Wednesday 29 June 2022

Up to 40% discounts on offer from Irish Newspaper Archives

The Dublin-based Irish Newspaper Archive is offering big discounts on its Silver and Gold subscriptions. To take advantage of the saving, you'll need to make your choice of subscription and place your order by end of play on Tuesday 5 July.

Click buttons to order your subscription

To claim the discounts, use the following codes:

  • For the Silver membership sub (Standard* collection) – 30% off – code is INDEP30
  • For the Gold membership sub (Standard* plus Radical collections) – 40% off – use code INDEP40

I'm told there will be content releases throughout the period of this offer, so keep an eye out. So far this week, new editions of The Argus and The Limerick Chronicle and have been added, and among those still in the pipe is a biggie for researchers with ancestral connections to County Clare.

* Standard collection features historical regional, national and current titles, more than 215 of them, spanning 1738 to current.

Latest additions to English, Scottish & Welsh genealogy collections

Below is a two-week summary of newly released and updated family history record collections for England, Scotland and Wales from the major genealogy databases. For the previous summary, see 13 June blogpost.

My regular summary of releases and updates relating to British collections is designed to help family historians whose Irish ancestors migrated, temporarily or permanently, to England, Scotland or Wales.

By default, it will also be useful to anyone carrying out research in those three nations, regardless of the origin of their ancestors.

The figures in parenthesis in the New Collections section are the numbers of records/images in the new record set.

Unless otherwise stated, the figures in parenthesis in the Updated Collections section reflect the number of records added to the collection in the recent update. In some instances, the supplier has not made this figure available. Where two figures are given, the first is the number of additions, the second is the new total.

Please note that I don't usually include updates of fewer than 1,000 records.


NEW COLLECTIONS


Ancestry

BritishNewspaperArchive (£££ subscription); shared with FindMyPast Ultimate and Pro subs

FindMyPast

UPDATED COLLECTIONS


Ancestry

FamilySearch

FindMyPast

Some of the above content 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 Irish Genealogy News online. See Advertising Disclosure tab above.

Tuesday 28 June 2022

Irish Registry of Deeds Index Project nears half a million entries

The Registry of Deeds Index Project has been updated and now holds 493,166 entries in the main index, transcribed from 51,476 memorials of deeds. The Townland and Grantor Indexes have not been updated this month.

In the process of making this update to the site, Nick Reddan FIGRS, the Canberra-based founder and manager of the Index Project, noted that some 122 names were transcribed from one single memorial (number 84214) – a reminder, if any were needed, of the vast amount of genealogical data waiting to be revealed in this priceless collection.

Each of the nearly half a million entries in this Index has been contributed by a volunteer. If you would like to join them – and you would be made very welcome – see the Guide to submitting entries here.

These days volunteers no longer need to make a personal visit to the Registry of Deeds in Dublin. Instead, volunteers, who hail from many countries around the world, mostly use the online images of the memorials and other records, which are free to access at FamilySearch.org


Monday 27 June 2022

Three years in the making: Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland opens

100 years after the destruction of the Public Record Office of Ireland, historical records thought lost have been made accessible online thanks to a three-year multi-disciplinery and international project.

You can access it at the Virtual Treasury of Ireland (click logo, right).

It's free. And it looks magnificent!

I may be some time....

Irish genealogy, history and heritage events, 27 June to 10July

Monday 27 June: Public release of the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland. Livestream from 11:30am here.

Monday 27 June: The Irish Civil War Part 1: From Treaty Talks to Fire at the Four Courts, with Cathy Scuffill. Host: Dublin City Council Historians-in-Residence Talk Series. An in-person event at Ringsend Library, Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 4. 6:30pm to 7:30pm. Free. All welcome. Details and booking.

Tuesday 28 June: Snooping on Your Ancestors' Neighbours: How to Juggle Online Census Records, with John Grenham MAGI. An in-person event. Hosts: Dublin City Librairies and Raheny Family History Society. Venue: Raheny Library, Howth Road, Dublin 5. Free. 7:30pm. Register here.

Tuesday 28 June: WWI and the sinking of the Lusitania, with Ludovica Neglie. An online talk hosted by the National Library of Ireland. 3pm. Free, but need to register.

Tuesday 28 June: Building the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland: Scope, Scale and Transformations, an online webinar from the Trinity Long Room Hub, Arts and Humanities Research Institute. How was a destroyed archive recreated? A showcase for each of the researchers involved in Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland who will describe their work and the challenges the team faced, and how their decisions have shaped the end-result, which went online on 27 June. Noon to 2pm. Free, but need to register.

Wednesday 29 June: The Irish Civil War Part 1: From Treaty Talks to Fire at the Four Courts, with Dr Cormac Moore. Host: Dublin City Council Historians-in-Residence Talk Series. An in-person event at Coolock Library, Barryscourt Road, Dublin 17. 6:30 to 7:30pm. All welcome. Tickets free, but places are limited, so advance booking is recommended. Details.

Wednesday 29 June: Spiritual Wounds: The North and the Civil War, with Dr Síobhra Aiken. Host: Áras Uí Chonghaile | James Connolly Visitor Centre, 374-376 Falls Road, Belfast, BT12 6DG. An in-person event (will be recorded). 7pm. Register by email to info@arasuichonghaile.com.

