Friday, 30 June 2023

Four more Irish newspapers join the BritishNewspaperArchive

It's been good to watch the BritishNewspaperArchive adding to its Irish collection this month. There have been a number of gaps filled in the holdings of several individual newspapers (blogposts here and here), a new addition (The Enniscorthy Echo, blogpost here) and in the last few days, another four brand-new additions.

The new titles are:

  • Constabulary Gazette, 1897-1922
  • Free Press (Wexford), 1905-1912, 1916
  • Kerry Evening Star, 1913-1914
  • Wexford and Kilkenny Express, 1875-1884, 1886-1896, 1903-1905, 1907

While most of this month's new titles have been local and regional papers, some of which also included items of national news, the Constabulary Gazette stands out as a specialist publication. It was the official organ of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) – Ireland's police force from 1822 to 1922 – and was launched in April 1897.

It was a weekly, published on Saturdays and costing tuppence (2d), and its audience consisted of some 13,000 men who made up Ireland's police force.

Each issue featured news of promotions and transfers, memorials to officers and/or their families, examples of cases involving grey areas of legal jurisdiction, portraits of RIC officers and letters from them, crime fiction short stories and jokes. There was also an educational section that aimed to improve its readers handwriting, and their understanding of English grammar, arithmatic and geography.

As always, Irish additions to the BNA automatically join the Irish Newspaper Collection of FindMyPast, the BNA's sister company.


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Irish Genealogy, History and Heritage events, 30 June - 16 July

Friday 30 June "Spies and Robbers beware!" The execution of civilians suspected of spying by the Anti-Treaty IRA, with Padraig Óg O'Ruairc. 1pm–3.30pm. In-person venue: People’s Museum, Pery Square, Limerick City. Free. Last of the Treaty Discussions Lunchtime Series which accompanies the National Archives touring exhibition on the signing of the Anglo Irish Treaty in 1922. Lecture followed by a Q&A with all previous speakers from this Treaty lecture series, and LCCC Archivist Jacqui Hayes. Tea, coffee and sandwiches will be provided. Need to book.

Friday 30 June: Changing Ireland: Stories from the Collection 1900-2020, with Orlaith Styles and Muiris Wade, curatorial researchers from the National Museum of Ireland's Art & Industry division. This exhibition explores Irish history from 1900 to 2020, and the speakers will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the work needed to launch an exhibition. Free. Need to book. Meet in reception area at NMI, Collins Barracks, Benburb St, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7 at 11:20am.

Saturday 1 July: Virtual Treasury 101 Research Showcase: Into the Past + Back to the Future marking the 101st Anniversary of the Four Courts Blaze. 1:30pm–5pm. Venue: Thomas Davis Lecture Theatre (Room 2043), TCD Arts Bldg, College Green, Dublin 2 (use Nassau Street Gate).
Optional pre-event demonstation: How to use the Virtual Treasury, with Dr Ciarán Wallace. In-person venue: Jonathan Swift Theatre (Room 2041a), Arts Bldg, Trinity College, Dublin 2. Free. Need to book.

Tuesday 4 July: The Irish and the American Civil War, with Darrell Rivers. An online event hosted by the London Irish Centre Lecture Series, marking the 160th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. 7:30pm. The talk will be recorded and available to watch for two weeks. Tickets €7 / €5 concs. Details.

Tuesday 4 July: Declaration and Dissent: The American Revolutionary War, a celebratory online event marking PRONI's centenary and complementing the current public display at PRONI of the Declaration of Independence. Mark Thompson, curator of the latter, will explore stories behind the Declaration, and PRONI archivist, Brett Irwin, will look at some surprising archives relating to the conflict that can be found in PRONI’s collections. 4pm. Free, but booking required.

Tuesday 4 July: The Fife and Drum Band Tradition: Limerick and Clare, with Dr Derek Mulcahy. A hybrid event hosted by the Kilrush and District Historical Society at 8pm in the Teach Ceoil on Grace Street, Kilrush, Co Clare. KDHS lectures are free to members, EUR5 for non-members, payable on the night only. New members are welcome. The annual membership fee (July-June) is EUR20. Also available online. Details.

Wednesday 5 July: Making Sense of a United Ireland, with Professor Brendan O’Leary exploring and analysing key issues surrounding Irish unity. An in-person event aty IIEA, 8 North Great George's Street, Dublin 1. 1pm to 2pm. Free. Need to book. All welcome.

Saturday 8 July: National Library of Ireland's Reading Rooms and Readers Ticket Office open to in-person visitors from 9:30 to 1pm. Kildare Street, Dublin 2.

Sunday 9 July A New Look at Old Road– a Traveller Pride Event @ National Museum of Ireland - Country Life, Castlebar, Co Mayo. In-person event featuring a preview of a series of recordings from Elders in the Travelling/Mincéirí community, exploring the archives, and a traditional lashul/ flower making workshop. Free. All welcome. 11am to 2pm. Refreshments included. No need to book. Details.

