Thursday 28 February 2019

Registration for RootsTech London 2019 is now open

https://www.rootstech.org/london
Registration for RootsTech London is now open. The event, which is organised by FamilySearch International, will take place 24-26 October at the ExCeL convention centre in London's Docklands.

RootsTech London will offer more than 150 classes/lectures presented by industry experts, an exhibition hall where some 100 exhibitors from around the world will showcase family history technology and products, and a number of keynote speakers.

Nick Barratt, popular author, broadcaster, and historian best known for his work on the BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are? series, will be one of the featured speakers at the event.

The full conference schedule, as well as celebrity keynote speakers, will be announced in coming weeks.

In the meantime, pricing details have been announced, with pre-early bird offers available at £89 for a three-day ticket, and £49 for a single day ticket. I have no idea what a pre-early bird offer is, but it seems to be a discount that will expire in just two days time, according to the website. These pre-early prices are discounted from £149 and £89 respectively. Whether these higher prices are the non-pre-early prices or the regular prices, I can't tell you. Either way, full access to the general sessions, exhibition hall, and lectures is included in the ticket price.

See the RootsTech London website for more information and to register.

AmericanAncestors: latest Boston RC registers updates

In the last two weeks of February, the New England Historic Genealogical Society has updated its Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston registers, 1789-1900 collections on AmericanAncestors.org. While the Society continues to digitise this vast collection, two online databases are accessible on the site. The first contains the fully digitised and searchable records. The second holds images of parish registers prior to indexing.

Indexed database
Eight volumes from the parish of St Charles Borromeo in Woburn have been fully imaged, indexed and made available to search since mid-February. They include baptisms and marriages from 1857 to 1900, and one register of confirmations dating 1898-1899 only. Collectively, these registers have added 21,261 records and more than 282,907 names to the database.

This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only.

Unindexed Image-only database
The latest upload added images from 46 volumes from elevent parishes, as noted below. You don't need a subscription to view these unindexed images, only a Guest Account. To find out how to navigate the unindexed collection to find the records you want, watch this short how-to video.
  • Boston Harbor Islands Baptisms, 1877-1900
  • Immaculate Conception (Lowell) Baptisms and Marriages, 1868-1900
  • St. Lawrence (Brookline) Baptisms & Marriages, 1898-1900
  • St. Mary (Dedham) Baptisms and Marriages, 1866-1900
  • St. Catherine of Genoa (Somerville) Baptisms and Marriages, 1892-1900
  • St. Catherine of Siena (Norwood) Baptisms, Confirmations & Marriages 1890-1900
  • Our Lady of Pity (Cambridge) Baptisms and Marriages, 1892-1900. Confirmations, 1897-1900
  • Sacred Heart (Watertown) Baptisms and Marriages, 1896-1900. Confirmations, 1898-1900
  • St Mary (Lowell) Marriages 1847-1861
  • St. Bernard (Concord) Baptisms and Marriages, 1868-1900
  • St. John the Evangelist (Hopkinton) Baptisms and Marriages, 1851-1900. Confirmations, 1867-1882; First Communions and Confirmations, 1885-1900

Wednesday 27 February 2019

FindMyPast wins 1921 Census (England+Wales) project

The census will be published online in January 2022
Findmypast has been awarded the contract to digitise and publish online the 1921 Census of England and Wales.

This census was taken on 19 June 1921, and comprises more than 28,000 bound volumes of original household returns containing detailed information on close to 38 million individuals. It provides greater detail than any previous census as, in addition to the questions asked in 1911, the 1921 returns also asked householders to reveal their place of employment, the industry they worked in and the materials they worked with, as well as their employer’s name.

People aged 15 and older were required to provide information about their marital status, including if divorced, while for those under 15 the census recorded whether both parents were alive or if either or both had died.

The 1921 Census also included detailed questions on education, and was the first in which individual householders could submit separate confidential returns.

The contract, awarded by The National Archives in association with the Office for National Statistics, will see Findmypast capture digital images and transcribe the records in a way that will enable family historians to conduct meaningful searches of these important records when they are opened for the very first time.

The 1921 census will be published online by Findmypast in January 2022.

You'll find more information about the project here.

Monday 25 February 2019

Irish records for mid-March delivery from Ancestry

The major databases usually deliver some Irish family history goodies to coincide loosely with St Patrick's Day (17 March), but we don't typically receive prior notice of what will be in the packages. This year, however, Ancestry has provided some advance teasers of the contents of its 'early' and 'mid-March' arrivals.

It will deliver two significant and welcome updates to existing record-sets, and one brand-new addition to the Irish collection. I've set out the basic details below, and will, of course, report when the new records are live for searching.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tlUUc-qT3KYA71Qy6yl69Idnj86tOWjs/view?usp=sharing
Sample from Gillman's Index to Marriage
Licence Bonds - Cork and Ross.
Click/tap image for full size sample page.
Belfast Newsletter BMD notices
Currently, this collection holds some 385,000 records of birth, marriage and death notices published in the Newsletter from 1828 to 1877. In early-March it will be nearly doubled in size with the upload of a further 340,189 BMD notices for the years 1878–1907. This indexing was carried out by volunteers as an Ancestry World Archives Project.

Irish City & Regional Directories, 1847-1946
Ancestry's existing collection of 6,205,675 records holds nearly all of Thom's Irish Almanac and Official Directories published between 1847 and 1946. Exactly what is lined up for the March upload, I haven't been told, other than it will provide some 2million additional records and will arrive mid-March.

Cork Marriages Licence Bonds, 1623–1750
In view of the dates quoted by Ancestry, I'm assuming the source material for this collection is Herbert Webb Gillman's Index to Marriage Licence Bonds of the Diocese of Cork and Ross, which was published in 1896-97. If that's the case, I think this will be the first online searchable database of the Index. It will deliver 11,926 records in mid-March, each providing the full names of both bride and groom and the year the licence was granted. See the image, right.

A Marriage Licence Bond was entered into for a stated sum prior to the granting of a Marriage Licence. It was entered into in front of a Church of Ireland bishop. The intention was to ensure than the marriage was legally sound. While most of the marriages were between Protestants, Gillman notes in his preface that some Catholics also entered into these bonds. Unfortunately, the religion(s) of the two parties was not recorded on the bonds themselves.

Irish genealogy and history events, 25 Feb - 10 March

Monday 25 February: NLI Reading Room and Manuscript Room closed all day to facilitate the Library's continuing redevelopment of the premises. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. All other services/exhibitons/cafe, including Genealogy Advisory Service, will operate as normal.

