Tipperary Studies releases second instalment of Revision Books

Tipperary Studies, the local and family history department of Tipperary Libraries, has uploaded a second instalment of the "Cancelled" Valuation Books for North Tipperary.

A page from the Templederry DED: click for enlarged image

These span 1902-1917 and are now free to view online.

These additions offer access to 60 of the books (which are also known as Revision Books) covering the following 23 District Electoral Divisions (DEDs): Aghnameadle; Aglishcloghane; Ardcrony; Ballingarry; Ballymoreen; Blyynaclogh; Carrig; Dolla; Graigue; Kilmore; Kilnaveave; Knigh; Lackagh; Lorrha East; Lorrha West; Mertonhall; Monsea; Moyaliff; Rahealty; Rathcabbin; Redwood; Riverstown; Uskane.

With this second batch online, there now some 117 Cancelled Valuation Books from a total of 46 DEDs available to view on the dedicated site.

The team will now turn to the digitisation of the remaining books from 29 DEDs.

Headstones galore from Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives

A beautiful Irish Blue limestone memorial to the Kelleher family
in St Colmcille's, Co. Longford.
Photo courtesy of Paul Rudden and IGP Archives

Another big bundle of material has been donated and uploaded to Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives over the last month.

The package included photos, updates and transcriptions for headstones in seven burial grounds, and the addition of another year of baptism register transcriptions for Fethard Parish in Co. Tipperary; this latter collection now runs from 1810 to 1820.

Here's the summary list;

CORK Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Holy Rosary Cemetery (R.C.), Midleton, Part 7

DONEGAL Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Glenties New Graveyard, Inishkeel (Completed)

DUBLIN Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Mount Jerome Cemetery, Part 282

DUBLIN Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Kilbarrack Graveyard Section 5b

FERMANAGH Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Colebrook Graveyard, Aghalurcher (Updated)

KILDARE Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Confey Graveyard, Leixlip

LONGFORD Genealogy Archives - Headstones
St. Colmcille R.C. Graveyard, Aughnacliffe (506 images) (Transcriptions added)

TIPPERARY Genealogy Archives - Church Records
Fethard Parish Baptisms, Diocese of Cashel, 1820

Irish genealogy, history and heritage events, 27 Feb to 12 March

Monday 27 February: Revolutionary Routes: The African Diaspora in Ireland, 1830s-1930s, with Dr Maurice J Casey. An online talk; part of the Heritage from Home Series 3 from Libraries NI. Free, and all welcome. Booking is required. Details (scroll down).

Tuesday 28 February: Emigration from the North of Ireland to the Canadian Maritimes, an online event with Dr Paddy Fitzgerald and hosted by the North of Ireland Family History Society's Belfast Branch 7pm – 8:30pm GMT. All welcome. Free. See details.

Tuesday 28 February: Adventures of a ‘Fighting Railway’: the Belfast Central Railway, 1864-1885, a talk and book launch by Robert Phipps. In-person at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, 2 Titanic Boulevard, Titanic Quarter, Belfast BT3 9HQ. 1pm to 2pm. Refreshments served from 12:30pm. Free. All welcome. Booking.

Tuesday 28 February: When the Post Boxes Turned Green, with Cathy Scuffil. A hybrid event from Dublin City Council's Historian in Residence. In-person at St James's Church, 53 James Street, Dublin 8. Online via livestream from https://stjamesparish.ie. 6:30pm sharp. Free. All welcome.

Tuesday 28 February: Always in the Human Consciousness' - Exploring the Memory of Clare's Revolutionary Period, a hybrid event hosted by the Kilrush and District Historical Society. Venue: Teach Cheoil, Kilrush, Co Clare. 8pm. KDHS lectures are free to members, EUR5 for non-members, payable on the night only. Also available online, free; see http://kdhs.ie/news/index and check calendar.

Thursday 2 March: Eileen Gray, with Dr Jennifer Goff. 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 March: From Sailing Coffins to Coffin Ships: New Perspectives on Emigration During the Great Irish Famine, with Cian T McMahon Ph.D. A hybrid event and the 3rd Annual Eileen Patricia McMahon Zogby '67 Irish Lecture. In-person venue: Grewen Auditorium, Grewen Hall, Le Moyne College, Syracuse, NY, USA. Also online. 4pm EST. Register.

Thursday 2 March to Saturday 4 March: RootsTech, the world’s largest genealogical conference, gets underway in Salt Lake City and online. The event is organised by FamilySearch. Register for the free virtual conference here. Register to attend the in-person event (US$98pp) here. Full details.

Friday 3 March: National Library of Ireland's Main Reading Room and Microfilm Room closed all day.

Saturday 4 March: Starting your Family Tree, with Lorna Moloney. An in-person genealogy workshop hosted by Kerry Libraries. Venue: Killarney Library (Leabharlann Cill Airne), Rock Road, Killarney, Co Kerry. 10am to 2pm. Free. Advance registration necessary.

Monday 6 March: Operation Green – German WW2 plans for invading Ireland, with Ronnie Kilgore. A hybrid meeting hosted by the North of Ireland Family History Society, Foyle Branch. In-person at the Lecture Room at Derry’s Central Library, 35 Foyle Street, Derry, BT48 6AL. 7pm to 8:30pm. For online access, email Foyle@nifhs.org. All welcome. Free.

