Monday 9 November 2020

Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives: recent additions

I'm mega delighted to see Christina Hunt's years of dedication to Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives (IGP-web) recognised with the Wallace Clare Award from the Irish Genealogical Research Society. IrishGenealogyNews and IGPArchives became 'research partners' back on St Patrick's Day 2011, just a year after this blog launched, and Chris has never failed to impress with her tireless hard work and professionism.

 Erected by CHR. BIGLEY and Family in affectionate
remembrance of his loving wife JANE BIGLEY who
departed this life at Tonagh, Westmeath, 9th Sep. 1885
aged 49 years. Also her husband CHRISTOPHER
BIGLEY who died 29th Jany 1900, Aged 65 years.
Also their son JOE died 1914 His wife ISOBEL died
1903. Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord for
they rest from their labour. Benown, Co Westmeath.
Photo courtesy David Hall and IGPA

After many years of researching her own Irish ancestral heritage, she understands the challenges faced by Irish family historians and the value of headstone inscriptions, miscellaneous newspaper reports, family memorabilia, memorial cards, and other items beyond regular record collections. They can be gold to genealogists looking for that one elusive snippet or clue that opens up their research. 

Her determined work building up IGPArchives to a popular and highly regarded Irish family history database is testament to the countless hours she's spent transcribing inscriptions from photos donated by volunteers, and the hoops she has had to jump through to keep the site robust in the face of countless technological developments over the last decade or so. 

Occasional donations from those who've benefitted from the archive have helped her to keep pace with the amount of (cloud) storage needed to keep the ever-growing site secure and online. 

Congratulations, Chris. You thoroughly deserve the award. 

And here, right on cue from Chris but delayed at my end, is a summary of the files added to IGPArchives in the second half of October.

DUBLIN Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Mt Jerome Cemetery - Pt 265 - 267

FERMANAGH Genealogy Archives - Church Records
Clogh CoI Marriages, 1846-1921
Colebrook Marriages 1871-1921
Cooltrain CoI Marriages 1845-1871

LIMERICK Genealogy Archives - Land
List of Claims - For Co. Limerick -1700 (Pt 3)

TIPPERARY Genealogy Archives - Church Records
Fethard Parish Baptisms (R.C.) 1814

WESTMEATH Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Benown CoI Graveyard, Liss/Ballinling/Athlone.