminar with Miles Davenport. Host: Irish Cultural Centre & McClelland Irish Library. Venue: McClelland Library's Norton Room, 1106 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona, USA. 10:30am to 1:00pm. Members $15/non-members $20. (The seminar will be held again on 14 April - registration is not yet open.) Details.

Sunday 18 February: Irish Historical Walking Tour of central London. Host: Wolfe Tone Society London. Meeting venue: German Gymnasium, 1 King's Blvd, N1C 4BU London. Noon – 2:30pm. Free. All welcome. No booking. Just turn up.