Monday 6 March: Scottish Surnames in Ulster, an in-person event with Brian Turner. Hosted by the North of Ireland Family History Society, Killyleagh Branch. In-person venue: Killyleagh Masonic Hall, 50 High Street,Killyleagh, BT30 9QF. 8pm - 9:45 pm GMT. Details.

Tuesday 7 March: Snooping on your ancestors' neighbours: how to juggle online census records, with John Grenham. An online event from NI Libraries' Heritage from Home Series 3. 12:30pm. Free. All welcome. Need to register.

Wednesday 8 March: Burning the Big House - In Conversation with Prof. Terence Dooley. An in-person event hosted by the Irish Georgian Society at 58 William Street South, Dublin 2. 6pm. Admission: €12. Need to book.

Wednesday 8 March: The Disbandment of the Southern Irish Regiments, 1922, an online lecture by Timothy Bowman. Hosts: The Antrim and Down branch of the Western Front Association (WFA) and the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. 7pm to 8pm. Free. All welcome. Need to book.

Thursday 9 March: The Hermitage: A cottage orne in Abbeyside, Dungarvan, with Willie Fraher. 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 March: Ireland, Scotland, and the Hundred Years War: A New Vista, with Dr Simon Egan. An in-person event hosted by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland and the Ulster Society for Irish Historical Studies. Venue: Irish Studies room, QUB, 27 University Square, Belfast BT7. 6pm to 7pm. Free. All welcome.Need to book at Eventbrite.

Saturday 11 March: Lt Michael Higgins, Leinster Regiment &nash; a family reminiscence, with Denis Kirby. 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 11 March: 'Family Matters' - Cork Genealogical Society Conference 2023. An in-person event hosted by the Society. Venue: Clayton Hotel, Silversprings, Cork City. 9:30am–5pm. £25, includes light lunch. Need to book at corkgenealogicalsociety.com.php

Spring 2023 edition of Irish Roots magazine now available

The Spring edition of Irish Roots – Ireland's only dedicated Irish genealogy magazine – has been published.

As always, it is full of recent news about record releases and developments in Irish family history research, the latest techniques and methods, the best guidance and local knowledge, and pretty much everything you'd expect from a clearly focussed magazine that aims to help you discover your ancestors and connect with your heritage. 

Click image to order your copy or a free sample

In this issue you'll find the following features:

• Discover Local Family History Resources For Researching Your County Derry Ancestors
• Irish Patriot Eamonn Ceannt's Uilleann Pipes Secured For Co. Mayo Fleadh
• Using John Grenham's Valuable Surname Database For Your Genealogy Research
• Catch Up With DNA Technology And Updates Rolled Out In The Past Year
• Australian Irish Connections - Return To Tipperary
• Celebrating St. Patrick's Day In O'Neill City, Nebraska, USA
• Fact Checking The History Of The O'Shea Surname Using yDNA
• Exploring Popular Surnames Of Co. Derry
• Visiting The National Library Of Ireland - Helpful Information For Online & Offline Family History Researchers
• What's New Review - Keep Up To Date With The Latest Irish Genealogical Record Releases

In addition to the articles, there are regular columns with observations on family history issues, Readers' Experiences, letters to the Editor, Q&As from readers, book selections, and news and views from genealogical societies in Ireland and around the world.

To find out more, to order either a print or digital copy, or to take to take out a subscription, click the cover image above. You'll also be able to view a free sample of the new issue.

England, Scotland and Wales genealogy updates: 2-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. (Previous summary, 10 February.)

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

• UK, British Air Force Lists, 1919-1922 and 1938-1945 (3,965,249)

BritishNewspaperArchive (63,840,972 pages, all shared with FindMyPast)

• New titles in main collection ($£€)

Special Financial

FindMyPast

• Civil Service Commission Appointments, Promotions and Transfers 1871-1942 (872,439)
• Second World War Civilian Casualties In Britain 1940-1945 (64,339)

MyHeritage

• England, Lancashire, Oldham burials (362,292 / 7 cemeteries)

UPDATED COLLECTIONS

Ancestry

• UK & Ireland, Find a Grave Index, 1300s-Current (522,531/16,638,739)
• UK & Ireland, Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current (3,170,449 /22,595,438)

FamilySearch

• England, Cumberland Parish Registers, 1538-1990 (465,262)

FindMyPast

• Lincolnshire Baptisms (216,638 / 2,398,496)
• Suffolk Marriage Index (52,387 / 450,244 + updatedparish list)
• National School Admissions Register (5,708 records for Halifax added)

TheGenealogist

• Lloyd George Domesday Survey (land tax) E. Hertfordshire & S. Bedfordshire (134,000)

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.

National Famine Commemoration 2023 returns to Ulster

Catherine Martin, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, and Chair of the National Famine Commemoration Committee has announced that this year's National Famine Commemoration will take place on Sunday 21 May 2023 in Milford, County Donegal.

