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.