Back To Our Past returns to Dublin, 18 & 19 October

Tomorrow morning, Back To Our Past will open its doors in Dublin for the 9th time. The event will see database and dna test suppliers, magazine publishers, family history societies, course providers, archivists, genealogy supplies sellers, historical tourist attraction promoters, dna specialists and loads and loads of genealogists – professional and amateurs – enjoying the annual genealogy get-together.

It runs over two days, Friday 18th and Saturday 19th October, from 10am to 6pm and will be held in the Main Hall of the RDS in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. It's part of the Over 50s event and entry is free.

It's a great opportunity for researchers to ask questions from those in the know. It doesn't mattter if you're only thinking of starting your family history or have already been working on your tree for some time, they are sure to receive good advice in this environment.

For researchers looking for some help with a brickwall or needing suggestions on new or less well-known resources, members of Accredited Genealogists Ireland will be giving free consultations (you can book these on arrival at BTOP, subject to availability... at least two genies will be offering advice at any one time).

Two sets of presentations will be held as part of BTOP: the Traditional Genealogy talks will be delivered in the Main Hall, while the Genetic Genealogy Ireland conference will be held in the Merrion Room (above the main entrance and accessible from stairs inside the Main Hall).

All talks are free to attend but places are limited, so arrive in good time. Here are the two lecture programmes:

TRADITIONAL GENEALOGY TALKS

Friday 18 October

11.30am: How The North of Ireland Family History Society can help your research, with Andrew Kane (NIFHS)

12.30pm: What we can learn from the censuses up to 1911, with Brian Donnelly (NAI)

1.30pm : What a DNA test can tell you and how you can interpret the results, with MyHeritage

2.30pm : Tracing your West of Ireland relatives, with Lorna Moloney (Merriman Research)

3.30pm : Using the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland’s Map Viewer, with Janet Hancock (PRONI)

Saturday 19 October

11.30am: Tracing your American relatives, with Eileen Quinn (NIFHS)

12.30pm: What we can learn from the censuses up to 1911 Census, with Brian Donnelly (NAI)

1.30pm : Using the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland records, with Stephen Scarth (PRONI)

2.30pm : Tracing your West of Ireland relatives, with Lorna Moloney (Merriman Research)

3.30pm : What a DNA test can tell you and how you can interpret the results, with MyHeritage


GENETIC GENEALOGY IRELAND CONFERENCE