Tuesday 11 July: Dunnes of Brittas, with Kevin Akers. An online talk hosted by the Genealogical Society of Ireland. 8pm. Free. All welcome. For zoom link, email Membership @ familyhistory.ie. Talks will be posted on YouTube asap after the event.

Wednesday 12 July Public holiday in Northern Ireland. All repositories and many businesses closed.

Thursday 13 July Public holiday in Northern Ireland. All repositories and many businesses closed.

Thursday 13 July: Director's Tour of the National Library of Ireland. Meet new Director Dr Audrey Whitty on this in-person tour of the Library, its magnificent Reading Room and more, and explore its links to some of Ireland's greatest writers and thinkers. Venue: NLI, 7/8 Kildare Street, Dublin 2. 6pm to 7pm. Meet in Front Hall. Entry free and no booking required. Details.


Friday, 23 June 2023

Enniscorthy Echo joins BritishNewspaperArchive database

The latest Irish addition to the BritishNewspaperArchive (BNA) is The Echo and North Wexford and General Advertiser, which was published on Wednesdays from offices in Abbey Square in the Wexford town of Enniscorthy from 1902.

So far, only editions published from February 1905 to August 1906 are available to search and view.

Still to join the online holding are the 1916 and 1917 editions. By this time, the paper had become The Echo and South Leinster Advertiser and was being produced in Enniscorthy's Slaney Place.

This title, as all others in the BNA database, also joins the Irish Newspaper Collection of FindMyPast, the BNA's sister company.


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Today's FindMyPast Friday upload is a purely Irish affair

Today's FindMyPast Friday is a bumper three-part package for Irish researchers. For those of us with ancestors on the lower rungs of the social ladder, the most exciting element of the bundle may be the updating and upgrading of FindMyPast's 1911 Irish census. There are also two brand-new collections for those whose family history is sprinkled with posh dudes who had money to protect.

No Results for Glendalough on the NAI site

Ireland: Census 1911
During the transcription phase of the National Archives of Ireland's Census 1911 digitisation project*, the imaged census returns of some individuals were overlooked.

The result was that although the images of their returns are online at the NAI's free genealogy site, their names and other details have not been transcribed and therefore not indexed, leading to great frustration when researchers can't find their ancestors from, say, Vicarstown in County Offaly, despite knowing the exact spot where they were living in 1911.

In this new, updated collection, FindMyPast has transcribed the details of some 5,843 of the 'missing' individuals from the NAI's online images and added them to their database.

For an example, take a look (right) at the 'No Results?' screen returned for a search for a census return from the Glendalough DED.

Then look (below) at the first page of search results for Glendalough in FindMyPast's enhanced collection. Hurrah! A link to the image held on the NAI's site is included with each transcription.

FindMyPast say they have also improved the searchability of their 1911 Census collection, which is now the most complete Irish census record-set available online.

For a list of locations imaged but not transcribed/indexed in the original NAI census project, see John Grenham's 2017 blogpost 'The strange afterlife of the census microfilms'. Whether all of these 'missing' batches appear in FindMyPast's updated collection, I haven't had time to check.

*It went live in August 2009.

Ireland, Genealogical Office Manuscripts, Marriages
This new collection holds records of just over 9,000 marriages (18,000 indexed names) spanning 1732–1800. It includes marriage licences from the Dublin diocese as well as marriage notices that appeared in Exshaw's Magazine and Hibernian Magazine between 1771 and 1800. Such licences and anouncements were usually the preserve of the well-heeled.

The materials were compiled by Irish genealogist Denis O'Callaghan Fisher (1809-1869), and have been transcribed for the first time by Findmypast. While an image of the original record is not included in this online collection, an image of it can be viewed by selecting the 'Original Source' subheading within each transcription.

Ireland, Genealogical Office Manuscripts, Wills
This set of Irish Wills contains some 10,501 rare records compiled by Sir William Betham and Denis O'Callaghan Fisher in the 18th and 19th centuries. They span 1596–1866.

FindMyPast's description: 'Over the course of his life, William Betham transcribed thousands of Prerogative Wills into notebooks. Held in the National Archives of Ireland, they are also available on Findmypast. From these notes, he compiled pedigrees - which is what this fascinating new collection is made up of. 'O'Callaghan Fisher built on Betham's work, transcribing Diocesan wills (mostly from Dublin, Cork, and Cloyne), which were also compiled into pedigrees. We have brought these two men's contributions together into one handy collection, allowing you to explore Irish wills in richer detail than ever before.'

Links to the original records are included with each transcription.


_______________________________
Sample of the first page of 249 results from a search for Glendalough in FindMyPast's enhanced
1911 census collection. You won't find these online anywhere else.

