Ancestry UK DNA: Whopping discount for one day only

Don’t miss the Ancestry Boxing Day Sale.

AncestryDNA will be available in the UK for £49 plus shipping on 26 December. This sale will last for one day only, ending at 23:59pm GMT.

Ancestry DNA for UK addresses. Save nearly 40%. Regular price £79. Sale price £49, plus shipping. The offer has expired.

* There doesn't appear to be a Euro sale specifically for researchers based in Ireland.

Ancestry DNA Sale for researchers in USA & Canada

Ancestry DNA is offering big discounts on its test kits until the end of 2018 to researchers in the USA and Canada.

Details are below. Click the most appropriate flag for your purchase or preferred currency.

	For researchers in the USA, this deal reduces the cost from US$99 to US$75, plus shipping. Offer expired 31 December.
	For Canadian researchers the price of an Ancestry DNA test kit is reduced to $79 CAD plus shipping. That’s a savings of $50 CAD. Offer expired 31 December.

Fermanagh, Donegal & Leitrim records join FindMyPast

FindMyPast has added five new collections from counties Fermanagh, Donegal and Leitrim. Together they hold a mix of about 45,000 transcriptions of parish registers and headstones, and photos of the latter.

Fermanagh Parish Registers

These records hold indexed transcriptions from the baptism, marriage and death registers for the Church of Ireland parishes of Aghavea, Bellanaleck, Devenish, Inishmacsaint and Mullaghdun.

Baptisms: Many of these records include a note of the father's occupation and some (although sadly, not so many) even provide the mother's maiden name. The end date for all the registers except Devenish (1873) is 1912, but the start date varies widely. Aghavea baptisms start in 1814, Bellanaleek 1886, Devenish 1796, Inishmacsaint 1660 and Mullaghdun 1808. There are around 18,000 records in total recording baptisms in families living in Fermanagh and the townlands of bordering counties of Cavan, Monaghan, Sligo and Donegal.

Marriages: With more than 6,100 marriages dating from 1660 to 1949 (only 30-odd of the records pre-date the 19th century), the bulk of these Church of Ireland records span 1800 to 1905. The amount of information listed varies but most of the transcriptions reveal date and location of the marriage, the full names of both bride and groom and the occupation of the groom or his father.

Burials: This record set contains more than 7,000 records that may reveal when and where your relative was buried, their age, and occasionally even their cause of death.

Donegal Cemetery Records

These 2,200 records include transcriptions of the vital facts inscribed on the original headstones, plus at least one photo of each memorial. Two cemeteries have been surveyed: Ballyshannon in Kilbarron parish and Finner Cemetery in Bundoran. The latter, in the Church of Ireland parish of Lower Inishmacsaint, is a mixed denomination cemetery; its headstones relate to deaths from 1737 to 2011 of individuals who may have lived in the counties of Sligo, Donegal and Leitrim. The Ballyshannon burial ground is at St Anne's Church of Ireland graveyard.

A 'Notes' field in the transcription provides information on the condition of the gravestone and any decoration, age of the deceased, occupation of deceased, names and ages of other family members who are buried in the same grave, details of the inscription on the headstone, and the erector's name.

Leitrim Cemetery Records

All the records in this set are from Old Rossinver Graveyard in Rossinver parish. They span from 1709 to 2015 (about 80 entries are 18th century, while about 450 are 20th/21st century).

A 'Notes' field in the transcription provides information on the condition of the gravestone and any decoration, age of the deceased, occupation of deceased, names and ages of other family members who are buried in the same grave, details of the inscription on the headstone, and the erector's name.

Library and Archive closures over Christmas/New Year

See below for a round up of opening and closing arrangements in all the major libraries and archives across Ireland and in London:

Northern Ireland

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) closed Monday 24 December to Wednesday 26 December, inclusive. Open Thursday and Friday 27-28 December and Monday 31 December (closing each day at 4:45pm). Closed Tuesday 1 January 2019. Open for normal hours from Wednesday 2 December (but note that late-night Thursdays do not recommence until 10 January).

North of Ireland Family History Society Library closed from 4 December until 8 January 2019.

The Presbyterian Historical Society of Ireland's Library and Archive will be closed from Thursday 20 December to Wednesday 2 January inclusive. Reopens on Thursday 3 January 2019.