Wednesday 29 June: The Irish Civil War Part 1: From Treaty Talks to Fire at the Four Courts, an in-person event with Dr. Mary Muldowney. Host and venue: Central Library, Ilac Shopping Centre, Henry Street, Dublin 1. 6:30pm. All welcome. Free but need to register.

Thursday 30 June: "Spies and Robbers beware!" The execution of civilians suspected of spying by the Anti-Treaty IRA, with Padraig Og O'Ruairc. An in-person event hosted by the National Archives of Ireland and Limerick CCC. Part of The Treaty 1921 lunchtime lecture series. Free. All welcome. 1pm to 2pm. Venue: The People's Museum, Pery Square, Limerick City. 1pm to 3:30pm. Lecture followed by Q&A with all previous speakers in the lecture series and LCCC Archivist Jacqui Hayes.

Thursday 30 June: The Irish Civil War Part 2: From Béal na Bláth to Arms Dump, with Dr James Curry. Host: Dublin City Council Historians-in-Residence Talk Series. An in-person event at Cabra Library, Navan Road, Cabra, Dublin 7. 1pm. Free. All welcome but need to book.

Saturday 2 July: Thomas Francis Meagher Tricolour Celebrations in Waterford City. A morning of lectures at Waterford Medieval Museum, Waterford City. In-person. 10am to 1pm. Free. All welcome. Details.

Monday 4 July to Friday 19 August: Exhibition: The Public Record Office of Ireland – The Story of a Building. An exhibition of architectural drawings, elevations and plans of the ambitious building, which was finished in 1867. Never previously on public display. Hosts: National Archives of Ireland and the Irish Architectural Archive (IAA). Venue: Architecture Gallery, IAA, 45 Merrion Square East, Dublin 2. Free. All welcome. In-person. 10am to 5pm Mon-Fri. Runs to Friday 19 August 2022.

Tuesday 5 July: The Irish Civil War Part 2: From Béal na Bláth to Arms Dump, with Cathy Scuffil. The Irish Civil War:Dublin City Council Historians-in-Residence Talk Series An in-person event at Pembroke Library, Anglesea Road, Dublin 4. 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM IST. Free. All welcome but need to book. Details and booking.

Wednesday 6 July: The Rebel Doctor: Kathleen Lynn, with Mary McAuliffe. Host: Áras Uí Chonghaile | James Connolly Visitor Centre, 374-376 Falls Road, Belfast, BT12 6DG. An in-person event (will be recorded). 7pm. Register by email to info@arasuichonghaile.com.

Saturday 9 July: Why you want Quaker ancestors, with Claire Bradley. An online event hosted by the Irish Genealogical Research Society. Non-members welcome. Free. 2:30pm to 5pm. Need to register.

Saturday 9 July: Arthur Griffith walking tour – a walk from Henrietta Street to Glasnevin cemetery, with historian John Seery. 11am to 12:30pm. Ticket: €11.53. Need to book.

Sunday 10 July: Trilangue: Ireland and Québec in Music and Film. An in-person event at Station House Theatre, Clifden, Co Galway. 8pm. Tickets start at €16.87. Live music and dance performance and film screening. Booking.

Friday 24 June 2022

Four new/updated Irish genealogy collections join FindMyPast

Today's FindMyPast Friday delivery saw the release of three new Irish collections and an update to an existing record set that holds a fair number of Irish-born individuals. They are: 

Ireland Newspaper Birth Notices. This collection includes an index created by FamilySearch from historical Irish newspapers with matching images created by FindMyPast. 

The index holds 42,605 entries of birth announcements published in one of these newspapers:  Belfast Morning News, the Sligo Champion or Sligo News, and the Cork Examiner. As was the way in the day, the names  of the child or mother were rarely mentioned in the paper, so searching by surname will usually be necessary.

Ireland Newspaper Marriage Notices: Sister collection to the Births above. The index holds 68,760 entries relating to marriage announcements published from one of four titles noted above. These notices usually contain the names of bride and groom, and sometimes their parents's names, fathers' occupations and residences.

Ireland Newspaper Deaths Notices: Sister collection to the Births and Marriages above. The index holds 66,681 entries. These notices often provide surprisingly good genealogical data, sometimes with a sprinkling of fulsome praise for the deceased's character.

Britain Merchant Seamen, 1918-1941. This collection has been around awhile, and it's been of interest to my own family history in the past with several of my Santry family from Cork appearing in it. Having just been updated with nearly 5,000 new records, it now holds 1,229,063, many of them with photos of the seamen.

Having another rummage through this collection today has made me aware of some serious failings in the transcribing of details from the original records, particuarly when it comes to understanding numbers and dates. Since these records post-date WW1, I was surprised to find more than 1,000 seamen recorded with birth dates in the first half of the 19th-century. If you believe the index, some of these men - none of them a malingerer, I'm sure, were pushing 100 years old! I give you John Chillingworth and Daisy Asher as examples of dozens upon dozens of near-centegenarians in this collection (see the images on this page).