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Thursday, 22 June 2023

The Summer edition of Irish Roots Magazine has been published

The Summer edition of Irish Roots magazine has been published, and is, as always, an informative read full of articles about Irish genealogical sources, Irish political and social history, DNA, overcoming brickwalls, and how-to guidance for family historians.

Here's a run-down of the main features in the new issue:

  • What’s In A Name? Examining Variants Of Irish Family Surnames
  • Local Resources For Tracing Your County Clare Ancestors
  • Origins And History Of Many Surnames From County Clare
  • Helpful Techniques For Connecting The Dots In Your DNA Research
  • Making The Most Of Your Visit To The Public Record Office Of Northern Ireland
  • Useful Information On How To Publish Your Family History As A Book
  • What’s New? Review - Keep Up To Date With The Latest Irish Genealogy Record Releases
  • Australian Irish Connections; Immigrants Lured By Gold To 1850's Victoria, Australia

There are also comments and observations on the Irish genealogical community, news from Irish societies and organisations, letters to the Editor, a selection of current books for your shelves, questions from readers and answers from professional genealogists, and much more.

Irish Roots is published quarterly and is available in print and digital formats, in single issues or on subscription, and in gift packs. To find out more, and to download a sample copy of this new edition, click the cover image.


Wednesday, 21 June 2023

Ancestry's FindAGrave Index for Ireland passes 1m milestone

The UK & Ireland FindAGrave Index, 1300s-Current has been seeing regular additions over the past nine months. It now holds a total of 17,412,192 entries, an increase of more than 2.7million since last August.

Of these additions, some 101,000 entries relate to burials of individuals who may have been born on the island, died there, or both. All 32 historical counties are represented in the new total number of entries – 1,074,916 – for Ireland.

Total entries for Britain are:

  • England: 13,612,154
  • Scotland: 1,691,502
  • Wales: 476,031

Some of the above content contains affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission if you buy via these links. This does not affect the price you pay as a consumer, but it does contribute to keeping Irish Genealogy News online. See Advertising Disclosure tab above.

Tuesday, 20 June 2023

Killian Homeplace becomes new IFHF centre for County Longford

The Irish Family History Foundation are delighted to announce that the Killian Homeplace Family History Centre has been appointed as the County Longford centre for the IFHF. The Killian Homeplace, winner of the '2013 All Ireland Pride of Place' award in the Diaspora category, is located in Fermoyle, just outside Lanesborough in County Longford.

Founded in 1998 by Joan Killian Gallagher, the centre is housed in a meticulously restored cottage and is a sustainable tribute dedicated to the memory of her great, great grandmother, Anne Furey Killian, who against all odds, purchased the farm from the Land Commission in 1893. She was 82 years old and had been widowed for over 30 years.

Joan reconnected with Killian cousins in Longford and Roscommon in 1996 when she took her father to the Notre Dame Navy game in Dublin.

This was the beginning of a journey of joy and discovery that Joan hopes to share with those in search of their own family history and place of origin in County Longford.

It is this life changing cultural and educational exchange that is the mission of The Killian Homeplace.

Its team of dedicated researchers and experienced genealogists are looking forward to working with members of the global diaspora as well as the local community in putting together their own County Longford family history and finding their place of origin.

You can see what Longford records are online at Roots Ireland and learn more about the new centre here. The County Longford Centre will be open initially on Friday afternoons from 1pm–4pm and on Saturday mornings from 10am–1pm, in addition to hours by appointment. Opening hours will be extended as demand increases.

Contact details:

Address: The Killian Homeplace, Fermoyle, Lanesborough, Co Longford, N39 RY93.

Website: www.thekillianhomeplace.com

Email: longfordroots @ thekillianhomeplace.com

Phone: + 353 (0) 86 395 2557

New dedicated-GRONI computer terminals installed at PRONI

Excellent news just in from the Public Record Office of Northen Ireland: Replacement computer terminals with dedicated connection to the General Register Office of Northern Ireland have been installed in PRONI's Search Room and are now up and running.

It's been a long wait. The old terminals – installed in 2016 – gave up the ghost sometime in mid-2022, and replacements were expected to be available by the end of the year. Then it went ominously quiet. I stopped pestering PRONI and GRONI some months ago, assuming the replacements were not a priority.

At long last, there are again four terminals fully connected at PRONI's Titanic Boulevard offices in Belfast, making the trip out to Stranmillis, where GRONI has been based for eight years, unnecessary for most genealogists.

Researchers using the database on the Internet are restricted to historical birth, marriage and death records under the 100-75-50-year rule, but access via the GRONI/PRONI computers does not have these restrictions. Records can be searched right up to current registrations.

It is a pay-to-search service and requires users to register with GRONI. You can see exactly what is available here, and scrolling down to the GRONI Public Search Room section.

In view of the long delay in getting the new terminals up and ready, there is likely to be pent-up demand for access in PRONI's Search Room. In response, PRONI is asking that customers limit use during busy times to 20 minutes per person.