Republic of Ireland

National Library of Ireland: The Genealogy Advisory Service will closed at 4:45 on Friday 21 December and reopen at 9:30am on Wednesday 2 January 2019.
The Reading Rooms will close for Christmas on Saturday 22 December at 12:45pm and reopen on Wednesday 2 January 2019 at 9:30am.
Exhibitions will be open 27-31 December inclusive from 1-5 pm.
All library buildings will be closed 24-26 December 2018 inclusive and again on Tuesday 1 January 2019.

The RCB Library will close at 1pm on Friday 21 December, and re–open for normal hours from Wednesday 2 January 2019.

Irish Architectural Archive will be closed from Noon on Friday 21 December and will reopen at 10am on Wednesday 2 January 2019.

All Dublin Public Libraries will be closed Monday 24 December to Tuesday 1 January 2019 inclusive. All libraries reopen on Wednesday 2 January 2019.

National Archives of Ireland will close at 12:30pm on Monday 24 December and will re-open on Wednesday 2 January 2-19 at 9:15am.

An Daonchartlann, the Archive & Research Centre of the Genealogical Society of Ireland, closed from 19 December to 10:30am on Wednesday 9th January 2019

London

The National Archives, Kew. Closed Saturday 22 December to Wednesday 26 December inclusive. Closed on Tuesday 1 January 2019. Otherwise, working to normal days and hours.

Society of Genealogists. Open Saturday 22 December and Monday 24 December. Closed from Tuesday 25 December to Friday 28 December inclusive. Open on Saturday 29 December. Closed for New Year holiday and annual stocktake from Tuesday 1 January to Monday 7 January inclusive. Reopens Tuesday 8 January.

The Irish Genealogical Research Society Library (Saturdays only) at the Society of Genealogists: Open on both Saturday 22 and 29 December. Closed Saturday 5 January. Normal Saturday openings from 12 January.

New history of the Earls of Castlehaven published

A new history of the Earls of Castlehaven, written by retired University College Cork lecturer Dr Michael Keane, tells the story of the Lord Audleys who played a leading role in Irish history for close to three centuries.

In 1601, the 1st Earl of Castlehaven was a leading English commander in the decisive Battle of Kinsale in which he was wounded. He later became one of Ireland’s largest plantation landowners, with estates extending from West Cork through six Midlands counties to Armagh and Tyrone in the north.

The Castlehavens led highly colourful lives, none more so than the 2nd Earl. He married into the Royal Family – his wife Anne, eldest daughter of Lord Derby and Alice Spencer of Althorp of more recent Lady Diana fame, was briefly heir presumptive to the throne of Queen Elizabeth I. However, the 2nd Earl was accused by Anne of extreme sexual depravity and, following a sensational trial, was executed in London.

Remarkably his successor, the 3rd Earl of Castlehaven became a leading commander in the Catholic Confederacy uprising and led the Catholic resistance in Ireland to Protestant advancement and to Cromwell.

In the 19th century three successive Lord Audleys were involved in copper mining on their estate in the Mizen peninsula near Ballydehob in West Cork, a venture which was riddled with fraud and corruption. Their estate later became a focal point in the tragedy of the Great Famine in the region. In overall history terms, the story of the lives of the Castlehavens/Audleys helps to illuminate the shifting sands of control and dominance of Irish affairs during many of the key centuries of Irish history.

The book is available in selected bookshops as well as online – omahonysbooks.ie, kennys.ie, Amazon – or direct from the author via mjagkeane@gmail.com.

(Dr Keane’s first history book, From Laois to Kerry, was winner of the Nilsson Heritage Prize at Listowel Writers Week 2017. Originally from Kerry, he now lives in Farran, Co Cork.)

New fees for researchers at The National Archives, Kew

The National Archives (TNA) in Kew, London, has announced some changes to its fees structure; they will take effect from 1 February 2019.

There are both price increases and decreases. For example, a digital copy (research quality) up to A3 size goes up by 10p to £1.20, while larger sizes are reduced from £8.65 to £8.45. TNA's Research Service currently costs £23.35 per 15 minutes; this will increase by £1, and VAT is extra.

You can find out more, and download the new pricelist here.

TNA maintains the standard public money approach of setting charges at a level that recovers full costs, ensuring that the institution neither profits at the expense of consumers nor makes a loss for taxpayers to subsidise.

