Tuesday 31 January 2023

Historical postcards of towns join Tipperary Studies' digital archive

Tipperary Studies, the specialist local history department of Tipperary Libraries, has some more goodies for us today. The team has uploaded a collection of just under 100 historical postcards to its digital archive, where they are free to view.

The Square, Cahir, Co Tipperary

I've just been looking through the folder of Caher postcards, where my grandad was born in 1903 and descendants of his brothers still live. Most of the photographs were taken in the first three decades of the 20th century, so they show the town just how he would have known it. However, it is striking to see just how little the town has changed, give or take some clothes styles of the locals and a good few more vehicles fighting for space on the roads.

The Postcard collection is divided into five bundles arranged by location, as follows:

  • Cashel - Clonmel
  • Nenagh -Tipperary
  • Aherlow - Borrisoleigh
  • Cahir
  • Carrick-on-Suir


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Monday 30 January 2023

Irish genealogy, history and heritage events, 30 Jan to 11 Feb

Monday 30 January: The Grand Canal in Offaly in the 20th century: the end of the line and new horizons, with James Scully. A hybrid meeting. Venue: Offaly History, Bury Quay, Tullamore. 8pm. Non members wishing to attend online should email info@offalyhistory.com. All welcome. Admission: Members €2; Non-members €5.

Tuesday 31 January: History of PRONI & PRO Dublin, with Stephen Scarth. A hybrid event hosted by hosted by the North of Ireland Family History Society's Causeway C&G Branch. Venue: Sandel Centre, Knocklynn Road, Coleraine. 8pm GMT. All welcome. Details.

Tuesday 31 January: The Harry Clarke Studios stained glass windows in St Senan's RC church in Kilrush, an in-person talk with John Glynn. Hosted by the Kilrush and District Historical Society. Venue: Teach Ceoil, Kilrush, Co Clare. 8pm. All welcome. €5 for non-members.

Wednesday, 1 February: Rebuilding a Ruptured Tradition: Catholic Architecture in Ireland, 1780-1829, a hybrid lecture presented by Dr Niamh NicGhabhann. Hosted by the University of Galway. Venue: Room G010, Hardiman Building, Moore Insitute, Galway or register for zoom link. 4pm. Free. All welcome.

Wednesday 1 February: Socialism and Radical Republicanism, 1923–1939, with Sean Byers. An in-person talk. Venue: Aras Ui Chonghaile/James Connolly Visitor Centre, 374 Falls Road, Belfast BT12 6DG. 7pm. All welcome. To register, email info @ arasuichonghaile.com.

Thursday 2 February: Fionán Lynch – Rebel Kerryman to Circuit Court Judge, with Tim Lynch and his daughter Lasara. An in-person event hosted by Mount Merrion Historical Society. Venue: Fitzwilliam Rooms, The Community Centre, North Avenue, Mount Merrion, Dublin. 8pm. Admission: Members Free / Non-Members €4 / Students €2.

Thursday 2 February: The meanderings and machinations of a Meath man: The life, travels and works of Robert Wood, 1717-1772, with Rachel Finnegan. An in-person event. Part of Julian Walton's Winter Lecture Series. Venue: Dunhill Multi-Education Centre, Dunhill Enterprise Park, Ballyphilip. Dunhill, Co Waterford. 7:30pm. Light refreshments served. All welcome. Free.

Monday, 6 February: St Brigid's Day Bank Holiday in the Republic of Ireland. All repositories closed.

Monday, 6 February: Unearthing the Treasures in the Registry of Deeds, with Natalie Bodle. A hybrid meeting hosted by the North of Ireland Family History Society's Foyle Branch. All welcome. Free. 7pm–8:30pm GMT. Details.

Monday 6 February: The Lifeboats of Dundrum Bay, with Barbara Lomas. An in-person event hosted by the North of Ireland Family History Society's Killyleagh Branch. Venue: Masonic Hall, 50 High Street, Killyleagh, Co Down, BT30 9QF. All welcome. Free 8pm. Details.

Wednesday 8 February: Britishness and Commemoration, with Jenny Macleod. An online event hosted by the Antrim and Down branch of the Western Front Association and the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. 7pm to 8pm GMT. Booking essential. All welcome.

Thursday 9 February: From Ribbon Gangs to Mayors - The Irish in Gateshead to 1945, with Steve Shannon. An in-person event hosted by Gateshead Central Library, Prince Consort Road, Gateshead, NE8 4LN, UK. 6:30pm. All welcome. £3. Need to book at Eventbrite

Thursday 9 February: An Bhean Feasa - the Wise Woman in Irish folklore, with Niamh Ni Locheann. An in-person event. Part of Julian Walton's Winter Lecture Series. Venue: Dunhill Multi-Education Centre, Dunhill Enterprise Park, Ballyphilip. Dunhill, Co Waterford. 7:30pm. Light refreshments served. All welcome. Free.