This problem doesn't stop at a potential 1,000 wrong entries, however. There are a quarter of a million seamen noted as born in the 1850s. I can't believe that.

Where's the quality control?

Republic of Ireland's population at its highest since 1841

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has released preliminary results from this year's census, taken on 3 April 2022, showing the population of the Republic of Ireland is at its highest (as recorded in a census) since 1841.

CSO: Population by county percentage increase, 2016-2022

The total number of individuals – 5,123,536, – is based on initial counts from more than 5,000 enumeration areas. Some 2,593,600 females and 2,529,936 males were recorded, reflecting a total increase of 7.6% since the last census in 2016.

The population increase of 361,671 was made up of a natural increase (births minus deaths) of 171,338 and estimated net inward migration (population change minus natural increase) of 190,333.

In contrast to Census 2016, when three counties (Mayo, Sligo, and Donegal) had a fall in their population, all counties recorded population growth over the past six years, with Longford experiencing the highest level at 14%, with Meath (12.9%), Kildare and Fingal (both 11%) also growing strongly.

The lowest population increases (each with 5%) were in Counties Donegal, Kilkenny, Kerry and Tipperary).

The population increase of 361,671 was made up of a natural increase (births minus deaths) of 171,338 and estimated net inward migration (population change minus natural increase) of 190,333.

The full results from Census 2022 will be released next year.

Work has commenced on preparations for Ireland's next census, which will be held in 2027. This will include an online response option for the first time.


Breslin Archive adds 100-year-old photos of Co. Cork and beyond

More than 100 social history photographs of Fermoy and surrounding areas in County Cork have been published this month on the Breslin Archive. The photographs include rarely seen images of the West (New) Barracks in Fermoy after they were torched in August 1922 during the Civil War; the National Army being welcomed by crowds outside the (no longer extant) Royal Hotel on Pearse Square; the old Fermoy Tennis Club; buildings near the old Aerodrome; a point-to-point race; and views of some of the big houses around Fermoy including Tullagreine, Castlehyde and Kilshannig.

Unknown photographer. “Group at Pavilion, Tuam” 1927.
The Breslin Archive. Click for full image.

These photographs are from a collection of six albums of primarily Irish photographic negatives that were taken by an as-of-yet unidentified photographer from 1919 to 1928, and provide a fascinating insight into the social history of Ireland at the time.

The full collection, obtained in an auction of items from Dublin’s Café en Seine, includes many views from Cork, Galway, and other Irish counties, with some yet to be scanned.

The albums were fully indexed, catalogued and dated by the photographer, and the celluloid negatives themselves each measure 10cm by 8cm.

The Breslin Archive was created by John Breslin in 2019 to digitally preserve analogue photographs of Ireland from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Launching this new collection, John said: “It has taken some time to digitise and geolocate many of these images, but we are very excited to share this delightful album of photographs which will be of interest to both historians and locals in the Fermoy area. They are a window into the past lives, work activities and hobbies of some of the Irish social classes during the 1920s.”

The digitised Fermoy photographs are now available to view online via the Breslin Archive’s Flickr page at bresl.in/fermoy, and all photographs are also available on the Breslin Archive website.

Thursday 23 June 2022

A good week for Irish titles: two more join BritishNewspaperArchive

Following the addition of two historical Irish newspapers earlier in the week (blogpost here) to the BritishNewspaperArchive's database, I wasn't expecting any more new titles from Ireland for a while. But another two have landed, and I'm not complaining.

They are:

The Munster Tribune
Published in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, this weekly paper circulated across the province of Munster from June 1955 to May 1967. The BNA holding will span these dates.

East Galway Democrat
This paper was published in Ballinasloe. The planned BNA holding will span 1913–49.

Over the next few days, the number of pages in the BNA will hit 54million.



Some of the above content 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 Irish Genealogy News online. See Advertising Disclosure tab above.

Wednesday 22 June 2022

4-week summary of new and updated USA genealogy collections

Below is a summary of US family history collections released or updated by the major genealogy databases in the last four weeks. (Previous summary list published 27 May, see blogpost).

My regular summaries are designed to help family historians whose Irish ancestors emigrated, temporarily or permanently, to the United States.

By default, they should also be useful to anyone carrying out research in the US, regardless of the origin of their ancestors.

The figures in parenthesis in the New Collections section are the numbers of records or images in each new record set, if provided by the database.

Unless otherwise stated, the figures in parenthesis in the Updated Collections section reflect the number of records added to the collection in the recent update, if a number has been clearly noted by the supplier, and/or the revised total. I rarely include updates of fewer than 1,000 records.


NEW COLLECTIONS


Ancestry

BritishNewspaperArchive (and FindMyPast's Ultimate and Pro subs)

MyHeritage

UPDATED COLLECTIONS


AmericanAncestors These are from the last update of 26 May.
  • Massachusetts: (Image-Only) RC Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920
    St Luke (Belmont), St Mary of the Annunciation (Danvers), St Francis of Assisi (Lawrence), Sacred Heart (Middleboro), St Joseph (Needham), St Brigid (South Boston), St Cecilia (Ashland), St Mary (Franklin), St John the Evangelist (North Chelmsford), St Mary (Plymouth), St John the Baptist (Quincy), St Joseph (Quincy), St Joseph (Woburn), St Joseph (Salem) and St Peter (Plymouth). (8,600+ pages)
  • Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920
    Belmont, Danvers, East Boston, Quincy, Lawrence, Saugus, Lowell, Marlborough, Medford, Methuen, Norwood, Salem, Shirley, South Boston, Woburn, Cambridge, Newburyport, Kingston, Maynard, Revere, and Waltham.