This is the third time the State Commemoration has taken place in Ulster. The public ceremony will provide an opportunity for the people of Donegal to honour the suffering and loss of the Great Famine and to remember those who fled to create new lives abroad. It will be held on the old site of Milford Workhouse and will feature National flag and military honours before culminating in a solemn wreath-laying ceremony. It will be broadcast on the RTÉ News Now channel

A plaque erected at the Milford workhouse cemetery site during a
FAS C.E. project to tidy the site in 2005 - 2006.
Photograph - Paul McGuckin.

Ancestry updates Irish headstones, burials & obituaries collections

Ancestry has updated three of its collections that offer 'death' records for Ireland and Northern Ireland. They are:

The UK and Ireland Find a Grave™ Index, (1300s-Current) has been seeing regular additions. Having added 1,987,420 new records in the last three months, it now holds a total of 16,638,739 entries.

Unfortunately, only a teeny 3% of these additions relates to Ireland ie the deceased may have been born on the island, died there or both, but let's not grumble. An update bringing more than 62,500 Irish records is not to be sniffed at. All 32 historical counties are represented.

Global, Find a Grave™ Index for Burials at Sea and other Select Burial Locations (1300s-Current) This collection has been updated with more than 585,500 entries over the last four months. It now holds a total of 13,874,232 records, globally. Of these, 25,361 are indexed with details of a birth, death or burial in Ireland.

I've still not quite worked out the criterion for entry to this collection. In many cases, the place of death is known but the place of burial is uncertain. In other examples, the place of birth and burial may be known, but the death itself took place somewhere else. I seem to have noticed a several entries relating to cremations in this most recent update, none of them appearing to have a permanent marker.

UK and Ireland, Newspapers.com™ Obituary Index, 1800s-current With more than 3million new entries added last week, it's sad to see that not one of them related to the island of Ireland. There remain, then, some 40,971 indexed entries for obituaries published in Antrim (21,363) and Dublin (19,608), while the collection as a whole has grown to 22,595,438 records.

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.

Update on database access at PRONI's Public Search Room

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland has upgraded its subscription to FindMyPast so that the 1921 Census for England & Wales is now available to researchers using computer terminals in PRONI's Search Room.

Other databases available on-site for free viewing to the public are the BritishNewspaperArchive.co.uk, Ancestry's Library edition, and the Irish State Papers (from Cengage).

These are, of course, in addition to PRONI's own digitised material from collections held in its archive (see the list of collections here); these can be accessed online via the Internet, no matter where you are.

Unfortunately, there is still no access from PRONI's Search Room to the full database of the General Register Office of Northern Ireland. The dedicated 'GRONI terminals' (ie computers supplied and managed by GRONI to provide access only to the GRONI database), were put out to pasture last year and replacement equipment was expected to be installed and operational by the end of 2022. This hasn't happened and I can't seem to pin down anyone willing to provide an explanation!

30% off all British Newspaper Archive subscriptions - expired

The British Newspaper Archive is offering a 30% discount on any subscription to its database. That's a generous discount, and it's good to see it being made available even to the shorter packages.

The offer has now expired.

Right now, there are just under 64million pages of historical newsprint in the database, which, in addition to newspapers published in England, Scotland, Wales and some former British colonies, includes some 259 Irish titles from across the island of Ireland.

To take advantage of the offer and grab yourself a bargain, click the image, right. You'll find the promo code has already been applied and you can see the reduced cost of each sub.

Whether you want a monthly, quarterly or annual package, make sure to place your order before the discount expires at 11:59pm (GMT) on Tuesday 28 February.

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.

Decade of Centenaries Bursary scheme invites applications

The Decade of Centenaries bursary scheme was established to encourage and support new local research and local history studies in meaningful examination of local, regional, and national events during the Struggle for Independence and Civil War period.

Applicants can be from researchers across all career stages, both professional researchers including doctoral and postdoctoral students as well as local historians, independent scholars etc. whose research focuses on a region or locality. The bursaries on offer are for amounts ranging from €1,000 to €10,000.

Typically awards will be made in the region of €5,000-€10,000 but smaller projects will also be considered.

Applications are welcomed which focus on any of the themes listed below:

• New research to explore local legacies, personalities, places, events, and themes that have particular significance within communities, parishes and counties
• New research to explore the fates of the minority communities on both sides of the border following Partition
• New research to explore the contribution and experiences of women during this period, e.g. women's participation in political, military, professional and domestic roles
• New research exploring Ireland and the Wider World, including local connections, emigration, and the role of the Irish Diaspora in the events that occurred during this period
• Ireland's admission into the League of Nations and Ireland's membership of the International Labour Organisation
• New research exploring a changing society during this period, focusing on social history, popular social, cultural, and civic movements, the Irish language; creative thinking and the arts; sport; and innovation
• New research exploring nationhood, identity, and State-Building – the establishment of a new Irish Free State and the challenges faced by the emerging Irish State
• New research exploring how the events of this period have been remembered and commemorated within families, communities and parishes over the past century – how the process of commemoration has evolved. 
• New comparative research exploring the Irish period and associated themes in an International context.
• New research exploring 'Emotions, experiences, and expectations' – what was felt and what was hoped for through revolution, civil war, and beyond
• 'History and commemoration revisited' – new research reflecting on the Decade of Centenaries – its impact and legacy
  
• New research exploring 'The process of rebuilding a nation' – reflections on healing, repairing, and re-building following the Civil War.