Monday, 19 June 2023

Irish genealogy, history and heritage events, 19 June - 2 July

Monday 19 June: Malone House, with Alun Evans. A hybrid event hosted by the North of Ireland Family History Society, Larne Branch. Venue: Larne Museum and Arts Centre, 2 Victoria Road, Larne, BT40 1RN. 7:15pm–8:45pm. All welcome. Details.

Thursday 22 June Charities and charitable acts recorded in the Registry of Deeds. An in-person Culture Club event. Venue: The Registry of Deeds, Henrietta Street, Dublin 1. 12pm. Details.

Thursday 22 June: PRONI 100: Celebrating a Century, a hybrid event to mark the 100th anniversary of the repository's establishment and to celebrate its past, present and future. Host: The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. The free event will be held at PRONI from 12pm – 1:30pm, but will also be available online. Booking is essential and you can choose either the in-person or online option.

Friday 23 June: People and Places, an in-person exhibition tour. Includes a selection of photos taken 1858-2001 showcasing the breadth of photography in the NLI's collection that relate to the history of cities, villages and townlands across the island, and the people who inhabit them. 11am. Venue: National Photographic Archive, Meeting House Sq. Temple Bar, Dublin 2. Booking.

Friday 23 June: The Anglo-Irish Treaty – public responses (or lack of) of loyalists and unionists in Limerick, with Dr. Brian Hughes. An in-person event. Part of the Treaty Discussions Lunchtime Series which accompanies the National Archives touring exhibition on the signing of the Anglo Irish Treaty in 1922. Venue: Istabraq Hall, Merchants Quay, Limerick City. 1pm–2pm. Free. Details.

Saturday 24 June: National Library of Ireland's Reading Rooms and Readers Ticket Office open to in-person visitors from 9:30 to 1pm. Kildare Street, Dublin 2.

Tuesday 27 June: National Archives of Ireland Reading Room will be closed to the public until 2pm.

Tuesday 27 June: The early censuses of Ireland and their surviving original returns, with Dr Brian Gurrin. An online lecture hosted by the National Archives of Ireland. Free. All welcome but need to book. 6pm.

Tuesday 27 June: Gaining International Recognition - Joining the League of Nations, an in-person event with Conor Moore. Part of the Ireland in 1923 lecture series. Venue: Dublin City Library and Archive, Pearse Street, Dublin 2. Free, and all welcome, but registration required; send email to historians @ dublincitycouncilculturecompany.ie. 6:30pm.

Thursday 29 June: All Dublin City Libraries branches will close from 1pm for staff training.

Friday 30 June "Spies and Robbers beware!" The execution of civilians suspected of spying by the Anti-Treaty IRA, with Padraig Óg O'Ruairc. 1pm–3.30pm. In-person event. Venue: People’s Museum, Pery Square, Limerick City. Free. Last of the Treaty Discussions Lunchtime Series which accompanies the National Archives touring exhibition on the signing of the Anglo Irish Treaty in 1922. Lecture followed by a Q&A with all previous speakers from this Treaty lecture series, and LCCC Archivist Jacqui Hayes. Tea, coffee and sandwiches will be provided. Need to book.

Friday 30 June: Changing Ireland: Stories from the Collection 1900-2020, an in-person event with Orlaith Styles and Muiris Wade, curatorial researchers from the National Museum of Ireland's Art & Industry division. This exhibition explores Irish history from 1900 to 2020, and the speakers will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the work needed to launch an exhibition. Free. Need to book. Meet in reception area at NMI, Collins Barracks, Benburb St, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7 at 11:20am.

Saturday 1 July: Virtual Treasury 101 Research Showcase: Into the Past + Back to the Future – marking the 101st Anniversary of the Four Courts Blaze. 1:30pm–5pm. Venue: Thomas Davis Lecture Theatre (Room 2043), TCD Arts Building, College Green, Dublin 2 (entrance via Nassau Street Gate). Optional pre-event demonstration: How to use the Virtual Treasury, with Dr Ciarán Wallace. In-person venue: Jonathan Swift Theatre (Room 2041a), Arts Building, Trinity College, Dublin 2. Free. Need to book.

Friday, 16 June 2023

Ancestry adds two Northern Irish record-sets from PRONI

Two of the Public Record of Northern Ireland's free-to-access online collections are now accessible via Ancestry as a 'Web' collection. They are the Northern Ireland, Valuation Revision Books, 1864-1933 collection (with both search – by both search and browse options) and the Northern Ireland Freeholders Records collection (a search index with 129,894 entries linked to PRONI's site).

This gives these records, which are currently searchable and viewable in PRONI's ecatalogue, much greater exposure, and should allow an increased number of researchers to gather more information about their Northern Irish ancestors. The Revision Books in Ancestry's collection have also been name-indexed, rather than being searchable only by place, which is an excellent bonus of this latest development. It holds 3,193,180 entries.

