This week's fortnightly listing of Irish genealogy and history events covers the bulk of Heritage Week (18-26 August), Ireland's annual celebration of built, natural and cultural heritage and the nation's most popular cultural event. 2018 will see more than 2,000 events taking place.I've listed below some of the more obvious famiy history events, but the Heritage Week website is heavily loaded with details of wonderful and interesting tours, lectures, performances and exhibitions designed to explore the times and lives of our ancestors. Since gathering events for my listing, I'm sure others will have been notified to the website, so be sure to check what's on in your area of interest at HeritageWeek.ie.
As happens every year, the period after the heritage extravaganza is pretty quiet. I'll update with any additional events I hear of for the end of August.
Monday 20 August 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, operate as normal. Details.
Monday 20 to Friday 24 August: Living Folklore: a daily archive tour. Host and venue: National Folklore Collection UCD, Newman Building, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4. 11am to 12pm. Free, but booking required - email bealoideas@ucd.ie.
Tuesday 21 August: Sligo Heritage Video collection. Host and venue: County Sligo Heritage & Genealogy Society, County Sligo Heritage & Genealogy Centre, Aras Reddan, Temple St, Abbeyquarter North, Sligo, Co. Sligo. 10am to 12:30pm. Visitors will be able to choose from a selection of short videos & presentations on topics including Emigration from Sligo Port and the Schools Folklore Collection. Free. Booking required - tel: 0719143728 or email community@sligoroots.com.
Tuesday 21 August: Family history research. Host and venue: Genealogical Society of Ireland, Loughlinstown Leisure Centre, Loughlinstown Drive, Loughlinstown, Co. Dublin. Volunteer members of the GSI will advise and assist visitors on researching their family history. 10am to 5pm. Free. More info - T: 0872486878, E: eddie_gahan_snr@hotmail.com.
Tuesday 21 August: Genealogy Clinic. Free 30-minute one-to-one consultation with guidance on specific research problems. Host and venue: Mountmellick Library, O'Moore St, Townparks, Mountmellick, Co. Laois. 10am to 1pm. Need to book: T - 0578644572.
Tuesday 21 August: Genealogy, an introductory workshop. Host: Ballybofey, Stranorlar & District Historical Society. Venue: Ballybofey Library, Steeple View, Navenny Street, Ballybofey, Co. Donegal. 6pm-8pm. Admission Free. Details.
Tuesday 21 August: Beginner's Family History one-to-one sessions. Host and venue: Cork County Library, Library Building, Carrigrohane Road, Cork City. 9:30am - 4pm. Admission free but booking required; T: 021 4285640
Tuesday 21 August: Family Connections, with Larry McNutt. Discover the connection and relationships of families in Buncrana and elsewhere. Host: West Inishowen History & Heritage Society, Venue: The Plaza, Buncrana, Co. Donegal. Admission Free. 7:30pm to 8:30pm. Further Information T- 087 9227 038, E- westinishowenhistory@gmail.com.
Tuesday 21 August: Online family research sources. Host and venue: Kilkenny County Library, Loughboy Library, Loughboy Shopping Centre, Waterford Rd, Gallowshill, Kilkenny. 11:30am to 1pm. Admission Free. Details: T - 0567794176, E - loughboy@kilkennylibrary.ie.
Wednesday 22 August: Beginner's Family History one-to-one sessions. Host and venue: Cork County Library, Library Building, Carrigrohane Road, Cork City. 9:30am - 4pm. Admission free but booking required; T: 021 4285640
Wednesday 22 August: Irish Assistance in the Library. Host and venue: Genealogical Society of Victoria, Level 6, 85 Queen St, Melbourne 3000, Australia. 10am to 4pm. Free for members. $20 non-members. One-hour consultations can be booked. Details.
Wednesday 22 August: Genealogy Clinic. Free 30-minute one-to-one consultation with guidance on specific research problems. Host and venue: Portlaoise Library, Dunamaise House, Lyster Square, Kylekiproe, Portlaoise, Co. Laois. 10am to 1pm. Need to book: T - 0578622333, E - scarroll@laoiscoco.ie.
Wednesday 22 August: So, You're Scots-Irish? with Rebecca Kichta Miller. Host: Cranberry Genealogy Club. Venue: Cranberry Public Library, 2525 Rochester Road, Cranberry Township, PA, USA. 6:30pm–8pm. Free.
Wednesday 22 August: Family history research. Host and venue: Genealogical Society of Ireland, Loughlinstown Leisure Centre, Loughlinstown Drive, Loughlinstown, Co. Dublin. Volunteer members of the GSI will advise and assist visitors on researching their family history. 10am to 5pm. Free. More info - T: 0872486878, E: eddie_gahan_snr@hotmail.com.
