FindMyPast to increase costs of subscriptions

FindMyPast has announced that it is to increase the cost of its subscriptions by 20% on Tuesday 16 February. The exact prices haven't yet been confirmed, but I'm sure you can do your own sums!

In making the announcement, FindMyPast explains that it has added almost half a million records to the site in the past year alone. "We plan to add the same number again this year to ensure value for our subscribers and to help them discover even more about their family story. We have opened a further 2.5 million closed 1939 Register records and continue to open thousands more every week.

"Findmypast now offers access to over eight billion records and we are committed to adding thousands of new records every week.”

Existing 12-month subscribers will be offered their next annual renewal at today's price, but this price freeze is only for researchers with an annual package, whether it's a World package or one of the 'local' packages.

Monthly subscribers and new subscribers won't be so lucky. So, if you have a monthly package or no current subscription and you want to beat the price increase, it'll be worth considering upgrading to an annual package in the next four weeks; buying at today's price could save you some money over the next year! Current annual rates are below:

	FindMyPast Ireland – World sub €149.50; Ireland sub €99.50
	FindMyPast USA – World sub $199.50; US sub $99.50
	FindMyPast UK – World sub £129.50, Britain sub £99.50
	FindMyPast Australia/NZ – World sub AUS$199.50; Aus/NZ sub $99.50

Access to 1939 Register will be free to FindMyPast's annual Britain & World subscribers from 16 February

FindMyPast has announced that unlimited access to its 'premium rate' 1939 Register record set will be made available free of charge to all annual Britain and World subscribers with effect from Tuesday 16 February.

The 1939 Register holds the records of 30.5million people living in or visiting England and Wales on 29 September 1939, on the eve of World War Two. The records were launched online on 2 November last year and I know a lot of researchers have found some really useful information within it, but many subscribers complained loudly and bitterly about the collection not being included in the main FindMyPast subscription packages.

Well, the company has listened to its customers and responded with this latest move. You should note that it applies only to those subscribers with 12-monthly packages, not to those on a monthly subscription.

Annual subscribers will receive confirmation by email in the next day or so.

The news comes with a squeeze of lemon, however, as the company will be increasing the cost of its subscriptions by 20% on the same day. But, there's some good news for existing 12-month subscribers: FindMyPast is freezing the price of your next 12-month subscription renewal. See the following blogpost: FindMyPast to increase costs of subscriptions.

Free weekend access to FindMyPast's World, 22–25 Jan

FindMyPast has announced a free access weekend. This will give researchers unlimited free access to billions of family history records and newspaper pages from all over the world, as well as innovative research tools.

The free access will start at 12 Noon (GMT) on Friday 22 January and expire at 11:59am (GMT) on Monday 25 January.

To access the records you'll need to be registered and signed in, so if you don't already have an account, you can set that up before the free weekend starts (it doesn't cost anything and you don't have to provide any financial details).

Existing 'local' subscribers ie those with an active Ireland, UK, USA/Canada or Australia/NZ subscription will find they have access to the entire world collection over the weekend.

Those researchers with an existing World subscription will find their sub extended by three days at no extra charge.

Please note that while nearly all World records are included in the free access, just a few collections are excluded due to licencing agreements. These excluded collections are the 1939 National Register, the UK Electoral Registers (2002-2013) and the UK Companies House Directors (2002-2013).

Choose the most appropriate 'territory' for your research, and enjoy the weekend!

	FindMyPast Ireland
	FindMyPast USA
	FindMyPast UK
	FindMyPast Australia/NZ

Bargain book sale from Ulster Historical Foundation

Prior to its move to the centre of Belfast, the Ulster Historical Foundation is selling some of its titles at bargain prices. And I mean bargains.

See below for the full list of titles remaining at noon today. The figures in brackets tell you how many copies were available when the list was drawn up. If there's something you fancy, get your order in because this list was about four times longer at 9am this morning!

You can order by telephone or email or race around to the UHF office at 49 Malone Road, Belfast BT9 6RY! You can see more here.

Hardbacks are 3 for £5 (or £2 each) while paperbacks are 50p per book (excepting Famine in Ulster, which is just £1). Postage and packing costs will be added.

Bear in mind that some of the books are slightly damaged.