Ancestry's 'Web' collection can be searched and viewed for free. You don't need to subscribe or even be registered.

I suspect we'll be seeing some more of PRONI's collection joining the Ancestry database in due course.

A celebration event to mark PRONI's 100th anniversary

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland is to host a special event on Thursday 22 June. Called PRONI 100: Celebrating a Century will be a hybrid event to mark the 100th anniversary of the repository's establishment with the passing of the Public Records Act (NI) 1923 and to celebrate its past, present and future.

An impressive range of guest speakers has been lined up. They include writer and comedian Tim McGarry; former BBC NI political correspondent Stephen Walker; the Belfast Telegraph and Sunday Independent's Northern Ireland editor Sam McBride; historian and Professor at QUB, Marie Coleman; private depositor and NI Screen access and outreach officer Bronagh McAtasney; and Rhona Murray, Ancestry's content and acquisition manager.

The free event will be held at PRONI from 12pm – 1:30pm, but will also be available online. Booking is essential and you can choose either the in-person or online option.

English, Scottish and Welsh genealogy: 3-week update 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, 26 May.)

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 (and shared with FindMyPast)

  • 10 new titles: The Selby Times   |  The Morning Leader   |  Eltham & District Times   |  Malton Gazette   |  Tunbridge Wells Weekly Express   |  Hampshire Post and Southsea Observer   |  Southampton Observer and Hampshire News   |  Stalybridge Reporter   |  Malton Messenger   |  Redcar and Saltburn-by-the-sea Gazette

FindMyPast

MyHeritage

UPDATED COLLECTIONS



Ancestry

FamilySearch

FindMyPast

FreeBMD

The Genealogist

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Thursday, 15 June 2023

More gaps filled in Irish holdings of BritishNewspaperArchive.co.uk

Further to my blogpost 'BritishNewspaperArchive updates holdings of six Irish titles' last week, I was surprised and pleased this morning to see another eight Irish newspapers featuring in the site's 'Recently added' column. In each case, the additions have filled gaps in the existing holding.

The additional paginations tot up to 78,000+ new-to-search pages, and are as follows: 

  • Belfast Commercial Chronicle, 1823-1824 (1254 pages) 
  • Dublin Leader, 1901-1938 (44,016) 
  • Dublin Shipping and Mercantile Gazette, 1872 (32 pages) 
  • Kerry News, 1894-1920 (16,716 pages) 
  • Limerick Echo, 1899-1902, 1904-1916, 1918-1922, 1930 (4,108 pages) 
  • Limerick Chronicle, 1826-1829 (1,662 pages) 
  • Roscommon Herald, 1871 (208 pages) 
  • Wicklow News-Letter and County Advertiser, 1886 (224 pages)

These updates will also be added to sister database FindMyPast where all 253 Irish BNA titles are available to those with a PRO or PREMIUM subscription.


Some of the above content contains affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission if you buy via these links. This does not affect the price you pay as a consumer, but it does contribute to keeping Irish Genealogy News online. See Advertising Disclosure tab above.

 

Wednesday, 14 June 2023

Digitisation of North Tipperary Revision Books, 1902-17, completes

A third and final instalment of newly digitised material completes Tipperaries Studies online collection of Cancelled/Revision Books from North Tipperary County Council.

The digitisation project has seen 197 of these Valuation Books scanned to a high-quality and made available to download or view at Tipperary Libraries Digital Archive at tippstudiesdigital.ie. The collection covers 76 District Electoral Divisions and spans 1902 – 1917, across just under 13,000 pages.

The books record the names of people who owned land and buildings across the county, as well as the names of tenants who were examined for valuation (tax).

Details of changes to tenancy / land ownership during these years are made in different coloured ink, with the year of change also noted in most instances. When the person liable for valuation moves away or dies, the next head of household is recorded, making these books a rich source of genealogical information.

This new collection also helps to bridge the time frame between census years 1901 to 1911 and 1911 to 1926.


Tuesday, 13 June 2023

MilitaryArchives.ie releases 14th instalment from MSPC Project

Ireland's Military Archives has made its first release this year of material from the Military Service (1916-1923) Pensions Collection. It is the 14th release from the MSPC Project since it was launched in January 2014, and consists of more than 2,100 fiiles representing records relating to 797 individuals.

This release sees 416 applications lodged under the Military Pensions Act 1934, and 138 applications for service pensions under the Military Service Pensions Act, 1924 (National Army applicants).

A further 169 applications for wound pensions/gratuities and 124 applications were lodged under the Army Pensions Acts (Special Allowances, wounds, disability and dependents).

Among the 797 individuals whose files are being released (you can download a list of names here), are 45 individuals with an address in Northern Ireland, 260 in Dublin, 115 in Cork, 58 in Kerry, 35 in Galway, 28 in Donegal. 53 individuals had an address in England, 62 in the USA, 12 in Scotland, 2 in Canada, and 1 in Australia.