Further details, including guidelines, deadline, and an application form, can be found by clicking the image above. Any queries can be sent to grants@ria.ie.

Sources for Irish Women's History moved from CD to online

Originally published on CD-ROM in 1999, the Directory of Sources for Irish Women’s History database has been relaunched as a free and publicly-available resource hosted on the Irish Manuscript Commission’s website.

Click the screenshot of its home page, right, to start exploring it.

As part of the transfer project, the database has been fully updated and now contains 20,790 records from 2,413 collections held by 221 repositories across Ireland and Northern Ireland, with all contact details recently checked.

'Sources' remains the only detailed all-island listing of archival-based documents relating to the history of women in Ireland. It also offers a good list of websites worth visiting for more material.

The project was supported by the Irish Manuscripts Commission and the Mná 100 unit of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

(With thanks to Audrey Mac Cready.)

Irish genealogy, history & heritage events, 20 February to 5 March

Monday, 20 February: From Library to Museum: the Story of Larne Museum & Arts Centre, with Marian Kelso. A hybrid event hosted by the North of Ireland Family History Society's Larne Branch. Booking necessary for in-person and online attendance. See details. Free. 7:15pm–8:45pm GMT.

Monday, 20 February: Inspired language: cursing and blessing in early modern Ireland, a hybrid talk with Dr Clodagh Tait. Hosted by Offaly History. In-person venue: Bury Quay, Tullamore, Co Offaly. All are welcome. For online zoom link, email info @ offalyhistory.com. 8pm.

Tuesday, 21 February: With An Artist’s Eye: The Photography of Mary Alice Young of Galgorm Castle, Ballymena. An in-person exhibition launch at PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. Refreshments served from 12:30pm. Launch 1pm–2pm. Free. Need to book.

Tuesday 21 February: William Despard Hemphill and his contribution to Irish photography, an in-person talk with Dr Karol Mullaney Dignam. Hosted by Tipperary Studies. Venue: The Source Library, Thurles, Co Tipperary. 7pm. Free. All welcome. Details.

Wednesday 22 February: The Ghost Limb – Alternative Protestants, 1798 and now, by Claire Mitchell. Book launch and discussion. In-person at James Connolly Visitor Centre, 374-376 Falls Rd, Belfast, BT12 6DG. 7pm. Register by email to info @ arasuichonghaile.com.

Thursday 23 February: The Night of the Big Wind, with Peter Carr. A hybrid event hosted by the North of Ireland Family History Society's Ballymena Branch. 7:15pm GMT. Venue: Michelin Arts Workshop, Braid Arts Centre, 1-29 Bridge Street, Ballymena. For online link, see Details.

Thursday 23 February: De Valera's childhood: the making of the man, with Eugene Broderick. 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.

Saturday 25 February: The Royal Munster Fusiliers 1914–1918, with Martin Staunton. 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 25 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.

Monday 27 February: Revolutionary Routes: The African Diaspora in Ireland, 1830s-1930s, with Dr Maurice J Casey. An online talk; part of the Heritage from Home Series 3 from Libraries NI. Free, and all welcome. Booking is required. Details (scroll down).

Tuesday 28 February: Emigration from the North of Ireland to the Canadian Maritimes, an online event with Dr Paddy Fitzgerald and hosted by the North of Ireland Family History Society's Belfast Branch 7pm– 8:30pm GMT. All welcome. Free. See details.

Tuesday 28 February: Adventures of a ‘Fighting Railway’: the Belfast Central Railway, 1864-1885, a talk and book launch by Robert Phipps. In-person at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, 2 Titanic Boulevard, Titanic Quarter, Belfast BT3 9HQ. 1pm to 2pm. Refreshments served from 12:30pm. Free. All welcome. Booking.

Tuesday 28 February: When the Post Boxes Turned Green, with Cathy Scuffil. A hybrid event from Dublin City Council's Historian in Residence. In-person at St James's Church, 53 James Street, Dublin 8. Online via livestream from https://stjamesparish.ie. 6:30pm sharp. Free. All welcome.

Wednesday 1 March: The Killing of Sean Doyle on Kilmashogue Mountain, 1920, with Fergus Whelan and Peadar Curran. An in-person event. Part of the Talks at the Mess series held at Richmond Barracks, Inchicore, Dublin 8. 7pm. Tickets €5 / Concessions &euros;3. All welcome.

Thursday 2 March: Eileen Gray, with Dr Jennifer Goff. 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 March: From Sailing Coffins to Coffin Ships: New Perspectives on Emigration During the Great Irish Famine, with Cian T McMahon Ph.D. A hybrid event and the 3rd Annual Eileen Patricia McMahon Zogby '67 Irish Lecture. In-person venue: Grewen Auditorium, Grewen Hall, Le Moyne College, Syracuse, NY, USA. Also online. 4pm EST. Register.

Thursday 2 March to Saturday 4 March: RootsTech, the world’s largest genealogical conference, gets underway in Salt Lake City and online. The event is organised by FamilySearch. Register for the free virtual conference here. Register to attend the in-person event (US$98pp) here. Full details.

