Ancestor Network wins National Library of Ireland genealogy service contract

From Ireland's Ancestor Network (https://www.ancestornetwork.ie):

National Library of Ireland Genealogy Service 2019
Dublin, Wednesday, 29 May 2019

Ancestor Network Ltd has been awarded the contract to support and assist the genealogy advisory service at the National Library of Ireland in 2019, following a public tender competition.

This is the 8th consecutive year that the National Library of Ireland has selected Ancestor Network to provide this unique genealogy advisory service. It is also the tenth anniversary of the founding of Ancestor Network Ltd in May 2009.

Starting from today, our professional genealogists will assist visitors from Monday to Wednesday, 9:30am to 5:00pm and Thursday to Friday, 9:30am to 4:45pm. Our professional genealogists will advise and assist visitors about family history sources available at the National Library, other repositories, and online internet sources.

Aiden Feerick, Ancestor Network’s Project Manager stated: “Our team of genealogists work with experienced National Library staff members to provide an open and friendly walk-in service. We strive to assist every visitor in finding some information about their individual families.”

John Hamrock of Ancestor Network stated: “We are very pleased to have been selected by the National Library for 2019, particularly on the tenth anniversary of the founding of Ancestor Network. This appointment, along with our recent initiatives such as establishing a branch office in Northern Ireland, our recent book launches of counties Tipperary and Leitrim research guides, and our strategic alliance with a US based genealogical research platform will serve to continue our steady growth in the years ahead.”

Ciara Kerrigan, Assistant Keeper, National Library of Ireland added,
“We are delighted to be working with the excellent team of genealogy experts at Ancestor Network for the eighth year running. People interested in undertaking family history research make up a big part of our overseas and local visitors, and developing the NLI further as a venue for research, culture, learning and tourism is an important objective of our redevelopment programme – “Re-imagining the National Library’ – which is well underway.”

(With thanks to @AncestorNetwork - original release at https://www.ancestornetwork.ie/national-library-of-ireland-genealogy-service-2019/)

Chris

Pre-order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) for just £11.99 at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

National Library of Ireland Genealogy Service 2017

From Eneclann and Ancestor Network:

Dublin, Tuesday, 2 May 2017

Eneclann and Ancestor Network have been awarded the tender to support the genealogy advisory service with the National Library of Ireland in 2017.

This is the 6th year these leading Irish genealogy firms are partnering with the NLI to provide this unique genealogy service.

Visiting researchers to the NLI can avail of the advice of professional genealogists from Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 5:00pm. The professional genealogists advise and assist on sources available at the NLI and other repositories as well as online resources. They are also available to respond to enquiries via email, telephone or by letter.

Fiona Fitzsimons of Eneclann stated: “We are delighted to be back in the National Library in 2017 to assist with the Genealogy Advisory Service. Family history is one of the paths most travelled, for everyone that looks for a deeper understanding of their Irish heritage.”

Aiden Feerick of Ancestor Network and Project Manager of the Genealogy Service stated: “Visiting family history researchers to the NLI can avail of the best expertise in Irish genealogy research advice. Our genealogists comprised of the teams of the National Library, Ancestor Network, and Eneclann are very open and friendly and every visitor to the service comes away with a smile and at least one nugget of family history information.”

Ciara Kerrigan, Assistant Keeper, National Library of Ireland added,

“The NLI is excited to be working again with the genealogy experts of Ancestor Network and Eneclann. Family history research continues to be one of the major motivations for people visiting the National Library of Ireland and it is critical that we provide a world class service in supporting our visitors in Irish genealogy.”

(With thanks to Fiona Fitzsimons)

Chris

My next 5 week Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course commences May 15th 2017 - details at https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

UK and Ireland national archives and libraries holiday closures

The following are the closures for key archive and library repositories in Scotland, elsewhere in the UK, and in the Republic of Ireland:

National Records of Scotland / ScotlandsPeople Centre
www.nrscotland.gov.uk / https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/visit-us/scotlandspeople-centre

National Records of Scotland will be closed on 26 - 27 December 2016 and 2 - 3 January 2017.

Please note that all search rooms and public services, including the ScotlandsPeople Centre, will be open as usual from 9:00 am - 16:30 pm on 23 and 30 December 2016.