FindMyPast's Christmas/New Year offer: half price subs

FindMyPast is offering a Christmas discount of 50% on a selection of its subscription packages. The offers available via the FindMyPast .ie, .com, and .com.au sites are likely to be of particular appeal to those who might be just about to embark on their family history research for the first time or are picking up on some earlier research and are ready to get cracking again. A discounted one-month subscription could be just the thing to oil the New Year resolutions!

The star turn goes to FindMyPast.co.uk, however, where the discount is available on its three-month subscriptions, making a very attractive and worthwhile saving for all genealogists, whether they are just starting out or they've been 'at it' for years!

To take advantage of this seasonal offer, click your preferred flag below and check out the discounted prices. See also the Terms and Conditions (particularly those concerning automatic renewals), and make your purchase before end of play on Thursday 3 January 2019.

	Ireland – 50% off new 1-month Starter, Plus and Pro subscriptions
	UK – 50% off new 3-month Starter, Plus and Pro subscriptions
	USA – 50% new 1-month subs on Essential and Ultimate British & Irish packages
	Australia/New Zealand – 50% off new 1-month Starter, Plus and Pro subscriptions

The content above contains affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission if you buy via these links. This does not affect the price you pay as a consumer, but it does contribute to keeping IrishGenealogyNews online. See Advertising Disclosure tab above.

RootsIreland adds 6,000 RC baptisms from East Galway

The East Galway Family History Society's database of transcriptions at RootsIreland.ie has been updated with the addition of the following 6,605 records:

Glenamaddy/Boyounagh parish: Baptisms, 1838-1900 (3790 records). The post-1881 baptisms are not online elsewhere.

Williamstown parish: Baptisms, 1856-1900 (2215 records). The post-1872 baptisms are not online elsewhere.

The East Galway Family History Society also have a number of publications for sale at their Woodford Centre, including Glenamaddy Boyounagh: our people our heritage; Killimor: our parish and our people; A forgotten campaign and Clanricarde County, the last two of which deal with the Land War in 1880s Galway. For more details, contact the Society at the Woodford Heritage Centre, Woodford, Loughrea, Co Galway, Tel: +353 (0) 90 9749309 or Email: galwayroots@gmail.com.

See the full menu of East Galway records at RootsIreland.

Latest update from Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives

Hartery Memorials, Butlerstown Cemetery, County
Waterford. Photo courtesy Steve Rogers and
Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives.

Below are the files of photos, headstone transcriptions and church register records added to Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives in the first two weeks of the month.

Note that the update of records from Clones completes the transcription of registers from this parish.

CLARE Genealogy Archives - Headstones
St. Cronans, Tuamgraney

DUBLIN Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Mt. Jerome, Dublin - Part 210

FERMANAGH Genealogy Archives - Church Records
Aghadrumsee Marriages, Clones Parish, 1825-1829
Aghadrumsee Marriages, Clones Parish, 1836-1851

MONAGHAN & FERMANAGH Genealogy Archives - Church Records
Clones Parish Registers, Burials in Clogh, 1822 - 1834
Clones Parish Registers, Burials in Clones 1822 - 1834
Clones Parish Registers, Marriages 1834-1845
Clones Parish Registers, Marriages in the E. Div., 1830-1834

TIPPERARY Genealogy Archives - Church Records
Fethard Parish Baptisms, Dio. of Cashel & Emly 1810-1811 (Updated)

WATERFORD Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Butlerstown Cemetery - H-L, P-R & S-W

Suffragettes & prison conditions: an online exhibition

The free online exhibition links to more than
a dozen documents held by the NAI

One hundred years ago today, women in Ireland* voted in a general election for the first time. It followed the enactment of the Representation of the People Act, 1918, which granted limited suffrage to women over 30 years of age and universal suffrage to men over 21 years of age. The Act followed a long campaign by women and working class men for recognition of their contribution to society and their right to participate and vote in elections.

To mark this historic event, the National Archives of Ireland (NAI) has selected a number of documents from the archives of the General Prisons Board, which chronicle the struggle for women’s suffrage in Ireland between 1912 and 1914, including the conditions in which the women were held in prison and the use of force feeding.

Click/tap the image to view this online exhibition.

The exhibition can also be viewed at the NAI in Bishop Street, Dublin 8, where artefacts are on display in the reception area and also on the 5th floor.

* and Britain.

More workhouse registers online at Tipperary Studies

Tipperary Studies, the local studies archive of County Tipperary Library, has added more registers to its digital Workhouse Records collection.