Tuesday 26 February: Researching First World War relatives, with Alan Rosborough. Host: NIFHS, Belfast Branch. Venue: C S Lewis Room, Holywood Arches Library, 4-12 Holywood Road, Belfast, BT4 1NT. 7:30pm. Free. All welcome.

Tuesday 26 February: Tales from the Annals: Clare Surnames and Y-DNA, with Paddy Waldron. Host: Kilrush and District Historical Society. Venue: Teach Ceoil, Grace Street, Kilrush, Co Clare. 8pm. Free to members. €5 for non-members, payable on the door. All welcome.

Tuesday 26 February: Irish family history, with Lisa Dougherty. Host and venue: Irish American Heritage Museum, 370 Broadway, Albany, New York 12207, USA. Free. 6:30pm–7:30pm. No need to register. (Rescheduled from 12 Feb.)

Tuesday 26 February: Branch workshop. Host: NIFHS, Causeway Branch. Venue: Guide Hall, Terrace Row, Coleraine BT52 1HF. Venue: Guide Hall, Terrace Row, Coleraine BT52 1HF. 8pm. All welcome. Free.

Wednesday 27 February: RCB Library closed to the public in the morning. Reopening at 2pm. RCBLibrary, Braemor Park, Churchtown, Dublin 14.

Thursday 28 February: Introduction to PRONI Online. Host: NIFHS, Ballymena Branch. Venue: Michelin Arts Workshop, Braid Arts Centre, 1-29 Bridge Street, Ballymena, BT43 5EJ. 7:15pm. Free. All welcome.

Thursday 28 February: Online family and local history resources, a workshop. Host and venue: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. This two-hour workshop includes an orientation tour of PRONI and an introduction to searching online resources. 6pm. Free. Need to book.

Thursday 28 February: Book launch: A Long Week In March: The 36th (Ulster) Division in the German Spring Offensive, March 1918, by Michael James Nugent. Host and venue: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, 2 Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. 7pm. Free, but need to reserve your place.

Friday 1 March: Access restrictions at the RCB Library. No access to the Archives and Manuscripts Collections on Fridays (on-going). Access to Printed collection not affected. RCB Library, Braemor Park, Churchtown, Dublin 14.

Saturday 2 March: Genealogy Pot Luck, a day of Irish family history and DNA talks and discussion. Hosts: Irish/British Genealogy Meet Up Group and New York Irish Center. Venue: New York Irish Center, 1040 Jackson Avenue, Queens, New York, USA. 10am to 4pm. Cost: from $39, includes lunch and tea/coffee. Tickets.

Monday 4 March: NLI Reading Room and Manuscript Room closed all day to facilitate the Library's continuing redevelopment of the premises. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. All other services/exhibitons/cafe, including Genealogy Advisory Service, will operate as normal.

Monday 4 March: The people would take tents, with Ronnie Kilgore. Host: NIFHS, Foyle Branch. Venue: Lecture Room, Derry City’s Central Library, 35 Foyle Street, Londonderry, BT48 6AL. 7pm. All welcome. Free.

Monday 4 March: The Weaver Poets, with Laura Spence. Host: NIFHS, Killyleagh Branch. Venue: Killyleagh Masonic Hall, 50 High Street, Killyleagh, Downpatrick BT30 9QF. Free. 8pm. All welcome.

Monday 4 March: The heart of Inchicore: The Railway Works, with Mary Muldowney. Mondays at the Mess talks series. Host and venue: Richmond Barracks, Off Bulfin Road, Inchicore, Dublin 8. Free. 11am. Reserve your place at EventBrite.

Monday 4 March: The early medieval sculptural heritage of Northern Ireland, with Megan Henvey. Host: Royal Society of Antiquities of Ireland, Venue: Helen Roe Theatre, Society House, 63 Merrion Square, Dublin 2. 7:30pm. Free. All welcome.

Tuesday 5 March to Saturday 16 March: Galway History Festival. Numerous events, most of them free. Hosts: NUI Galway, Galway CC, Creative Ireland. Various venues in Galway City. Download programme

Wednesday 6 March: Towards a further understanding of the violence experienced by women in the Irish Revolution, with Professor Linda Connolly. Part of the Social History and the Irish Revolution public lecture series. Hosts: Glasnevin Museum and Trinity College Dublin's School of History & Humanities. Venue: Milestone Gallery, Glasnevin Cemetery Museum, Finglas Road, Glasnevin, Dublin 11. 7pm to 8:30pm. Tickets should be booked in advance. €6.

Wednesday 6 March: Saving Lives at Sea: The story of Ulster's Lifeboats, with Robert Corbert. Part of PRONI's Wreck and Rescue lecture series. Host and venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. 1pm. Free. All welcome. Need to book. Details.

Wednesday 6 March: Irish family history, with Dr Irene O'Brien. Venue: Govanhill Neighbourhood Centre, 6 Daisy Street, G42 8JL Glasgow, Scotland. Free. 7pm to 9pm. All welcome.

Wednesday 6 March: The lost village of Milltown, with Patrick Salmon. Host: Rathmichael Historical Society. Venue: Rathmichael NS, Stonebridge Road, Shankill, Dublin 18. 8pm. All welcome. €3.

Thursday 7 March: No Reading Room access until 2pm at the National Archives of Ireland. Doors to the public will open 2–5pm only. NAI, Bishop Street, Dublin 8.

Friday 8 March: Online family and local history resources, a workshop. Host and venue: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. two-hour workshop will start with an orientation tour of PRONI, followed by an introduction to searching online resources 11am. Free. Need to book.

Saturday 9 March: The history and heritage of St James’s Hospital in Dublin, with Prof Davis Coakley (2:15pm) and The Irish Revenue Police, with Jim Herlihy (3:15pm). AGM from 10am, members only. Host: Irish Family History Society. Venue: Dublin City Library and Archives, Pearse Street, Dublin 2. Free. All welcome to attend the afternoon session.

Saturday 9 March: The Scots-Irish in New England, a genealogy workshop with the Ulster Historical Foundation. Host and venue: New Hampshire Historical Society, 30 Park St, Concord, New Hampshire, USA. 9:00am-4:30pm. Details and registration. $75 Members of New Hampshire Historical Society / $125 for non-members.

Saturday 9 March: National Irish Studies Conference 2019. Host: The Manchester Irish Education Group (MIEG). Venue: Irish World Heritage Centre, 1 Irish Town Way, Cheetham, Manchester, UK. A full day of lectures and workshops, plus bookstall, exhibition and raffle. 9am to 4:30pm. Tickets £25 prepaid / £30 on the door. Includes lunch and refreshments. Details.

Saturday 9 March: Irish Immigrants in Troy, with Chris Connell and Donna Vaughn. Host: Troy Irish Genealogy Society. Venue: Troy Public Library, 100 2nd St, Troy, New York, USA. 2pm–5pm. Need to register.