National Library of Scotland
www.nls.uk

Revised opening hours apply during the festive season:

Edinburgh
Saturday 24 December: General Reading Room, Special Collections Reading Room, Visitor Centre, exhibitions close at 13.00; Maps Reading Room closed
Sunday 25 and Monday 26 December: Closed
Tuesday 27 December: Reading rooms closed; Visitor Centre and exhibitions open 12.00-16.00
Wednesday 28 December: General Reading Room, Special Collections Reading Room, Visitor Centre, exhibitions close at 17.00; Maps Reading Room closed
Thursday 29 December: Close at 17.00
Friday 30 December: General Reading Room, Special Collections Reading Room, Visitor Centre, exhibitions close at 17.00; Maps Reading Room closed
Saturday 31 December: General Reading Room, Special Collections Reading Room, Visitor Centre, exhibitions close at 13.00; Maps Reading Room closed
Sunday 1 and Monday 2 January: Closed
Tuesday 3 January: Reading rooms closed; Visitor Centre and exhibitions open 12.00-16.00.

Kelvin Hall, Glasgow
Saturday 24 December to Tuesday 3 January: Closed
Wednesday 4 January: Re-opens at 13.30.


PRONI
www.nidirect.gov.uk/proni

Closed:
Monday 26 December 2016 - Christmas Day
Tuesday 27 December 2016 - Boxing Day
Wednesday 28 December 2016
Monday 2 January 2017 - New Year's Day


National Archives (Republic of Ireland)
www.nationalarchives.ie

The Reading Room will close at 12.30 on Friday, 23rd of December 2016 and re-open on Wednesday, 28th December 2016 at 9.15.
The Reading Room will be closed on Monday, 2 January 2017 and will re-open at 9.15 on Tuesday, 3 January 2017.


National Library of Ireland
www.nli.ie

Closed: Saturday 24th December to Tuesday 27th December
Open: Wednesday, 28th December to Friday, 30th December (10am-5pm) Exhibitions Only
Closed: Saturday, 31st December 2016 to Monday, 2nd January 2017
Library reopens Tuesday, 3 January 2017.


National Archives (England)
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Closure dates (All dates listed are inclusive):
Christmas 2016 - Saturday 24 December to Wednesday 28 December
New Year’s Day 2017 - Saturday 31 December to Monday 2 January


British Library
www.bl.uk

See http://www.bl.uk/aboutus/quickinfo/loc/seasonalclosures/index.html for details on Boston Spa and St. Pancras closures.


National Library of Wales
www.llgc.org.uk

The Library will close on Friday 23 December at 17:00 and re-open on Tuesday 3 January at 09:00 (the Reading Rooms will open at 09:30)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Free lunchtime talks at National Library of Ireland

The following free luchtime talks will be given at the Dublin based National Library of Ireland (www.nli.ie) from July 26th 2016:

Sinead McCoole
Mná - 25 years of searching - lessons & leads
Date: July 26th Time: 1.00pm

Dermot Bolger
A reading from his new novel - The Lonely Sea and Sky, followed by a talk.
Date: July 28th Time 1.00pm

Paul McCotter
Territory, maps and genealogy
Date: August 2nd Time: 1.00pm

Fiona Fitzsimons
Explorations in Irish genealogy.
Date: August 4th Time: 1.00pm

Liam Breen / Cormac Leonard (interpreter)
Deaf history in Cabra
Date: August 9th Time: 1.00pm

Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill
"The selkie’s skin" : How Irish oral traditions preserve family and local history
Date: August 11th Time: 1:00PM

Eleanor Fitzsimons
Wilde’s women: How Oscar Widle was shaped by the women in his life.
Date: August 16th Time: 1.00PM

Damien Shiels
The Forgotten Irish: Revealing the voices of Irish 19th Century Emigrants
Date: August 18th Time: 1.00PM

Ambassador O’Malley
Irish American identity: How do we sustain the people to people links between Ireland and the United States?
Date: August 23rd Time: 1.00PM

Aoife O’ Connor
Seen ? Heard ? Records of children in Nineteenth Century Ireland
Date: August 25th Time: 1.00PM

Clodagh Tait
"The Simple annals of my parish poor": stories from parish registers
Date: August 30th Time: 1.00PM

Nora White
Ogham Stones: Our earliest genealogical sources
Date: September 1st Time: 1.00PM

Joe Buggy
Ten free websites for U.S. genealogy research.
Date: Sept 6th Time: 1.00PM

Dan Bradley
Adventures in ancient DNA: Who were the first Irish?
Date: September 8th Time: 1:00pm

(With thanks to the Irish Family History Centre at https://www.irishfamilyhistorycentre.com/article/free-lunch-time-talks-in-the-national-library-of-ireland-2016)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Irish Architectural Archives talk at the National Library of Ireland

From the Irish Family History Centre in Dublin:

The Expert Workshops at the National Library of Ireland have been running successfully for over 2 years now. Anyone can attend, without membership or accreditation - all that's required is an interest in Irish family history & a willingness to turn up one Saturday every month. Subjects & speakers vary hugely - from sources & archival collections, research methodology & skills, writing & presentation, to case-studies of specific communities. 

