Cavan and the American Civil War: two days of lectures

Cavan Libraries will be commemorating the American Civil War in August.

The event will be held at Johnston Central Library, Farnham Centre, Farnham Street, Cavan, on Wednesday 5 August and Thursday 6 August, and will include the following selection of lectures:

• Keynote Lecture presented by Dr Patrick Fitzgerald from the The Mellon Centre for Migration Studies in Omagh.
  
• Causes and issues of the Civil War, with Ian Kenneally
  
• The Irish in the American Civil War, with Damian Shiels*
  
• Famous battles, including Gettysburg and Fredericksburg, with Dr David Murphy
  
• Civil War photographer Matthew Brady (reputed to be Cavan born), with Aidan O'Hara
  
• Cavan people in the Civil War, with Dr Brendan Scott
  
• ‘Fighting Irish’, with Matthew Gilsenan (Celtic Tenors) and Dr Myles Dungan

The programme, which is not yet finalised, will include musical entertainment. Save the dates or find out more from Johnston Central Library on +353 (0)49 4378500.


* Last weekend, I attended the Irish Genealogical Research Society's Open Day in London where Damian was presenting a lecture about the Irish in the Civil War. It was absolutely fascinating, from a historical perspective as much as from a genealogical perspective. Any researcher with a missing ancestral link from the mid-19th century will find Damian's presentation opens up a completely fresh avenue of exploration. I heartily recommend it. Don't miss it.

Buy a Brick to help UHF's development plans

The Corn Exchange, Belfast

Later this year or early next, the Ulster Historical Foundation (UHF) will be moving to offices in the Corn Exchange, a striking historic building in what is now Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter.

Built in 1851 and completely renovated in recent years, the Corn Exchange became a hub for several Ulster-Scots organisations last November and houses an exhibition area, shop and office space. The UHF has a broader focus than Ulster Scots, of course, and the move will make the Foundation's expertise and resources more accessible to the local community and to visitors to the city.

The Foundation plans to take over the first floor of the building. It's currently just a shell. The aim is to create a modern and user-friendly open-plan office layout, with public consultation areas, adequate storage space and private offices.

The plan doesn't come cheaply, though, and the UHF needs to raise £30,000 to achive all its objectives for the new premises. It has already secured pledges from third parties for £15,000 towards the total, but it is now asking for help to secure the remaining sum in match funding in order to draw down those pledges. It has, therefore, launched a 'Buy a Brick' campaign.

Each brick has a value of £25. The names of those who buy a brick will be added to a commemorative plaque to be erected in the new offices. In addition, the name will be added to the 'virtual' wall acknowledging donors on the UHF website.

The Foundation's Gillian Hunt told Irish Genealogy News that after more than five years in the current Malone Road premises, she's looking forward to being back in the city centre. "The Corn Exchange will be more convenient and more accessible for visitors," she says. "It's just across the bridge, about a 15-minute walk, from the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland."

Registry of Deeds Index Project: latest update

The latest update from the Registry of Deeds Index Project shows there are now 177,253 indexed entries available to search, absolutely free. The entries cover names recorded in 20,734 memorials of deeds.

The Index is the product of volunteers who using both microfilms of the memorial volumes obtained through the LDS Family History Library and actual volumes at the Registry of Deeds in Henrietta Street, Dublin.

Memorials of deeds can be a rich source of genealogical information. They include marriage settlements, land transactions and many other types of sales or transfers of ownership, sometimes of quite modest value.

While this inevitably means that the majority of memorials relate to the gentry and middle classes, these records are not the exclusive reserve of the toffs. Occasionally, deeds deign to mention the tenants/occupiers of the land involved, and it was sometimes pertinent for people of much more modest means, including merchants and traders, to register deeds for security or inheritance reasons.

Free for one day: Irish Newspaper Archives

For one day only, the Irish Newspaper Archive is offering free access to its entire database of more than 50 national, regional and local titles.