Friday 3 March: National Library of Ireland's Main Reading Room and Microfilm Room closed all day.

Saturday 4 March: Starting your Family Tree, with Lorna Moloney. An in-person genealogy workshop hosted by Kerry Libraries. Venue: Killarney Library (Leabharlann Cill Airne), Rock Road, Killarney, Co Kerry. 10am to 2pm. Free. Advance registration necessary.

FindMyPast: 50% off PTV the 1921 Census and two new collections

FindMyPast has added two new record sets to its database that may be of interest to Irish family historians, and has an offer on Pay-To-View access to the 1921 Census of England and Wales, which may also be useful for locating ancestors who'd crossed the Irish Sea.

PTV the 1921 Census (E&W)

This was taken in England and Wales while Ireland was still in revolutionary turmoil and many Irish men and women, and families had already made the decision to leave the island in search of work or for the relative safety of post-WW1 Britain. In fact, there were 364,802 Irish born living in England and Wales when the census was taken – a figure equating to one-twelth of the total 1911 population of Ireland.

If you don't currently have a FindMyPast Premium subscription – the only package that includes access to this census – or a PRO subscription (see below) it may be worth taking advantage of a half price discount on the Pay-To-View (PTV) option.

PTV access via FindMyPast.ie: Seach the 1921 Census by person or address.

PTV access via FindMyPast.co.uk: Seach the 1921 Census by person or address.

PTV access via FindMyPast.com: Seach the 1921 Census by person or address.

If you have a PRO subscription, your 10% discount to view this census collection will be increased to 50% for the duration of the offer, which will expire at 11:59pm GMT on Tuesday 28 February 2023

New additions

Civil Service Commission Appointments, Promotions and Transfers 1871-1942 Added today to the FindMyPast database, this is a repackaged record set of historical material published in the free-to-view London Gazette. It contains more than 870,000 records detailing British Civil Service certification following examinations and appointments of postal workers, prison workers, the admiral and more. Irish men and women are particularly well represented among the Post Office entries as the postal service was a well-trodden career opportunity for bright, literate youngsters with few other career prospects. Among them are some of my paternal grandfather's siblings, who left rural Cork for posts in London in the 1890s-1900s and worked for the best part of 50 years for the GPO. 

The Gazette has long been an overlooked collection for Irish records; perhaps its arrival on FindMyPast will help to elevate its perceived value.

Second World War Civilian Casualties In Britain 1940-1945: A second new addition to FindMyPast will not be high on the list of British records with good Irish resources, but it does have some potential for researchers whose ancestors or extended family moved to British cities to work in construction and other 'War Effort' jobs while British men were deployed in the military.

This collection comes from multiple sources and includes 64,339 records. You may find an exact address, standard biographical detail, and even the type of enemy action noted in them.

 

Ten-week online Irish genealogy course starts 15 February

A ten-week online Irish genealogy course, led by Tony Hennessy MAGI, will be starting this week. It will be suitable for beginners and more advanced students and will consist of one two-and-a-half hours class each Wednesday.

Waterford-based professional genealogist Tony Hennessey, a member of Accredited Genealogists Ireland, will present the course. He has a reputation for creating an engaging classroom environment where participants can enjoy the learning in the company of other like-minded people.

In addition to his client-work, Tony has taught classes at University College Cork and the University of Limerick. He also teaches at City Colleges Dublin and has recently been appointed to the National Library of Ireland Genealogy & Heraldry Committee.

The course will cover the 'four pillars' of Irish genealogy (census records, civil registration, church records and land records), and explore how members of the diaspora can find their ancestor's parish or townland of origin. Research sheets and forms, DNA, military records, and creating a family tree will also be among the topics covered, and students will be able to take part in a Show and Tell session examining personal momentos of their ancestors.

To find out more or to book your place on the course, email waterfordorigins@gmail.com, call him on +353 (0)87 152 8582 or send him a PM on Facebook.

Free access to MyHeritage's 194 collections of marriage records

To celebrate Valentine's Day, MyHeritage is offering free access to its collection of 614 million marriage records from around the world. The free access will run until 11:59pm on 19 February.

Access will be free to 194 collections, some of which include images and some of which are exclusive to the company. Irish records are not a significant feature within the collections, but members of the diaspora, and those searching for ancestors who emigrated from Ireland, are likely to find worthwhile genealogical information to further their research.

For the six days of free access, any family historian will be able to access and view these records even if they don't have a paid subscription. Free registration – a simple and quick process – is needed for those who don't already have an account.

Irish genealogy, history and heritage events, 13 - 26 February

Monday, 13 February: Fluid Identities in South Antrim 1600 – To Present Day, with Dr Gerry Cleary. A hybrid event hosted by the North of Ireland Family History Society's Newtownabbey Branch. All welcome. Free. 7pm. Details, for both online and in-person attendance..

Monday, 13 February: From Clare to Here: Memories of the Men who built Britain, with Ultan Cowley. An online talk; part of the Heritage from Home Series 3 from Libraries NI. Free, and all welcome. Booking is required. Details (scroll down).