Thursday 9 February: An introduction to research in the National Library, an online event with Maeve Casserly. Host: NLI. 1pm. Free. All welcome. Need to book.

Saturday 11 February: Tracing the extended Boland family, with Donnacha DeLong. The Irish Genealogical Research Society will host the Ireland Branch's Spring lecture online. 2:30pm-4:00pm. Details. All welcome. Tickets €5 each for non-members.

Saturday 11 February: The 1798 UnitedIrishmen Walking Tour, with Sean Napier and Colm Dore. An in-person event. 11:30am–2pm. Meet at the Parish Church of St George, 105 High Street, Belfast BT1 2AG. £15pp. All welcome. Need to book.

Saturday 11 February: The 'Munster' and the Iron Man – a story of war in the air, with Patrick Sheehan. An in-person event hosted by Cork Public Museum. Part of the museum's 2023 lecture series. Starts at 1pm. Free but need to book by email (museum @ corkcity.ie) or phone 021-4270679).


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Friday 27 January 2023

New /updated record sets for English, Scottish & Welsh genealogy

Below is a summary of newly released and updated family history record collections for England, Scotland and Wales from the major genealogy databases. (Previous summary, 13 January.)

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


BritishNewspaperArchive (63,316,235 pages, all shared with FindMyPast)
  • New titles in main collection ($£€)

FamilySearch

FindMyPast

MyHeritage

UPDATED COLLECTIONS


Ancestry

FindMyPast

ScotlandsPeople

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.

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Thursday 26 January 2023

RCB Library launches new Reading Room arrangements for visitors

As it is no longer possible to facilitate drop-in visitors* and researchers without an appointment, the Church of Ireland's RCB Library and Archive in Dublin 14 has introduced new, flexible arrangements for those wishing to view manuscripts or parish register materials in its Reading Room.

Researchers must reserve a Reading Desk in advance of their visit. These reservations are available only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and visitors should be aware that the repository closes for lunch from 12:45 to 1:30pm.

Those who know the materials they wish to consult will be able to order (with full catalogue details) up to five items in advance and these will ready for you on your arrival.

You'll find details and the online system for booking a Reading Desk here. You need to create a user account to make bookings.

Booking slots for Reading Desks will be released at noon on the last Friday of the previous month.

*Excepting those borrowing or returning books, who do not need to make a researvation.


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Wednesday 25 January 2023

January update to Irish Registry of Deeds index Project

The free Registry of Deeds Index Project has passed two milestones with its latest upload. The main Index has grown to 530,671 entries and these have been gleaned from 55,012 memorials.

The Project is entirely managed by volunteers; with images of the memorials now freely accessible at FamilySearch.org, indexing this priceless collection no longer requires visits to the Registry in Dublin. If you would like to be part of the volunteer team – you index at your own pace, as and when you have the time – you'll find plenty of advice on the Project's Home Page (click the counter image right).

To give you an idea of what's involved, you might like to view this month's featured memorial (see bottom right of double page spread) and the newly indexed entries it has yielded.

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Monday 23 January 2023

Dublin City Library & Archive extends Reading Room opening hours

The Reading Room of the Dublin City Library and Archive in Pearse Street is extending its opening hours from today. It will now be open to researchers with a DCLA Research card* by appointment on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10am until 4:30pm.

          The DCLA's Reading Room, 144 Pearse Street, Dublin 2

It will no longer close for lunch.

To order materials in advance, email Dublinstudies @dublincity.ie or cityarchives @dublincity.ie. (Details of the collection here.)

Additionally, the Library's quiet study area is open from Monday to Thursday 10am–8pm and on Fridays and Saturdays 10am–5pm. Researchers don't need a library or research card to access this space.

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Irish genealogy, history and heritage events, 23 Jan. to 5 Feb.

Tuesday 24 January: The Irish and the American Civil War: People, Stories and Voices, with Dr Damian Shiels. An online Tuatha Talk hosted by Alberta Heritage. 19:30 – 20:45 GMT. Free. All welcome. Need to book.

Tuesday 24 January: The Ballykinlar Hut Project, with Mike King. An online evemt hosted by the North of Ireland Family History Society's Belfast Branch. 7:30pm–9pm GMT. Free. All welcome. Details.