Ancestry

FamilySearch

MyHeritage


Some of the above content 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 Irish Genealogy News online. See Advertising Disclosure tab above.

Tuesday 21 June 2022

Priceless C12th Book of Leinster to be conserved and digitised

Trinity College Dublin (TCD) has secured funding to conserve, research and digitise the Book of Leinster, a 12th-century parchment manuscript, and one of the most important manuscripts written in Irish to have survived from the early medieval period. It is of incalculable value to the history of Ireland and the Irish language.

By Áed Ua Crimthainn et al (12th century)
Laighean53a at website of Trinity College Dublin
Public Domain

The manuscript is an anthology of prose, verse, genealogy, medical knowledge, and place-name lore. It contains the Irish ‘book of genesis’, Lebor Gabála Érenn, which establishes the place of Ireland, the Irish people and their language in a biblical world setting. A very important version of the saga An Táin Bó Cúailnge and the story of Cú Chulainn is also included in the collection.

The financial support comes from the Bank of America's Art Conservation Project. Since 2010, this project has supported the conservation of more than 6,000 individual art pieces around the world and it is the second time the Library of TCD has been a recipient.

The previous award was similar in that it enabled the conseration, research and digitisation of precious early Irish manuscripts, specifically the Codex Usserianus Primus, the Garland of Howth, the Book of Dimma, and the Book of Mulling, which date from the 5th-9th centuries.

Commenting on the significance of the award, Librarian & College Archivist Helen Shenton said: "The Library of Trinity College Dublin’s collection of over 200 medieval and early modern manuscripts written in the Irish language is ranked as one of the most important collections in the world. Covering over a thousand years of Irish literature and learning, they shine a light on how Irish society operated, how our ancestors interacted with each other, what stories and myths they told about themselves and how they saw themselves on the world stage.

"Once conserved the Book of Leinster will form part of the Library’s major digitisation project – the Virtual Trinity Library – and will be made globally accessible online."

Monday 20 June 2022

Two more Irish titles join the online British Newspaper Archive

Two more historical newspaper titles have joined the still-growing BritishNewspaperArchive.co.uk. Details of the publications and the holding now available for each of them are below.

Don't forget that the entire database can be searched on either the dedicated BNA site or on FindMyPast. Subscriptions are required.

Carlow Nationalist
For the first two years of its life, the paper was known as The Carlow Nationalist and Leinster Times. Since then its title is simply The Nationalist and it continues to be published weekly in Carlow Town. The newly uploaded holding consists of just under 15,000 pages dating fromm 1883 to 1916.

Cork Weekly Examiner
This paper was launched in 1896 by the publishers of the six-times-a-week The Cork Examiner. For a short while it was also known as The Weekly Herald. The online holding offers 9,364 pages published from 1896–1912.

Irish genealogy, history and heritage events, 20 June to 3 July

Monday 20 June: The Irish Civil War Part 1: From Treaty Talks to Fire at the Four Courts, with Cathy Scuffil. Host: Dublin City Council Historians-in-Residence Talk Series. An in-person event at Ballyfermot Library, Barryscourt Road, Dublin 17. 6:30 to 7:30. All welcome. Free. Details and booking.

Tuesday 21 June: The Battle of the Four Courts, an online talk with Michael Fewer. Part of the Decade of Centenaries Lecture Series by South Dublin Council. Host: Castletymon Library. Free. 19:00 – 20:00 IST. All welcome. Register for zoom link.

Wednesday 22 June: The Irish Civil War Part 1: From Treaty Talks to Fire at the Four Courts, with Cormac Moore. Host: Dublin City Council Historians-in-Residence Talk Series. An in-person event at Coolock Library, Barryscourt Road, Dublin 17. 6:30 to 7:30. All welcome. Free. Booking.

Wednesday 22 June: Emigration, Trade & the Port of Sligo, with Dr Fíóna Gallagher & Joe McGowan, an in-person event. Host: Connacht Fleadh 2022. Venue: Sligo City Hall, Quay St, Sligo Town. Free. Need to register. 6pm.

Wednesday 22 June: Book Launch – Left Without a Handkerchief by Robert O'Byrne. An in-person event hosted by The Lilliput Press. Venue: Irish Georgian Society, 58 William Street South, Dublin 2. Free but need to register.

Thursday 23 June: How to research local revolutionary history, with Naill Murray and Tara Clarke. An in-person event aimed at beginner local historians. Hosts: Abarta Heritage and the Landscapes of Revolution team. Venue: Cahir House Hotel, The Square, Cahir, Co Tipperary. 7pm-9pm. Free. Need to register.

Thursday 23 June: Goldenbridge Cemetery Tour, an in-person event. Meet at Richmond Barracks, Inchicore, Dublin 8. 1pm to 2:15pm. Need to book. Tickets €10 / €8.