Sunday 10 March: Researching Your Irish and Scots-Irish Ancestors, with the Ulster Historical Foundation. Host: The Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. Venue: Brookside Manor, 50 Bustleton Pike, Trevose-Feasterville, Pennsylvania, USA. 8:30am-4:30pm. Cost: $104. Details and registration.

Saturday 23 February 2019

MilitaryArchives.ie releases IRA Brigade Activity Reports

This year's release of records from the Military Service (1916-1923) Pensions Collection (MSPC) – the Brigade Activity Reports – has been launched this morning and is now ready for searching, free, on MilitaryArchives.ie. So, too, is a complementary bundle of finding aids for researching the War of Independence.

Papers in the Brigade Activity Reports (BAR) were originally created between 1935 and 1941. They were created by the Brigade Activity Committees set up around the island to assist the Referee and Advisory Committee in the verification of subsequent pension claims.

They provide details of IRA operations and activities across more than 8,000 locations, including names of those who took part in them. Most of the activities date from April 1920 to July 1921, when the War of Independence was at its height, but there are also a small number of files holding information about earlier and later activities in which the Irish Volunteers and IRA were involved.

The reports include drawn maps and sketches – a total of 402 of them cover the locations of IRA operations in all four provinces – interactive Google maps for exploring operations, fatalities and executions by geographical areas, a gallery of photos (mostly memorial cards), and timelines. There is also a well-produced 171-page Guide (26Mb), downloadable from the BAR home page, which includes context to the collection and several essays by established Irish historians exploring specific themes or locations. This seems to me the best place to start after an initial rummage!

Researchers should note in the introduction to this record set that the files are not a definitive listing of IRA operations during the Independence struggle, and a number of companies and units do not appear in the Activity File series. There are also inconsistencies in terms of the activities and events covered, and the information provided by different brigades and units.

Friday 22 February 2019

MyHeritage DNA: Flash Sale! Up to 25% off this weekend

MyHeritage is holding a flash sale on its DNA kits this weekend. It's for researchers based in the US, the UK & Ireland. It may be available elsewhere, too, but I haven't been informed of where.

US-based researchers can take advantage of a 25% discount, while Irish and British researchers can benefit from a 20% discount. Both offers come with an extra saving – if you buy two or more kits, you'll get free shipping.

To take advantage of the offer, click the most appropriate flag below, and order your kit(s) before the close of Monday 25 February, when the discount will expire.

https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=16100&awinaffid=123532&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.myheritage.com%2Fdna
Researchers in Ireland and UK – 20% discount reduces kit price from £75 to £59.



US-based researchers – 25% discount reduces kit price from $79 to $59.



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.

Ulster Historical Foundation's USA Lecture Tour 2019

The Ulster Historical Foundation's annual USA Lecture Tour starts in just a couple of weeks (9–26 March), with Gillian Hunt and Fintan Mullan gearing up for another round of Irish and Scots-Irish family history workshops, talks and consultations.

Programmes vary to suit the local audiences but typically aim to help the researcher discover how to get the most out of Irish resources and records, gain strategies for breaking down brick walls, and grasp important historical context that may help fill in gaps in your research.

A summary of the itinerary is shown below. (I will mark up any events that I hear are sold out.) Click on the links to find our more from the organisers in each location. If you're stuck, click the link above.

Saturday 9 March: Concord, New Hampshire.
Program title: The Scots-Irish in New England. Host: New Hampshire Historical Society. 9am-4:30pm. Fee. Details.

Sunday 10 March: Trevose-Feasterville, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Program title: Researching Your Irish and Scots-Irish Ancestors. Host: The Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. 8:30am-4:30pm. Fee. Details.

Monday 11 March: Chicago, Illinois

Program title: Researching Your Irish and Scots-Irish Ancestors. Host: Hosts: Irish American Heritage Center. 9am–5pm. Free. Details.

Tuesday 12 March: Madison, Wisconsin
Program title: Irish Genealogy. Host: The Wisconsin Historical Society. 9am-5pm. Fee. Details. Sold out.

Wednesday 13 March: Green Bay, Wisconsin
Program title: Researching your Irish ancestors. Host: Brown County Library. 9am–3:30pm. Free. Details.

Thursday and Friday 14–15 March: Salt Lake city, Utah.

Program title: 'An Irish Gatherin': Researching Irish and Scots-Irish Roots. Host: Heritage Consulting LLC. Fee. Format and contacts.

Saturday 16 March: Denver, Colorado
Program title: Irish Research seminar. Host: Wales Ireland Scotland England Family History Society. Fee. 9am–4:30pm. Details.

Monday 18 March: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Program title: Irish Genealogy Workshop. Hosts: Heinz History Center and the Westmoreland County Historical Society. 9am-4:30pm. Fee. Details.

Tuesday 19 March: Louisville, Kentucky

Program title: Irish and Scots-Irish Family History Research Workshop. Host: The Filson Historical Society. 9am–1pm. Free to members. $20 to non-members. Details.

Wednesday 20 March: Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Program title: Irish & Scots-Irish Research Seminar. Host: Family Hunger, PLLC and Jan Clizer—Painting Scotland. 1pm–8:30pm. Fee. Details.

Friday 22 March: Valparaiso, Indiana

Program title: Researching Your Irish and Scots-Irish Ancestors. Host: Irish American Heritage Center. 9am–4pm. Free. Details.

Saturday 23 March: Tampa, Florida
Program title: Irish Genealogy Seminar. Hosts: Florida Genealogical Society, Pinellas Genealogical Society, Genealogical Society of Sarasota, Manatee Genealogical Society, The Villages Genealogical Society, Lakewood Ranch Genealogy Club. 8:30am–4pm. Fee. Details. Sold Out.

Sunday 24 March: Fairfield, Connecticut
Program title: Irish Genealogy Seminar/Workshop. Hosts: Gaelic American Club. 9am–4:30pm. Fee. Details.

Monday 25 March: New York City
Program title: Ancestors, Ireland and Emigration: Irish and Scots-Irish Genealogy. Hosts: Ulster Historical Foundation, Tourism Ireland and The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society. 10am–4pm. Fee. Registration essential.

Tuesday 26 March: New York City
Program Title: Distant Ireland - Migrations to the New World. Hosts: American Irish Historical Society and Ulster Historical Foundation. 10:30am-1:30pm. Fee. Details.