Monday 13 February: The Civil War in the Limerick/Tipperary border area, with John Flannery. Host: Newport Historical Society. An in-person event. 8pm. Venue: O'Sullivans Lounge, Black Rd, Newport, Co. Tipperary. All welcome.

Tuesday 14 February: Mapping and Researching the Cillíní (unconsecrated children’s burial grounds) of Ireland, with Courtney Mundt. An in-person event hosted by the Carlow Historical & Archaeological Society. Venue: Seven Oaks Hotel, Carlow Town. 8pm. Admission is free and all are welcome.

Tuesday 14 February: Ethical Dilemmas in Genealogy, with Dr Penny Walters. An online event hosted by the North of Ireland Family History Society's Lisburn Branch. All welcome. Non-members should email for zoom link: Lisburn @nifhs.org. 7:30pm. Free. Details.

Tuesday 14 February: Fell Down, Slipped in, Knocked down, with James Scannell presenting a recap of accidents that made the press in Dalkey in the late C19th and early C20th. Hosted online by Foxrock Local History Club. Free. All welcome. Details. Non-members email for zoom links.

Thursday 16 February: From tithes to Griffith's: property and valuation records, with Michael Walsh MAGI. An online event hosted by Accredited Genealogists Ireland and the National Archives of Ireland. All welcome. Free. 6pm. Need to book.

Thursday 16 February: Catching Stories of infections Disease in Ireland, exhibition launch by Cork Folklore Project. Venue: UCC Boole Library, Cork, at 5:30pm. All welcome to attend. Exhibition is free and will run to June.

Thursday 16 February: Getting down and dirty with the Archives, with Joanne Rothwell. 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 16 February: Getting Started Workshop - Using Online Resources, an online workshop for those just getting started with research online. An online event hosted by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. 12:30 – 13:30 GMT. All welcome. Free but need to register.

Thursday 16 February: An Irish estate is like a sponge: The economic (mis)management of landed estates in the nineteenth century, an online presentation by Professor Anne Tindley. Hosts: Irish Historical Studies (USIHS) and the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. 7pm GMT. Free. All welcome. Registration essential at Eventbrite, which says the event is in-person, which is no longer the case.

Saturday 18 February: History Meets Comedy - Irish War Of Independence, a night of comedy. In-person at Hysteria Comedy Club, Sin é, 15 Ormond Quay Upper, Dublin 7. 8pm to 10pm. Tickets €10. Need to book.

Saturday 18 February: Starting your Family Tree, with Lorna Moloney. An in-person genealogy workshop hosted by Kerry Libraries. Venue: Tralee Library, Moyderwell, Tralee, Co Kerry. 10am to 2pm. Free. Advance registration necessary.

Monday, 20 February: From Library to Museum: the Story of Larne Museum & Arts Centre, with Marian Kelso. A hybrid event hosted by the North of Ireland Family History Society's Larne Branch. Booking necessary for in-person and online attendance. See details. Free. 7:15pm–8:45pm GMT.

Tuesday, 21 February: With An Artist’s Eye: The Photography of Mary Alice Young of Galgorm Castle, Ballymena. An in-person exhibition launch at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. Refreshments will be served. All welcome. 12:30pm. Need to book.

Thursday 23 February: The Night of the Big Wind, with Peter Carr. A hybrid event hosted by the North of Ireland Family History Society's Ballymena Branch. 7:15pm GMT. Venue: Michelin Arts Workshop, Braid Arts Centre, 1-29 Bridge Street, Ballymena. For online link, see Details.

Thursday 23 February: Crusaders and the cultures of crusading in medieval Ireland, an online lecture with Professor Tadhg O'Keffee, hosted by the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. 19:30pm – 21:00pm. All welcome. Fee: €5. Booking at Eventbrite.

Thursday 23 February: De Valera's childhood: the making of the man, with Eugene Broderick. 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.

Saturday 25 February: The Royal Munster Fusiliers 1914–1918, with Martin Staunton. 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 25 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.

Two-weeks of genealogy updates for England, Scotland & Wales

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, 27 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

Ancestry

• Berkshire, England, World War II Civil Defence Records, 1939-1945 (2,868)
• Berkshire, England, World War II Related Miscellaneous Records, 1939-1971 (23,808)
• Berkshire, England, World War II Home Guard Records, 1943-1958(563)
• Berkshire, England, World War II Evacuation Records, 1939-1945 (37,601)
• Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, Poor Law Records, 1695-1921 (66,506)
• Kensington and Chelsea, Church of England Parish Chest Records, 1597-1950 (135,370)

BritishNewspaperArchive (63,505,809 pages, all shared with FindMyPast)

• New titles in main collection ($£€)

	Salford City Reporter
	Liverpool Weekly Mercury

FamilySearch

• UK, British India Office, Births and Baptisms, 1712-1965 (713,850)

UPDATED COLLECTIONS

FamilySearch

• England, Cumberland Parish Registers, 1538-1990 (new total 61,982)

FindMyPast

• Northumberland Baptisms (13,000 additions from 6 churches, 1571-1847)
• Northumberland Marriages (384 additions from All Saints, 1769-1771)
• Northumberland Burials (86 additions for Our Lady & Haggerston RC, built 1829)
• Northumberland & Durham Memorial Inscriptions (5,300 additions from 7 burial grounds)

FreeBMD

• England & Wales civil registration of births, marriages, deaths (832,866 / 384,105,432)

TheGenealogist

• 1939 National Register E&W (342,500 previously redacted names of people born 1922)

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.