Click image for enlarged view

In three large pdf files, Cashel Workhouse's Indoor Relief Registers from December 1847 to July 1848 can now be downloaded free of charge. As the Local Studies team points out, there were 4,480 individuals admitted to the Workhouse in those seven months – more than the 2016 population of the town.

The Indoor Relief registers join a separate Deaths Registers covering the years 1848, 1849 and 1850.

Also included in the digital Workhouse Records collection are registers for Thurles and Roscrea Workhouses.

If you have family from Tipperary, be sure to check out the full digital archive collection, which is continuing to grow thanks to the dedication of the Local Studies team.

Co. Derry is the 7th book in The Irish Revolution series

The launch of Derry: The Irish Revolution, 1912-23 by Adrian Grant last week marks the arrival of the seventh in a series of books written by a new generation of historians exploring the experience of the Irish Revolution at a county level while addressing key developments and issues in the period.

Each volume takes 1912 as its starting point, opening with an overview of the social, economic and political milieu, and the local experience of the War of Independence is treated in detail. Responses to the Truce of 1921, the Anglo-Irish Treaty, and partition are also considered. Each volume will close with an acute examination of the Irish civil war and its local impact.

Sligo was the first county examined in the series. There followed simailar treatments for Counties Waterford, Tyrone, Mayo, Limerick, Monaghan, and now Derry. The County Louth book will be published in Spring 2019.

The series publisher is Four Courts Press and each 192-page illustrated paperback is curently reduced from €19.95 to €17.95. For details of each book, click/tap the image above.

Up to 40% off test kits from Family Tree DNA

Just like most other DNA test suppliers, Family Tree DNA had a number of excellent offers over the Black Friday and Cyber Monday long weekend. Fortunately for those who may have missed them, some of the deals are continuing all the way past Christmas and right up to and including New Year's Eve.

There's up to 40% off, depending which product you choose.

The three most popular test kits have the most attractive deals:

Y-DNA (Paternal ancestry - men only): Reduced from US$169 to US$99 plus shipping

Family Finder (Familyl ancestry - autosomal (atDNA) - men and women): Reduced from US$79 to US$49 plus shipping

Mt-DNA (Female ancestry - mitochondrial - men and women): Reduced from US$199 to US$139 plus shipping

In addition, some of the company's range of more advanced testing have strong discounts available. You can find details on the products page.

The Holiday Sale ends on Monday 31 December.

Latest news from Registry of Deeds Index Project

The latest update from Nick Reddan FIGRS, founder and manager of the Registry of Deeds Index Project, shows the free database holds 296,156 indexed entries in its main index, all extracted from 32,516 memorials of deeds.

Additionally, the Grantors' Index has grown to a total of 25,192 entries and the Townlands' Index to 65,617 entries.

Click the image to search the indexes.

All contributions are donated by volunteers. See the website if you'd like to contribute.

Clare Library adds 1797 letter to its online collection

Clare County Library's Local Studies Department has uploaded a transcription of a late 18th-century letter addressed to Maurice O’Connor, Provost of the Borough of Ennis.

The letter, and the names of its 58 signatories, all inhabitants of the town, was published in The Clare Journal in 1797.

Both the text of the letter and the names of the signatories can be viewed free of charge in the Library's online genealogy collection, here.

Six 2019 dates for PRONI's practical workshops

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland has announced six dates in 2019 for its practical workshops where family historians and other researchers can learn essential skills to kick start their search at PRONI.

Workhops include advice on searching for records, a practical demonstration of using the Public Search Room, and an opportunity to handle original documents in the Reading Room.

These two-hour sessions are held from 11am to 1pm, and they are free. They're also very popular, and available spaces are usually booked out some time in advance, so don't delay if you want to attend on one of these dates shown to the right.

Register here.

New AGI President and Fellow elected

Joan Sharkey (l), President of Accredited Genealogists
Ireland, is congratulated on her election by
Immediate Past President Maire Mac Conghail (r).

Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI) held its Annual General Meeting (its 31st AGM) last week and has announced some changes of personnel among officers and members of the organisation's Council, including the election of Joan Sharkey MAGI as President.

Joan is seen in the photo right, being congratulated by Máire Mac Conghail, Immediate Past President.

Additionally, genealogist David McElroy was elected to the Fellowship of the Association, recognising his decades-long contribution to the pursuit and study of Irish genealogy.

You can find more details by following the links above.

Latest news and developments from PRONI

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) held its quarterly Stakeholder Forum meeting in Belfast last week.

