Friday 14 September 2018

Irish family history courses starting this autumn

September brings the start of a new term of evening classes in all manner of academic, hobbyist and vocational subjects, including family history.

Below are some of the genealogy courses scheduled to begin across the island during the autumn.

Northern Ireland

Belfast
Irish family history sources, a 10-week genealogy course taught on Tuesday (7-9pm) by the Ulster Historical Foundation, covering census, civil & church records, estate papers, wills, school registers & land & valuation records. Starts 18 September. Venue: Central building, Stranmillis University Collage, Belfast. Part of the college's LifeLong Learning programme. Course fee: £59. Download pdf programme and see page 18.

Belfast
Irish Genealogy Essentials, a 5-day intensive course run by the Ulster Historical Foundation will be held from 5-9 November.  It is ideal for those relatively new to genealogy but also for those who have already made some progress and wish to move on to lesser-known sources. The programme consists of a week of intensive learning and a day and a half of guided research in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. Venue: The Corn Exchange, 31 Gordon Street, Belfast, BT1 2LG.  Cost: £449.99.  Details.

Newtownabbey, Co Antrim
The North of Ireland Family History Society offers a range of 15 short courses, all starting between now and early December. Venue: Honneyman Room, NIFHS Research Centre, Unit C4, Valley Business Centre, 67 Church Road, Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim, BT36 7LS. The fee for each course is £7 for 1 session, £12 for 2 sessions and £15 for 3 sessions; each session lasts 2 hours. All courses open to members and non-members. Details.


Republic of Ireland

Dublin City
Introduction to Genealogy, with Sean Murphy. Host and venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. The 8-week course will be presented on Wednesday afternoons, 2pm to 4:30pm, and will start on 10 October. Full details of the course syllabus (pdf). Course fee: €100. Participants are expected to have experience of using computers and should bring a laptop, tablet or other Internet-connected device to classes. For more information or to book a place on the course, contact Ciara Kerrigan by emailing: ckerrigan@nli.ie.

Dublin City (and online)
Diploma in Family History, with John Grenham MAGI FIGRS. Classroom-based and online, the course runs over 10 weeks, on Thursday from 6:30pm to 9:30pm. The next course starts on Thursday 27 September. Venue: City Colleges, Wicklow House, 84-88 South Great George's Street, Dublin 2. The Institute of Commercial Management is the awarding body. Course fee from €845 online/€945 classroom, with instalment plans available. Details.

Malahide, Co Dublin
Irish Genealogy – how to research your family history, with Claire Bradley. This beginner level evening class (7:30-9:30pm) begins with Irish sources such as the census, and birth, death and marriage records, and progresses to parish registers, newspapers, wills, land and military records. No prior knowledge is required but ability to use a computer and the internet is essential. Venue: Malahide Community School. Starts 2 October. Course (no.205) fee €110. Enrolment details.

Cork City
Genealogy: How to trace your family tree, with Tony McCarthy. Hosted by University College Cork's Adult Continuing Education programme. A 10-week evening course held on Tuesdays from 2 October to 4 December. 7-9pm. Venue: Western Gateway Building, Room 304, UCC. The course provides an introduction to the top ten Irish genealogical sources, methodology and historical/social context. Fee €230. Enrol by Monday 18 September. Details.

Ennis, Co Clare
Ancestral connection: DNA and online sources for family history research, an eight-week course with Lorna Moloney. Tuesdays 7-9pm, from 2 October to 20 November. Although an Adult Continuing Education course hosted by University College Cork, the sessions will be held at Woodstock Hotel, Ennis, Co Clare. Course fee: €200. Details.