Irish genealogy, history and heritage events, 6 - 19 February

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).

Monday, 13 February: Fluid Identities in South Antrim 1600 – To Present Day, with Dr Gerry Cleary. A hybrid event hosted by the North of Ireland Family History Society's Newtownabbey Branch. All welcome. 7pm. Details.

Monday, 13 February: From Clare to Here: Memories of the Men who built Britain, with Ultan Cowley. An online talk; part of the Heritage from Home Series 3 from Libraries NI. Free, and all welcome. Booking is required. Details (scroll down).

Monday 13 February: The Civil War in the Limerick/Tipperary border area, with John Flannery. Host: Newport Historical Society. An in-person event. 8pm. Venue: O'Sullivans Lounge, Black Rd, Newport, Co. Tipperary. All welcome.

Monday 13 February: Fluid Identities and Allegiances in South East Antrim: 1600 to the Present Day, with Dr Gerry Cleary. A hybrid event hosted by the North of Ireland Family History Society, Newtownabbey Branch. 7:30pm to 9pm. In-person at The White House, Newtownabbey, 34 Whitehouse Park, Newtownabbey BT37 9SQ, and online via zoom. Free and all welcome, but advance booking is essential. See Details.

Tuesday 14 February: Mapping and Researching the Cillíní (unconsecrated children’s burial grounds) of Ireland, with Courtney Mundt. An in-person event hosted by the Carlow Historical & Archaeological Society. Venue: Seven Oaks Hotel, Carlow Town. 8pm. Admission is free and all are welcome.

Tuesday 14 February: Ethical Dilemmas in Genealogy, with Dr Penny Walters. An online event hosted by the North of Ireland Family History Society's Lisburn Branch. All welcome. Non-members should email for zoom link: Lisburn @nifhs.org. 7:30pm. Free. Details.

Tuesday 14 February: Fell Down, Slipped in, Knocked down, with James Scannell presenting a recap of accidents that made the press in Dalkey in the late C19th and early C20th. Hosted online by Foxrock Local History Club. Free. All welcome. Details. Non-members email for zoom links.

Thursday 16 February: From tithes to Griffith's: property and valuation records, with Michael Walsh MAGI. An online event hosted by Accredited Genealogists Ireland and the National Archives of Ireland. All welcome. Free. 6pm. Need to book.

Thursday 16 February: Getting down and dirty with the Archives, with Joanne Rothwell. 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 16 February: Getting Started Workshop - Using Online Resources, an online workshop for those just getting started with research online. An online event hosted by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. 12:30 – 13:30 GMT. All welcome. Free but need to register.

Thursday 16 February: An Irish estate is like a sponge: The economic (mis)management of landed estates in the nineteenth century, an online presentation by Professor Anne Tindley. Hosts: Irish Historical Studies (USIHS) and the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. 7pm GMT. Free. All welcome. Registration essential at Eventbrite, which says the event is in-person, which is no longer the case.

Saturday 18 February: Starting your Family Tree, with Lorna Moloney. An in-person genealogy workshop hosted by Kerry Libraries. Venue: Tralee Library, Moyderwell, Tralee, Co Kerry. 10am to 2pm. Free. Advance registration necessary.

Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives: First 2023 batch of uploads

Here's the first 2023 package from the volunteers at Ireland Genealogy Projects. It brings us headstone photos and transcribed inscriptions from five counties and an Album of Ulster Heroes, originally pubished by an Antrim newspaper.

  Album of Ulster Heroes, from "Larne Times and Weekly Telegraph",
3 July 1915. Courtesy of Sharon Slater and IGPArchives.

Here's the summary list:

CORK Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Holy Rosary Cemetery (R.C.), Midleton

DONEGALGenealogy Archives - Headstones
Glenties New Graveyard, Inishkeel

KILDARE Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Confey Graveyard, Leixlip

LIMERICK Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Kilscannell Graveyard, Ardagh

MEATH Genealogy Archives - Headstones
St. Ultans, Ardbraccan, O-W (Completed)

ISLANDWIDE Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
Larne Times and Weekly Telegraph 3 July 1915 - Album of Heroes

Ulster Historical Foundation's North America Lecture Tour 2023

The Ulster Historical Foundation's annual Lecture Tour of North America will be back on the road again in 2023, with a workshop and seminar programme that takes in Idaho, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Indiana, Missouri, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Virginia in the United States, followed by a final full-day research day in Ontario, Canada.

It starts on Thursday 9 March in Idaho and ends on Saturday 25 March in Ottawa.

Preliminary arrangements are below and are subject to change. For more information see the Foundation's website or follow the links provided.

Thursday 9 March: Post Falls/Coeur d'Alene ID – Discover your Irish and Scots-Irish Ancestors, hosted by Jan Clizer Painting & Ulster Historical Foundation. Venue: Jacklin Arts & Cultural Center, 405 N William St, Post Falls, ID 83854. 9am–4pm. Standard Fee: $50. Details here for contacts, booking and discounted fees.

