You've Been Researched - Nick Hewer on WDYTYA

From the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (www.proni.gov.uk):

Who Do You Think You Are at PRONI

Advisor to Lord Sugar on The Apprentice and the host of Countdown, Nick Hewer has been filmed in PRONI for the family history show Who Do You Think You Are?

The former PR man to tycoon Lord Sugar visited Belfast to research his local Irish connections.

The show explores Mr Hewer’s memories of his maternal Irish grandfather, Oswald Jamieson, a Catholic who managed to reach the prestigious office of High Sheriff in Protestant-dominated 1920s Belfast. “My Irish mother and English father met as students at Trinity College Dublin”, says Hewer, “and growing up I was always aware of my dual nationality. At school in Ireland I always felt English and at home in England I felt Irish.”

The programme airs on BBC1 Northern Ireland at 9pm on Wednesday, August 28th.

(With thanks to Gavin McMahon)

NB: Just back from a day's research in PRONI myself, definitely worth going, if only to get talking to the wee security guard woman, she's brilliant - ended up showing her how to work a digital scanner yesterday! Best archive in the UK or Ireland, by a long shot - but I'm biased...!)

Don't forget that if you feel inspired to look into your Irish background after the programme, my latest book Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet is available at www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-History-on-the-Internet/p/3889/ in both paperback and e-editions. It shows what can be achieved with online resources - but you'll still end up at PRONI or the NAI in due course... :)

Chris

My new book, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet, is now available from Pen and Sword. My Scottish land and church records ebooks are available at http://www.gen-ebooks.com/unlock-the-past.html, whilst my next Pharos Scottish course, Scottish Research Online, starts Sep 4th - see http://pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Time to smash a few brick walls...!