Since December 2015 we've been taping all workshops, & making them available online as podcasts for anyone that can't be there on the day. Our next workshop is at 14:00 this Saturday June 11 at the National Library, with guest speaker Colum O'Riordan, archivist of the Irish Architectural Archives, talking about IAA's research collections.

For further details visit https://www.irishfamilyhistorycentre.com/article/expert-talks-in-the-national-library-of-ireland

(With thanks to Fiona Fitzsimmons)

Chris


For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

FindmyPast to add 10 million Irish Catholic records in March

From FindmyPast (www.findmypast.com):

FINDMYPAST ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF 12 MILLION IRISH PARISH REGISTERS

Leading family history site, Findmypast, announced today at Rootstech that it will launch 10 million Irish Catholic Parish Registers, one of the most important Irish record collections, in March 2016.

Covering over 200 years from 1671-1900 and over 1,000 parishes, Findmypast has worked to transcribe the National Library of Ireland’s online image collection of 3,500 baptism and marriage registers. This is the first time that the collection has been indexed with the images linked online, making the search much easier and the records more accessible. As a result, family historians will now be able to make all important links between generations with the baptism records and between families with the marriage registers. These essential records cover the entire island of Ireland, both Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.

Ben Bennett, Executive Vice-President North America and International for Findmypast said:

“The Irish Parish Registers will be a gold mine for anyone with Irish heritage. The 10 million baptism and marriage records will help even more people to trace their Irish ancestors. In addition to being able to search this valuable collection, customers with family trees on Findmypast will benefit from leads that automatically connect the records related to their family directly to their trees. The Catholic Parish Registers are a hugely important addition to Findmypast’s Irish collection, the largest and most comprehensive source for online Irish family history research.”

NB: Note that most of the collections only go up to 1880/1881, not 1900 - nevertheless, a very useful development

(With thanks to Alex Cox, and Sue Wilkes via Twitter)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including my recently released Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. My Pinterest account is at https://www.pinterest.com/chrismpaton/.

Official Irish 1916 commemoration programme

The Irish Government's official programme for commemorations of the 1916 Easter Rising is outlined on a website at www.ireland.ie, which includes a short 8 minute video outlining some of the highlights. Amongst these are contributions from some well known faces from the National Library of Ireland and the National Archives of Ireland, with announcements of exhibitions and digitisation projects, as well as an ancestry project for school children to try to work out how to trace back to ancestors alive at the period. The video is on YoutTube at https://youtu.be/1RKER4WYl2I and also reproduced here for convenience:

I am currently working hell for leather to produce a short introductory genealogy guide book for Unlock the Past (www.unlockthepast.com.au) on the subject of the Decade of Centenaries from 1912-23, looking at everything from the Ulster Covenant to the Irish Civil War. This will not only examine how to research ancestors connected to the constitutional struggle, but also the First World War, women's suffrage, the Dublin Lockout, and more. One hundred years ago there was no Northern Ireland or Republic of Ireland, it was all a single constituent part of the United Kingdom. It's a period which until now has been tantalisingly close to us in ancestral terms, but rarely talked about. The governments north and south, and others, are to be commended for the programmes being put together this year, whether commemorating the Rising or the Somme, and everything else in between and beyond in the period.

The BBC also has a feature on the commemorations programme at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35247856, and a feature on 1916 itself at http://www.bbc.co.uk/timelines/z2c4j6f, including the interesting detail that in 1916 Ireland's time zone was aligned with that of London - prior to this the island actually had a time zone that was 25 minutes behind England. You learn something new every day.

Irish family history never got so interesting...!

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including my recently released Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. My Pinterest account is at https://www.pinterest.com/chrismpaton/.

Festive season closures at major archives and libraries

Twas the night before Christmas

And all through the house

All the genies were asking

"What d' ye mean the archives are closed?!!!!!!"

Yes, boys and girls - Santa has to visit our wonderful archivists and librarians as well. The following key archives and libraries will be closed as follows over the festive season:

National Records of Scotland/Scotland's People Centre
http://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/news/2015/nrs-festive-holiday-opening-hours

Thursday 24 December: Close at 13:00
Friday 25 and Monday 28 December: Closed
Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 December: Open 9:00 -16:30
Thursday 31 December: Close at 13:00
Friday 1 and Monday 4 January: Closed


National Library of Scotland
http://www.nls.uk/using-the-library/opening-hours

George IV Bridge Building and the Maps Reading Room during the festive season:

Thursday 24 December: Close at 16.00
25, 26, 27 and 28 December: Closed
Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 December: Close at 17.00
Thursday 31 December: Close at 16.00.
Friday 1 and Saturday 2 January: Closed
Sunday 3 and Monday 4 January: Reading rooms closed; Visitor Centre and exhibitions: 14.00-17.00.


Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/visiting_proni/opening_hours.htm

Thursday 24 December 2015: Closed
Friday 25 December 2015: Closed
Monday 28 December 2015: Closed

(New Year closures not yet listed)

NB: PRONI will be closed on Thursday evenings throughout December 2015 and January 2016


National Library of Ireland (Dublin):
http://www.nli.ie/en/opening-hours.aspx

NLI Reading Rooms
Closed Thursday, 24 December 2015 to Sunday, 3 January 2016 inclusive.

NLI Exhibitions
Closed Thursday 24 December to Monday 28 December 2015.
Open Tuesday 29 December to Thursday 31 December 2015, 10am-4.45pm.
Closed Friday 1 January to Sunday 3 January 2016.


National Archives of Ireland (Dublin)
http://www.nationalarchives.ie/2015/11/closure-for-christmas-new-year/

The Reading Room of the National Archives will close at 12.30 p.m. on Thursday, 24 December 2015 and will re-open at 9.15 a.m. on Tuesday, 29 December 2015. The Reading Room will be closed on Friday, 1 January 2016 and will re-open at 9.15 a.m. on Monday, 4 January 2016.

Normal opening hours resume on Monday, 4 January 2016.


The National Archives (Kew)
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/news/bank-holiday-closure/

Closed from Thursday 24 December to Monday 28 December, and on New Year’s Day, Friday 1 January.


British Library (St. Pancras, London)
http://www.bl.uk/aboutus/quickinfo/loc/seasonalclosures/index.html

Thursday 24 - Monday 28 December: Closed
Thursday 31 December: Close at 17.00
Friday 1 January: Closed
Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 January: Open as normal


British Library (Boston Spa, Yorkshire)
http://www.bl.uk/aboutus/quickinfo/loc/seasonalclosures/index.html

Thursday 24 - Monday 28 December: Closed
Thursday 31 December: Open as normal
Friday 1 - Sunday 3 January: Closed


National Library of Wales
https://www.llgc.org.uk/visit/before-your-visit/openingtimes/

The Library will close on Thursday 24 December at 3 pm and re-open on Monday 4 January at 9.00 am  (the Reading Rooms will open at 9.30 am)


For all other archives, check their website in advance of a prospective visit!

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including my recently released Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. My Pinterest account is at https://www.pinterest.com/chrismpaton/.

Ulster Historical Foundation conferences in 2016

From the Ulster Historical Foundation (www.ancestryireland.com):

Family History Conferences 2016

Members and friends of the Foundation will be aware that following the recent success of Tracing Your Irish Ancestors, we will be hosting two family history conferences in June and September 2016.

Both events will combine a varied and exciting mix of research opportunities in the archives (including the National Library and National Archives in Dublin), talks from acknowledged experts and a choice of tours to a number of historic sites, including Kilmainham Gaol and Trinity College, Dublin, Barons Court, the palatial country house of the Duke of Abercorn in county Tyrone, Titanic Belfast and the world famous Giant’s Causeway.

The Foundation’s popular family history conferences are therefore ideally suited to the keen family historian who will be given assistance by our experienced genealogists throughout the week and also those who favour learning more about the Ireland of their ancestors as we travel through our verdant countryside en route to our selection of famous sites and locations.

Our summer conference will run from 15-22 June and our autumn conference from 4-10 September. For more information on both events and guidance on how to register, please visit our conference websites:

Summer conference, 15-22 June 2016
www.ancestryireland.com/family-history-conference/summer-2016/

Autumn conference, 4-10 September 2016
www.ancestryireland.com/family-history-conference/autumn-2016/

Feedback from the delegates who attended our autumn 2015 conferences has been very positive with many considering a return to our shores in 2016. We hope that you will also join us for Tracing Your Irish Ancestors in 2016 and experience the perfect combination of productive genealogical research, a host of interesting tours and of course good company and good conversation.

Please note that for early bird registrations received by 31 January 2016, the special price of £699.99 will apply.

(With thanks to the UHF)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including my recently released Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. My Pinterest account is at https://www.pinterest.com/chrismpaton/.

RootsIreland platform redesigned

RootsIreland (www.rootsireland.ie) has redesigned its website with a bold new look, and has partially linked search results from Roman Catholic parish register searches to images from the original registers, as located on the National Library of Ireland's new Catholic registers platform at http://registers.nli.ie. When a name is found, it will not link directly to the register image for that entry, but to the volume - so still requiring some browsing.

The Roman Catholic registers on the NLI site cease after 1880/1881, so clearly these are the only entries that will be connected to the RootsIreland database. Note also that access to the NLI site is completely free, whereas the RootsIreland site now charges a hefty subscription.