Saturday 11 March: Boston MA – Finding Your Ancestors in Irish Church Records, hosted by New England Historic Genealogical Society in partnership with TIARA. Venue: Gasson Hall, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA. 9am–4pm. Fee: $120. Registration and details.

Sunday 12 March: Fairfield, CT – Event hosted by Fréamh Éireann Genealogy Group at the Gaelic American Club, 74 Beach Road, Fairfield, CT 06824, 10am–2:30pm. Main contact Robert C. Abercrombie at fegacnict@gmail.com, telephone 203 913-0403. Cost: $20. More details and contacts.

Monday 13 March: New York City, NY – Irish and Scots-Irish Genealogy, hosted by New York Genealogical and Biographical Society and Ulster Historical Foundation, Venue: The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, 36 West 44th Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10036. 10am–4pm. Costs and registration details coming shortly.

Tuesday 14 March: Michigan City IN – Researching your Irish and Scots-Irish Ancestors, hosted by Michigan City Public Library. Venue: Michigan City Public Library, 100 E. 4th Street, Michigan City, IN 46360, 9:30am–4pm. Main Contact: Robin Kohn, rkohn@mclib.org or telephone 219 973 3049 for details and registration.

Thursday 16 March: Independence, MO Researching your Irish and Scots-Irish Ancestors with the Ulster Historical Foundation, hosted by the Midwest Genealogy Center and the Mid-Continent Public Library at the Midwest Genealogy Center, 3440 S. Lee’s Summit Rd, Independence, MO 64055. 3pm–7pm. Registration and details.

Saturday 18 March Madison WI –Irish Genealogy Workshop, hosted by the Wisconsin Historical Society. Venue: Room 126, UW-Madison Memorial Library, 728 State St, Madison, WI 53706. 9am–4pm. Cost: $40. See Details for discounts, contacts and registration.

Monday 20 March: Louisville KY – Irish and Scots-Irish Family History Research Workshop, hosted by the Filson Historical Society. Venue: The Filson Historical Society, 1310 S. 3rd St, Louisville, KY 40208. 9am–1pm. Details, costs, contacts and registration.

Tuesday 21 March: Pittsburgh PA – Irish Genealogy Workshop, hosted by the Heinz History Center and the Westmoreland County Historical Society. Venue: Heinz History Center, 1212 Smallman Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. 10am–4pm. Details and registration coming soon. Tel: 412-454-6361.

Wednesday 22 March: Leesburg VA – Irish Genealogy Workshop, hosted by the Thomas Balch Library. Venue: Thomas Balch Library, 208 W Market St, Leesburg, VA 20176. 10am–4pm. Cost: $30 for members of Friends of the Thomas Balch Library; $40 for non-members; $60 at the door. Details.

Thursday 23 March: Mayfield KY – Finding Your Irish Ancestors, hosted by the Jackson Purchase Historical Society. Venue: Community Room, Graves County Public Library, 601 North Seventeenth Street, Mayfield, KY. 1pm–5pm. Costs and registration, contact Bill Mulligan, JPHS President at billmulligan@murray-ky.net.

Saturday 25 March: Ottawa ON – Irish Family History Research Day, hosted by the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa (BIFHSGO). Location: The Chamber, Ben Franklin Place, 101 Centrepointe Dr., Ottawa, Ontario. 9am–4:30pm (doors open 8.15am). $40 for non-members; $30 for BIFHSGO members. Details and registration.

50% off a selection of Irish history books from Four Courts Press

Four Courts Press, one of Ireland's leading publishers of history books, is offering some post-Christmas bargains across a range of publications likely to be of interest to researchers and anyone with a love of Irish history.

There's at least 50% off each one, so this is a great opportunity to add to your book collection!

The discounted titles include:

• The Geraldines and Medieval Ireland, by Peter Crooks & Seán Duffy, editors
• Irish Media: A critical history, by John Horgan & Roddy Flynn
• Ireland, Germany and the Nazis, by Mervyn O'Driscoll
• The History and Heritage of St. James's Hospital, Dublin, by Davis Coakley & Mary Coakley
• The Irish Brigade in the Pope's Army 1860*, by Donal Corcoran
• The Irish Revenue Police*, by Jim Herlihy
• The Redmonds and Waterford, by Pat McCarthy 
• Winning the Vote for Women, by Louise Ryan 
• The Dublin region in the middle ages, by Margaret Murphy & Michael Potterton
• Medieval Irish Buildings, 1100–1600, with Tadhg O'Keeffe
• Richard II and the Irish Kings, by Darren McGettigan

* I have both of these books on my shelves and would heartily recommend them to genealogists with ancestral connections to the topics. The Irish Brigade in the Pope's Army 1860 lists more than 1,000 young men who enlisted; it provided me with the townload of origin for my maternal gt gt grandfather whose short obituary in a Caher newspaper mentioned his having taken part in this strange (and chaotic) mid-19th century adventure. The genealogical value of the Irish Revenue Police book is huge. It includes lists of officers who went on to join other Irish police forces after the Revenue Police disbanded in 1857 (ie the Royal Irish Constabulary, the Dublin Metropolitan Police and the Londonderry Borough Police).