Tuesday 19 January 2021

Online Irish genealogy and history events, Jan-Feb 2021

With Ireland still well and truly locked down, even the number of online events on offer is still much reduced. Maybe the numnbers will pick up again in the next few weeks.

In the meantime, please find below a brief run through of online tours, lectures and workshops that may help you keep the grey matter functioning.

Tuesday 19 January: 'Searching for a ‘normal Irish person': metrics and race in 19th-century Ireland, an online lecture with Dr Ciaran O'Neill. Host: Society for the Study of 19th-century Ireland. 7pm. Free. Need to register. Details.

Wednesday 20 January: Breaking through blocks in your family history, with Brid Higgins. Part of AGM session. Host: Western Family History Association. 8pm. All welcome. Details.

Thursday 21 January: From Turmoil to Truce: Photographs of the War of Independence, a virtual exhibition tour. Host: National Library of Ireland. Free. 11am. Details.

Thursday 21 January: Researching Workhouse Ancestors during the Famine; A case study of Gort Poor Law Union, Co. Galway & Clare 1845-1851 by Eamonn Healy. Host: Clare Roots Society. 8pm. All welcome. No registration required. Details.

Saturday 23 January: Irish Family History for Beginners & Refreshers, an online workshop with Roz McCutcheon FIGRS and Jill Williams FIGRS. Host: Society of Genealogists. 2-5pm with mid-way tea break. £20. Details and booking.

Tuesday 26 January: The Public History of Slavery in Dublin, with Dr. Ciaran O'Neill. The 24th annual Sir John T. Gilbert commemorative lecture will be delivered online. Host: Dublin City Library and Archive. Free. 7pm. Need to register.

Tuesday 26 January: From Newry to Norway, how my mother survived the Holocaust, with Lill Fanny Saether. Host: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. 7pm. Free. Book your place.

Wednesday 27 January: DIY Irish: How to learn the Irish Language for free online, an online workshop with Úna-Minh Kavanagh. Suitable for beginners and those wanting to brush up their skills. Host: National Library of Ireland. 7pm. Free. Need to book ticket. Details.

Wednesday 27 January: Terence MacSwiney and the Cork/Brixton Hunger Strikes in context, with Dr John Borgonovo. Host: Cork Historical and Archaeological Society. Free onliine talk. 7:30pm. Need to register.

Thursday 28 January: The Castles of West Cork, an online lecture with Finola Finlay. Host: Dúchas Clonakilty Heritage. 8pm. Free. Registration on Zoom now open, here.

Thursday 28 January: Exploring the Archives 1910-1921, an online panel discussion with Catriona Crowe, Stephen Scarth, Elizabeth McEvoy and Michael Keane. Host: Tower Museum Derry-Londonderry's 'Dividing Ireland - The Origins, Impact and Legacy of Partition' programme. 7pm-8pm. Free. All welcome. Register for details.

Monday 1 February: Family History and DNA, with Martin McDowell. An online talk from Libraries NI. Free. For details and link, email heritage.talks@librariesni.org.uk. 2:30pm to 3:30pm.

Tuesday 2 February: Connelly and the struggle for women's emancipation, Dr Sinead McCoole. Host: James Connolly Visitor Centre in Belfast. 8pm. Free on Facebook. All welcome.

Monday 8 February: The Ballycarry DNA project, with Martin McDowell. An online talk from Libraries NI. Free. For details and link, email heritage.talks@librariesni.org.uk. 2:30pm to 3:30pm.

Wednesday 10 February: Irish Women and the Great War, with Dr Fionnuala Walsh. Hosts: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland and the Antrim & Down branch of the Western Front Association. 8pm. Free. All welcome. Book your place.

Wednesday 10 February: New York and the Great Hunger in Ireland, with Dr Harvey Strum. Host: New York State Library. 18:00hrs UTC. Free. Register for zoom, here.

Wednesday 10 February: Exploring the Elder Family of East Donegal, with Dr William Roulston. An online family history talk from Libraries NI. Free. For details and link, email heritage.talks@librariesni.org.uk. 2:30pm to 3:30pm

Friday 12 February: Burials and Society in Early Bronze Age Ireland, with Dr Cormac McSparron. Part of the annual HeroNI Lecture Series. Host: DfC Historic Environment. 1pm. Free. Details.

Tuesday 16 February: Key sources for genealogy: census records, an online lecture via zoom. Host: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. 2-3pm. Free, but need to register.

Thursday 18 February: Clare and the War of Independence, with Dr Joe Power. Host: Clare Roots Society. 8pm. Free. All welcome. No need to register.Details.

Thursday 25 February: Wolfe Tone and the Hibernian Catch Club: Sociability in Revolutionary Ireland, with Professor Martyn Powell. Hosts: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland and Ulster Society of Irish Historical Studies (USIHS). 7pm. Free. Need to register.


NOTE: I'll add any other January events that I think might be of interest, as I find them. I'll probably start a fresh listing for February, but I'll include a link from this page.

UPDATE: All February listings are on a dedicated Events list, here.