Thursday 23 June: The Landed Houses of Sligo: Past, Present & Future, with Nicholas Prins. An in-person lecture hosted by Connacht Fleadh 2022. Venue: Sligo City Hall, Quay St, Sligo Town. Free. Need to register. 11am to 12:15pm.

Thursday 23 June: The Irish Civil War Part 1: From Treaty Talks to Fire at the Four Courts, with Dr James Curry. Host: Dublin City Council Historians-in-Residence Talk Series. An in-person event at Cabra Library, Navan Road. Cabra, Dublin 7. 1pm. Free. All welcome but need to book.

Thursday 23 June: St James' Church in Dingle: The Compostela Connection, with Dr Declan Downey. An in-person event hosted by the Friends of St James' Dingle. Venue: Dingle Skellig Hotel, Farann, Dingle, Co Kerry. All welcome. 7:30pm. Tickets: €11.09. Details.

Thursday 23 June: Limerick loyalists and unionists and the Anglo-Irish treaty, an in-person event with Dr Brian Hughes. Hosts: National Archives of Ireland and Limerick CCC. Part of The Treaty 1921 lecture series. Free. All welcome. 1pm to 2pm. Venue: City Hall, Merchants' Quay, Limerick City.

Friday 24 to Sunday 26 June: Ontario Genealogical Society Conference. Virtual Expo Hall and 28 presentations. Delegates can access recordings until 31 July. Registration. Delegate fee $79 CAD.

Saturday 25 June: Goldenbridge Cemetery Tour, an in-person event. Meet at Richmond Barracks, Inchicore, Dublin 8. 11am-12:15pm. Need to book. Tickets €10 / €8.

Monday 27 June: Public release of the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland. Details to follow.

Monday 27 June: The Irish Civil War Part 1: From Treaty Talks to Fire at the Four Courts, with Cathy Scuffill. Host: Dublin City Council Historians-in-Residence Talk Series. An in-person event at Ringsend Library, Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 4. 6:30pm to 7:30pm. Free. All welcome. Details and booking.

Tuesday 28 June: Snooping on Your Ancestors' Neighbours: How to Juggle Online Census Records, with John Grenham MAGI. An in-person event. Hosts: Dublin City Librairies and Raheny Family History Society. Venue: Raheny Library, Howth Road, Dublin 5. Free. 7:30pm. Register here.

Tuesday 28 June: WWI and the sinking of the Lusitania, with Ludovica Neglie. An online talk hosted by the National Library of Ireland. 3pm. Free, but need to register.

Wednesday 29 June: The Irish Civil War Part 1: From Treaty Talks to Fire at the Four Courts, with Dr Cormac Moore. Host: Dublin City Council Historians-in-Residence Talk Series. An in-person event at Coolock Library, Barryscourt Road, Dublin 17. 6:30 to 7:30pm. All welcome. Tickets free, but places are limited, so advance booking is recommended. Details.

Wednesday 29 June: The Irish Civil War Part 1: From Treaty Talks to Fire at the Four Courts, an in-person event with Dr. Mary Muldowney. Host and venue: Central Library, Ilac Shopping Centre, Henry Street, Dublin 1. 6:30pm. All welcome. Free but need to register.

Thursday 30 June: "Spies and Robbers beware!" The execution of civilians suspected of spying by the Anti-Treaty IRA, with Padraig Og O'Ruairc. An in-person event hosted by the National Archives of Ireland and Limerick CCC. Part of The Treaty 1921 lunchtime lecture series. Free. All welcome. 1pm to 2pm. Venue: The People's Museum, Pery Square, Limerick City. 1pm to 3:30pm. Lecture followed by Q&A with all previous speakers in the lecture series and LCCC Archivist Jacqui Hayes.

Thursday 30 June: The Irish Civil War Part 2: From Béal na Bláth to Arms Dump, with Dr James Curry. Host: Dublin City Council Historians-in-Residence Talk Series. An in-person event at Cabra Library, Navan Road, Cabra, Dublin 7. 1pm. Free. All welcome but need to book.


Thursday 16 June 2022

PRONI re-opens to researchers without appointments

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) has announced on Twitter that from Monday 20 June, researchers will be able to visit the repository without requiring an appointment.

An appointment-only system has been operational for some time due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

While normal operational service resumes, visitors will be encouraged to wear masks and maintain a 1-metre social distancing regime in line with the NI Executive guidance.

PRONI's website has yet to be updated with this news, but I would expect it to noted in the pages relating to 'opening hours' and 'preparing for a visit' shortly.

Wednesday 15 June 2022

25% off FindMyPast's annual PRO and ULTIMATE subscriptions

FindMyPast is offering a generous 25% discount on annual subscriptions to its top-level packages.

In addition to giving access to FindMyPast's British and Irish collections, these packages include the World collections, the British and Irish newspaper archive (currently with more than 56million pages available, and still growing), and discounted access to records from the newly released 1921 Census of England and Wales.

If you have British or Irish heritage, these subscription packages are simply the best available anywhere!



To take advantage of these current savings, click your preferred flag above and place your order before 11:59pm BST/IST on Sunday 19 June.