FindMyPast adds more 'open' records to 1939 Register

FindMyPast has added more than 287,000 additional 'open' records to its 1939 National Register collection. This database, which is produced in partnership with The National Archives of the UK and covers England and Wales only, now holds more than 34.2million searchable records.

https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=2114&awinaffid=123532&clickref=&p=https%3A%2F%2Fsearch.findmypast.co.uk%2Fsearch-world-Records%2F1939-register
Each 'open' record includes name, address, date of birth, marital status and occupation, and the database can be searched by name or address.

'Open' records are those where either the individual would now be over 100 years old or where proof of death has been obtained for an individual born less than 100 years ago.

'Closed' records are those that have been redacted.

FindMyPast says it has 'opened' more than four million records since the Register was launched, so if you've unsuccessfully searched for a missing Irish ancestor before, it may be worth taking another look.



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.

Tuesday 19 February 2019

National Irish Studies Conference, Manchester, 9 March

Manchester Irish Education Group
MIEG
The Manchester Irish Education Group (MIEG) will be hosting this year's National Irish Studies Conference on Saturday 9 March at the Irish World Heritage Centre.

The event will run from 9am to 4:30pm. Lunch and refreshments are included in the ticket cost – £25 in advance or £30 on the day at the door. For more details and to book, click logo, right.

The conference will feature:

Lectures:
The Victorian Convict Prison on Spike Island, Cork Harbour, 1847-1883, with Barra Ó Donnabháin
Waves of Tory: Patsy Dan Rodgers, King of Tory Island, with Jim Hunter

Workshops:
Charles O Neill, Victorian polymath and Irish Nationalist, with Francis Ó Neill
The Orange Order in the Northwest of England 1807-1939, with Mervyn Busteed

Exhibition:
Original paintings by Patsy Dan Rodgers, King of Tory

Irish Book Stall

Venue details: Irish World Heritage Centre, 1 Irish Town Way (off Queens Road), Cheetham, Manchester M8 0AE, UK. The modern building is next to Queens Road Metrolink Station on the Bury Line.

Monday 18 February 2019

Accredited Genealogists Ireland elects three Emeritus members

At Belfast's Back To Our Past family history event last weekend, Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI) elected three former members of the organisation to the status of Emeritus Members.

All three former members were delighted to be recognised for their contribution over many years to the world of Irish genealogy, particularly in relation to Ulster.

They played no small part in the early development of what is now known as Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI). Hazel Ervine, Joan Petticrew and Marie Wilson were founder members of the Association of Professional Genealogists in Ireland, which was established in Belfast in 1986. The group changed its name to Accredited Genealogists Ireland in 2015.

L-R: Hazel Ervine, Joan Petticrew and Marie Wilson receiving their certificates recording their election as
Emeritus Members of Accredited Genealogists Ireland. (Photo © North of Ireland Family History Society)

Until their retirement, each of the three women provided family history research services predominantly for those with Ulster ancestors. Much of their careers were spent in the pre-Internet era, when research was a hands-on experience requiring visits to archives and libraries and long hours browsing manuscript sources or trawling through microfilm.

Announcing their election as Emeritus Members, AGI President Joan Sharkey said: “Hazel, Joan and Marie are most deserving of this small act of recognition by AGI. They spent many years at the coal face of Irish genealogy and over their careers brought joy to thousands through their dedication and expertise.

“As working members of AGI, each made a serious and committed contribution to the promotion of Irish genealogy and to the setting of high standards among professional genealogists across the island of Ireland.”

Irish genealogy & history events, 18 Feb to 3 March

Monday 18 February: NLI Reading Room and Manuscript Room closed all day to facilitate the Library's continuing redevelopment of the premises. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Due to a staff meeting, all other services/exhibitons/cafe, including Genealogy Advisory Service, will open at 11am.

Monday 18 February: DNA Workshop, with Martin McDowell. Host: NIFHS, Larne Branch. Venue: Larne Bowling & Lawn Tennis Club, 112-120 Glenarm Road, Larne, BT40 1DZ. Free. 7:30pm. All welcome.

Tuesday 19 February: 6-week Beginners Genealogy course starts, with Cavan Monaghan Education and Training board. Host and venue: Cootehill Library, Bridge St, Drumaveil North, Cootehill, Co Cavan. 6.30pm-8.30pm. Free. Booking is essential at 049 5559873.

Wednesday 20 February: Irish family history, with Chris Paton. Host: Garnock Valley Family History Group. Venue: Beith Townhouse, 2 Strand, Beith, Ayrshire KA15 1DT, Scotland. 7:30pm. Free for members; small charge for non-members. All welcome.

Wednesday 20 February: Maurice Meade, British/German WW1 soldier and legendary Irish freedom fighter, with Michael O Sullivan. Host: Emly Historical Society. Venue: St Ailbe's Hall, just off Main Street, Emly. Co Tipperary. 8pm. All welcome.

Wednesday 20 February: NI War Memorial Museum, with Alan Freeburn. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, North Armagh Branch. Venue: Bleary Community Centre, 1 Deans Road, Bleary, Craigavon, Co Armagh, BT66 7AS. Free. 7:30pm. All welcome.

Thursday 21 February: Soft power and subterfuge: the women of Tyrone's Rebellion, 1593-1603, with Dr James O'Neill. Hosts: Ulster Society for Irish Historical Studies and PRONI. Venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. 7pm to 8:30pm. Free, but you need to book.

Thursday 21 February: Eamon De Valera – a personal perspective, with Nora Owen. Host: Skehana & District Heritage Group and Screenes. Venue: Screenes Bar, Guilka, Co. Galway. 8:30pm. All welcome. Free entry. Complementary finger food.

Friday 22 February: Access restrictions at the RCB Library. No access to the Archives and Manuscripts Collections on Fridays (on-going). Access to Printed collection not affected. RCB Library, Braemor Park, Churchtown, Dublin 14. Details.

Friday 22 February: 1847 in Achill: the effects of the Famine, the struggle for survival, and the tragic drownings which afflicted the island, with Vincent English. Host: Achill Historical and Archaeological Society. Venue: Ted's Bar, Cashel, Achill Island, Co Mayo. 8pm. Admission €5. All welcome.

Monday 25 February: NLI Reading Room and Manuscript Room closed all day to facilitate the Library's continuing redevelopment of the premises. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. All other services/exhibitons/cafe, including Genealogy Advisory Service, will operate as normal.

Tuesday 26 February: Researching First World War relatives, with Alan Rosborough. Host: NIFHS, Belfast Branch. Venue: C S Lewis Room, Holywood Arches Library, 4-12 Holywood Road, Belfast, BT4 1NT. 7:30pm. Free. All welcome.

Tuesday 26 February: Tales from the Annals: Clare Surnames and Y-DNA, with Paddy Waldron. Host: Kilrush and District Historical Society. Venue: Teach Ceoil, Grace Street, Kilrush, Co Clare. 8pm. Free to members. €5 for non-members, payable on the door. All welcome.