This is a great opportunity to check out those newspapers. It's a delightfully easy process, too, with no registration required, no credit card details to be supplied, and no need to remember to cancel an account. All you have to do is log-in at the top right-hand corner of the Home Page and use these codes:

User Name: Freebie
Password: Freebie

You've got to be quick, though. The free access offer runs from 10:00am to 4:00pm Irish Summer Time (GMT+1).

Enjoy yourselves!

National Archives publishes Strategic Plan 2015–17

The National Archives of Ireland has published its Strategic Plan 2015-2017.

I was hoping this might reveal some detail about future collection releases, over and above those we already know are in the pipe, but it doesn't.

In fact, there's very little detail of any type. It's more of a mission statement set in the context of current major issues such as working in 'a building that is not completely fit for purpose', heavily reduced staffing levels, and the demands of the Decade of Centenaries.

For me, this is the most telling line:

'We are operating with only 75% of our sanctioned numbers and this is a major obstacle to meeting our statutory requirements with regard to accepting annual accessions, dealing with backlogs and providing services to government bodies.'

You can download the six-page Strategic Plan here.

NAI catalogues Post-Truce files for Carlow & Donegal

The National Archives of Ireland has added more Post-Truce (Damage to Property (Compensation) Act 1923) files to its online catalogue. This time, it's the turn of Counties Carlow and Donegal.

The files deal with claims for compensation for loss of or damage to property that occurred as a result of military action between July 1921 and March 1923, under the Damage to Property (Compensation) Act, 1923. They record the claimant's name and address and include a brief explanation of the incident that led to the loss of their property, which is also briefly described.

While unlikely to help your research in a genealogical sense, these files can add to your understanding of your family's experiences, and those of their neighbours, in the early 1920s.

County Carlow
To explore the Carlow files, visit the NAI site and enter FIN/COMP/2/1/ in the Simple Search box There are 197 entries.

A couple of examples:

• Margaret Maher, Bridge Hotel, Tullow: Claimant was compelled to provide board and lodging for Irregular forces at Tullow from 12 to 15 July 1923.
  
• Lizzie Wright, Newtown, Bagenalstown: Claimant was a domestic servant at The Cottage, Newtown, Bagenalstown when it was destroyed by fire on 22 March 1923. She claimed for her personal property.

County Donegal
To explore the Donegal files, visit the NAI site and enter FIN/COMP/2/5/ in the Simple Search box. There are 840 entries.

What struck me with the Donegal files was the high proportion of claims for 'commandering', 'seizure' or 'damage' to motor vehicles. It rather amused me because the Cork files, especially around and about the rural area where my father was brought up, showed a similar high proportion of claims for hi-jacked bicycles. Just an observation!

A couple of examples:

• Tomas McLaughlin of Strabane, Co Tyrone: Seizure of motor car at Drumbuoy by Irregular forces on 15 June 1922. By time of claim, Mr McLaughlin had moved to Shanagolden, Co Limerick.
  
• Thomas McDowell, Baylett, Inch: Seizure and destruction of horse trap and harness at same address by armed and masked men on 18 July 1922.

Ongoing listing work
With these latest additions, there are now ten counties, plus Cork City, included in the Finance Compensation files catalogue, so not quite at the half-way point, yet. The good news is that the NAI has received specific funding for the listing work from the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, so all the estimated 20,000 files in the collection will eventually be added to the online catalogue.

To search the listings of other catalogued counties, use the NAI catalogue references below:

Cork City (FIN/COMP/2/27)
County Cork (FIN/COMP/2/4)
County Kerry (FIN/COMP/2/8)
County Limerick (FIN/COMP/2/13)
County Longford (FIN/COMP/2/14)
County Louth (FIN/COMP/2/15)
County Leitrim (FIN/COMP/2/11)
County Mayo (FIN/COMP/2/16)
County Sligo (FIN/COMP/2/21)

Irish genealogy, history & heritage events, 11–24 May

Monday 11 May: Dr Raphael Armattoe - Derry's West African Writer/Physician/Scientist, with Philippa Robinson. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Foyle Branch. Venue: Central Library, 35 Foyle Street, Derry BT48 6AL. 7pm. All welcome.