Some of the above content 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 Irish Genealogy News online. See Advertising Disclosure tab above.


Tuesday 14 June 2022

English, Scottish & Welsh genealogy records: 3-week summary

Below is a summary of newly released and updated family history record collections for England, Scotland and Wales from the major genealogy databases over the last three weeks or so (for previous summary, see 20 May blogpost).

My regular summary of releases and updates relating to British collections is designed to help family historians whose Irish ancestors migrated, temporarily or permanently, to England, Scotland or Wales.

By default, it will also be useful to anyone carrying out research in those three nations, regardless of the origin of their ancestors.

The figures in parenthesis in the New Collections section are the numbers of records/images in the new record set.

Unless otherwise stated, the figures in parenthesis in the Updated Collections section reflect the number of records added to the collection in the recent update. In some instances, the supplier has not made this figure available. Where two figures are given, the first is the number of additions, the second is the new total.

Please note that I don't usually include updates of fewer than 1,000 records.


NEW COLLECTIONS


Ancestry
BritishNewspaperArchive and FindMyPast (total pages 53,614,305). New titles $£€ collection:
FindMyPast


UPDATED COLLECTIONS


Ancestry

FamilySearch

FindMyPast

Free BMD

TheGenealogist


Some of the above content 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 Irish Genealogy News online. See Advertising Disclosure tab above.

Monday 13 June 2022

Irish genealogy, history and heritage events, 13 to 26 June

Monday 13 June: Burning of Birr Barracks in 1922, with Stephen Callaghan. An online lecture hosted by Offaly History. All welcome. 7:30pm via Zoom. Free. Email info@offalyhistroy.com for link.

Monday 13 June: The Irish Civil War Part 1: From Treaty Talks to Fire at the Four Courts, with Cathy Scuffil. Host: Dublin City Council Historians-in-Residence Talk Series. An in-person event at Ballyfermot Library, Barryscourt Road, Dublin 17. 6:30 to 7:30. All welcome. Free. Details and booking.

Monday 13 June: A Century of Ulysses, an in-person event with Frankie Gaffney. Host: Mondays at the Mess series. Venue: Richmond Barracks, Inchicore, Dublin 8. 7pm–8pm. Price: €5 full / €3 conc. Booking required.

Monday 13 June: Yeats: the Life and Works of William Butler Yeats, an online exhibition tour, hosted by the National Library of Ireland. 1pm. Free. All welcome. Need to book.

Tuesday 14 June: The Global Reach of Harry Clarke Studios, with the Glass Society of Ireland. An online event. 7:30–8:30pm. All welcome. Tickets starts at €11.09. Details.

Wednesday 15 June: A Bigger Picture: Photography Redefining Northern Ireland, an online event by Belfast Photo Festival. 6pm. Free. All welcome. Details and booking.

Wednesday 15 June: The Irish Civil War National Conference hosted by University College Cork. An in-person and online event running to Saturday 18 June. First day's proceedings will present international comparisons to the Irish Civil War, in symposium format. Details. Programme.

Wednesday 15 June: Civil War Lives – Ernie O'Malley, with Cormac O’Malley. Part of the Irish Civil War National Conference. An in-person event hosted by Cork City Libraries. Venue: Carnegie Courtyard, Cork City Library, Tuckey Street, Cork City. 6:30pm to 7:30pm. Free. All welcome. Details.

Thursday 16 June: Joyce, Ulysses and the National Library of Ireland, with Ludovica Neglie. An online event hosted by the National Library of Ireland. 1pm. Free. All welcome. Need to book.

Thursday 16 June: Wexford and the 1922 Irish general election, with historian in residence, Barry Lacey. An online presentation available on YouTube (https://youtu.be/qoTjMoDzMm4) from 10am. Host: Wexford Libraries. All welcome. Free.

Thursday 16 June: Irish family history research, an online event (have a coffee and chat on zoom) hosted by Glamorgan Family History Society. 7pm to 8pm. Free. All welcome. Details and registration.

Thursday June 16: Revolutionary Workers, with Terry Dunne and Francis Devine. Part of a series of online talks on Laois and Ireland in the Revolution hosted by the Decade of Centenaries programme of County Laois Council. 8pm. Free. All welcome. Need to register for zoom link. Details.

Thursday June 16: Civil War Lives – The Hales Brothers, with Liz Gillis. Part of the Irish Civil War National Conference. An in-person event hosted by Cork City Libraries. Venue: Carnegie Courtyard, Cork City Library, Grand Parade, Cork City. 6:30pm to 7:30pm. Free. All welcome.Details.

Thursday 16 June to Saturday 18 June: The Irish Civil War National Conference hosted by University College Cork. An in-person and online event running from Wednesday 15 to Saturday 18 June. Details. Thursday Programme | Friday Programme | Saturday Programme .

Friday 17 June: Place and Displacement: Seamus Heaney's Poetic Engagement with his Home Place and Adopted Home, with Dr Richard Rankin Russell. An in-person event. Hosted by the National Library of Ireland. Venue: Bank of Ireland Cultural and Heritage Centre at College Green – entrance via Westmoreland Street, Dublin 2. 1pm. Need to book. Details.