Wednesday 25 January: Dungarvan before the Vikings! an in-person event with Dave Pollock. Host: Waterford County Museum Society. Venue: Waterford County Museum, Friary Street, Dungarvan. 7.30pm. All welcome. Fee €5.

Wednesday 25 January: West Cork Railways, Birth, Beauty and Betrayal, with Chris Larkin. An in-person event hosted by Skibbereen & District Historical Society. Venue: O’Donovan Rossa GAA Pavilion, Skibbereen. 8pm. All welcome. Small fee for non-members. Details.

Wednesday 25 January: Hitler's Hangman, the life of Reinhard Heydrich, with Peter Charleton. An in-person event hosted by Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society. Venue: The Greville Arms Hotel, Mullingar, Co Westmeath. 8pm. All welcome. Details.

Wednesday 25 January: Between Two Hells - The Irish Civil War Centenary, with Professor Diarmaid Ferriter. An in-person event. Hosted by the Historical Association at the Tyneside Irish Centre, 43 Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4SG, UK. All welcome but need to book at Eventbrite. 7pm to 10pm.

Thursday 26 January Researching Farming Ancestors in County Antrim, with Dr William Roulston. A hybrid meeting hosted by the North of Ireland Family History Society's Ballymena branch. 7:15pm–8:45pm GMT. In-person at Michelin Arts Workshop, Braid Arts Centre 1-29 Bridge Street, Ballymena, Co Antrim. Details.

Thursday 26 January: The museums of Waterford City, with Eamonn McEneaney. An in-person event. Part of Julian Walton's Winter Lecture Series. Venue: Dunhill Multi-Education Centre, Dunhill Enterprise Park, Ballyphilip. Dunhill, Co Waterford. 7:30pm. Light refreshments served. All welcome. Free.

Thursday 26 January Holocaust Memorial Day 2023, with Eve Kugler telling her story as a child survivor. An in-person event hosted on-site by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. 11am. Free and all welcome. Booking essential.

Saturday 28 January: 'Dirty Shirts' – The Royal Munster Fusiliers in 1914, with John Ware. An in-person event hosted by Cork Public Museum, Fitzgerald Park, Mardyke, Cork. Part of the museum's 2023 lecture series. Starts at 1pm. Free but need to book by email (museum @ corkcity.ie) or phone 021-4270679).

Saturday 28 January: Yeats Anniversary Poetry Readings, with musical interludes. Introduced by Niall MacMonagle. An in-person event. Host and venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. 3:30pm–4:15pm. Fully booked.

Monday 30 January: The Grand Canal in Offaly in the 20th century: the end of the line and new horizons, with James Scully. A hybrid meeting. Venue: Offaly History, Bury Quay, Tullamore. 8pm. Non members wishing to attend online should email info@offalyhistory.com. All welcome. Admission: Members €2; Non-members €5.

Tuesday 31 January: History of PRONI & PRO Dublin, with Stephen Scarth. A hybrid event hosted by hosted by the North of Ireland Family History Society's Causeway C&G Branch. Venue: Sandel Centre, Knocklynn Road, Coleraine. 8pm GMT. All welcome. Details.

Thursday 2 February: Fionán Lynch – Rebel Kerryman to Circuit Court Judge, with Tim Lynch and his daughter Lasara. An in-person event hosted by Mount Merrion Historical Society. Venue: Fitzwilliam Rooms, The Community Centre, North Avenue, Mount Merrion, Dublin. 8pm. Admission: Members Free / Non-Members €4 / Students €2.

Thursday 2 February: The meanderings and machinations of a Meath man: The life, travels and works of Robert Wood, 1717-1772, with Rachel Finnegan. An in-person event. Part of Julian Walton's Winter Lecture Series. Venue: Dunhill Multi-Education Centre, Dunhill Enterprise Park, Ballyphilip. Dunhill, Co Waterford. 7:30pm. Light refreshments served. All welcome. Free.

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Friday 20 January 2023

FMP uploads 200,000 death records from Northern Ireland & Britain

FindMyPast (FMP) has added 200,000 death records, mostly recent, for Northern Ireland, England Scotland and Wales. They are as follows:

  • Northern Ireland Deaths, 1998-2021: Some 2,052 transcribed records have been added to this collection, which now offers more than 94,000 records to search. They all give date of birth, age at death, place of residence and postcode of the deceased.
  • England & Wales Deaths 2007-2021: The lion's share of the new records (184,062) are from England and Wales and date from November 2020 to November 2021. The upload brings the total number of records in this collection to 3,461,272. Details given include place of residence, postcode, and full birthday.
  • Scotland Modern and Civil Deaths and Burials, 1855-2021: This big collection has been expanded with an additional 13,886 death records and now holds 3,396,724 records. Each record transcription typically provide details of residence, postcode district and precise birth date of the deceased.

