Another 2m Irish Petty Sessions records on FMP.ie

Another big tranche of records from the Irish Petty Sessions Court order books has been uploaded to FindMyPast Ireland.

More than two million new records have been added to the online collection, which already stood at about 8million, and this upload sees 25 courts – from counties Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Galway, Kilkenny, Louth, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary and Waterford – making an appearance for the first time.

In addition, updates have been made to more than 50 of the courts who already featured in the collection, and many now include cases dating up to 1912.

More about the Petty Sessions Court Order Books – the areas covered by this collection, the type of records within, and their value as a resource for Irish genealogy.

Remember Skibbereen: the movie (genre: tragedy)

The West Cork town of Skibbereen is to feature on TG4 this Sunday evening at 7:15pm.

The Great Irish Famine: Remember Skibbereen was made by local film-maker Pat Collins of Harvest Films and looks at how the Famine impacted the town and its population. It was commissioned by Skibbereen Heritage Centre a few years ago and has been broadcast before, but if you haven't seen it, make a note in your diary. Should you miss it on Sunday, you can catch it again on Tuesday 5 February at midnight.

If you can't view it live or on the 'player', you might like to purchase a dvd of the 55-minute documentary.

It's available from Skibbereen Heritage Centre (and includes a 2-hour feature on the 2009 National Famine Commemoration Week, which was held in the town) here for €23. Be sure to specify that you want the US/Canada version if that's where you intend to play it.

Exciting new resources for Cavan genealogy

The Local Studies Department of Cavan County Council's Library Service has been on a bit of an acquisition spree and has some terrific new resources for researchers with ancestors from the area.

The Bellamont Estate Rental
Described by the Library as 'our most exciting purchase', the Bellamont Estate Rental is a single document that originated from Bellamont House, Cootehill, one of the finest 18th-century Palladian houses in Ireland. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Earls of Bellamont held extensive estates in Cavan and Monaghan, and this rental, which dates from May 1782 to November 1782, lists 339 properties from townlands in both counties.

The list names the tenants in these properties and records the rents each was obliged to pay. For some properties, notes were added, principally about the type or quality of the land. The document is described as 'very legible', so it's easy for researchers to use, despite its age. It may be sent for re-binding in due course, but is currently available for study. See 'Online in six months' below.

The Farrell Loans Ledger
Won at a public auction for €520, the Farrell Loans Ledger lists 6,626 entries for people from Bailieborough and surrounding areas who obtained interest free loans from the Bailieborough Charitable Trust. The trust was established by the Farrell family who resided for many years in Gigginstown House, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, now the home of Ryanair boss, Michael O’Leary.

Dating from 1839 to 1841, the ledger lists the loans granted (typically for amounts of between £1 and £5) with the names of individual borrowers, their addresses, and the agreed repayment period (usually five months). Many people emigrated from Cavan to the United States during this period of the 19th century, so money borrowed may have paid for the passage abroad, and been repaid later.

The ledger also lists others including minor landlords and business people who received loans, but these were not interest free.

Although it can be accessed by researchers through the archive service, the ledger requires some restoration work. See 'Online in six months' below.

Online in six months
These resources have not yet been added to the published list of family history records available on- and offline at Cavan Library's Local Studies Department.

They will, however, soon be available for viewing online. The Local Studies Department intends these two new items to be scanned and uploaded as pdfs during the next six months.

IMC strengthens regional genealogy services

To strengthen regional genealogy services during and beyond this year's The Gathering, the Irish Manuscripts Commission has donated copies of five of its publications to 16 regional archive services across the island.

The publications are:

• The Convert Rolls — the calendar of the Convert Rolls, 1703–1838, 2nd edition, edited by Eileen O’Byrne and Anne Chamney with Fr Wallace Clare’s annotated list of converts 1703–78
  
• The census of Elphin, 1749, edited by Marie-Louise Legg
  
• A Census of Ireland circa 1659 with essential materials from the Poll Money Ordinances, 1660–1661, edited by Séamus Pender with a new introduction by William J. Smyth
  
• Court of Claims: Submissions and Evidence, 1663, edited by Geraldine Tallon
  
• The Irish Commission of 1622. An investigation of the Irish Administration, 1615–22, and its consequences, 1623–24, edited by Victor Treadwell

You can find out more about this donation, the receiving archives and each of the publications here.