Monday 11 May: Why DNA? How I used DNA to fill in gaps in my family tree, with Martin McDowell. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Newtownabbey brance. Venue: Drama Theatre, Glengormley High School, 134 Ballyclare Road, Newtownabbey, BT36 5HP. 7pm. New members welcome.

Monday 11 and Tuesday 12 May: Women and the Country House, the focus of topics at the 13th Annual Conference of the Centre for the Study of Historic Irish Houses & Estates. Venue: National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Co Kildare. Conference registration fee is €100 per person. Details.

Tuesday 12 May: What's in a name? with William Bell. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Lisburn Branch. Venue: Bridge Community Centre, 50 Railway Street, Lisburn BT28 1XP. 7:30pm. All welcome.

Tuesday 12 May: Book launch – The Belfast Blitz; The City in the War Years, by Brian Bardon. Host: Ulster Historical Foundation. Venue: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, 2 Titanic Boulevard, Belfast BT3 9HQ. 2pm for 2:30pm. Free but booking essential by email to proni@dcalni.gov.uk or by telephone to (+44) 028 90 534800.

Tuesday 12 May: Book launch – A city in civil war, by Padraig Yeates. Host: Gill & Macmillan. Venue: Books Upstairs, D'Olier St, Dublin 2. Book to be launched by Catriona Crowe, Head of Special Projcts, NAI. Dr Katherine O'Donnell will also speak at the event. Starts 6pm. RSPV by email to padraigyeates@gmail.com by Friday 8 May.

Tuesday 12 May: The collections of the Irish Air Corps Museum, with Michael Whelan. Venue: County Library, Tallaght, Co Dublin. 7pm.

Tuesday 12 May: Genealogy resources, with staff from North Tipperary Genealogical Centre and Tipperary Library Local Studies Department. Venue: Nenagh Library, O'Rahilly Street, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. Free event as part of Bealtaine programme. 2:30pm. All welcome. No need to book. Tel: 067 34404 for further information.

Wednesday 13 May: GRONI, with Emma Elliott. Last of the 'Your Family Tree' lunchtime lecture series. Venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. Starts at 1pm. Free but need to book at proni@dcalni.gov.uk or (+44) 028 90 534800.

Wednesday 13 May: Times of Conflict for County Galway Families during the Great War, with William Henry. Host: Western Family History Society. Venue: Lackagh Parish Centre, Lackagh, Co. Galway. 8:15pm. All welcome.

Wednesday 13 May: Explore the Archives – Practical Workshop, aimed at those who have just started their Irish family history. Two segments. 2pm: Explore Archives Online; 3pm: Using the Documents (searching for, ordering and viewing original documents). Host and venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. Free but booking essential. Reserve your place by email to proni@dcalni.gov.uk or telephone 028 90534800.

Wednesday 13 May: Meeting Michael O'Leary, with exhibition curator Nikki Ralston. Second of the 'WWI Ireland: Exploring the Irish experience' lunchtime lecture series. Host and Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. All welcome. 1:05pm. Booking not required.

Wednesday 13 May to Saturday 16 May: Crossroads of America, the National Genealogical Society 2015 Family History Conference. Venue: St Charles Convention Center, Missouri, USA. Full programme. Includes four dedicated 'Irish genealogy' lectures; A methodology for Irish emigration to N America, with David Rencher on 14th; Navigating the best online sources for Irish research, and Unpuzzling Ireland's church records, both with Donna Moughty on 15th; and Scots-Irish Research, with Robert McLaren on the 15th.

Thursday 14 May: How to trace your family tree, with Tom French. Host: Meath County Libraries. Venue: Oldcastle Library, Millbrook Road, Oldcastle, Co Meath. 7pm. Free but need to book by telephone: 049 8542084.