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National Library of Ireland's Saturday openings, January-February

The National Library of Ireland has announced the dates for its Saturday openings over the next five weeks. They are:

  • Saturday 21 January
  • Saturday 11 February
  • Saturday 25 February

Saturday openings allow researchers with a Reader's Ticket to visit the Main Reading Room and the Manuscripts Reading Room in Kildare Street between 9:30am to 1pm. The Reader's Ticket Office is open during the same hours.

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Wednesday 18 January 2023

Researching emigrant ancestors to UK, US, CA, AUS: online course

The Ulster Historical Foundation has organised a free online genealogy course that will focus on ancestors who emigrated from Lurgan and Armagh. Although this is a very specific focus, it is likely to be of value to any researcher whose Irish ancestors sailed the seas to settle abroad.

The comprehensive 5-session course will help family historians identify the archives and genealogical sources required to research ancestors who emigrated to America, Canada, Australia and Britain, and will provide the necessary information and skills to further explore their genealogical story.

Each weekly onnline session will be live (Wednesdays at 7:30pm to 9pm GMT) and presented by genealogists who live in the country they are discussing. Each session will be interactive and provide opportunities for delegates to ask questions.

The course schedule as follows: 

  • Wed. 25 January 2023:   Researching Emigrants to Britain by Chris Paton 
  • Wed. 1 February 2023:   Researching Emigrants to the United States by Dave Miller
  • Wed. 8 February 2023:   Researching Emigrants to Canada by Melanie McLennan
  • Wed. 15 February 2023: Researching Emigrants to Australia by Dr Perry McIntyre
  • Wed. 22 February 2023: Sources for researching emigrant ancestors by Fintan Mullen and Gillian Hunt 

Booking is now open here.

This course is funded by the Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council and the Lottery Players via the National Lottery Heritage Fund, through the Lurgan Townscape Heritage Scheme.

 

 

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Tuesday 17 January 2023

TheGenealogist adds two record sets to its growing Irish collection

Two Irish record sets have been uploaded in the last week to TheGenealogist.co.uk, a predominently British database with a small but growing number of Irish collections accessible via the site's Diamond subscription. (Search catalogue here.)

The new sets are:

  • County Kildare Roman Catholic Parish Registers: these 371,400 records include 323,923 baptisms, 46,914 marriages and 563 burials. No further information has been provided.
  • Tithe Defaulters: Dating from 1831, this record set originates from a 1,061 page document listing 29,027 individuals who refused to pay the tithe - a tax levied on all occupiers of agricultural land (regardless of their religion) to support the Church of Ireland and its clergy. As the majority of Ireland's population was Roman Catholic, the tithe was hugely unpopular and many refused to pay. The list notes each defaulter's name, address and the sum due. Some additionally provide details of the defaulter's landholding and occupation.

The Genealogist has published a good article giving more historical background on the hated tithe in Ireland and details of some of those whose names appear in the Defaulters' list. Read it here.



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Census of Ireland 2027: Any burning questions or suggestions?

The Central Statistics Office of Ireland's Public Consultation on the next Census (due in 2027) will end in just a few days.

If you have any suggestions for new questions or wish to propose changes to the phrasing of some of the questios used in last year's census, you'll need to submit them by Noon, on this Friday, 20 January. Submissions can be made online or in writing.

You'll find more details here, along with links to the Census 2022 form.


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Monday 16 January 2023

Irish genealogy, history and heritage events, 16 - 29 January

Monday 16 January Researching Wills & Testaments, a hybrid meeting hosted by the North of Ireland Family History Society's Foyle Branch. In-person at the Lecture Room, Derry's Central Library, 35 Foyle Street, Derry City. Also online - email Foyle @ nifhs.org for zoom link. All welcome. Free. 7pm. Details.

Monday 16 January: The Tides of Time, with Dr David Hume. A hybrid meeting hosted by the North of Ireland Family History Society's Larne Branch. In-person at the Larne Museum and Arts Centre, 2 Victoria Road, Larne, Co Antrim. 7:15pm. Non-members should email Larne@nifhs.org to book a place by 12pm on Saturday prior to each meeting. Free. All welcome.