Books for sale:

The Call of the North: A History of the Sisters of Mercy (HB) (3)
Clergy of Dublin (HB) (4)
Derry Beyond Walls: Social and Economic Aspects of the Growth of Derry, 1825-1850(1)
Familia: Ulster Genealogical Review, 2012 (13)
Famine in Ulster (56)
Football in Ireland (HB)(1)
From Special Care to Specialist Care: A History of Muckamore Abbey Hospital (14)
George Best Not Playing Today (HB) (13)
History of Irish Parliament: Vol. 2 (1)
Directory of Irish Family History Research Interest List 2007 (17)
Directory of Irish Family History Research Interest List 2008 (17)
Directory of Irish Family History Research Interest List 2012 (18)
Ireland and South Africa in modern times (26)
Merchants in Plenty: Joseph Smyth's Belfast Directories 1807 and 1808 (1)
Place Names of NI Vol 1 (1)
Place Names of NI Vol 2 (3)
Place Names of NI Vol 3 (1)
Place Names of NI Vol 4 (3)
Place Names of NI Vol 7 (1)

1916 Easter Rising commemorative coin issued

The Central Bank of Ireland is to issue a commemorative €2 coin into circulation this morning to mark the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising and the Proclamation of the Irish Republic.

The designer of the coin, Emmet Mullins, describes the design as, “featuring a depiction of the statue of Hibernia on top of the GPO where she has witnessed the events of 1916 and watched the growth of a nation since the Rising*." The coin includes the centenary dates, and the name Hibernia in hand-rendered lettering influenced by the book of Kells.

This is the first time Ireland has issued a circulating euro coin to mark an event in Irish history. Some 4.5million of the coins will be released.

Collector/Presentation coins are also available.

*The original was destroyed in 1916. 

Genealogy is a key focus for DAHG's 2016 Action Plan

In its newly published Action Plan for Jobs 2016 (APJ16), the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht sets out its commitment to the Irish genealogy sector.

Among its 'Key Departmental actions' is a commitment to 'enhance genealogy tourism through ongoing development of cultural digitisation initiatives'. No further detail has been made available, as far as I can see, but I won't be the only one hoping for an early update – the addition of 1915 births, 1940 marriages and 1965 deaths – and more marriage entries showing both parties to the union.

Hopefully it also means the plan to create an online pay-to-view facility for bmd certificates, similar to that available in Northern Ireland, will also be chugging its way to the light.

Announcing the APJ16, the Minister for the DAHG, Heather Humphreys TD, said: “Our language, culture and heritage contribute enormously to making Ireland an attractive place to live in, to invest in and to visit. The economic recovery will allow for increased investment in the arts, heritage and Gaeltacht sectors in the year ahead and my Department will contribute to job creation across a range of sectors in 2016, including tourism, the arts and the audio visual sector.

“The 2016 Action Plan for Jobs includes commitments to promote Irish art and artists worldwide and to support a wide range of arts venues, festivals, arts organisations and touring initiatives around Ireland. We will continue to support digitisation projects, which will be a boost to genealogy tourism as more and more people seek to explore their Irish roots.

“The Government will invest in a range of major cultural infrastructure projects in the year ahead. This includes the heritage projects being developed as part of Ireland 2016, such as the new visitor centres at the GPO and Teach an Phiarsaigh, and the new Tenement Museum. Other major projects include the refurbishment at the National Gallery, the expansion of the National Archives and the development of the Cork Events Centre."

'Inspiring Ireland 1916': new online exhibitions capture unknown stories of people and events

A new phase of the Digital Repository of Ireland's Inspiring Ireland project was launched this evening at the Royal Irish Academy by Minister of State for the Diaspora Jimmy Deenihan TD.

Inspiring Ireland 1916: Weaving Public and Private Narratives combines expert narrative with objects from the National Library of Ireland, the National Archives of Ireland, the National Museum of Ireland and RTÉ Archives, to create a multi-media reflection on the people, events and legacy of 1916. In addition to the material gathered from the repositories, previously unseen memorabilia, gathered at Collection Days hosted by the National Library of Ireland, is included, revealing a side of the Rising that is not well documented.

This fresh series of seven exhibits focusing on the known and not-so-known stories of people and events surrounding the Rising that will be brought to life online over the first six months of 2016 as part of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme.

The schedule of the online exhibitions begins with stories of 'Women and the Rising', and explores class, politics, grief and survival through this remarkable period in Irish history. Inspiring Ireland 1916 will also unveil exhibitions that use brand new sources; for example, the witness testimonies of British soldiers sent to quell the fighting in Dublin, and official compensation claims for damaged property from businesses and individuals – including artists Jack B. Yeats and Harry Clarke. Here's the line up of exhibitions scheduled to appear before the end of May:

• Communicating the Rising
  
• Rising in the Regions
  
• The Seven Signatories
  
• Reactions to the Rising
  
• Impact of the Rising
  
• Remembering the Rising

Officially launching the new series of exhibitions, Minister Deenihan said: “It gives me tremendous pride to launch this new phase of Inspiring Ireland, dedicated to telling the stories of 1916, from both private and public collections. These exhibits are truly revealing Ireland at its best, and by bringing them together in one online space, we allow people to participate in commemorating the events and lives of 1916 from wherever they may currently reside, with whatever connection brings them to explore the history of this island.”