Tuesday 26 February: Irish family history, with Lisa Dougherty. Host and venue: Irish American Heritage Museum, 370 Broadway, Albany, New York 12207, USA. Free. 6:30pm–7:30pm. No need to register. (Rescheduled from 12 Feb.)

Tuesday 26 February: Branch workshop. Host: NIFHS, Causeway Branch. Venue: Guide Hall, Terrace Row, Coleraine BT52 1HF. Venue: Guide Hall, Terrace Row, Coleraine BT52 1HF. 8pm. All welcome. Free.

Wednesday 27 February: RCB Library closed to the public in the morning. Reopening at 2pm. RCBLibrary, Braemor Park, Churchtown, Dublin 14.

Thursday 28 February: Introduction to PRONI Online. Host: NIFHS, Ballymena Branch. Venue: Michelin Arts Workshop, Braid Arts Centre, 1-29 Bridge Street, Ballymena, BT43 5EJ. 7:15pm. Free. All welcome.

Thursday 28 February: Online family and local history resources, a workshop. Host and venue: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. This two-hour workshop includes an orientation tour of PRONI and an introduction to searching online resources. 6pm. Free. Need to book.

Thursday 28 February: Book launch: A Long Week In March: The 36th (Ulster) Division in the German Spring Offensive, March 1918, by Michael James Nugent. Host and venue: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, 2 Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. 7pm. Free, but need to reserve your place.

Saturday 2 March: Genealogy Pot Luck, a day of Irish family history and DNA talks and discussion. Hosts: Irish/British Genealogy Meet Up Group and New York Irish Center. Venue: New York Irish Center, 1040 Jackson Avenue, Queens, New York, USA. 10am to 4pm. Cost: from $39, includes lunch and tea/coffee. Tickets.

Sunday 17 February 2019

Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives: mid-Feb updates

St Joseph's cemetery, Bohola, Co Mayo. Photo
courtesy Dympna Beckett Joyce & IGP Archives.
Click image for enlarged image.
In the first couple of weeks of February, volunteers have contributed the files below to the free-to-access Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives.

The files cover five burial grounds in three west of Ireland counties, and contain headstone photos and inscriptions, as follows:

CLARE Genealogy Archives – Headstones
Ennistymon Old Cemetery - Part 1
Holy Rosary Graveyard, Doolin
Kilshanny Cemetery

MAYO Genealogy Archives – Headstones
Bohola, St. Joseph's Cemetery

ROSCOMMON Genealogy Archives – Headstones
Caldra Cemetery, Elphin

Saturday 16 February 2019

RootsIreland.ie adds 18,000 Laois and Offaly records

Irish Midlands Ancestry has uploaded an interesting mix of 18,000 records for Laois (Queen’s County) and Offaly (King’s County) to its databases at RootsIreland.ie.

These records include:
  • Census Laois and Offaly, 1659
  • King’s County Chronicle, 1890-1895
  • King’s County Electors, 1836
  • King’s County Voters, 1829
  • Landholders, King’s County, 1824
  • Landowners, King’s County, 1876
  • Landowners, Queen’s County, 1876
  • Queen’s County Freeholders, 1758-75
  • Queen’s County Voters, 1846
  • Rateable Occupiers of Geashill Barony (King’s County), 1883-84
  • Subscribers Parsonstown Poor Relief Fund, 1855
  • Tullamore RC baptisms, 1900-1916 (these join existing records dating from 1819)
  • Tullamore RC marriages, 1900-1916 (these join existing records dating from 1801)
To view the detailed menu of records held within each database, go to Co. Laois online sources or Co.Offaly online sources.

Friday 15 February 2019

Free access to Ancestry's Irish & UK record collections

Click image to start searching
Ancestry has opened up its UK and Ireland collection today for a long weekend of free access to all researchers. It runs until 11:59pm GMT on Monday 18 February.

You'll find a full and very long list of all the record sets featuring in the free access promotion here.

You need a registered account to view the records. If you don't already have one (you don't need a current subscription), you'll be prompted to do so when you start to search for records. It's free, quick and easy to register, and you have only to provide your name and email address.

Start searching by clicking the image, right.



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.

FindMyPast adds 23m records to US Marriage collection

1910 Affadivit for License to Marry, New York
Click for expanded view.
FindMyPast has added a cool 23 million records to its existing United States Marriages collection. The additions include records from 46 states and span nearly 450 years dating back to 16th-century Massachusetts.

While some of these records offer only a transcript, about half provide both a transcript and an image of the original document. All kinds of record types feature in the collection, including applications, licenses, certificates, intentions to marry, registers, bonds, and affidavits, plus a small collections of banns records. As such, the information provided by each record varies, but most give date and place for both bride and groom, as well as both sets of parents.

With this top-up, FindMyPast's United States Marriages (and Divorces) collection contains more than 214 million records.





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.

Thursday 14 February 2019

IGRS gives free access to How-To Irish genealogy videos

If you've been looking for an experienced guide to help you understand and get the best from Irish Census records, Irish Roman Catholic parish records and Church of Ireland records, you can stop searching and grab this opportunity.

Last year, the Irish Genealogical Research Society (IGRS) made "How-To" videos on these three major collections. They're designed to help both the beginner Irish family historian and the not-so-new researcher. Feedback has been highly positive, so the series is to be extended this year with videos on other important Irish genealogy topics.

Normally, these educational resources are available only to members of the Society, but for the rest of February, non-members have the opportunity to access and learn from them free of charge. Each video is about 20 minutes long.

Find out more on IrishAncestors.ie.

Ancestry adds London infirmary records, 1842-1918

Ancestry UK is bang on schedule with its most recent database addition: London, England, Hospital Admission and Discharges, 1842-1918.

The collection, sourced from the London Metropolitan Archives, holds nearly 300,000 records of the elderly and chronically ill – many of them Irish – receiving medical relief in infirmaries attached to workhouses. Although some of the records date right back to the mid-1800s, the majority date from the last 20 or 30 years of the time frame in the collection's title.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HPhtV-NxguAhpiI37FuEDu4aRw827LoL/view?usp=sharing
Next of kin details in workhouse infirmary registers
The registers note name, age, gender, dates of admission, discharge and/or death. Some entries also include the patient's occupation, but where these registers really excel, is where they give names and addresses of next-of-kin. These details are not available in all cases, or in the earlier records.

In exploring the new database, I found an 80-year-old Ellen Santry admitted from the Greenwich workhouse to the infirmary in March 1916 (see image below). She was discharged back to the workhouse three weeks later.