Friday 17 June: Unsafe Harbour: Cork Corporation during the Civil War years, with Aodh Quinlivan. An in-person event. Part of the Treaty Exhibition in association with the National Archives. Venue: St Peter's Cork, 87A North Main Street, Cork City. 7pm to 8:30pm. Free but need to book.

Tuesday 21 June: Introduction to Research in the National Library, with Maeve Casserly. This online session introduces the National Library of Ireland's collections and online resources and how to search the catalogues. Host: NLI. 6:30pm. Free. Need to book.

Saturday 18 June: The Dublin Castle Scandals of 1884, a Pride Month talk with Brian Crowley. An in-person event at Kilkenny Castle, The Parade, Kilkenny City. 7:30pm to 8:30pm. Free. All welcome. Details and booking.

Monday 20 June: The Irish Civil War Part 1: From Treaty Talks to Fire at the Four Courts, with Cathy Scuffil. Host: Dublin City Council Historians-in-Residence Talk Series. An in-person event at Ballyfermot Library, Barryscourt Road, Dublin 17. 6:30 to 7:30. All welcome. Free. Details and booking.

Tuesday 21 June: The Battle of the Four Courts, an online talk with Michael Fewer. Part of the Decade of Centenaries Lecture Series by South Dublin Council. Host: Castletymon Library. Free. 19:00 – 20:00 IST. All welcome. Register for zoom link.

Wednesday 22 June: The Irish Civil War Part 1: From Treaty Talks to Fire at the Four Courts, with Cormac Moore. Host: Dublin City Council Historians-in-Residence Talk Series. An in-person event at Coolock Library, Barryscourt Road, Dublin 17. 6:30 to 7:30. All welcome. Free. Details and booking.

Wednesday 23 June: Goldenbridge Cemetery Tour, an in-person event. Meet at Richmond Barracks, Inchicore, Dublin 8. 1pm to 2:15pm. Need to book. Tickets €10 / €8.

Thursday 23 June: The Irish Civil War Part 1: From Treaty Talks to Fire at the Four Courts, with Dr James Curry. Host: Dublin City Council Historians-in-Residence Talk Series. An in-person event at Cabra Library, Navan Road. Cabra, Dublin 7. 1pm. Free. All welcome but need to book.

Friday 24 to Sunday 26 June Ontario Genealogical Society Conference. Virtual Expo Hall and 28 presentations. Delegates can access recorded sessions until 31 July. Registration. Delegate fee $79 CAD.

Thursday 9 June 2022

The Irish Civil War National Conference, 15 June to 18 June

Taoiseach Micheal Martin TD will deliver the opening address at a landmark 4-day conference which will discuss and explore the political, social, cultural, military, and economic dimensions to the Irish Civil War.

The conference seeks neither a single agreed narrative, nor indeed a sense of ‘closure’. Instead, it will attempt to gather the fruits of on-going academic research into the conflict.

In doing so, it will try to accomplish what the government's Expert Advisory Group on Commemorations describes as, ‘meaningful engagements with a difficult and traumatic time’.

It will be held from 15 to 18 June at University College Cork.

The conference is one of the key events in the State’s Decade Of Centenaries programme, and brings together 130+ scholars .

Proceedings will be open to the public at the UCC Campus, but also streamed live from each of five lecture theatres. The programme can be downloaded here. For more information, click on the image, above, to link to the website where you’ll find additional details, the programme, registration and live streaming links.

Wednesday 8 June 2022

Did your Donegal ancestor drive a motor vehicle in the early 1900s?

Over the last decade or so, many wonderful records previously hidden away have been given a new lease of life online, and here's another one: the Donegal County Council Motor Vehicles (Cars and Cycles) Register, 1903–1923.

This is the Council's oldest such register (1903 was the year the Motor Car Act was introduced). 

Following recent digitisation, it can be downloaded free of charge and studied by any researcher. You can view some of the details requested on the form by clicking the image, right.

If you have ancestors from County Donegal who may have been driving around in a car or motorcycle in the early years of the last century, download the entire pdf file, here (51Mb).

Be aware that some of the cycle registration entries are sandwiched between car registration entries.

You should also note that subsequent sale/transfer of the vehicle was supposed to be advised to the council, but as you'll see from the register, it usually wasn't.

In the few updates of this type in the register, there may be information about individuals who don't appear elsewhere in the register.

Tuesday 7 June 2022

New resources for the Military Service 1916-23 Pensions Collection

The MilitaryArchives.ie website has added a number of new features to its popular online-only Military Service (1916-1923) Pensions Collection.

Features include a fatalities map, which notes 1,077 individuals who died in the period 28 June to 31 December 1924; a Fatalities timeline; admin files; selected operations from Brigade Activity Reports & an online exhibition called Stories of the Dependents.

The latter seeks to tell the stories of the families left behind; their struggle with loss and interactions with the new state.

To explore the new resources, click the image, right.

Monday 6 June 2022

Irish genealogy, history and heritage events, 6 to 19 June

Monday 6 June: Bank holiday in Republic of Ireland.