Taking into account all the MSPC file series, over 119,700 files have been catalogued, approximately 78,000 are now fully digitised and some 2.5 million pages of archival material is available online, free of charge from MilitaryArchives.ie.

The next MSPC release is likely to be in November/December.

Summer issue of Irish Genealogy Matters published

The latest edition of Irish Genealogy Matters has been published and is free to download (click the image below) from the RootsIreland.ie website. It brings plenty of news from around the Irish Family History Foundation's network of genealogy & heritage centres, most of whom transcribe and upload local records to the RootsIreland database.

So far this year, some 60,000 new records have been added.

The visits of US President Joe Biden and rock legend Bruce Springsteen (to the North Mayo Heritage Centre and the Kildare Genealogy centre respectively) are reported, as is the news of Limerick Genealogy's 20km relocation to a home in the riverside village of Croom.

Some events, organised by the individual centres or in partnership with an organisation, have also been confirmed for later this year.

They include the Ulster Historical Foundation's Tracing your Irish Ancestors programme (6-13 September); Cavan Calling, the four-day global homecoming festival for the county's diaspora (26-30 July); and a two-day conference, In anxious expectation, by Cavan Genealogy and the Mellon Centre for Migration Studies, which explores migration and hunting for elusive ancestors (26-27 July).

There is also an informative article about foundlings and orphans, developed from Armagh Ancestry's computerization project with Genealogy Ireland, and featuring one Robinson Crusoe, a child baptised in Seagoe Church of Ireland church near Portadown on 11 May 1820.

Ancestry adds fifteen pre-1823 editions to Irish directories collection

Ancestry updated its Ireland City and Regional Directories collection last week. While there is no note on the collection search page to verify, I believe the collection has grown by more than 1.2million indexed entries (based on the last IGN blogpost about this record set in March 2020) and now has fifteen pre-1823 editions in the database.

Presumably Ancestry will get round to correcting the date spans in the collection's title in due course.

The additions include eleven Gentleman's and Citizen's Almanack (1792, 1793, 1809-1822 with a few gaps); and The Treble Almanack (1803-06). These volumes can be searched by name, occupation/trade, address and year, or browsed by individual volume.

The collection now holds 13,489,492 records and is well worth searching, not just for individuals working in business, the trades or the professions, but also for information about the island, its institutions and social organisations, as well as more local details such as when market fairs were held, mail coach timetables, and much more.

Some of the above content contains affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission if you buy via these links. This does not affect the price you pay as a consumer, but it does contribute to keeping Irish Genealogy News online. See Advertising Disclosure tab above.

Monday, 12 June 2023

BritishNewspaperArchive updates holdings of six Irish titles

The BritishNewspaperArchive.co.uk (BNA) has not added any new historical Irish newspaper to its huge (now more than 68million-pages) database since March. However, in the last week, there's been a run of updates to plug gaps in some its existing Irish holdings, as follows: 

  • Dublin Evening Telegraph 1904 (1578 pages) 
  • Waterford Standard 1926 (816 pages) 
  • Belfast Telegraph 1900 (1,246) 
  • Weekly Freeman's Journal 1845-1849, 1897 (2,868) 
  • Roscommon Messenger  1922 (308 pages) 
  • Ulster Gazette 1885 (208 pages) 

These updates will also be added to sister database FindMyPast where all 253 Irish BNA titles are available to those with a PRO or PREMIUM subscription.



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, 12 - 25 June

Tuesday 13 June: 100 years since the creation of the land border in Ireland, with Cormac Moore. A hybrid event and part of Dublin City Libraries' Ireland in 1923 lecture series. In-person venue: Pearse Street Library, Dublin 2. 6:30pm. All welcome. Free. Need to register for in-person or live stream by emailing historians@ dublincitycouncilculturecompany. ie..

Tuesday 13 June: Sarsfield’s Homecoming, with Gerard Corcoran. An online talk hosted by the Genealogical Society of Ireland. 8pm. Free. All welcome. For zoom link, email Membership @ familyhistory.ie. Talks will be posted on YouTube asap after the event.

Wednesday 14 June to Saturday 17 June: The Asylum Workshop, a new documentary play by playwright Colin Murphy about the history of the Grangegorman mental hospital in Dublin. An in-person event at TU Dublin Black Box Theatre East Quad, Grangegorman Lower, Dublin 7. Performances at 7:30pm (plus Saturday matinee at 2pm). Tickets €20 full price / €15 concession (students/OAPS). Details and booking via Royal Irish Academy.

Wednesday 14 June: Apprenticeship to Revolution: Dublin's workers and the 1798 Rebellion, with Timothy Murtagh. A Teatime Talk hosted by Donal Fallon. An in-person talk at 14 Henrietta Street, Dublin 1. 6pm. All welcome. Tickets: €5 or &euro:4 for senior and students. Booking.