Inspiring Ireland is built on the preservation infrastructure of the Digital Repository of Ireland, which means that digital objects are preserved for long term access and discovery, ensuring Ireland’s digital cultural heritage will be available when the next centenary rolls around in another hundred years. Three exhibitions are already online: Sense of Freedom, Sense of Identity and Sense of Place.

There's a short overview of the Inspiring Ireland 1916 project in the video below.

FindMyPast and Mocavo to merge

FindMyPast has announced that it will be merging Mocavo's records and archives into its site in the coming months.

The company bought Mocavo in June 2014, when Mocavo was just three years old, and confirmed that it would maintain Mocavo's 'Free Forever' promise. This will continue after the merger, with existing subscribers still able to enjoy free access to all the same records that were previously published free on Mocavo. These subscribers will be notified individually when their account is to be transferred.

FindMyPast's press release says the move will 'create a single experience for our US customers in a move that aims to deliver a more focused, efficient and comprehensive service to US family historians.'

Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives: first 2016 update

Detail of memorial stone carving dating from 1774
in Old Coolbanagher Cemetery, Laois. Click image
for full view. Photo courtesy of Bridgid Wilson.

ARMAGH Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Crossmaglen, St. Patrick's Cem. (R.C.)

ANTRIM Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Toberkeigh Presby Graveyard (CHESTNUTT)
Dunluce Presby. Graveyard (KNOX & CHESTNUTT)

FERMANAGH Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Callow Hill (Callowhill) Graveyard

KERRY Genealogy Archives - Headstones
O'Connell, Edward (Buried in NZ)

MEATH Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Dunboyne; St Peter's CoI (Updated)

LAOIS Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Coolbanagher Cemetery (Old)

SLIGO Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Sligo Cem - New Pt, Sec. B (Surnames K-W)

WEXFORD Genealogy Archives - Headstones
St. Peters, Glenbrien (Oylegate) SWEETMAN

Irish genealogy & history events: 18–31 January

Monday 18 January: From the Glens to Gallipoli, with Nigel Henderson. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Larne Branch. Venue: Bowling & Lawn Tennis Club, 112-120 Glenarm Road, Larne, Co Antrim BT40 1DZ. 7:30pm. All welcome.

Monday 18 January: Genealogy information sessions, with Margaret Bonar and Elizabeth Craven. Morning venue: Raheny Library, Howth Rd, Dublin 5 from 10:30am to 11:45am. Afternoon venue: Donaghmede library, Donaghmede Shopping Centre, Dublin 13 from 2:30pm to 4pm. Free. Bookings to 085 1444883 or impossibleancestors@gmail.com.

Tuesday 19 January: Irish Victorian mountaineers, with Declan O'Keeffe, and The diet of ordinary Irish people in ancient times, with Liam Downey. Host: Foxrock History Club. Venue: Pastoral Centre beside Foxrock RC Church, Co Dublin. 8pm. €5.

Tuesday 19 January: Irish Demesne Landscapes, with Vandra Costello. Host: Irish Georgian Society. Venue: RSAI, 63 Merrion Square, Dublin 2. 6:30pm–7:30pm. All welcome. 6:30pm–7:30pm. Tickets: €10.00. €5 student tickets also available. Details.

Wednesday 20 January: Carlow & The Famine Girls, with Dr Elaine Byrne. Host: Carlow Historical and Archaeological Society. Venue: Mount Wolesley Hotel, Tullow, Co Carlow. 8pm. All welcome.

Wednesday 20 January: Kearneys of Lackagh - genealogy research, with Frank Kearney. Host: Western Family History Association. Venue: Lackagh Parish Centre, Lackagh, Co Galway. 8pm. Free. All welcome. AGM will follow lecture.

Wednesday 20 January: DNA & how to use it for successful family history research, with Martin McDowell. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, North Armagh Branch. Venue: Town Hall, 15-17 Edward Street, Portadown, BT62 3LX. 7:30pm. All welcome.