Tuesday 17 January: County Tipperary in 1922 with Dr Denis G Marnane. An in-person event and part of the Tipperary People and Places Lecture series no.16. Host: Tipperary Studies, the local history department. of Tipperary County Librairies. 7pm. Free. Venue: Gallery of the Source Library, Thurles. Tea and coffeee served. All welcome. Details.

Tuesday 17 January: The History of Weather Reporting, with Evelyn Cusack. An in-person talk hosted by Foxrock Local History Club. Venue: Pastoral Centre in Foxrock, Co. Dublin (Junction N11 and Kill Lane). All welcome. 8pm. Non-members €5.

Wednesday 18 January: Putting Migration into Lurgan History, a talk by Dr Patrick Fitzgerald examining migration patterns of emigrants from Lurgan and the wider County of Armagh. Hosted by the Lurgan Townscape Heritage Scheme. In-person venue: Brownlow House, Windsor Avenue, Lurgan BT67 9BJ Northern Ireland. 7:30 – 9pm. Free. All welcome. Book your space.Details.

Wednesday 18 January: Catholic circumvention of the Penal Laws in the 18th century, with Dr Emma Lyons. An in-person event. Host: Carlow Historical & Archaeological Society. Venue: Seven Oaks Hotel, Carlow Town. 8pm. All welcome. Free.

Thursday 19 January: Introduction to Researching at the National Library of Ireland, a free online talk to showcase the library's collections and online sources, and demonstrate how to search the catalogues. Host: National Library of Ireland. 1pm to 2pm. All welcome. Need to book.

Friday 20 January Irlandiya: Migrants from the Russian Empire in early 20th Century Ireland, with Dr Maurice J Casey. An online event hosted by Libraries NI's Heritage From Home (3) lecture series. 12:30pm GMT. Free. All welcome. Need to book.

Wednesday 25 January: Hitler's Hangman, with Reinhard Heydrich, an in-person presentation by Peter Charleton JP. Host: Westmeath Archaeological and Historical Society. Venue: The Greville Arms Hotel, Mullingar, Co Westmeath. 8pm. All welcome.

Thursday 26 January Researching Farming Ancestors in County Antrim, with Dr William Roulston. A hybrid meeting hosted by the North of Ireland Family History Society's Ballymena branch. 7:15pm–8:45pm GMT. In-person at Michelin Arts Workshop, Braid Arts Centre 1-29 Bridge Street, Ballymena, Co Antrim. Online: email branch secretary at Ballymena@nifhs.org for zoom link. Details.

Thursday 26 January Holocaust Memorial Day 2023, with Eve Kugler telling her story as a child survivor. An in-person event hosted on-site by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. 11am. Free and all welcome. Booking essential.


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Friday 13 January 2023

New and updated genealogy records for England, Wales & Scotland

Below is a summary of newly released and updated family history record collections for England, Scotland and Wales from the major genealogy databases. (Previous summary, 22 December.)

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 shared with FindMyPast)
  • New titles in main collection ($£€)

FamilySearch
* Time period varies by locality

FindMyPast

MyHeritage

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.
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Thursday 12 January 2023

NLI's online Beginners Genealogy course starts 25 January

An eight-week online Generalogy course, hosted by the National Library of Ireland (NLI), will start on Wednesday 25 January. It will be aimed at beginners and those who may have already started their family history and are looking to better understand the resources available to their research.

The well-known lecturer and genealogist Sean J Murphy will be presenting the course, with each Wednesday session being delivered over Zoom from 2pm to 4pm.

The course fee is €100 and places are limited. To find out more or to book a place on this popular course (which usually sells out very quickly) contact Brid O'Sullivan at the NLI by email at bosullivan@nli.ie.

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Wednesday 11 January 2023

Cork's Evening Echo debuts on online British Newspaper Archive

The first historical Irish title to make its 2023 debut in the BritishNewspaperArchive.co.uk (BNA) is Cork's Evening Echo. It will also make its way into the Irish Newspaper Collection of FindMyPast, the BNA's sister company in due course.

So far, just over 3,000 news pages published in 1909 and 1914 are available to search in the BNA database, but as the digitisation progresses, the holding will expand to span 1904 to 1914 inclusive.

When founded in 1892 the title was published as a daily-except-Sunday evening broadsheet and circulated across County Cork. Following a re-brand under new owners The Irish Times Group in 2019, the paper (by then a tabloid) is a six-days-a-week morning title called The Echo and focuses on mainly local news.

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Tuesday 10 January 2023

Unique collection of folklore from the Aran Islands launches online

A new site – Bailiúchán Béaloidis Árann – has been launched to showcase the Folklore of Árainn Collection, a unique mix of material collected by the people of Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands. While many collections of island folklore have been created since the 19th century, this is the only one created by islanders themselves.