Maritime history talks continue with pirates, ooh arhh

Pirates of the Irish Seas may not have hit the big time like Johnny Depp and his mates from the Caribbean, but their lives were none the less fascinating, as will be revealed in the next talk of the 'Below the Surface' series of Maritime Lectures on Wednesday 6 February.

The lecture Piracy and Predation in early 17th century Ireland, will be presented by underwater archaeologist Connie Kelleher, and tells the story of a society of ruthless privateers operating along the Dublin and Southwest coasts of Ireland during the 17th Century. Connie has uncovered a community linked to the legendary buccaneers of Cornwall and Devon who moved to Ireland during the reign of James I and reveals a self-governing society with their own code of honour and hierarchy, and a status for prostitutes unparalleled outside the pirate world.

This is the fourth talk of the Below the Surface lectures, which are held on board the Jeannie Johnston tall ship and famine museum on Custom House Quay, Dublin 1. Doors open at 7:15pm and tickets cost €15. For bookings and to find out about the lecture series, see the Jeannie Johnston website.

Ancestral connections to the 1913 Dublin Lockout?

Jim Larkin statue. O'Connell St

A new TV documentary is looking for participants whose ancestors were involved in the Dublin Lockout of 1913.

The programme is being produced by the same team that successfully created My Civil War, which screened last autumn, and the new programme will follow a similar template.

Blending history and genealogy, the programme will follow two or three members of the public who believe they have a connection to the Lockout as they search the archives and retrace their ancestor's steps.

RTÉ Researcher Rhenda Sheedy explained: "We're looking for people who want to discover the truth behind their family story. Perhaps their ancestor was engaged in some pivotal event of the Lock Out; or perhaps they were one of the many caught up in the dispute in some low-profile role. We're particularly interested in contacting the descendents of those who worked at the Jacobs Biscuit Factory and went on strike during the Lockout."

If you fit the bill and would like to research your ancestor further, please contact Rhenda at: +353 1 208 2944 or email her at sheedyr@rte.ie with “1913 Lock Out” in the Subject line.

Irish Army Census 1922: Phase 3 'soon'

The Military Archives has announced that it will shortly release phase three of the Irish Army Census 1922 collection.

This update will allow the researcher to search by forename and/or surname. Entries that match the search details will be returned with a link to the Census Record. In addition, the 33,000+ personnel included in the database will be searchable on a county basis. 

Phase 1 and 2 of the Irish Army Census project have been available, with free access, on militaryarchives.ie since mid-November. These phases saw the ten volumes of Census Returns digitised and searchable by army post.

January ends with week of stimulating events

There's a terrific line-up of history and genealogy events to see out the 'dark month' and welcome the new one.

Monday 28 January: Dublin 1707: a year in the life of the city, with Brendan Twomey. Clondalkin Historical Society. Áras Chrónáin, Watery Lane, Clondalkin, Co Dublin. 8pm. All welcome.

Monday 28 January: AGM at 8pm followed by lecture: Civil War surgery, with Chris Browne. Kill History Group, Parish Meeting Room, Parochial House, Kill, Naas, Co Kildare. 8.30pm.

Tuesday 29 January: A historical journey, a lecture tracing local development from the Vikings, through the Plantation era and United Irish campaign to the modern era. Maghera Library, 1 Church Street, Maghera, Co Derry. Free. 7.30pm. Details: 028 7964 2578.

Tuesday 29 January: The Connaught Rangers Mutiny in India in 1920, with Oliver Hawes. Kilrush & District Historical Society. Venue: Teach Ceoil, Grace Street, Kilrush, Co Clare. 7:30pm. €5 for non members.

Tuesday 29 January: An Introduction to Researching Family History, with Karel Kiely. Castledermot Historical Society. Castledermot Community Centre, Castledermot, Co Kildare. 8pm.