Thursday 15 June: Virtual Record Treasury Roadshow, a chance to see the history of Wicklow and its people through the lens of this exciting new online resource. An in-person event at the library, The Mall, Main Street, Wicklow town. Speakers: Ciarán Wallace, Brian Gurrin and Catherine Wright. Host: Wicklow County Archives. Free. 6:30pm to 8pm. All welcome but need to book. Details.

Thursday 15 to Saturday 17 June: Festival of Ideas. Fifty years after Ireland joined the European Community, performers, writers, researchers, musicians and academics explore the expressiveness and politicization of languages in a relaxed but stimulating three-day festival hosted at the Irish Cultural Centre, 5 rue des Irlandais, Paris. Tickets €15 per day. In-person. Programme and details. Booking recommended.

Friday 16 June: War and peace, and war again: Limerick at the time of the Treaty, 1921-22, with Dr John O'Callaghan. Part of the Treaty Discussions Lunchtime Series which accompanies the National Archives touring exhibition on the signing of the Anglo Irish Treaty in 1922. Venue: Istabraq Hall, Merchants Quay, Limerick City. 1pm–2pm. Free All welcome. Details.

Friday 16 June: Launch of the Madill Archive Project with an exhibition on wooden and skin boats from the northern coasts of Ireland. Venue: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. The event marks the start of a two-year project to digitise the collection of drawings, photographs, interviews and documentation relating to vernacular boats recorded by Mr Harry Madill. In-person only. 12.30pm – 2:30pm. Free but booking required.

Saturday 17 June: The Murder of Wolfe Tone, Ireland's greatest and most eloquent patriot, with Paddy Cullivan. An in-person event at IST Tailors Hall, 8 Back Lane, Dublin 8, 8pm–10pm. All welcome. Tickets €20. Booking.

Sunday 18 June: Walking Tour of O’Connor Square & High Street, Tullamore, with Michael Byrne. Reference will be made to the leases, the developers, styles of houses, families and shops. Part of the Offaly History Lectures and Events Programme for 2023. Meet at O’Connor Square, Tullamore, Co Offaly. 2.30pm – 4pm. Free. No need to book.

Monday 19 June: Malone House, with Alun Evans. A hybrid event hosted by the North of Ireland Family History Society, Larne Branch. Venue: Larne Museum and Arts Centre, 2 Victoria Road, Larne, BT40 1RN. 7:15pm–8:45pm. All welcome. Details.

Tuesday 20 June to Saturday 24 June: The Asylum Workshop, a new documentary play by playwright Colin Murphy about the history of the Grangegorman mental hospital in Dublin’s north inner city. An in-person event at TU Dublin Black Box Theatre East Quad, Grangegorman Lower, Dublin 7. Performances at 7:30pm (plus Saturday matinee at 2pm). Tickets €20 full price / €15 concession (students/OAPS). Details and booking via Royal Irish Academy.

Tuesday 20 June: The Hunger Strikes of Republicans, with Dublin City Council's Historian in Residence Cormac Moore. A hybird event hosted by DCC's Ireland in 1923 lecture series at Pearse Street Library, Dublin 2 and also live-steamed. 6:30pm. Free. All welcome. Details.

Thursday 22 June: Charities and charitable acts recorded in the Registry of Deeds. An in-person Culture Club event. Venue: The Registry of Deeds, Henrietta Street, Dublin 1. 12pm. Doors open 11:50am. All welcome. Free. Booking.

Friday 23 June: People and Places exhibition tour. Exhibition includes a selection of photos taken 1858-2001 showcasing the wide breadth of photography in the NLI's collection that relate to the history of cities, villages and townlands across the island, and the people who inhabit them. 11am. In-person venue: Venue Address: National Photographic Archive, Meeting House Square, Temple Bar, Dublin 2. Booking.

Friday 23 June: The Anglo-Irish Treaty – public responses (or lack of) of loyalists and unionists in Limerick, with Dr. Brian Hughes. Part of the Treaty Discussions Lunchtime Series which accompanies the National Archives touring exhibition on the signing of the Anglo Irish Treaty in 1922. In-person Venue: Istabraq Hall, Merchants Quay, Limerick City. 1pm–2pm. Free. All welcome. Details.

Saturday 24 June: National Library of Ireland's Reading Rooms and Readers Ticket Office open to in-person visitors from 9:30 to 1pm. Kildare Street, Dublin 2.

Saturday 24 June: REBEL AGHADA TOUR, a history trip around the coast parishes of East Cork, with Billy Fitzpatrick. By coach. Meeting Church carpark, Upper Aghada Village, Midleton, Co Cork at noon. Finishes 16:30pm. €20. Details and booking.


Wednesday, 7 June 2023

FindMyPast offers 15% savings on selected subs - Expired

FindMyPast is offering a 15% discount on selected 12-month subscriptions.

