Beyond the Grave: 3-day conference in Limerick

A three-day conference examining the social and physical acts surround death and burial in both modern and ancient Ireland will be held 25–27 April next year as part of the Limerick City of Culture 2014 celebration.

The conference aims to explore various aspects of death and burial with subjects ranging from social, political and religious viewpoints; the physical act of burial; graveyard studies; genealogy; iconography; typography; cartography; cultural heritage; and how to conserve and develop graveyards for the future.

Organised by Limerick City Museum & Archives and Mary Immaculate College Limerick (MIC), the conference will include a full programme of lectures. It will also see the launch of the History of Mount Saint Lawrence Cemetery by Matthew Potter and the release of Phase 2 of the Mount Saint Lawrence Transcriptions project.

Phase 1 of the Mount St Lawrence transcriptions saw an online searchable database produced of the cemetery's handwritten burial registers. This was done by a partnership between Limerick City Archives and the History Department of MIC. The 70,000+ entries were released in August (see blogpost) and are free to access.

Phase 2 of the project will produce an online map of all the burial plots in the 16.5-acre cemetery.

More details of the conference will be revealed in the New Year, but if you have any queries or wish to submit a paper for the conference, please email.

A small source from the small county of Carlow

Flyleaf Press has released another resource in its wonderful Small Sources series. This one, the ninth, is a list of Tenants of the Knight of Kerry shortly after he inherited the LaTouche estate in County Carlow. Most of the tenants are from the parish of Dunleckney (around Bagenalstown). The list relates to a letter, dated September 1856, held by the National Library of Ireland.

See the list on Flyleaf's blog.

Petty Sessions collection at 17.5m records – and counting

FindMyPast.ie has released another big batch of Petty Sessions Court Records 1828-1912. This batch held another 2.3million entries and, as well as topping up the online record count for six courts, it introduced some 40 new courts in 13 counties around Ireland.

These are the Petty Sessions Courts represented in this latest release:

Cavan: Bailieborough, Ballyjamesduff, Kilnaleck, Mountnugent, Mullagh, Virginia
Clare: Ennistymon, Tulla
Cork: Castlemartyr, Youghal
Donegal: Ramleton
Dublin: Balbriggan, Arran,
Galway: Derrynea, Galway, Moycullen, Oranmore, Oughterard, Portumna
Kildare: Clane, Curragh, Kildare, Kilmeague, Naas, Newbridge, Newbridge TC, Robertstown
Kilkenny: Freshford
Laois: Rathdowney
Mayo: Westport
Meath: Athboy, Crossakiel, Georges Cross Navan, Kells, Navan, Slane
Offaly: Clara, Philipstown
Waterford: Ardmore, Callaghane, Clashmore, Waterford City (inc Police Court & St Patrick's Hall)
Wexford: Duncormick, Taghmon

As you can see, one of the new Kildare courts is The Curragh, which should prove a real boon to family historians with military ancestors as it has been an army base since 1855.

When the digitisation work began on the National Archives of Ireland's Petty Sessions Court collection, it was estimated that the registers held somewhere between twelve and fifteen million entries. This has proved to be an under-estimation. With a seriously impressive 17.5million records already online, there's still more to come! Another big tranche of 2.5million records is expected later this month, wtih one last tranche waiting in the wings for the grande finale.

Find out more about the Irish Petty Sessions Court Order Books.

Death and Dying in Dublin, 1500–2000: Call for papers

A one-day conference will be held on Saturday 12 April 2014 at Glasnevin Cemetery to explore the social, economic, legal and medical aspects of dying in Dublin 1500 to 2000. Surrounded by very tangible signs and monuments about our ancestors attitudes towards death, this conference will explore how their societies really coped with death, loss and grief.

The Dublin City Research Group is inviting relevant papers from researchers in all disciplines who are undertaking work on post-medieval Dublin.

Proposed abstracts (200-400 words) should be emailed by Friday 28 November. Further details.

The Vikings – Blood, battles and burials: a seminar

Dublinia is hosting a seminar – Blood Battles and Burials in Viking Age Dublin – on Saturday, 16 November. '

Speakers include Howard Clarke, Sheila Dooley, Andy Halfin, Stephen Harrison, Donnchadh Ó Corráin, Raghnall Ó Floinn, Emer Purcell, Linzi Simpson and Cathy Swift.