Professional genealogist Chris Paton attended and has written a thorough report of developments at PRONI – accessions, digitisation and cataloguing – and the repository's planned projects and lecture series for 2019.

You can read it on The Genes Blog, here.

15% off new 12-month FindMyPast subscriptions

FindMyPast is offering a 15% discount to new customers on 12-month subscriptions taken out between now and Tuesday 1 January. Perfect for those that get the genealogy 'bug' after family get-togethers during the festive season or who make New Year resolutions to get their act together and start tracking down their ancestors.

To take advantage of the offer, which runs until close of play (GMT) on New Year's Day, click the most appropriate flag below. You should then see the range of subscriptions available, and those with a 15% discount are clearly marked with a tick. In each case, the full cost of the annual package, due in one payment, is shown.

	Ireland – 15% off new 12-month Starter, Plus and Pro subscriptions
	UK – 15% off new 12-month Starter, Plus and Pro subscriptions
	USA – 15% new 12-month subs on Ultimate British & Irish packages
	Australia/New Zealand – 15% off new 12-month Starter, Plus and Pro subscriptions

New packages for FindMyPast Ireland and Aust/NZ

FindMyPast has extended its Starter, Plus and Pro subscriptions, introduced to the UK site last November, to its Ireland and Australia/NZ sites. This means the old 'local' packages of 'Ireland' and 'Australia/NZ' and the old 'World' sub are no longer available to new customers.

The features of the new packages are summarised as follows:

FindMyPast Ireland

Starter
'All the records you need to get started'.
Irish & British civil births, marriages, deaths & censuses.
€9.95 for monthly sub or €84 for 12-month sub.

Plus
'The essential subscription with exclusive records'.
Irish and British parish, military, crime and travel records and the 1939 England & Wales Register.
€14.95 for monthly sub or €144 for 12-month sub.

Pro
'VIP access to all areas of Findmypast'.
Exclusive newspaper archive plus all global records from North America, Australia and New Zealand.
€18.95 for monthly sub or €192 for 12-month sub.

Euro prices quoted above are standard prices. (See 15% discount offer valid to 1 January 2019.)

FindMyPast Australia/NZ

Starter
'All the records you need to get started'.
Create your family tree. All Australian and New Zealand records, plus British and Irish civil births, marriages, deaths and censuses.
AUD$16.95 for monthly sub or AUD$132 for 12-month sub

Plus
'The essential subscription with exclusive records'.
British and Irish parish, military, crime and travel records, and the 1939 Register for England & Wales.
AUD$23.95 for a monthly sub or AUD$228 for 12-month sub

Pro
'VIP access to all areas of Findmypast'.
Entire global record collection including exclusive newspaper archive.
$29.95pm for monthly sub or AUS$300 for 12-month sub

AUD prices above are standard prices. (See 15% discount offer valid to 1 January 2019.)

Irish genealogy & history events, 10-31 December

Monday 10 to Friday 14 December: Preservation Week at PRONI. The Public Record Office of NI is holding its annual behind-the-scenes event. Document ordering and production will be suspended throughout the week, but the Search Room and self-service microfilm facilities will be available as normal. No 'late-night Thursday'.

Monday 10 December: NLI Reading Room and Manuscript Room closed all day. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. On-going Monday closures are facilitating extensive redevelopment of the premises. All other services/exhibitons/cafe, including Genealogy Advisory Service, operate as normal. Details.

Monday 10 December: The Widow's Tale, with Dawn Klos. Host: More Tales of Medieval Dublin lecture series. Venue: Wood Quay Venue, Dublin City Council, Wood Quay, Dublin 8. Admission free. All welcome. 1:05 - 1:50pm.

Tuesday 11 December: Genealogy as a contribution to Local History, with Billy Saunderson. Host: Genealogical Society of Ireland. Venue: Dun Laoghaire Further Education Institute, Cumberland Street, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin. 8.00pm. All welcome. €3.

Wednesday 12 December: A taste of Galway's past, a celebration of the county's rich food heritage. Lectures, short films, food demonstrations, vintage farm machinery, craft making and more. Free. Host: Galway County Council Heritage Office, Irish Workhouse Centre and other local groups. Venue: Claregalway Castle, Claregalway, Co Galway. 11am to 4pm.