Wednesday 30 January: Flowers of the flock: child migration schemes to Australia, with Ann McVeigh. Organised by PRONI. Venue: LinenHall Library, Belfast. 1pm. Free.

Wednesday 30 January: Jim Larkin – 65th anniversary. The General President of SIPTU, Jack O’Connor, will lay a wreath at the grave of Jim Larkin, founder of the Irish Transport and General Workers, in Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin, at 4.30pm. Followed by commemorative event in the Glasnevin Museum at 5pm. A vintage tram from the National Transport Museum from the era of the 1913 Lockout will also be on display. Contact Padraig Yeates, 1913 Committee, 087 260 5297

Thursday 31 January: An introduction to family history resources online. Donaghdee Library, Donaghadee, Co Down. Basic computer skills needed. 11am to 12.30pm. Free. Booking essential: 028 9188 2507.

Thursday 31 January: Law, Order and Violence, with Barry Sheehan. Part of PRONI/OU lecture series 'Exploring Urban History'. Venue: PRONI, Titanic Quarter, Belfast. 6:30pm. Free.

Thursday 31 January: Holocaust Memorial Day Conference/Jewish Community in the North of Ireland, an afternoon seminar. Four speakers will present talks: Dr Leon Litvack (QUB), Stuart Rosenblatt of IrishJewishRoots.com, and Dr Bethany Sinclair of PRONI and Pamela Linden (QUB). Venue: PRONI, Titanic Quarter, Belfast. 2:00-4:45pm. Free. Booking advised: email or phone (+44) 028 90 534800.

Friday 1 February: Airs and graces – music from the Big House, with Dr Karon Mullaney-Digham, part of the NUI Maynooth History Forum programme. 8pm. Rhetoric House, South Campus, NUI Maynooth. Enquiries.

'No search - no fee' for all bmd 'research' copies

Following yesterday's unwelcome news that Ireland's General Register Office/Civil Registration Service will be charging a whopping £20 for birth, marriage and death certificates with immediate effect, here's some good news.

Previously if you wanted a civil registration certificate in Ireland you had two options:

1. Cough up the full cost of a certified certificate
   
2. Buy a much cheaper uncertified 'research' photocopy of the certificate.
   

Option 2 was understandably more popular with Irish genealogy researchers.

Via the GRO (Roscommon or Dublin), the research copy cost €4 a shot, plus €2 if you couldn't provide the full reference number (found in the civil registration indexes).

Via the Republic's local registration offices, however, the research copy was charged at €6, ie including the search fee, whether or not the researcher was able to provide the reference number.

This inequity has been brought to the attention of the Civil Registration Service many times by the Council of Irish Genealogical Organisations (CIGO), and their campaign has finally paid off.

As of today, local registration offices have been told not to charge the search fee unless it has been earned!

CIGO's Executive Liaison Officer Steven Smyrl explains: 'CIGO pointed out that if a researcher requested an uncertified (research) copy after identifying an entry in either the hardcopy indexes or online indexes, there was no searching required by the staff at the local registration office. The member of staff could go directly to the required certificate without any searching. As such, there was no need to charge €2.

'They have finally recognised this, and local offices have been advised to charge only the €4 fee when the reference is provided.'

View Irish bmd records free of charge

To coincide with FindMyPast's recent release of 21million Irish birth, marriage and death records, today is Irish Family History Day.

As such, the new collection is being made available free of charge. You'll need the Coupon Code to gain free access. It's this:

FMPIEBMD

Go to FindMyPast Ireland, click 'Redeem Coupon' on the Home Page, enter the above Coupon Code and register. You'll then receive 50 credits. (These credits can be used on any FindMyPast.ie records, and they're also up for grabs on the international sites – FindMyPastUS, and FindMyPast Australia & NZ. Just go through the same procedure and use the same code. The credits remain valid for up to 30 days.)

Note: FindMyPast UK doesn't appear to be offering any free credits to support this promotion.

For details of the new collection, which is predominantly made up of the Irish Civil Registration Indexes, see my earlier post.

Today, 14:00 to 15:00 Dublin (GMT) Time: FindMyPast.ie will be holding a Twitter Chat to answer questions you may have. Use #IFHD.