It is hosted on the National Folklore Collection's Duchas.ie, which most Irish genealogists will know as the online home of the Schools Collection (and others), but the new repository can also be accessed directly at https://bba.duchas.ie.

This free resource features a specially curated selection of material from the original collection, and holds 917 photographs of island life, past and present, and more than 100 audio files featuring stories, folklore and music from the residents of Inishmore, presenting a wealth of speech, sayings, and traditions that have now passed from local memory.

Some of the conversations, nearly all in Irish, have been transcribed.

The digital platform provides access to the collection not only for the islanders but also to those interested in folklore, history, traditions, and culture. It also helps Bailiúchán Béaloidis Árann preserve and cultivate the island's heritage.

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Monday 9 January 2023

Irish genealogy, history and heritage: First events listing of 2023

It looks like a fairly slow start to the new year, with many event programmes still not finalised or not yet published. I'll update the listing below as and when I learn of relevant additions.

Monday 9 January: Welcome to the White House, a video presentation. A hybrid event hosted by the North of Ireland Family History Society's Newtownabbey Branch. Online and in-person, the latter being held at Glengormley High School, Drama Theatre 134 Ballyclare Road, Newtownabbey, Co Antrim. 7pm. Those wishing to attend on zoom should e-mail the branch secretary at Newtownabbey@nifhs.org and they will be sent the link. Free and all welcome. Details.

Tuesday 10 January: Irish Service Women in the Great War, with Barbara Walsh. An online event hosted by the North of Ireland Family History Society's Lisburn Branch. 7:30pm. Email Lisburn @ nifhs.org to request zoom link.T

Tuesday 10 January: The McCombie Family of Monkstown, an online lecture by Cormac F Lowth. Hosted by Foxrock Local History Club. All welcome. 8pm. Free. Non-members please email info @ foxrocklocalhistory.ie for details and zoom link.

Thursday 12 January: Far from the green fields of Erin: stories of Ulster emigration around the world, an online lecture with Dr David Hume who will epxlore Ulster emigration to Australia, North America and even Argentina. Hosted by Libraries NI, this event is part of the Heritage From Home (3) lecture series. 12:30pm (GMT). Free. All welcome. Need to book.

Thursday 12 January: Free Genealogy Advisory Service, a drop-in event hosted by Wicklow Libraries. Venue: Wicklow Local Studies, Salthouse Lane, Wicklow Town. 6:30pm to 8:30pm. All welcome.

Saturday 14 January: Secrets of the 1921 Scottish Census, with Tessa Spencer. A free online presentation (one of several) from The Scottish Indexes Conference. On Zoom and Facebook. All welcome. See details at www.scottishindexes.com.

Monday 16 January Researching Wills & Testaments, an hybrid meeting hosted by the North of Ireland Family History Society's Foyle Branch. In-person at the Lecture Room, Derry's Central Library, 35 Foyle Street, Derry City. Also online - email Foyle @ nifhs.org for zoom link. All welcome. Free. 7pm. Details.

Monday 16 January: The Tides of Time, with Dr David Hume. A hybrid meeting hosted by the North of Ireland Family History Society's Larne Branch. In-person at the Larne Museum and Arts Centre, 2 Victoria Road, Larne, Co Antrim. 7:15pm. Non-members should email Larne@nifhs.org to book a place by 12pm on Saturday prior to each meeting. Free. All welcome.

Tuesday 17 January: County Tipperary in 1922 with Dr Denis G Marnane. An in-person event and part of the Tipperary People and Places Lecture series no.16. Host: Tipperary Studies, the local history department. of Tipperary County Librairies. 7pm. Free. Venue: Gallery of the Source Library, Thurles. Tea and coffeee served. All welcome. Details.

Tuesday 17 January: The History of Weather Reporting, with Evelyn Cusack. An in-person talk hosted by Foxrock Local History Club. Venue: Pastoral Centre in Foxrock, Co. Dublin (Junction N11 and Kill Lane). All welcome. 8pm. Non-members €5.

Wednesday 18 January: Putting Migration into Lurgan History, a talk by Dr Patrick Fitzgerald examining migration patterns of emigrants from Lurgan and the wider County of Armagh. Hosted by the Lurgan Townscape Heritage Scheme. In-person venue: Brownlow House, Windsor Avenue, Lurgan BT67 9BJ Northern Ireland. 7:30 – 9pm. Free. All welcome. Book your space.Details.