For further details on the update, visit Claire Santry's Irish genealogy news blog at www.irishgenealogynews.com/2015/11/rootsireland-marries-its-transcriptions.html.

(With thanks to Claire Santry)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including my recently released Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. My Pinterest account is at https://www.pinterest.com/chrismpaton/.

National Library of Ireland opens WW1 exhibition

The National Library of Ireland has opened a new First World War themed exhibition in Dublin, entitled Portraits of the Invisible.

From the NLI site:

'Portraits of the Invisible', an exhibition of portrait photographs of Irish men and women involved in World War 1 has opened at the National Photographic Archive.

The exhibition, held in partnership with the British Embassy, features a selection of the photographs collected and catalogued during a series of World War 1 roadshows since 2012. These were held as part of Europeana 1914-1918, an initiative that encouraged people across Europe to bring family letters, photographs and keepsakes from WW1 to be catalogued and digitised.

'Portraits of the Invisible' features a selection of images of soldiers and medics, nurses and stretcher bearers, drivers and cyclists, sailors and pilots, accompanied by the stories their families have treasured for generations. In addition, audio recordings bring the words written by the participants in the war in their letters, postcards and diaries, to life.

The BBC also has a story on the exhibition at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-30815277.

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including my recently released Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Family History lunch-time talks at the NLI in Dublin

From Eneclann (www.eneclann.ie):

This August and September at the National Library of Ireland, Eneclann and Ancestor Network bring you the best of Irish cultural, family and social history related talks, with the return of the Family History lunch-time talks.

Fiona Fitzsimons,(Eneclann) organiser of the lecture series said, “We are delighted to welcome the return of the Lunch-time talks at the National Library in 2015. Family History draws on many different areas of study: genetics, history, archaeology, and fashion, to name but a few. In the course of my research, I’ve drawn on the knowledge of some of the foremost experts. This Summer, I’ve invited some of my professional colleagues, here to the Library, to inform and entertain.”

Each talk is a short introduction to a key area, source or research method in Irish family history. The Q&A session will give you direct access to the experts. We want to take the mystery out of family history!

The Summer Talks at lunchtime will take place from 1-2pm every Tuesday and Thursday in August & September. This is the 4th year of this successful talks series.

Here is the List of the speakers and their talks.

August
Tuesday 4th: Gianpiero Cavallieri RCSI, The Irish DNA Atlas
Thursday 6th: Ned Kelly NMI, Secrets of the Bog Bodies
Tuesday 11th: Paul McCotter, NUI Cork, Irish Surnames, a family heirloom
Thursday 13th: Bruce Durie, U.Strathclyde, Heraldry - obscure mediaeval mumbo-jumbo, or valid genealogical technique?
Tuesday 18th: Kevin Whelan, Notre Dame, Using maps for thinking about Irish history. An Illustrated talk.
Thursday 20th: Andy Bielenberg, PhD, Social geography of Ireland: was there a protestant exodus from the south of Ireland 1919-1923?
Tuesday 25th: Rob Goodbody, Author of IHTA, Dublin vol. 3, What industrial heritage?
Thursday 27th: Eve Parnell, NCAD, Archives to be explored in the National Irish Visual Arts Library.

September
Tuesday 1st: David Edwards, NUI Cork, The Tudor Conquest of Ireland: Untold stories
Thursday 3rd: Padraig Lenihan, NUI Galway, The Irish in European warfare 17C; military origins of diaspora.
Tuesday 8th: Ray Gillespie, NUI Maynooth, The house on Bunion Hill: an Irish census project.
Thursday 10th: Seamus O’ Maitiu, Gilbert Library, Getting Started in Local History
Tuesday 15th: Jayne Shrimpton, Dating and Understanding Family Photographs.
Thursday 17th: Charles Benson, Fellow T.C.D., Primrose Pretty-face in Galway. Children’s literature and the spread of the English language in 19th C. Ireland.
Tuesday 22th: Paul Rouse, N.U.I. Dublin Sport and the everyday Ireland:
Thursday 24nd: To be confirmed, Family History and its role in Irish culture.

For more information and for event updates keep an eye on our Website's blog at www.eneclann.ie and also our Facebook page as we will be updating these regularly with all the information you will need to know, or you can email us at marketing@eneclann.ie

See you then!

(With thanks to Laura Carroll)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including my recently released Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Northern Irish Roman Catholic records 1880-1930

For those with Northern Irish connections, the release of the Roman Catholic parish registers on http://registers.nli.ie will be as welcome as to those in the south, but as with the southern records, the microfilms largely go up to 1880/1881. The Ulster Historical Foundation has issued a statement with a reminder of its own offerings, which in some cases go up to 1900 and beyond to 1930, should you wish to push your research further towards the 20th century and further:

With new resources now available for researching Irish ancestors, using the Foundation’s own databases can help you make best use of online records and save you a considerable amount of time. This is particularly true if you do not know which Church your family attended or even which county they came from. The best place to start your research is with the transcriptions of Church baptisms, marriages and burials which are available on www.rootsireland.ie for 30 of the 32 counties in Ireland and on our own website www.ancestryireland.com for Counties Antrim and Down, including Belfast.