Thursday 13 December: Using Family and Local History Resources Online, a practical workshop that starts with an orientation tour of PRONI and is followed by an introduction to searching resources online. Venue: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. 11am to 1pm. Free, but space is limited so booking is essential. Details

Thursday 13 December: The history of Capard House in Slieve Bloom, with Ciarán Reilly. Host. Offaly Historical and Archaeological Society. Venue: Offaly History Centre, Bury Quay, Tullamore, Co Offaly. Lecture followed by Christmas refreshments. 8pm.

Friday 14 December: Early closing at the Representative Church Body Library (RCBL) in Churchtown, Dublin.  Library and Archive will close at Noon.

Monday 17 December: NLI Reading Room and Manuscript Room closed all day. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. On-going Monday closures are facilitating extensive redevelopment of the premises. All other services/exhibitons/cafe, including Genealogy Advisory Service, operate as normal. Details.

Tuesday 18 December: The Death Census of 1847, with Dr Brian Gurrin. Host: Tipperary Studies People and Places Lecture Series. Venue: Tipperary Studies, The Source, Cathedral Street, Thurles, Co Tipperary. 7.30pm. All welcome. Tea is served. Free.

Wednesday 19 December: Using Family and Local History Resources Online, a practical workshop that starts with an orientation tour of PRONI and is followed by an introduction to searching resources online. Venue: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. 11am to 1pm. Free, but space is limited so booking is essential. Details

Wednesday 19 December: Launch of 'Memories of Emly' DVD, by special guest Dr Martin Mansergh. Host: Emly Historical Society. Venue: St Ailbe’s Hall, Emly, Co Tipperary. 8pm, followed by cheese and wine reception. All welcome. Details.

Thursday 20 December: No late-night opening at Public Record Office of Northern Ireland in Belfast. Doors close 4:45pm.

Friday 21 December: Early closing at the RCBLibrary in Churchtown, Dublin. The library and archive will close at 1pm.

Monday 24 December to end of festive period: National Archives of Ireland and Representative Church Body Library closed until 2 January. National Library closed (except exhibitions, which are open 27-31 December) until Wednesday 2 January. PRONI closed until 26 December inclusive, and Tuesday 1 January; open 27 and 28 December; reopens Wednesday 2 January.

Stay calm. IrishGenealogy.ie has a temporary problem

IrishGenealogy.ie is offline this morning. Before you go getting all excited and start reserving your research hours for an imminent upload of records, I can tell you that the temporary disappearance of the site is due to a technical fault.

The techies are now working on it, and hopefully the site will be up and running later today.

As to the long-awaited upload, a seasonal gift to researchers is not in the offing.

UPDATE: 10:50 – The National Archives of Ireland's Genealogy site is now wobbly and the home site of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht is also offline. The servers were supposed to have been tweaked so this domino effect wouldn't occur again. Hey ho.

UPDATE: 11:55 – All three sites appear to be working again.

20% off Ancestry gift subs in US, Canada & Aus/NZ

Ancestry is offering a 20% discount on its Gift Subscriptions this Christmas to researchers in Canada, AustraliaNZ and the USA. For Ancestry UK/Ireland, see earlier blogpost.

Gift subscriptions are available across the range of Ancestry packages, and the only obvious difference to a regular sub is that gift subscriptions are non-renewing.

After you've purchased a gift membership Ancestry sends you an order confirmation email with details you can share with your recipient.

On the start date you've chosen, Ancestry sends an email to your recipient telling them how to access the gift membership. (Prior to the start date, you are welcome to notify the recipient that an email will be arriving with their access code, and that their subscription starts the date it arrives.)

The savings are as follows (all prices in local currency):

Ancestry USA
US Discovery Subscription - access to records from 50 states
6-month package normally $99; sale price $79
12-month package normally $189; sale price $124
World Explorer Subscription - access to all US and International records
6-month package normally $149; sale price $119
12-month package normally $299; sale price $239

Ancestry Canada
Canada Discovery Plus Subscription - access to Canadian and key global records
6-month package normally $84.99; sale price $64.99
12-month package normally $179.88; sale price $139.99
World Deluxe Subscription - access to all Canadian, US and International records
6-month package normally $129.99; sale price $99.99
12-month package normally $299.40; sale price $238.99

Ancestry Australia/New Zealand.)
UK Heritage Plus Subscription - access to Austalian/NZ, UK and Irish records
6-month package normally $139.99; sale price $109.99
12-month package normally $249.99; sale price $199.99
Worldwide Subscription - access to all Australian/NZ and International records
6-month package normally $169.99; sale price $134.99
12-month package normally $299.99; sale price $239.99

Ancestry UK introduces gift subscriptions with 20% off

Click image to find out more and place your order

Ancestry has introduced Ancestry Gift Subscriptions to the UK & Ireland for the first time, and there's a 20% discount to celebrate. (There are similar offers available in USA, Canada and Australia/NZ, here.)