Thursday 19 January: Introduction to Researching at the National Library of Ireland, a free online talk to showcase the library's collections and online sources, and demonstrate how to search the catalogues. Host: National Library of Ireland. 1pm to 2pm. All welcome. Need to book.

Friday 20 January Irlandiya: Migrants from the Russian Empire in early 20th Century Ireland, with Dr Maurice J Casey. An online event hosted by Libraries NI's Heritage From Home (3) lecture series. 12:30pm GMT. Free. All welcome. Need to book.


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Friday 6 January 2023

FindMyPast offers 21% discounts across its subscription range

To mark a full year since the 1921 Census of England and Wales was released exclusively online at FindMyPast, a discount of 21% (geddit?) has been made across nearly all FMP subscription packages, even some of those that don't include access to that particular record collection.

Just to be completely clear: Only the Premium subscription includes unrestricted access to the 1921 E&W Census, but the discount is available across most of the range, depending on duration. As you'd expect, though, the biggest savings are gained through the discount on a 12-month Premium sub.

To take advantage of this offer, chose your preferred FindMyPast 'territory' below and click the link. On the landing page you'll see the discount has been applied for 12 month subscriptions. If you want a shorter term of access, use the toggle below 'Choose the right membership for you' to switch between the durations available.

The discounts will expire at 11:59pm (GMT) on Sunday 15 January.

This offer has now closed. The links below take you to the regular 'subscribe' page only.
FindMyPast Ireland – 21% off 1-month Starter, Pro and Plus subscriptions, and 12-month Pro, Plus and Premium subscriptions.


FindMyPast USA/Canada – 21% off 1-month Essential and Ultimate subscriptions, and 12-month Ultimate and Premium subscriptions.


FindMyPast UK – 21% off 3-month Starter, Plus and Pro subscriptions, and 12-Month Pro, Plus and Premium subscriptions.


FindMyPast Australia/NZ – 21% off 1-month Starter, Plus and Pro subscriptions, and 12-Month Pro, Plus and Premium subscriptions.


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RootsIreland adds RC marriages from Co. Cork / Diocese of Kerry

RootsIreland.ie has announced the addition of 1,806 Roman Catholic marriage records to its County Kerry database.

They are from the parish of Dromtariffe, a parish located entirely in North West County Cork but included in the Diocese of Kerry. They span 1832 to 1899. Records to early 1881 link to images of the register pages on the National Library site. From mid-March 1881, the records are transcriptions of entries in locally-held registers.

To search the records, click the logo, above right, and login or subscribe as required.

To see an up-to-date list of online sources for Kerry, click here.

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Expanded 'List of Church of Ireland Parish Registers' published

The List of the Church of Ireland Parish Registers has been through its annual update and the new edition can now be downloaded in pdf format by clicking the image below. The publication is an essential tool for genealogists, many of whom file the most recent version on their desktop for speedy access throughout the year.

Click to download the free pdf.

Now running at 100 pages, the List details – parish by parish – the surviving and lost baptism, marriage and burial registers across the island, providing the years covered by each parish's volumes, and information about where researchers can access any manuscripts, digitised copies or transcriptions. Although the RCB Library has the largest single collection of Church of Ireland registers (it holds registers for 1,224 parishes), some remain in other repositories or in local custody.

The RCB Library advises that the most recent update of the List includes significant additions of newly-accessioned parish collections as well as additions to the RCBL's existing holdings.

Researchers might also be interested to read the Library's January Archive of the Month. It is a commemoration of Church of Ireland church buildings that are now closed and features Church of Ireland Gazette reports from the time making it a valuable addition to the rich tapestry of the story of the Church of Ireland. Read the Archive feature here.

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Thursday 5 January 2023

Irish Registry of Deeds Index Project expands over festive period

Festive break? What festive break? Volunteers for the Registry of Deeds Index Project don't appear to have noticed the tinsel and cake!

Last week's upload to the site saw the main Index expand to a total of 523,568 entries, all transcribed and indexed from 54,332 memorials of deeds. They are free to search by clicking the image, right.

Researchers will find more than 83% of the indexed records (including all those from memorial transcription books 1–247) now link directly to images of the memorial transcription books where the full memorial text can be read.

All updates to the main Index include corrections and additional information.

Both the Townland Indexes and the Grantor Indexes were also updated with additional entries during December.

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Wednesday 4 January 2023

In numbers: A snapshot of Irish society in 2022

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has released its Year in Numbers – Part I, Society and Environment, an overview of the Republic of Ireland in 2022. You can view detailed information in the full release by clicking the CSO logo below, but I've pulled out some of the highlights likely to be of most interest to family historians.