Using these indexed records, you can identify relevant records using our search function. This is of particular use when you wish to search an entire county or even the whole island of Ireland. Even when you do know the Church or parish, using our searchable databases will save you much time when looking for those ancestors for whom you do not have exact dates of baptism, marriage or death. Once you have identified the relevant records, you can then view a digital image of the microfilmed register at www.nli.ie (note: these microfilm records only cover the period up to 1880/81).

The Ulster Historical Foundation has been transcribing registers of Roman Catholic, Church of Ireland and Presbyterian Churches since 1990 and has over 2 million birth, marriage and death records on its website. We have almost all pre-1900 Roman Catholic records for Counties Antrim and Down and are currently adding records up to 1930. We recently added baptismal records from 1900 to 1930 for Sacred Heart, St Mary’s and St Vincent de Paul, all in Belfast and will be adding post-1900 records for a number of other Churches in the near future.

As indicated above, it is important to remember that the registers available at www.nli.ie only cover the period up to c.1880, whilst the church record datasets on www.rootsireland.ie (including those of UHF) generally cover the period up to 1900 (or in the case of civil records, up to 1921).

In addition, given that the Foundation has been working with the Diocese of Down and Connor to continue the transcription of records for parishes up to 1930, it means that in a growing number of instances, our databases offer an additional 50 years of records beyond 1880, compared to those available on the microfilms.

Thus if you are searching for the period post-1880 these entries are only available online on our website www.ancestryireland.com for Counties Antrim and Down and on www.rootsireland.ie for the majority of other counties in Ireland.

In addition www.ancestryireland.com has almost all civil marriage records for Counties Antrim and Down from 1845 to 1921 as well as over 50,000 gravestone inscriptions for the six counties of Northern Ireland. Why not watch our free online tutorials on getting the most out of our online birth, marriage and death databases? www.ancestryireland.com/help/tutorials/

COMMENT: A useful reminder from the UHF of its offerings. One tip I'd like to add is that whilst many UHF records are on RootsIreland, if using a UK credit or debit card you may end up paying a fee for the use of that card on RootsIreland on top of the subscription access - that's not the case with AnestryIreland. AncestryIreland also allows you to pay for a smaller number of credits if you don't have a lot to pursue, although if you have a lot to look through, the RootsIreland sub may be more advantageous.

(With thanks to the Ulster Historical Foundation)

Chris

The latest British GENES podcast is available at http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/podcasts.html. For details on my latest book Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, and my other genealogy guide books, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Catholic Parish Registers at the National Library of Ireland website is live

When Ireland gets something right in the genealogy world, it really gets it right. The new website, Catholic Parish Registers at the National Library of Ireland, is now live at http://registers.nli.ie - and having had a quick play, I now know I am going to have a few months of fun ahead!

The site offers access to the digitised microfilms of Roman Catholic registers held by the library, and on an all Ireland basis. Some of those microfilms are not of the greatest standard, and the records must be browsed, not keyword searched. But how it provides access to what is available, is fantastic. There is an interactive map allowing you to search parishes by diocese, and to search for individual parishes, the microfilm descriptions available list the contents (baptisms, marriages, burials) including a year range for each, and the viewer itself allows you to scroll page by page.

So far I am enjoying the site immensely - it's not just an amazingly useful research resource, it's also a toy for the happy genie. Below are a few screengrabs, but go have a play, and make up your own mind on what you see...!

A huge thanks to the National Library of Ireland (www.nli.ie)

Chris

The latest British GENES podcast is available at http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/podcasts.html. For details on my latest book Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, and my other genealogy guide books, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Discover Irish Land Records - now on sale

My third Unlock the Past guide book this year has just been released for sale by Gould Genealogy in Australia at www.gould.com.au/Discover-Irish-Land-Records-p/utp0287.htm. Discover Irish Land Records is my third Irish themed book for the company (Irish family History Resources Online, and British and Irish Newspapers being the other two), and my seventh UTP title in total (8 if you include the 2 editions of the online Irish guide!). UK and Canadian editions should hopefully be available soon, and also an ebook edition

Here's the back cover blurb...

The questions that drive us with family history research in Ireland are no different to those asked anywhere else in the world. We need to find the records that tell us who our ancestors were, when and where they lived, and how they related to others. In Ireland, however, many of the records necessary for the task have sadly been lost across time, or were woefully restrictive in how they were created in the first place.