Tuesday 7 June: An introduction to Irish family history research, with Natalie Bodle. An online event hosted by Glamorgan Family History Society. Free. All welcome. Need to register. An online event.7:30pm–8:45pm. Details.

Tuesday 7 June: From Treaty Talks to Fire at the Four Courts, The Irish Civil War Part 1, with Cathy Scuffil. Host: Dublin City Council Historians in-Residence Talk Series, An in-person event at Pembroke Library, Anglesea Road, Dublin 4. 6:30pm to 7:30pm. Free. All welcome, but need to book. Details and booking.

Thursday 9 June: The Treaty 1921, the National Archives of Ireland's exhibition is on tour and will be at St. Peter’s, North Main St, Cork City until 5 July. Free. In-person event. All welcome. Details.

Thursday 9 June: The Treaty 1921, the National Archives of Ireland's exhibition is now on tour and will be at Limerick City & CC buildings, Merchants Quay (Istabraq Hall) Limerick City until 30 June. Free. In-person event. Details.

Thursday 9 June: Introduction to Research in the National Library, with Maeve Casserly. This online session introduces the National Library of Ireland's collections and online resources and how to search the catalogues. Host: NLI. 1pm. Free. Need to book.

Saturday 11 June: Goldenbridge Cemetery Tour, an in-person event. Meet at Richmond Barracks, Inchicore, Dublin 8. 11am–12:15pm. Need to book. Tickets €10 / €8.

Saturday 11 June: The Joseph Hassett Yeats Lecture: WB Yeats: A portrait of the poet as a Joyce critic, presented by Professor John McCourt. Hosted by the National Library of Ireland. An online event. Booking required. Free. All welcome. 6pm. Details.

Saturday 11 June: Understanding Irish Places, with John Manning. An online workshop exploring resources to help researchers pinpoint places of origin of their ancestors. Host: Kansas City Irish Center. 10am to Noon CDT. Free. All welcome. Details and registration.

Sunday 12 June Powerful Women in Irish Mythology, with Eimear Burke. An online storytelling event with Q&A. Part of the Doreen Valiente 100th Year Celebration collection from the Doreen Valiente Foundation. Tickets £5.98. All welcome. Details and tickets.

Monday 13 June: Burning of Birr Barracks in 1922, with Stephen Callaghan. An online lecture hosted by Offaly History. All welcome. 7:30pm via Zoom. Free. Email info@offalyhistroy.com for link.

Monday 13 June: The Irish Civil War Part 1: From Treaty Talks to Fire at the Four Courts, with Cathy Scuffil. Host: Dublin City Council Historians-in-Residence Talk Series. An in-person event at Ballyfermot Library, Barryscourt Road, Dublin 17. 6:30 to 7:30. All welcome. Free. Details and booking.

Monday 13 June: A Century of Ulysses, an in-person event with Frankie Gaffney. Host: Mondays at the Mess series. Venue: Richmond Barracks, Inchicore, Dublin 8. 7pm–8pm. Price: €5 full / €3 conc. Booking required.

Monday 13 June: Yeats: the Life and Works of William Butler Yeats, an online exhibition tour, hosted by the National Library of Ireland. 1pm. Free. All welcome. Need to book.

Tuesday 14 June: The Global Reach of Harry Clarke Studios, with the Glass Society of Ireland. An online event. 7:30–8:30pm. All welcome. Tickets starts at €11.09. Details.

Wednesday 15 June: A Bigger Picture: Photography Redefining Northern Ireland, an online event by Belfast Photo Festival. 6pm. Free. All welcome. Details and booking.

Wednesday 15 June: The Irish Civil War National Conference hosted by University College Cork. An in-person and online event running to Saturday 18 June. First day's proceedings will present international comparisons to the Irish Civil War, in symposium format. Details. Programme.

Thursday 16 June: Joyce, Ulysses and the National Library of Ireland, with Ludovica Neglie. An online event hosted by the National Library of Ireland. 1pm. Free. All welcome. Need to book.

Thursday 16 June: Irish family history research, an online event (have a coffee and chat on zoom) hosted by Glamorgan Family History Society. 7pm to 8pm. Free. All welcome. Details and registration.

Thursday June 16: Revolutionary Workers, with Terry Dunne and Francis Devine. Part of a series of online talks on Laois and Ireland in the Revolution hosted by the Decade of Centenaries programme of County Laois Council. 8pm. Free. All welcome. Need to register for zoom link. Details.

Thursday 16 June to Saturday 18 June: The Irish Civil War National Conference hosted by University College Cork. An in-person and online event running from Wednesday 15 to Saturday 18 June. Details. Thursday Programme | Friday Programme | Saturday Programme .

Friday 17 June: Unsafe Harbour: Cork Corporation during the Civil War years, with Aodh Quinlivan. An in-person event. Part of the Treaty Exhibition in association with the National Archives. Venue: St Peter's Cork, 87A North Main Street, Cork City. 7pm to 8:30pm. Free but need to book.

Saturday 18 June: The Dublin Castle Scandals of 1884, a Pride Month talk with Brian Crowley. An in-person event at Kilkenny Castle, The Parade, Kilkenny City. 7:30pm to 8:30pm. Free. All welcome. Details and booking.