Population
As of Census night on 3 April 2022, the preliminary population count of 'usually resident' individuals in Ireland is 5.1 million – an increase of 7.6% from 2016 and the largest population recorded in a Census since 1841.

Of this total population, more than 86% were Irish nationals. Some 768,900 were people aged 65 and over, an increase of 139,100 in the last six years.

All 26 counties experienced a growth in population. The proportion of the population living in Dublin rose to 28.4% of the total in 2022 and now stands at 1,451,000 people.

Names for new-borns
When it comes to choosing names for children, the Irish have long picked a wider variety of names for girls than for boys, and 2021, the last year for which full data is available, was no different. The number of names registered were 4,741for girls and 3,863 for boys. 

Fiadh topped the most popular name for girls for the first time, ousting the perennially popular Grace, while Jack hung on to the top spot as it has done every year bar one since 2007. Among the new entrants in the boys top 100 were Teddy, Daithí, Páidhí, Jaxon, Brody, Ted, Hunter, Tadgh, Tiernan and Arlo. In the girls top 100 there were just three new names: Indie, Ayla and Lottie.

Mary, for decades the most popular baby girl's name in Ireland, started to decline in popularity in the 1970s and fell out of the top 100 names list for the first time in 201, plunging to 127th position.

The number of babies born in 2021 was 58,443, down almost 22% since 2011 when 74,650 births were registered.

Surnames of new-borns
The 'Top 10' surnames for babies registered during 2021 – the last full year available – were as follows:

The CSO produces statistical data for the Republic of Ireland only.
  1. Murphy (1)
  2. Kelly (2)
  3. Ryan (8)
  4. Walsh (4)
  5. Byrne (7)
  6. O’Brien (6)
  7. O’Connor (9)
  8. O’Sullivan (3)
  9. McCarthy (13)
  10. Doyle (12).

Those dropping out of the Top 10 list were Smith, previously at position 5, and O'Neill, previously holding the 10th spot.

Marriages
Ireland's brides and grooms are getting older. This trend has been in evidence for some years. In opposite-sex marriages, in 2021, the average age for brides was 35.4 years and for grooms, 37.4 years; in 1981, the average ages were 24.7 years and 27.5 years. Same-sex weddings in 2021 saw both parties slightly older: 39.9 years for women and 40.4 years for men.

While the most popular form of ceremony for opposite-sex couples was a Catholic ceremony (40%), it was closely followed by civil ceremonies (34%). Some 57% of all marriages were religious ceremonies, with 39% Catholic, 1.1% Church of Ireland, and 8% Spiritualist Union of Ireland; 8.6% opted for other religious ceremonies.

The majority of non-religious ceremonies were civil marriages, which accounted for 35% (5,987) of all marriages; the remaining 1,462 (8.5%) of couples chose Humanist ceremonies. Fridays were the most popular day of the week for marriages, and August the most popular month.

Deaths
There were 33,055 deaths in the Republic in 2021. Cancer and circulatory disease were the biggest causes of death accounting for 55.2% of deaths in April, May, and June 2022. 

Education
More than half (53%) of 25–64-year-olds in 2022 have a third level education, the highest level in the EU27. This has grown from 40% in 2012. (A report in April 2022 found that 80% of 2019 graduates were in substantial employment in the first year after graduation and their median or mid-point earnings was €555 per week.)

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Tuesday 3 January 2023

AGI and City Colleges launch Advanced Diploma in Irish genealogy

The long-standing collaboration between City Colleges and Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI) is moving up a notch with the launch of an online course suitable for students who are already familiar with basic Irish resources. It aims to advance students’ knowledge of the sources for Irish genealogy.

This Diploma in Family History Research (advanced) course is aimed at both the dedicated amateur and budding professional and is suitable for students who already have a good grounding in civil registration, census, parish and land survey records. Its object is to advance students’ knowledge of Irish genealogy with topics such as military records, DNA, Estate records, Registry of Deeds, Testamentary records and much more.

It will commence on 26 January and will take place online every Thursday evening for ten weeks. Lectures are given by AGI members who are recognised experts in their field.

Each lecture has time for discussion and questions. Minor projects during the course reinforce taught principles and will give students the skills to compile their own genealogical report with the professional edge learned during the course.

For those within easy reach of Dublin, an in-person guided visit to a repository or archive will be offered during the course.

For more detailed information, see the Course Plan for Spring 2023 (docx).

Applications to join the course may be made to City Colleges by visiting www.citycolleges.ie or by phoning: 00 353 1 416 0034.

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