The Seminar will be held at Dublin City Council, Wood Quay Venue, Dublin 8. It's free and there's no booking or registration required. Just turn up. Starts at 9:30am.

British Newspaper Archive passes 7million milestone

The British Newspaper Archive (BNA) has passed a giant milestone this weekend, with page number 7million added to the site.

Since its launch in November 2011, the BNA has been committed to transcribing thousands of pages a day. With a target of 40million pages by 2021, this 10-year project is the biggest digitisation of newspapers to take place in the UK. It's run by DC Thompson Family History, formerly known as Brightsolid, the people behind FindMyPast.

Announcing the milestone successs, Ian Tester, The British Newspaper Archive’s Brand Director, said: “Newspapers are one of the richest resources available to historians, and historical newspapers packed a lot more into a page than modern papers. The Archive holds newspapers that date back to the early 18th Century, and with the 7million mark passed, we now provide access to comfortably over 100million stories and articles online – a unique perspective on more than 200 years of historical events.”

The website is free to search, with a range of credit and subscription packages available. Its holding of Irish newspapers isn't too extensive just yet, but it holds Freeman’s Journal, Belfast Newsletter, Dublin Evening Mail, Sligo Champion, Belfast Morning News and the Cork Examiner. This same collection of historical Irish papers is also available as part of an Ireland or World subscription with FindMyPast.

Busy week of genealogy and history events ahead

No excuses this week – the calendar is full of interesting events.

Monday 4 November: Searching the Dublin Archives, with Charlotte Murtagh. North of Ireland FHS Killyleagh Branch. Masonic Hall, 50 High Street, Killyleagh, BT30 9QF. 8pm. Enquiries.

Monday 4 November: Sport, Commemoration and the Decade of Centenaries, with Donal McAnallen from the Gaelic Athletic Association. Host: Institute of Irish Studies. Venue: Room 03/006B, Peter Froggatt Centre, QUB, Belfast. 1:00pm–2:00pm.

Tuesday 5 November: A century of change, conflict and transformation: Northern Ireland 1911-2011. Host: PRONI. Venue: Andrews Gallery, Titanic Belfast. 11:30am. Free. No need to book.

Tuesday 5 November: How to start your family tree – a beginner's guide. Host: FindMyPast.ie. Venue: Andrews Gallery, Titanic Belfast. 2pm. Free. No need to book.

Tuesday 5 November: WW1 in Wicklow, with Brian Donnelly and local contributors. Host: Kilmacanogue History Society. Venue: The Glenview Hotel, Glen of the Downs, Co Wicklow. 8.30pm. Entry €3 (members €2). All welcome.

Wednesday 6 November: Cartoons and Postcards of 20th-century Ireland. Host: Linenhall Library. Venue: Andrews Gallery, Titanic Belfast. 11:30am. Free. No need to book.

Thursday 7 November: Made in Belfast: Titanic Industries. Host: PRONI. Venue: Andrews Gallery, Titanic Belfast. 11:30am. Free. No need to book.

Thursday 7 November: Introduction to family history. Host: Ulster Historical Foundation. Venue: Andrews Gallery, Titanic Belfast. 2pm. Free. No need to book.

Thursday 7 November: Officers and Soldiers, with Dr Janice Holmes / Dr Barry Sheehan. Part of the Exploring Family History Lecture Series organised by the Open University and PRONI. Venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. 6:30pm–8pm. Free but booking required at proni@dcalni.gov.uk.

Friday 8 November: Online sources for family and local history. Host: PRONI. Venue: Andrews Gallery, Titanic Belfast. 11:30am. Free. No need to book.

Friday 8 November: Tracing ancestors who travelled to GB, USA, Australia and more. Host: FindMyPast.ie. Venue: Andrews Gallery, Titanic Belfast. 2pm. Free. No need to book.

Friday 8 & Saturday 9 November: Blackguards, muckrakers and crusaders – journalists in history. Host: National & Periodical History Forum of Ireland. Venue: Dublin City University. Programme and costs.

Friday 8 November: The Presbyterians of the North West: religion, politics and Magee College, Derry, 1798–1914, with Andrew Holmes. Ulster-Scots History & History Lecture Series. Host: Derry City Council Heritage & Museum Service. Venue: Tower Museum, Union Place, Derry-Londonderry. 7pm. Free.

