Ancestor Network, Ireland’s most trusted genealogy research, consulting and publishing company, offers online workshops led by authoritative speakers in June and July 2021.
As the Covid virus situation fortunately comes to an end, are you planning to visit Ireland in 2021 to learn more about your Irish ancestors and perhaps meet living relatives?
Are you planning to visit Ireland to learn more about your Irish ancestors?
If you are, it is important that you learn as much about your Irish ancestors before coming to Ireland to get the most out of your visit. This means at a minimum knowing where your ancestors came from in Ireland, what were the names of their parents and siblings, in what trade they worked, how and when they emigrated and what religion they practiced. Talking to older parents is a good place to start. It is also essential to obtain birth, marriage and death civil status certificates and naturalization documents in your home country. It also means putting together a family tree so that you can bring it with you and have it handy when you are in Ireland.
Ancestor Network, Ireland’s foremost and trusted genealogy research, consulting and publishing company, will offer four authoritative speaker-led online workshops in June and July 2021 to help you learn how to collect this information. . Topics covered are “Irish Catholic Church Records”, “Irish Rentals as a Source of Family History”, “Understanding Irish Place Names” and “Planning a Genealogical Research Visit to Ireland”.
Irish Catholic Church Archives with Dr James Ryan – Thursday, June 24 6:00 p.m. Dublin, 1:00 p.m. US East Coast.
This fully illustrated lecture will describe the Irish Catholic Archives and the history of their creation and survival. It will detail the format and content of the surviving recordings and where they can be viewed.
Ireland is historically a predominantly Catholic country. However, for historical reasons, the first register of the Catholic Church dates from 1670, and registers are scarce until the beginning of the 19th century. Nevertheless, they are the only evidence of most 18th and 19th century Irishmen. It is therefore useful to understand the history of Irish Catholics and the political and social factors that have affected record keeping.
Each workshop will be led by authoritative speakers and experts in their field
Irish Rentals as a Family History Source with Dr James Ryan – Tuesday June 29 5:00 p.m. Dublin, 12:00 p.m. US East Coast
The rents are the registers of the owners. The conference will explore Irish locations; information contained, and where and how it can be found. It will be fully illustrated by examples. Rentals are the private records of owners or their agents. They are particularly important in Ireland where land ownership was reserved for the very rich and renting was the norm. Although their format is extremely variable, almost all contain at least names, places and dates of rental.
Understanding Irish Place Names with Aiden Feerick and Dr James Ryan – Thursday, July 8 5:00 p.m. Dublin, 12:00 p.m. US East Coast
Finding the home of your ancestors is essential to understanding the records they left behind. However, the nature of the territorial divisions to which they referred and their names are sometimes confusing. Places identified in older documents, such as Church baptism and marriage records, can confuse even experienced researchers.
This talk will review the background to the territorial divisions mentioned, name the provinces of Ireland, baronies, civil parishes, counties and poor law unions and discuss the reasons behind them. We will also mention the ecclesiastical divisions in parishes and dioceses. The conference will also examine the names of cities and their origin by examining the physical characteristics of the region and taking into account the built landscape.
Participants who register will receive a free comprehensive list of Irish genealogy websites sorted by key research areas.
Planning a Genealogical Research Visit to Ireland with John Hamrock and Michael Rooney – Friday July 9, 5:00 p.m. Dublin and Belfast, 12:00 p.m. US East Coast
This workshop is a virtual tour of major archives, libraries, repositories and heritage centers in Dublin, Belfast and across Ireland to conduct Irish genealogical research. Before you go on a genealogical research trip, compile as much information about your ancestor, including names, places, occupations, religion, and dates if possible. Prepare a detailed family tree that you can bring with you. First use records from your home country and go back in time. Imaginative planning is needed to make the most of your limited time and financial resources.
The prices of the workshops are 30 € each; Sign up for all four for € 99; sign up for three for € 79.
These online workshops will be presented via Zoom. More information and access to registration is provided here or on the Ancestor Network website.
Participants who register will receive a free comprehensive list of Irish genealogy websites sorted by key research areas.