The 1911 census gave me a clue to her family, but I couldn't be certain there was a link.

And then I spotted next-of-kin on the next image of the double-page spread register (see screenshot, above). Her son was Jeremiah, living nearby at 21 Eastney Street. This confirmed the 'clue'. Ellen was the widowed 78-year-old 'grandmother' living in 1911 with her son and family at the same docklands address.

Further research established that she was born in Ellen Regan in County Cork in 1835 and had married John Santry in Gravesend in 1864. He was the eldest son of Jeremiah Santry and Mary Murphy who married in the West Cork parish of Schull East in 1839. Their first four children, including John (in 1845), were also born there, but the family upped sticks at the height of the Famine and moved to England, where five more children were born. This was a very satisfying hour of research!


Also sticking to Ancestry's February update timetable was the upload of some 5,500 additional entries to the London Poor Law, Selected Removal and Settlement Records, 1698-1930 collection, which holds details of settlement and removals in the Bethnal Green, Hackney, Poplar, Shoreditch, and Stepney areas of London's East End.



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.

Wednesday 13 February 2019

AmericanAncestors' Boston RC records collection grows

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

The additions uploaded in the last three weeks are as follows:

Indexed database

The latest parish volumes to be fully imaged, indexed and available to search have added some 75,000 records and more than 250,000 names to the database. The parishes and the dates of the 19 indexed registers are:
  • St. Thomas Aquinas (Jamaica Plain): Baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations and Marriages, 1869-1900
  • St. Peter (Lowell: Baptisms and Marriages, 1841-1900
  • Sacred Hearts (Malden): Baptisms and Marriages, 1891-1900
  • St. Francis Xavier (Weymouth): Baptisms and Marriages, 1866-1869
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 12 volumes for the following parishes have been uploaded to the Browse database:
  • Sacred Heart (Lynn) Baptisms and Marriages, 1894-1900
  • St. Ann (Somerville) Baptisms (with indexes) 1881-1900, First Communions and Confirmations, 1883-1900; Marriages 1881-1900
  • St. Jean Baptiste (Lynn) Baptisms and Marriages 1886-1900
You don't need a subscription to view the unindexed 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.

West Cork History Festival lectures free on Playback

The West Cork History Festival has been held in each of the last two summers in the grounds of Rosebank, next to the Liss Ard estate, about one mile outside Skibbereen. It's an idyllic setting and perfect for a long-weekend programme that has quickly become known for the quality of its speakers and its wide variety of topics exploring the local, national and international dimensions of Irish and Cork history.

Even its well-informed audience, which is never afraid to engage in some robust debate, especially if the topic covers the Revolutionary Era, has been recognised in the national press.

If you haven't been able to attend in person, you can now enjoy some of the lectures presented at the 2018 Festival. They are audio recordings, rather than videos, and they're available free of charge on Soundcloud. I can promise you a treat! Over the last two evenings, I've enjoyed Dr Susan Flavin's talk on food, drink and society in C16th Ireland; William Casey's talk on cillini in West Cork; Dr Ida Milne on the 1918-19 influenza pandemic in Ireland and Dr Brian Hughes exploring depictions and perceptions of Irish revolutionary violence, all of them wonderfully informative and thought provoking.

You'll find the full Playback list of 24 lectures here.

And you might like to make a note that this year's Festival will be taking place 8–11 August.


Monday 11 February 2019

AncestryDNA on special offer for US researchers only

https://prf.hn/click/camref:1011l4pku/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ancestry.com%2Fdna%2F
Ancestry DNA test kits are on special offer to US-based researchers for the next few days. The discounted price is $59 plus tax and shipping.

The sale will end at 11:59pm EST on Thursday 14 February. To take advantage of this offer, click/tap the image to the right.

If the sale is extended to genealogists beyond the USA, I'll update this blogpost.



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.




All marriage records free on MyHeritage until 17 Feb

https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=16098&awinaffid=123532&clickref=&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.myheritage.com%2Fresearch%2Fcategory-2020%2Fmarriage-divorce
Ahh. MyHeritage has got all loved up on account of Valentine's Day on Thursday and is opening up its marriage records with free access.

This free access extends to all US state, European and worldwide marriage record collections. You won't need a subscription, and you can hunt for your ancestors' romantic couplings until close of play on Sunday 17 February, when the free period ends.

Click the image to reach the MyHeritage Marriage Records 'SuperSearch' page.



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.

CSORP collection: cataloguing of 1832 papers completed

http://csorp.nationalarchives.ie/The National Archives of Ireland has catalogued some 7,856 files from the year 1832 in its Chief Secretary's Office Registered Papers (CSORP) collection. This was a year when a cholera epidemic caused great distress, and the Tithe War – a campaign of civil disobedience in which the Roman Catholic majority refused to pay the tithe that maintained the Protestant Church of Ireland – was increasingly gathering support and violent unrest was becoming more frequent.

As of this morning, the catalogued entries have not been uploaded to the dedicated CSORP website (click logo above), where they will join those for 1818–1830, but if you're eager to explore them, you can use the NAI's main search engine by using 'cso/rp/1832' as a keyword.

The CSORP collection is one of Ireland's most valuable archives of original source material for the 19th and early-20th centuries. The records comprise mainly letters, petitions (for employment, funds, criminal sentence leniency etc), memorials, affidavits, recommendations and reports. Some of is official government correspondence; some is unofficial correspondence from private citizens. While the archive is primarily of interest to political, social and economic historians, some of the papers will be of interest to genealogists and local historians.

Digitisation of the project has been funded by a bequest from the late Professor Francis J Crowley, a professor at the University of California and son of Irish-born parents. Work started in September 2008 and is on-going.

The papers are available for consultation in the NAI's Reading Room at Bishop Street, Dublin 8.

Irish genealogy and history events, 11-24 February

Monday 11 February: Main building closed until 2:30pm. Main Reading Room and Manuscript Room closed all day. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. All other services/exhibitons, including Genealogy Advisory Service, will operate as normal from 2:30pm.

Monday 11 February: Online family and local history resources, workshop. Host and venue: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. 11am to 1pm. Each workshop will start with an orientation tour of PRONI, followed by an introduction to searching online resources, and will help improve IT skills. Free, but you need to book.

Monday 11 February: Branch Members’ Night. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Newtownabbey Branch. Venue: Drama Theatre, Glengormley High School, 134 Ballyclare Road, Newtownabbey, BT36 5HP. 7pm. All welcome.

Tuesday 12 February: The Norseman's Tale, with Rosemary Power. 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 12 February: Poverty in Victorian Belfast, with Dr Robyn Acheson. Host: NIFHS, Lisburn Branch. Venue: Bridge Community Centre, 50 Railway Street, Lisburn. 7:30pm. Free. All welcome.