Whilst some of the basic vital records do not survive, however, there are plenty of others that will compensate, and in this latest Unlock the Past guide, Northern Irish born family historian Chris Paton takes a look at the potential to be found within Irish land records. Amongst documents of ownership and tenancy, valuation and tithes records, documents for inheritance, censuses, and many other resources, there are ancestral stories lying dormant and waiting to be found. In this guide, he demonstrates how to find them.

Thanks to Alan and Rosemary once again for turning this around. If you are on the Unlock the Past genealogy cruise of the Baltic from this Saturday, one of my talks will be based on the subject, and copies will hopefully be available there.

Hopefully it will help those with a few Irish brick walls to find a way through...!

Chris

The latest British GENES podcast is available at http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/podcasts.html. For details on my latest book Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, and my other genealogy guide books, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Irish Roman Catholic registers online launch imminent

The National Library of Ireland (www.nli.ie) will be closed until 3.30pm tomorrow (Wed 8th), as it will be hosting an event to celebrate the launch of the digitised Roman Catholic records, to be released the same day. From the NLI:

Delayed opening on Wednesday, 8th July 2015
All parts of the Library will be closed to the public until 3.30pm on Wednesday, 8th July 2015. This is to facilitate an event to launch the website, Catholic Parish Registers at the NLI. On that day, the Library will open to the public at 3.30pm and will be open until 7.45pm as normal.
The NPA exhibition gallery will be open at the usual times on Wed, 8th July.

Tomorrow should be a fun day...!

UPDATE (Wed): the records will be going online at 2pm today - see http://www.nli.ie/en/list/latest-news.aspx?article=870991de-5fc7-4bba-8025-2f14e920b970

Chris

The latest British GENES podcast is available at http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/podcasts.html. For details on my latest book Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, and my other genealogy guide books, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Dublin based talk on migration of Irish women to Australia

Details from Eneclann (www.eneclann.ie) of a forthcoming talk at the National Library of Ireland (www.nli.ie):

Expert Workshops
This June we welcome Dr Liz Rushen to the National Library of Ireland as our guest speaker for the Expert Workshop for CPD. Following on from the success of the Australian Seminar in May, Dr Rushen will focus on adventurous Irish women and their migration experience to Australia in the 1830s, Read more here.

Special Guest Speaker
Liz Rushen
“The migration of Irish women to colonial Australia”

Date: Wednesday 17th June.
Time: 3.pm-4.30pm.
Location: National Library of Ireland.

Further information is available at http://www.eneclann.ie/2015/06/expert-workshop-for-cpd-in-june/

Chris

The latest British GENES podcast is available at http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/podcasts.html. For details on my latest book Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, and my other genealogy guide books, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Irish Catholic registers to go online July 8th

The National Library of Ireland (www.nli.ie) has announced that its Roman Catholic parish registers collection will go online from July 8th 2015 - here's the full press release:

National Library of Ireland Announces Launch Date for New Online Genealogy Resource

– Almost 400,000 images of Catholic parish register microfilms to be available online for free from 8th July 2015 –

The entire collection of Catholic parish register microfilms held by the National Library of Ireland (NLI) will be made available online – for free – from 8th July 2015 onwards. On that date, a dedicated website will go live, with over 390,000 digital images of the microfilm reels on which the parish registers are recorded.

The NLI has been working to digitise the microfilms for over three years under its most ambitious digitisation programme to date.

The parish register records are considered the single most important source of information on Irish family history prior to the 1901 Census. Dating from the 1740s to the 1880s, they cover 1,091 parishes throughout the island of Ireland, and consist primarily of baptismal and marriage records.

Commenting today, the NLI’s Ciara Kerrigan, who is managing the digitisation of the parish registers, said:

“We announced initial details of this project last December, and received a hugely enthusiastic response from people worldwide with an interest in Irish family history. We are delighted to announce that the project has been progressing well, and we will be able to publish all the digitised records online from 8th July onwards.

“This is the most significant ever genealogy project in the history of the NLI. The microfilms have been available to visitors to the NLI since the 1970s. However, their digitisation means that, for the first time, anyone who likes will be able to access these registers without having to travel to Dublin.”

Typically, the parish registers include information such as the dates of baptisms and marriages, and the names of the key people involved, including godparents or witnesses. The digital images of the registers will be searchable by parish location only, and will not be transcribed or indexed by the NLI.

“The images will be in black and white, and will be of the microfilms of the original registers,” explained Ms. Kerrigan. “There will not be transcripts or indexes for the images. However, the nationwide network of local family history centres holds indexes and transcripts of parish registers for their local areas. So those who access our new online resource will be able to cross-reference the information they uncover, and identify wider links and connections to their ancestral community by also liaising with the relevant local family history centre.”