Gift subscriptions are available on Premium (all UK & Ireland records) and Worldwide (all international records) packages, and the only obvious difference to a regular sub is that gift subscriptions are non-renewing.

After you've purchased a gift membership Ancestry sends you an order confirmation email with details you can share with your recipient.

On the start date you've chosen Ancestry sends an email to your recipient telling them how to access the gift membership. (Prior to the start date, you are welcome to notify the recipient that an email will be arriving with their access code, and that their subscription starts the date it arrives.)

The savings are as follows:

PREMIUM Subscription – access to all UK & Ireland records
6-month UK Premium normally £69.99 now just £55.99
12-month UK Premium normally £119.99 now just £95.99

WORLDWIDE Subscription – access to all UK, Ireland and International records
6-month Worldwide normally £99.99 now just £79.99
12-month Worldwide normally £179.99 now just £139.99

Both of these sales will continue until 11:59pm GMT on 25 December.

My Heritage DNA: discount and free ethnicity reports

MyHeritage DNA is offering discounts on its testing kits. You'll find the current deals for the UK/Ireland and USA below (I can't access the sites for other territories).

But while advising these offers, I also want to remind researchers that another saving is still available to those who've had an autosomal DNA test with a company other than MyHeritage. If you upload your raw DNA data to the MyHeritage site before 16 December, you'll receive a free ethnicity report (a breakdown showing the percentage of DNA you get from various regions around the globe) and cousin matches, and you'll continue to have full access to the site's DNA features for free in the future.

Hundreds of thousands have taken advantage of this offer since My Heritage started offering DNA tests last summer; its database now holds the data of nearly two million people.

When this current offer expires, you'll still be able to upload your DNA data for free, but you won't get a report or any cousin matches without a charge.

I've taken up the offer, by downloading my raw dna data from Ancestry and uploading it to MyHeritage. It was easy to do... much easier than I'd expected, so don't be put off for fear of the process being complicated. It really isn't. Start here. It's also very quick. The ethnicity reports and cousin matches arrived within just a few days.

MyHeritage DNA test kit Christmas sale

	UK and Ireland – MyHeritage DNA test kit reduced from £75 to £59. Shipping is free for two or more kits. Offer ends Sunday 16 December.
	USA – MyHeritage DNA reduced from US$79 to US$49. Offer ends Sunday 16 December.

Irish Roots magazine Gift Packs now on sale

Irish Roots, Ireland's only independent genealogy magazine, has a great gift idea for the genealogist in your life (or treat yourself... you deserve it).

It's a Gift Pack of four recent issues of the quarterly magazine, bringing you advice on traditional family history research and genetic genealogy; guidance on finding resources for specific areas of Ireland, and on themed collections in the USA and Australia; details of newly released or enhanced record-sets; news and comment from Irish genealogy and local history groups; as well as Q&As and news of developments relating to Irish genealogy.

In other words, it's a useful and informative read for Irish genealogists of all levels of experience. It's also a truly thoughtful Christmas pressie that shows how much you care.

Prices start from just €25 (within Ireland). Outside of Ireland, prices are UK £25; USA $30; Canada $38; Australia $40. On the order page, you can click switch currency to find your preferred local currency price.

The prices quoted here include worldwide postage and packing costs.

FindMyPast DNA: savings and pre-Christmas deliveries

FindMyPast has Christmas savings to encourage you to make a present of the past with a FindMyPast DNA test kit, the only DNA test designed for Irish and British family history research.

For most researchers, the discount will be available until 11:59pm GMT on Monday 17 December, and that comes with pre-Christmas delivery.

Unfortunately, if you're in Australia/New Zealand you'll have to place your order sharpish; the offer ends today.

	Ireland – FindMyPast DNA test kit reduced from €89 to €79. Offer ends at 11:59pm GMT on Monday 17 December.
	UK – FindMyPast DNA test kit reduced from £79 to £69. Offer ends 11:59pm GMT on Monday 17 December.
	USA – FindMyPast DNA reduced from US$89 to US$79. Offer ends 11:59pm GMT on Monday 17 December.
	Canada – FindMyPast DNA reduced from CA$99 to CA$89. Offer ends 11:59pm GMT on Monday 17 December.
	Australia/New Zealand – FindMyPast DNA reduced from AUS$/NZ$129 to AUS$/NZ$119. Offer expires 11:59pm AEDT on Friday 7 December.