Friday 15 May: Late night opening at the Representative Church Body Library, Braemor Park, Churchtown, Dublin 14. Closes 7pm.

Saturday 16 May: War and peace – the Northwest during World War II, a History Ireland Hedge School. Venue: The Guildhall, Derry. The panel will include Michael Kennedy, Emmet O'Connor, Pauline Mitchell and Joe O’Loughlin. 3pm.

Saturday 16 May: Medieval Dublin Symposium. Hosts: Friends of Medieval Dublin. Venue: Robert Emmet Theatre, Room 2037 Arts Building, Trinity College Dublin. Eight presentations from 9:30am to 5pm.. Tea/coffee & refreshments. Admission free. All welcome. No booking required.

Saturday 16 May: Genealogy Help session, with Kathleen McGee. Host: Irish Family History Forum. Venue: Bethpage Public Library, 47 Powell Avenue, Bethpage, NY, 11714 USA. 10am. Free. Open to members and non-members (the latter on a one-off basis).

Monday 18 May: Family history and genealogy sessions. Find out how to trace your family tree, with Margaret Bonar and Betty Craven. Venue: Raheny Library, Howth Road, Dublin 5. Free advice sessions. From 10:15am to Noon. Book your slot by telephone: 085 1444883 or contact the library by email: rahenylibrary@dublincity.ie.

Tuesday 19 May: Gallipoli – 100 years, with Comdt Tony Roe. Host: Foxrock Local History Club. Venue: Foxrock Pastoral Centre, J Kill Lane and Bray Road, Foxrock, Dublin. Members free. Non-members €5. All welcome. 8pm.

Wednesday 20 May: The Border Reivers, with Kevin Johnston. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, North Armagh Branch. Venue: Portadown Town Hall, 15-17 Edward Street, Portadown BT62 3LX. 7:30pm. All welcome.

Wednesday 20 May: Argyll to Antrim, with Cormac McSparron. First of the Ulster Scots Connections; People, Place and Practice series. Hosts: PRONI, MAG-Ulster Scots Academy, Ulster Scots Community Network and Ulster Scots Agency. Venue: Discover Ulster Scots Centre, Belfast. 1pm. Free.

Wednesday 20 May: Genealogy Workshop: ​Trace your family history using Ancestry.com and the library's online resources, with Natassia Reilly. Host and Venue: Dungiven Library, 107 Main Street, Dungiven, Co LondonDerry, BT47 4LE. 2:30pm to 4:30pm. Places are limited so booking is essential. Tel: 028 777 41475 or email Dungiven.library@librariesni.org.uk

Wednesday 21 May: Lady Augusta Dillon and the Women's War Effort in Galway, Emma Lyons discusses the war effort of women at home. Third of the 'WWI Ireland: Exploring the Irish Experience' lunchtime lecture series. Host and Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. All welcome. 1:05pm. Booking not required.

Thursday 21 May: The Ballintoy Project: how to organise a Local History Group, with Robert Corbett. Third of the Antrim Coast in the Age of Industry, 1750 to 1890, lunchtime lecture series. Host and Venue: PRONI, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. Starts at 1pm. Free but need to book at proni@dcalni.gov.uk or (+44) 028 90 534800.

Thursday 21 May: Doctoring in the Dark: William Wilde and Medicine in the 19th century, with Dr Brian Cleary. Host: Old Tuam Society. Venue: Tuam Library, High Street, Tuam, Co Galway. 8pm. Free.

Saturday 23 May: IGRS Open Day. Host: Irish Genealogical Research Society. Venue: Dublin City Library and Archive, Pearse Street, Dublin 2. Three lectures (free, no need to book, all welcome) followed by Research Help session – free one-to-one consultations, which need to be booked. See IrishAncestors.ie for details.

FindMyPast adds Irish collection from BillionGraves

FindMyPast has uploaded some 500,000 cemetery records from BillionGraves to its database.