Friday 8 November: “So many little military colleges scattered up and down the country”, the establishment of permanent residential barracks in 18thC Ireland, with Dr Ivar McGrath. Host: Military History Society of Ireland. Venue: Lecture Theatre, Griffith College, South Circular Road, Dublin 8. Time: 8pm. Non-members welcome to attend.

Saturday 9 November: Irish Family History Society Open Morning. Venue: Dublin City Library & Archive, Pearse Street, Dublin 2. 10:00am–1:00pm. Lectures will be Gathering Church of Ireland Records with Dr. Susan Hood, and Archives of the Royal Dublin Society, with Natasha Serne. Free. All welcome.

Saturday 9 November: Open Day at the National Archives of Ireland, Bishop Street, Dublin 8. 10–5pm. Free lectures, tours and genealogy advice. Download programme. Download programme.

Saturday 9 November: Mayo Genealogy Group Workshop at the National Museum of Ireland, Country Life, Turlough, Castlebar, Co Mayo. A monthly drop-in event for family history advice and chat. No booking required. Free. Details.

Saturday 9 November: 'Ballyshannon & the Erne scheme: dammed or damned?, a HistoryIreland Hedge School with Brian Drummond, Michael Kennedy, Jonathan Bardon and Pauric Travers. Part of Allingham Arts Festival. Venue: Abbey Centre, Ballyshannon, Co Donegal. 5.30pm-7.00pm. €5.00.

End of October update of what's new on IGP Archives

Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives have uploaded the following items to their ever-growing free-to-access database:

ANTRIM Genealogy Archives
Photos – Home Where John Campbell Was Born 1954
Census – 1740 Census (Partial) Of Protestant Householders In Tamlaght O'Crilly Parish
Directories – Ballymoney & Toomebridge from The Belfast & Ulster Towns Directory 1910

DERRY/LONDONDERRY Genealogy Archives
Directories – The Belfast & Ulster Towns Directory 1910

DOWN Genealogy Archives
Cemetery Records – Donaghmore Parish Headstones Pt1-3

DUBLIN Genealogy Archives
Deansgrange Cemetery, South West Section Part 5 (Deansgrange Page)

TYRONE Genealogy Archives
Census Substitutes – Cookstown, Co. Tyrone - The Belfast And Ulster Towns Directory 1910

WEXFORD Genealogy Archives
Headstones – Monaseed; St.Patrick's Church Cemetery (RC)

WICKLOW Genealogy Archives
Photos – Glenmalure Lodge
Miscellaneous – Edward Johnson to Edward Johnston re Gold Mine 1822 (Letter)
Headstone Index – Baltyboys (end pt 1, start pt 2), Kilcarra Cemetery (Partial), Kilmagig Cemetery (Partial), and St. Patrick's Church, Enniskerry - Part 6.

Early summer research package from UHF

The Ulster Historical Foundation has announced a week-long research package: the Searching for that elusive Irish or Scots-Irish ancestor? family history conference.

Over six days in early Summer – 4-10 June – delegates will receive assistance and guidance in carrying out research at Belfast’s main archives and libraries. They will also attend lectures and an exhibition at the Mellon Centre for Migration Studies and enjoy excursions to some of Northern Ireland's most historic and famous sites including the Giant’s Causeway, Titanic Belfast, Barons Court and the Ulster-American Folk Park.

For those who wish to take part in all aspects of the family history package, including the genealogical research days at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, the cost is £499 per person. This includes five evening meals, two lunches, transport during the event, talks and tours, entrance fees and research assistance by professional genealogists.

See the programme for more details.

Anglican Record Project adds Derryloran records

Mark Williams's Anglican Record Project has released another set of transcribed registers on the website of the Representative Church Body Library, this time for Derryloran parish. This County Tyrone parish is in the diocese of Armagh and centres on Cookstown.

The available transcriptions are available to download as pdfs:

Derryloran Parish Records Volume 1
Baptisms – 1796–1842
Confirmations – 1824; 1828; 1833; 1837; 1840

Derryloran Parish Records Volume 2

Baptisms – 1843–1896
Confirmations – 1843; 1846; 1849; 1852; 1856

You can find out more about Derryloran parish and its church in the RCBL's Archive of the Month (November) feature.

If you are looking for marriages and deaths, you can view scanned copied of the registers on the parish's own website here.