Tuesday 12 February: Charles Stewart Parnell: money and politics, with Michael Keys. Host: Tallaght Historical Society. Venue: County Library, The Square, Tallaght, Dublin 24. All welcome. Free. 7pm.

Tuesday 12 February: The Irish National School system, 1831–1922, with Pádraig Ó Donnabháin. Host: Kerry Archaeological & Historical Society Lecture Series. Venue: Tralee Library, Moyderwell, Cloon Beg, Tralee, Co. Kerry. 7.30pm. All welcome.

Tuesday 12 February: How to start and administer your own Y-DNA project, with Paddy Waldron. Host: Genealogical Society of Ireland. Venue: Dun Laoghaire Further Education Institute, Cumberland Street, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin. 8pm. €3. All welcome.

Thursday 14 February: Book launch: Begging, Charity and Religion in Pre-Famine Ireland, by Dr Ciarán McCabe. Host: Maynooth University History Dept. Venue: Iontas Building, North Campus, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co Kildare. 6:45pm. RSVP to history.department@me.ie.

Friday 15 February: Access restrictions at the RCB Library. No access to the Archives and Manuscripts Collections on Fridays (on-going). Access to Printed collection not affected. RCB Library, Braemor Park, Churchtown, Dublin 14. Details.

Friday 15 and Saturday 16 February: Back To Our Past Belfast – Irish family history fair, lectures and consultations, incorporating Genetic Genealogy Ireland 2019 conference. Venue: ICC Waterfront Convention Centre, Belfast. 10am to 7pm each day. Free. Details and lecture programmes.

Saturday 16 February: Irish Records – They all when up in smoke, didn't they? with Jill Williams FIGRS. Host: Anglo Scottish Branch Meeting, Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society. Venue: PS1, Manchester Central Library, St Peter's Square, Manchester M2, UK. 2-4pm. All welcome.

Monday 18 February: NLI Reading Room and Manuscript Room closed all day to facilitate the Library's continuing redevelopment of the premises. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. All other services/exhibitons/cafe, including Genealogy Advisory Service, will operate as normal.

Monday 18 February: DNA Workshop, with Martin McDowell. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Larne Branch. Venue: Larne Bowling & Lawn Tennis Club, 112-120 Glenarm Road, Larne, BT40 1DZ. Free. 7:30pm. All welcome.

Tuesday 19 February: 6-week Beginners Genealogy course starts, with Cavan Monaghan Education and Training board. Host and venue: Cootehill Library, Bridge St, Drumaveil North, Cootehill, Co Cavan. 6.30pm-8.30pm. Free. Booking is essential at 049 5559873.

Wednesday 20 February: Irish family history, with Chris Paton. Host: Garnock Valley Family History Group. Venue: Beith Townhouse, 2 Strand, Beith, Ayrshire KA15 1DT, Scotland. 7:30pm. Free for members; small charge for non-members. All welcome.

Wednesday 20 February: Maurice Meade, British/German WW1 soldier and legendary Irish freedom fighter, with Michael O Sullivan. Host: Emly Historical Society. Venue: St Ailbe's Hall, just off Main Street, Emly. Co Tipperary. 8pm. All welcome.

Wednesday 20 February: NI War Memorial Museum, with Alan Freeburn. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, North Armagh Branch. Venue: Bleary Community Centre, 1 Deans Road, Bleary, Craigavon, Co Armagh, BT66 7AS. Free. 7:30pm. All welcome.

Thursday 21 February: Eamon De Valera – a personal perspective, with Nora Owen. Host: Skehana & District Heritage Group and Screenes. Venue: Screenes Bar, Guilka, Co. Galway. 8:30pm. All welcome. Free entry. Complementary finger food.

Friday 22 February: Access restrictions at the RCB Library. No access to the Archives and Manuscripts Collections on Fridays (on-going). Access to Printed collection not affected. RCB Library, Braemor Park, Churchtown, Dublin 14. Details.

Wednesday 6 February 2019

Clare County Library adds RC marriage transcriptions

Clare County Library has uploaded 1,500 transcriptions of marriage registers from six Roman Catholic parishes to the Genealogy section of its website.

In each parish case, the records can be viewed in chronological order, in alphabetical order of the brides' surnames and in alphabetical order of the grooms' surnames. In all but one parish, the transcriptions span the mid-1800s to the early 1880s. They are free to view.

The parishes are:
  • Lisdoonvarna Parish, 1860-1882
  • Kilmacduane (Cooraclare) Parish, 1853-1867
  • Killone Parish (Clarecastle and Ballyea), 1854-1882
  • Killard Parish, 1867-1881
  • Tubber (Kilkeedy) Parish 1871-1881
  • Kilfiddane Parish 1869-1880
You can view the transcriptions here.

The Kilfiddane parish records were donated by Kevin Murphy. All the others are the work of volunteer Sheila Duddy.

The transcriptions were made from images of the registers held on the National Library of Ireland's website, registers.nli.ie.

Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives: latest uploads

McLoughlin headstone at Killeen Cemetery, Co Mayo.
Photo courtesy Bernie McCafferty and IGPA
The files below, all containing headstone photos with accompanying text files of inscription transcriptions, have been uploaded to Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives in the second half of January.

All have been contributed by volunteers and provided free of charge for the benefit of all Irish family historians.

CLARE Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Clouna Cemetery, Ennistymon
Kilkeedy Graveyard
Kilmoon Graveyard, Lisdoonvarna
St. Bridgets Well Graveyard, Liscannor

DONEGAL Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Drumboe, R.C. Graveyard Part 2

MAYO Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Kilbride Cemetery, Kilbride (Nr Newport) Pts.1 & 2
Kileen/Killeen Cemetery Part 2.

WICKLOW Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Kilquade Cemetery (New) Pt. 4 (Updated)

Monday 4 February 2019

Sunday Independent joins British Newspaper Archive

Another Irish Sunday title (the fourth in just the last two months) has taken up residence in the online British Newspaper Archive. It's the Sunday Independent, which is published in Dublin and the sister paper of the Irish Independent newspaper.

Like the other Sunday titles in the digital archive, only relatively recent editions will be joining the database.

So far, 156 editions have been uploaded. They date from 1994 to 1997. In due course, the holding will grow to span 1959 to 2006.

This new addition to the BNA database means there are now 164 Irish papers in the archive, which is shared with some FindMyPast subscription packages.



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.

Irish genealogy, history & heritage events, 4-17 Feb

Monday 4 February: NLI Reading Room and Manuscript Room closed all day to facilitate the Library's continuing redevelopment of the premises. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. All other services/exhibitons/cafe, including Genealogy Advisory Service, will operate as normal.