Savings on genealogy subscriptions from all databases suppliers have become as rare as hen's teeth in the last couple of years, so if you were thinking of taking out a sub or renewing an old one, make sure to grab this opportunity before it expires at 11:59 British/Irish Summer Time (GMT + 1) on Monday 12 June.

This offer has now expired.

Please note that 12-month Premium subscriptions are not included in this offer.



FindMyPast Ireland – 15% off 12-month Plus and Pro subscriptions.


FindMyPast USA/Canada – 15% off 12-month Essential and Ultimate subscriptions.


FindMyPast UK – 15% off 12-Month Plus and Pro subscriptions.


FindMyPast Australia/NZ – 15% off 12-month Plus and Pro subscriptions.


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More RC records from Cork and Kerry parishes join RootsIreland.ie

RootsIreland.ie has uploaded a further 11,606 Roman Catholic records from the Diocese of Kerry. These include 10,345 baptism register records from a County Cork parish and 1,261 marriage register records from a County Kerry parish, as follows: 

  • Baptisms from Dromtariffe parish, Co. Cork, 1801–1902 
  • Marriages from Moyvane parish, Co. Kerry, 1831–1905. 

For an up to date list of sources for these counties, see the Cork or Kerry online sources menus.

To login or subscribe, click the logo, right.

Thursday, 1 June 2023

Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives: May's haul of free records

Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives, the free to access online archive of records donated by researchers, has had another busy month and a big upload of mixed materials from eight counties. There are files of headstone photos and transcriptions from four burial grounds, church records from one Roman Catholic and two Methodist congregations, and a mix of census substitutes dating from 1663, 1766 and 1847. What a haul for just one month!

Here is the county breakdown:

Ruined church in Churchtown Graveyard (Holy Trinity CofI)
in Carne, Wexford. Photo courtesy of IGPArchives
and photographer Michelle Meadows-Rousseau.

CAVAN Genealogy Archives: Church Records
Blacklion (Killinagh) Methodist Marriages 1868-1921

CAVAN Genealogy Archive: Headstones
St. Patricks Graveyard, Kilnavart Part 2 (Additional)

CORK Genealogy Archives: Headstones
Holy Rosary Cemetery (R.C.), Midleton, Part 10

FERMANAGH Genealogy Archives: Church Records
Enniskillen Town (Primitive) Methodist Marriages - 1873-1884

LondonDERRY Genealogy Archives: Misc.
Hearth Tax List - Clondermot Parish - 1663

LIMERICK Genealogy Archives: Headstones
Kilfergus Graveyard, Glin (D-G)

TIPPERARY Genealogy Archives: Church Records
Fethard Parish RC Baptisms 1821 (Dio.Cashel & Emly)

TYRONE Genealogy Archives: Census Substitutes
Religious Census of the Parish of Derryloran - 1766

TYRONE Genealogy Archives: Miscellaneous
County Tyrone Assizes - 1847

WEXFORD Genealogy Archives: Headstones
Churchtown Graveyard aka Holy Trinity CoI, Carne


Summary results on Ireland's Census 2022 released by CSO

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has released Census 2022 Summary Results for the Republic of Ireland. These provide information on a variety of topics including population by age and sex, marital status, citizenship, Irish language, health, carers, foreign languages, religion, and employment.  For a speedy overview, see the infographic below.

Here are some of the results:

  • Ireland’s population increased by 8% (387,274 people) to 5,149,139 in the six years between April 2016 and April 2022. It is the first time since 1851 (171 years) that the population of the historical 26 counties exceeded the five million threshold. All counties showed population growth from 5% in Donegal, Kilkenny, and Tipperary, to 14% in Longford. The east of the country showed strong growth with Meath at 13%, followed by Fingal (12%) and Kildare (11%).
  • The average age of the population rose from 37.4 in 2016 to 38.8 in 2022, compared with 36.1 in 2011.
  • The number of people with dual Irish citizenship was 170,597, up by 63% since 2016.
  • The proportion of the population who identified as Roman Catholics fell from 79% in 2016 to 69% in 2022. The 'No Religion' category increased from 451,941 people to 736,210 (14%). The Church of Ireland category showed little change but remained the second largest religious category with 124,749 people (2%).
  • More than 700,000 people indicated that they undertook voluntary work. Of these, nearly 300,000 people volunteered in a sporting organisation.
  • Almost 80% of households had a broadband internet connection in 2022, up from 71% in 2016.

More than 19% of the state's 1.8million occupied private households completed Census 2022's non-mandatory Time Capsule space. The completion rate by county varied from 16% to 21%. No further information about the Time Capsule was gathered or will be released. So that's 348,443 Time Capsules now waiting in secure storage for release in 100 years. Who wouldn't want to be an Irish family historian in 2123?


CSO's Infographic of Census 2022 Summary Results. Click to study the full release.