PRONI: Changes to hours and services in December

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) has a number of changes to its opening hours and service operations during December and early January.

PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast

Preservation week
PRONI's annual Preservation Week will be held Monday 10 to Friday 14 December inclusive.

During this time, PRONI's Preservation & Collections Management staff get an opportunity to dedicate some time to the vital work that goes on behind the scenes. The knock-on effect means a reduced service to researchers.

Document ordering and production will be suspended throughout the week, but the Search Room and self-service microfilm facilities will be available as normal.

Late Night Thursdays
PRONI is usually open on Thursday evenings until 8:45pm, but for the rest of December and 3 January, the doors will close at 4:45pm. Late-night openings resume on 10 January 2019.

Christmas/New Year closures
PRONI will be closed from Monday 24 December to Wednesday 26 December inclusive and again on Tuesday 1 January 2019. Normal hours will operate on Thursday 27 and Friday 28 December and from Wednesday 2 January.

Ancestry DNA test kits - Christmas offers

While the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals have passed, and with them the lowest prices of the year, some of Ancestry DNA's countdown to Christmas offers are pretty generous. The discount for Austalian and New Zealanders, for example, is only $1 more than November's 'lowest price of the year'.

The Christmas offers will run up to either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, depending on which Ancestry 'territory' you buy. See below.

Click the flag that's most appropriate to you.

	Ancestry DNA for addresses in Ireland. Save 20%! Price reduced from €95 to €76. Plus shipping. Expires 11:59pm GMT 25 December.
	Ancestry DNA for UK addresses. Save 20%! Regular price £79. Sale price £63. Shipping free for two or more kits is free. Expires 11:59pm GMT 25 December.
	For researchers in the USA, the Christmas deal reduces the cost from US$99 to USA$99. Plus shipping. Offer expires 24 December.
	For Canadian researchers the price of an Ancestry DNA test kit is reduced to CA$89, a saving of $40. Shipping is extra. Offer expires 11:59 EST on 25 December.
	For researchers based in Australia and New Zealand, the test kit is reduced to AUS$89, a saving of $40, plus shipping. Offer expires 11:59 AEST on 25 December.

NEHGS: Latest additions to MA Catholic registers

The New England Historical Genealogical Society's database at AmericanAncestors.org has continued to expand its online collection of Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston registers, 1789-1900.

Indexed database

Click image to find out more about the project

The latest parish volumes to be fully imaged, indexed and available to search are:

• St. Mary of the Assumption (Brookline) – Baptisms & Marriages, 1852-1900; Confirmations, 1855-1891; Marriages, 1857-1900. The parish index holds 76,696 names.
  
• Assumption of the Blessed Virgin (Lawrence) – Births, Marriages, and Confirmations, 1887-1900. The parish index holds more than 1,300 new names.to search.
  

To search and view the indexed database, you need to be a member (Individual-level and above) of the NEHGS.

Unindexed Image-only database
Images of the volumes for the following parishes have been uploaded to the Browse database:

• Our Lady of the Assumption (East Boston) – Baptisms, Confirmations and Marriages
• St Augustine (Andover) – Baptisms, Confirmations, First Communions & Marriages
• St Paul (Cambridge) – Baptisms, Confirmations and Marriages
• St Francis de Sales (Roxbury) – Baptisms, Confirmations and Marriages
• St Edward the Confessor (Medfield) – Baptisms
• Sacred Heart (Middleborough) – Baptisms, First Communions, and Confirmations
• Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Roxbury) – Baptisms, Confirmations and Marriages
• Our Lady of Czestochowa (South Boston) – Baptisms and Marriages
• Sacred Heart (Lowell) – Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths
• St. Joachim (Rockport) – Baptisms and Marriages
• St. Mary of the Annunciation (Melrose) – Baptisms, Confirmations and Marriages
• St. Stephen (Framingham) – Baptisms, Confirmations and Marriages
• Our Lady of the Holy Rosary (South Boston) – Baptisms and Marriages

You don't need a subscription to view these images, only a Guest Account. To find out how to navigate the collection to find the records you want, watch this short how-to video.