The NLI is planning an official launch event for the new online resource on 8th July. Further details will be available in the coming weeks.

COMMENT: Note the release states the records are from throughout the island of Ireland, implying this will cover Northern Ireland as well. Hurrah!

Chris

For details on my latest book Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, and my other genealogy guide books please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. To commission me for genealogical research, please visit my research site at www.scotlandsgreateststory.co.uk.

More on Irish Catholic records going online

Following on from my earlier post at http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/irish-catholic-parish-register-images.html here's the press release from the National Library of Ireland (www.nli.ie):

National Library of Ireland Announces its Most Significant Ever Digitisation Project for Irish Genealogy

– Project will make almost 400,000 images of Catholic parish register microfilms available online for free –

The National Library of Ireland (NLI) has today (01.12.14) unveiled details of its most ambitious digitisation project to date. The project will see the Library’s entire collection of Catholic parish register microfilms made available online – for free – by summer 2015.

The records are considered the single most important source of information on Irish family history prior to the 1901 Census. Dating from the 1740s to the 1880s, they cover 1,091 parishes throughout Ireland, and consist primarily of baptismal and marriage records.

Commenting today, Colette O’Flaherty, Head of Special Collections at the NLI, said: “This is the most ambitious digitisation project in the history of the NLI, and our most significant ever genealogy project. We believe it will be of huge assistance to those who wish to research their family history. At this stage, we have converted the microfilm reels on which the registers are recorded into approximately 390,000 digital images. We will be making all these images available, for free, on a dedicated website, which will be launched in summer 2015.

“Anyone tracing Irish family history will be able to access this site – from anywhere in the world – and search for the parish in which they are interested. They will be able to see a list of registers for that parish, and will be able to click on whichever registers they like to browse through the images contained within.

“The information in the registers varies from parish to parish but, typically, includes the dates of the baptisms or marriages, and the names of the key people involved, including godparents or witnesses. Obviously, such information is extremely valuable for both amateur genealogists and professional researchers.

“The microfilms have been available to visitors to the NLI since the 1970s. However, this project means that, for the first time, anyone who likes will be able to access these registers without having to travel to Dublin.”

Contribution of the Catholic Church
Ms. O’Flaherty said the registers are a wonderful legacy of the Catholic Church to Ireland.

“The role of the Catholic Church in creating and maintaining these records during some of the most turbulent times in Irish history must be acknowledged and praised,” she said. “Most census records from this period were destroyed in the Four Courts fire of 1922, so these parish registers are the most comprehensive surviving source of information on Irish families in the 1700s and 1800s.

“The NLI has worked with the Catholic Church to preserve these registers since the 1950s, when we were initially invited to make microfilm copies. Now, in the 21st Century – and in keeping with our aim of enhancing accessibility through making our collections available online – we are delighted to embark on this major digitisation project.”

What Type of Information Will be Available?
The 390,000 digital images due to be published by the NLI will be searchable by parish location only. They will not be transcribed or indexed by the NLI, and the images will be of the microfilms of the original registers, which – in some cases – were in poor condition when the microfilming took place. The images will be in black and white.

“Anyone who has traced their family history knows it can sometimes be frustrating due to illegible handwriting on original records or poor-quality reproductions or transcriptions,” said Colette O’Flaherty. “Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to transcribe or index the images we are making available.

COMMENT: Christmas just came early folks...! :)

Chris

Stuck for a Christmas gift?! I have a series of genealogy books available in the UK, Australia and Canada, on Scottish, Irish and British based subject areas. Further details at http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. Santa approves!

New Scottish air routes to London and Dublin should help researchers

For those of us based in Scotland, Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) is planning to move some of its services to Glasgow International Airport from October 26th. There will be a new three times a day service from Glasgow to London, and also a three times a day service from Edinburgh to London. From Glasgow there will also be an improved Dublin service, moving from one flight a day to three. Fairs are said to be starting from £19.99 each way.

This should make it easier to get to London and Dublin based repositories from Scotland for research work - though Stansted to Kew is still a bit of a hike! If planning to go to Kew, a map of accommodation nearby is available at http://www.lodgings.net/17039_london-national-archives.html, should it be easier to plan a 2 day research trip with an overnight at Kew.

More details on the forthcoming flights is available at http://corporate.ryanair.com/news/news/140703-ryanair-launches-3-new-scottish-routes-to-dublin-london-edinburgh-london-glasgow-london-glasgow-dublin-3-times-daily/?market=en

Chris

Now available for UK research is the new second edition of the best selling Tracing Your Family History on the Internet: A Guide for Family Historians, whilst my new book British and Irish Newspapers is also now out. And FindmyPast - please reinstate the original Scottish census citations on your new site.