Wednesday 20 January:  Waterford's links to Newfoundland, with Jack Burtchaell. Venue: Dungarvan Town Hall Theatre, Friary Street, Dungarvan, Co Waterford. 8pm.  €5. All welcome.

Thursday 21 January: 1916 and the Great War, with Jay Winter. First of the '1916 as a Global Event' lecture series. Hosts: Royal Irish Academy and University College Dublin. Venue: Royal Irish Academy, 19 Dawson St. Dublin 2. 4:30pm. Free, but booking required.


Thursday 21 January: Ethics & the 1916 Rising workshop, with Seamus Farrell. Venue: Central Library, St Oliver Plunkett Rd, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal. 6:30pm–8pm. Free of charge but booking essential. Tel: 074 9124950 or e-mail central@donegallibrary.ie.

Thursday 21 January: DNA and Family History, with Martin McDowell. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, North Down and Ards Branch. Venue: 1st Bangor Presbyterian Church Hall, Main Street, Bangor BT20 4AG. 7:30pm. Guests and visitors are welcome to attend (£3).

Thursday 21 January: The women were worse than the men: crime in Dublin in 1916, with Pádraig Yeates. The 19th annual Sir John T. Gilbert Commemorative Lecture. Host and Venue: Dublin City Archive & Library, Pearse Street, Dublin 2. Free. No booking required. Details.

Saturday 23 January: 19th-Century Irish Genealogy Research: What’s Available and How to Use It, with Miles Davenport. A Level II/Intermediate workshop. Venue: Norton Room, McClelland Library & Irish Cultural Center, 1106 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona, USA. 10:30am to 12:30pm. $15 Library/ICC Members; $20 non-members. Register.

Sunday 24 January: The Maine Gaeltacht DNA Project, an introduction. Host: Host and Venue: Maine Irish Heritage Center, 34 Gray St, Portland, Maine 04102 USA. 1pm. Free. All welcome. Need to register: irishhc@maine.rr.com

Monday 25 January: Dan Donnelly: Irish boxing champion, with Larry Breen. Host: Clondalkin Historical Society. Venue: Áras Cronáin, Watery Lane, Clondalkin, Dublin 22. 8pm

From Wednesday 28 January: Dublin Fire Brigade and the 1916 Rising, an exhibition. Venue: City Hall, Dame Street, Dublin 2. Open 10am–5pm. Free. Continues until 30 June. (The Flag of Countess Markievicz will also be on display at City Hall from 1 March.)

Tuesday 26 January: Pubs and patriotism - Fenianism from the 1860s to 1916, with Maura Cronin. Host: Kilrush and District Historical Society. Venue: Teach Ceoil, Grace Street, Kilrush, Co Clare. 8pm. Members free. €5 for non-members. New members are welcome.

Wednesday 27 January: Powers of Redemption: The Irish Famine as a Crisis of Governmentally, with Dr David Nally. Host: Society for the Study of 19th-century Ireland. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. All welcome. Free Admission. Booking is not required. 6pm.

Wednesday 27 January: Open genealogy consultations, with Lisa Dougherty. Host & Venue: Irish American Heritage Museum, 370 Broadway, Albany, New York 12207 USA. 11am to 2pm. Free but need to register.

Thursday 28 January: Deansgrange Cemetery and its association with the Rising, with Jamie Moran. Host: Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown 1916 Committee. Venue: DLR Lexicon, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin. 7pm–9pm. Free. No booking required.

Thursday 28 January: From shoe box to window box: Commemoration of the First World War in Ireland from 1919 to present day, with Tom Burke of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers Association. Hosts: Glasnevin Trust & Trinity College Dublin. Part of the '1916: Rebellion, War and Commemoration in Ireland and beyond’ lecture series. Venue: Glasnevin Cemetery Museum, Finglas Rd, Dublin 11. 7pm. Tickets €10.

Thursday 28 January: From Family Tree to Family History, with Mike McKeag. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Ballemena Branch. Venue: Michelin Arts Workshop, Braid Arts Centre 1-29 Bridge Street, Ballymena, Co Antrim. BT43 5EJ. Starts at 7:15pm. All welcome.

Sunday 31 January: Living in the Margins: Early Irish Scribes and Their Manuscripts, with Dr. Angela Gleason. The 2016 Karen Lemke Lecture. Hosts: St. Joseph’s College and Maine Irish Heritage Center. Venue: Maine Irish Heritage Center, Corner of State and Gray Streets, Portland, Maine, USA. Admission: $5 (Free for MIHC members and the St Joseph’s College Community). More info: Tel 207.780.0118 or see www.maineirish.com.