Monday 4 February: Revolutionary diplomats: Dáil Eireann's foreign service, 1919-1922, with John Gibney. Host and venue: Richmond Barracks, St Michael's Estate, Inchicore, Dublin 8. All welcome. Admission: €5 including refreshments.

Monday 4 February: The Archaeology of Derry, with Ruairi O’Baoill. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Foyle Branch. Venue: Lecture Room, Derry Central Library, 35 Foyle Street, Derry, BT48 6AL. 7pm. All welcome.

Monday 4 February: Francis Hutcheson and Early Saintfield, with Martin Todd. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Killyleagh branch. Venue: Killyleagh Masonic Hall, 50 High Street, Killyleagh, Co Down, BT30 9QF. 8pm. All welcome.

Wednesday 6 February: Genealogy burial database of GlasnevinTrust.ie offline all day, due to essential maintenance. Access should be fully restored on Thursday.

Wednesday 6 February: Workshop Evening. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Tyrone Branch. Venue: Local History Section, First Floor, Omagh Library, 1 Spillars Place, Omagh, BT78 1HL. 7:30pm. All welcome.

Wednesday 6 February: Irish family history resources on the Internet, with Peter Christian FSG. Host and venue: Society of Genealogists, 14 Charterhouse Buildings, Goswell Road, London EC1M 7BA. 2pm–3pm. £8. Booking.

Wednesday 6 February: DNA: Family Finder 1, with Martin McDowell. First of three sessions (continues on Tuesdays 12 & 19 Feb, note different day of week). Host: North of Ireland Family History Society. Venue: NIFHS Research Centre, Unit C4, Valley Business Centre, 67 Church Rd, Newtownabbey, Antrim BT36 7LS. 7pm – 9pm. Booking required. Cost for the three sessions £18, payable at the first session. Details.

Wednesday 6 February: A southern Derry: notes on the evolution, structure and personalities of Orangeism in County Cork, with Quincey Dougan. Host: Cork Historical Art Society. Venue: Crawford Art Gallery, Emmet Place, Cork City. 8pm. All welcome.

Thursday 7 February: DNA: Family Finder 2, with Martin McDowell. First of three sessions (continues on 14 & 21 Feb). Host: North of Ireland Family History Society. Venue: NIFHS Research Centre, Unit C4, Valley Business Centre, 67 Church Rd, Newtownabbey, Antrim BT36 7LS. 7pm – 9pm. Booking required. Cost for the three sessions £18, payable at the first session. Details.

Thursday 7 February: Practical Workshop - Get started: advice on searching for records at PRONI. Host and venue: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. 11am to 1pm. Free, but booking essential. Early booking recommended as these workshops are usually snapped up quickly. Register.

Thursday 7 February: Accidental Damage, Fire and Theft: Irish Public Records before 1922, with Dr David Brown. Host: Library Assoication of Ireland Rare Books Group. Venue: Royal Irish Academy, 19 Dawson Street, Dublin 2. 1pm (follows AGM). Free. All welcome.

Friday 8 February: General Sir Edward Bulfin – Ireland's forgotten general of WW1, with General John Powell. Host: Military History Society of Ireland. Venue: Griffith College, South Circular Road, Dublin 8. Free. Non-members welcome. 8pm.

Friday 8 February: Access restrictions at the RCB Library. No access to the Archives and Manuscripts Collections on Fridays (on-going). Access to Printed collection not affected. RCB Library, Braemor Park, Churchtown, Dublin 14. Details.

Saturday 9 February: Destination Canada, a free mini conference exploring the Irish, Norwegian and Romanian migration experiences, and Canadaian immigration resources. Host: Minnesota Genealogical Society. Venue: Minnesota Genealogy Center, 1385 Mendota Heights Road, Mendota Heights, Minnesota, USA. Details.

Saturday 9 February: Irish Saturday, with members of the Irish Genealogical Society International. Host: Minnesota Genealogical Society. Venue: Minnesota Heritage Center Library, 1385 Mendota Heights Rd., Mendota Heights, Minnesota, USA. 10am to 4pm.

Saturday 9 February: Using 1919–1922 Irish Army Records, with Malachi McRoe and Mervyn Hall. Host: Fermanagh Genealogy. Venue: Enniskillen Library, Halls Lane, Enniskillen. 1:30pm–3pm. All welcome. Members free / Visitors £5. No booking required.

Monday 11 February: Main building closed until 2:30pm. Main Reading Room and Manuscript Room closed all day. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. All other services/exhibitons, including Genealogy Advisory Service, will operate as normal from 2:30pm.

Monday 11 February: Online family and local history resources, workshop. Host and venue: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. 11am to 1pm. Each workshop will start with an orientation tour of PRONI, followed by an introduction to searching online resources, and will help improve IT skills. Free, but you need to book.

Monday 11 February: Branch Members’ Night. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Newtownabbey Branch. Venue: Drama Theatre, Glengormley High School, 134 Ballyclare Road, Newtownabbey, BT36 5HP. 7pm. All welcome.

Tuesday 12 February: The Norseman's Tale, with Rosemary Power. 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 12 February: Poverty in Victorian Belfast, with Dr Robyn Acheson. Host: NIFHS, Lisburn Branch. Venue: Bridge Community Centre, 50 Railway Street, Lisburn. 7:30pm. Free. All welcome.

Tuesday 12 February: Charles Stewart Parnell: money and politics, with Michael Keys. Host: Tallaght Historical Society. Venue: County Library, The Square, Tallaght, Dublin 24. All welcome. Free. 7pm.

Tuesday 12 February: How to start and administer your own Y-DNA project, with Paddy Waldron. Host: Genealogical Society of Ireland. Venue: Dun Laoghaire Further Education Institute, Cumberland Street, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin. 8pm. €3. All welcome.

Friday 15 February: Access restrictions at the RCB Library. No access to the Archives and Manuscripts Collections on Fridays (on-going). Access to Printed collection not affected. RCB Library, Braemor Park, Churchtown, Dublin 14. Details.

Friday 15 and Saturday 16 February: Back To Our Past Belfast – Irish family history fair, lectures and consultations, incorporating Genetic Genealogy Ireland 2019 conference. Venue: ICC Waterfront Convention Centre, Belfast. 10am to 7pm each day. Free. Details and lecture programmes.

Saturday 16 February: Irish Records – They all when up in smoke, didn't they? with Jill Williams FIGRS. Host: Anglo Scottish Branch Meeting, Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society. Venue: PS1, Manchester Central Library, St Peter's Square, Manchester M2, UK. 2-4pm. All welcome.