Wednesday 22 August: From Tralee to Rhodesia, the story of Dr. Georgina Revington, the first Tralee woman to graduate with a Bachelor in Medicine from Trinity College, Dublin in 1912. She went on to become medical officer for Lurgan Workhouse in Armagh and then worked in Rhodesia at the Kalene Missionary Hospital. Host and venue: Kerry County Museum, Ashe Memorial Hall, Denny St, Tralee, Co Kerry. 1pm to 1:45pm. Admission free. Info: tel - 0667127777, email - education@kerrymuseum.ie.
Thursday 23 August: Beginner's Family History one-to-one sessions. Host and venue: Cork County Library, Library Building, Carrigrohane Road, Cork City. 9:30am - 4pm. Admission free but booking required; T: 021 4285640.
Thursday 23 August: Researching your family history, a talk on tracing your Irish ancestry, particularly in Limerick, using online resources. Get expert advice and guidance from professional genealogists. Hosts: Limerick Archives & Limerick Genealogy. Venue: City Hall, Merchant's Quay, Limerick, Co Limerick. 10am - 11am. Free. Details: tel - 061556535, email - archives@limerick.ie.
Friday 24 August: Who do you think you are? Host and venue: Irish Workhouse Centre, Portumna, Co. Galway. Genealogists and historians will be on-hand to give advice on the resources available and give tips on growing your family tree. 12pm to 5pm. Admission free. Further Information, tel: 09097 59200, email: info@irishworkhousecentre.ie.
Friday 24 August: Genealogy Clinic. Free 30-minute one-to-one consultation with guidance on specific research problems. Host and venue: Abbeyleix Library, Market Square, Knocknamoe, Abbeyleix, Co. Laois. 10am to 1pm. Need to book: T - 0578730020.
Friday 24 August: Family History Curiosities, an illustrated talk on the strange and interesting discoveries made during Irish family history research. Host and venue: Mallow Library, Thomas Davis St., Mallow, Co. Cork. 2pm to 3pm. Admission Free. Booking necessary. Tel: 022 21821, Email: mallow.library@corkcoco.ie
Friday 24 August: Creating your family history, and re-launch of the Ballinacree Historical Society website. Host: Ballinacree Historical Society. Venue: Ballinacree Community Centre, Ballinacree, Co. Meath. Free. 8:30pm - 10:30pm. Details.
Saturday 25 August: Family history research. Host and venue: Genealogical Society of Ireland, Loughlinstown Leisure Centre, Loughlinstown Drive, Loughlinstown, Co. Dublin. Volunteer members of the GSI will advise and assist visitors on researching their family history. 10am to 5pm. Free. More info - T: 0872486878, E: eddie_gahan_snr@hotmail.com.
Saturday 25 August: Researching your Irish family history, a talk and exhibition. Host and venue: Midleton Library, 81 Main St, Midleton, Co. Cork. All welcome. Free. No need to book. 12pm to 1pm.
Sunday 26 August: 19th Annual Great Irish Famine Commemoration Gathering at Hyde Park Barracks, Macquarie St, Sydney, Australia. Host: Great Irish Famine Commemoration Memorial. 2pm to 4pm. Tickets: $5–$35. Details and booking.
Sunday 26 August: Free genealogy help session. Host and venue: Library of the Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N Knox Avenue, Chicago, USA. From 1pm to 4pm. Free. All welcome.
Monday 27 August: Bank holiday in Northern Ireland. All libraries and archives are closed to the public. (This holiday does not apply to the Republic of Ireland.)
Tuesday 28 August: Family History Research Centre and Library open. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society. Venue: Unit C4, Valley Business Centre, 67 Church Road, Newtownabbey, Co Antrim. (Free parking.) Hours: 2pm to 8pm. All welcome.Thursday 30 August: Using family and local history resources online, a two-hour workshop. Host and venue: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. The workshop starts with an orientation tour of PRONI, followed by an introduction to searching resources online. 11am to 1pm. Free but registration required.
Thursday 30 August to Saturday 1 September: The Genealogy Event. Host: Irish Central. Venue: Fitzgerald's Woodlands House Hotel, Adare, Co Limerick. Two-day genealogy and DNA conference with optional social events and bookable one-to-one consultations. Tickets, programme and details.
Saturday 1 September: Irish historical walking tour of the City of London. Hosted by Irish Historical Walks in London. Meet outside Holborn Tube Station, London WC2B 6AA from 12:45pm. Tour starts 1pm and ends 3pm. The tour explores historical, politican and social themes inside the walls of the City and the Irish people who lived and worked there over the last 300 years. Free, but donations accepted. Details.
Sunday 2 September: Irish and Jewish communities in East London, a walking tour looking at the vibrant immigrant communities from the Irish in the C17th, to the Jewish in the 1860s. Host: Wolfe Tone Society London. Venue: Meet outside Whitechapel Gallery, beside Aldgate East tube station, London E1, UK at 11:45pm. Walk, Noon to 2pm. We will meet outside Whitechapel gallery, beside Aldgate east tube station at 11:45. Tour is free, and there's a collection for the guide at the end. Details. https://www.facebook.com/events/695807484104641/