The records consist of transcriptions and links to the relevant entries on the BillionGraves site.

Most of the collection relates to gravestones and memorials in England, Scotland and Wales.

The Ireland collection is small, with just 4,129 entries; more than half are from South Tipperary, and there are no entries for counties Kerry, Leitrim, Longford, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon and Westmeath.

FindMyPast say the index will be regularly updated throughout the year. 

Military Service Pensions Collection lecture series

Archivists from Military Archives will be presenting a series of three lunchtime lectures on the Military Service Pensions Collection (MSPC), starting on Tuesday 26 May.

The MSPC is being released in phases on MilitaryArchives.ie and has already revealed fascinatingly detailed information about the ordinary people caught up in the Independence struggle and about life in early 20th-century Ireland.

The lectures are:

Tuesday 26 May: Women in the Military Service (1916-1923) Pensions Collection – A Reassessment and New Sources, with Cecile Gordon

Tuesday 2 June: The Importance of the Military Service (1916-1923) Pensions Collection - Understanding revolutionary Ireland and beyond, with Michael Keane

Tuesday 9 June: Establishing the Free State in conflict, 1922–1924, with Robert McEvoy

Each lecture will start at 1pm and will be held at Rathmines Library, 157 Rathmines Road Lower, Dublin 6. Although they are free to attend, booking is essential.

See the series programme for more about the content of each lecture.

Dublin workhouse records make online debut

FindMyPast has added the Dublin Workhouse Admission and Discharge Registers, 1840–1919 to its database, placing online for the first time what appears to be some 1.5million records.

I say 'what appears to be' as there has been no official announcement to mark the arrival or provide details of this collection*.

Registers for

• North Dublin Union Workhouse (557,000 records)
  
• South Dublin Union Workhouse (746,000 records), and
• Rathdown Union Workhouse (229,000 records)

are covered and they hold some great information.

In addition to the date of admission, name, age and sex, you'll find the name of a spouse (or sometimes a next of kin), a home address from just before the admission (assuming the individual was not a vagrant), and even the person's pre-admission occupation.

Here is a terrific example, discovered on a random search:  On 23 March 1846, 69-year-old Bridget Crawley was admitted to North Dublin Union Workhouse 'in good health'. She was a Roman Catholic widow, previously of 22 Church Street, who'd been working as a 'huxter' (a street seller of ale, I believe). Her next of kin was James and she had three children and was a 'native of Charlestown, Co Louth' She was discharged on 24 August 1846.

Now if that level of detail doesn't get you excited, I don't know what will!

Such an example also makes clear that these records include people who originated from outside the County Dublin area. There are plenty of them. For those born locally, the exact street address is frequently recorded. See image below.

The Registers join the Dublin Poor Law Unions Boards of Guardians minute books for North Dublin, South Dublin, Rathdown and Balrothery on FindMyPast. I'm not sure exactly when this collection was uploaded; it may have been a couple of weeks ago but again, there's been no official announcement.

As you'd expect from minute books, the pages are full of the workings and decisions of the Board of Guardians (BoG). Individuals living in the workhouse are sometimes identified ie on 11 December 1918, 'an artificial leg (an ordinary pin leg) (wooden)' was approved for 56-year-old William Cooney by Balrothery BoG, but you're more likely to find details of staff or suppliers than inmates. However, the minute book pages have been indexed to make finding names easier. Just bear in mind that while ocr systems have become reasonably sophisticated, reading and understanding 19th-century handwriting is demanding at best.

Both collections (the registers and the minute books) can be accessed on FindMyPast with either an Ireland or a World subscription.

The original Admission/Discharge registers and the BoG minute books are held by the National Archives of Ireland.

You can find out more about each of the workhouses at Peter Higginbottom's excellent site: North Dublin; South Dublin; Balrothery; Rathdown.

*Many thanks to all those who emailed me after 'stumbling across' these new collections.