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Blog Entries: 1 to 25 of 2020
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New Mayo resources
Here's an announcement from the Irish Family History Foundation about new records on their website:
We are delighted to announce the addition of over 13,000 new Roman Catholic baptismal and marriage records from North Mayo. These latest additions bring the majority of North Mayo Roman Catholic parish records available on rootsireland.ie up to the year 1923.
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DNA test leads to Irish citizenship
A man born in Arizona has become an Irish citizen and secured  an Irish passport based on DNA test results indicating he was 100% Irish.
That's how a BBC article reported the story. As genealogists might expect, the facts weren't quite that simple or straightforward.
An article in the Irish Times provided more details about the steps required of Professor John Portman to achieve Irish citizenship--an unexpected and happy outcome from a DNA test kit. |
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Descendants of Niall
A team of Trinity College Dublin geneticists discovered that as many as 3 million men worldwide may be descendants of Niall, High King of Ireland from 379 to 405 AD.
While Niall was responsible for the common Irish surname "O'Neill," the Trinity College research indicates the fearless warlord was prolific.
In an article originally published in 2009 and updated last week, Irish Central quoted Professor Dan Bradley as saying, "...around one in 50 New Yorkers who have European roots – with surnames such as O'Connor, Flynn, Egan, Hynes, O'Reilly, and Quinn – have the same genetic signature as Niall of the Nine Hostages."
Read the absorbing story here.
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August 2024 podcast
In the August edition (episode 2 of Season 3) of  the “This month at the IGSI” podcast, genealogist Dave Miller begins by providing the date for the next “Irish Saturday” event: August 10th.
Dave also talks about the August 17 webinar to be hosted by Paula Stuart-Warren. Paula will talk about the railroads and their history. If your ancestor worked for the railroad, she will discuss how to find out the various railroads where your ancestor might have been employed. Where did the railroad run? Are there railroad records which may give you personal details about your ancestor’s employment with the railroad? Visuals and references demonstrate the wealth of historical materials available across the U.S. This lecture will help you know where to find out more about the railroad, its records, and where to find them. This webinar will be virtual only.
We will also have the latest Irish History Minute. Janelle will discuss the Great Irish Potato Famine and explain some things you might not have known about what led to the Great Famine. Dave also talked to the Ulster Historical Foundation’s Executive Director Fintan Mullan and their plans for the Lecture Tour scheduled for next March and where they plan to make stops!
 You can visit IGSI's YouTube channel at any time by clicking the YouTube link at right, or click on the Our Podcasts tab at left. |
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FamilyTreeDNA and MyHeritage
FamilyTreeDNA account holders have received an  email announcement about a new partnership allowing linkage of FTDNA family trees to MyHeritage. The current FTDNA tree builder will be retired on September 9, 2024.
This integration combines FTDNA's genetic genealogy tools with MyHeritage's traditional genealogy tools, potentially providing "the best of both worlds."
MyHeritage's July 18 blog posting gives more details about the new collaboration. Read more here. |
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Property & valuation records in Ireland
Join IGSI this Saturday for a Zoom webinar with Michael Walsh:
SATURDAY, JULY 20
From tithes to Griffith's: property and valuation records in Ireland (Webinar)
10:30 am - Noon CDT (GMT-6)
$15 for members (with discount code); $20 for non-members
The discount code was sent to members via email and is posted on IGSI’s member-only web page
Michael Walsh will introduce major land and property valuation record sources from 19th-century Ireland, including the Tithe Applotment Books, early townland valuations and notebooks compiled as part of the valuation process, Griffith’s Valuation (valuation sheets and corresponding maps), Revision Books, and other resources underpinning the valuations. Through a logical and methodical approach, participants will learn to gather and analyze data and bring problem-solving skills to bear for well-grounded research.
Michael is a full member of Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI), the Irish accrediting body for professional genealogists and leading organization for family historians and researchers there. He serves on the National Council of AGI and has been the AGI Vice President. He lectures on genealogy at City Colleges in Ireland, the National Archives in Dublin, and for U.S. audiences.
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More from IrishGenealogyNews
We're still lamenting the loss of IrishGenealogyNews as an ongoing source for the latest and greatest info on the subject. However blogger Claire Santry pointed out in her last entry that blogposts "would remain online for a while...probably until the domain comes up for renewal."
Recent postings are noteworthy and deserve a backward look if you missed them:  July 8: A quickie round of recent Irish genealogy news snippets
July 4: Excellent Limerick Local Studies website continues to grow
July 4: Irish Registry of Deeds Index Project: July 2024 update
July 1: New and updated Great Britain genealogy releases: three week summary
Claire plans to continue her Irish-Genealogy-Toolkit.com website. |
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Claire Santry publishes final blogpost
With regret we share this announcement:
Irish Genealogy News has published its final blogpost.
For 14 years and 5764 posts, Claire Santry's blog has been the go-to source for Irish genealogists seeking timely and reliable information. We were lucky to have her insights as long as we did, and we'll definitely miss checking in with her to discover breaking Irish genealogy news. Dea-ádh agus dea-mhianta – Good luck and best wishes!
Read her final posting here. |
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FamilySearch "First Ancestor Pedigree"
While helping a friend with her research this weekend, I encountered a new (to me) FamilySearch report format: The First Ancestor Pedigree View. 
Most of us are accustomed to starting our family tree with ourselves and working backward, but this approach is not universal. Chinese and Korean families, for example, generally keep a book of their ancestors starting with their "First Ancestor" and showing each generation coming down to the present. About 18 months ago, FamilySearch launched a report format that will do this.
It was enlightening for my friend to see at a glance the eight Bradshaw generations someone had entered on their FamilySearch tree (pictured here in black and white). She was surprised to learn about the Bradshaw ancestors who'd lived and died in Lancashire, England.
Our research, starting with her and going backwards, had coincidentally ended where this diagram left off: with James John Bradshaw. Supposedly born in 1717 in County Down, Ireland, this James Bradshaw is her fifth great-grandfather. The place and date of his birth is still unconfirmed, as are (frankly) all the other names and dates.
Still, the First Ancestor Pedigree puts an interesting new spin on family history research. Read more about it here. |
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Genealogical Office records at NLI
If your Irish ancestors were wealthy Anglo-Irish property owners, you will definitely want to read on.
While most of us do not fall into that category, you will nonetheless enjoy John Grenham's ubiquitous humor in his June 25 blog posting.
John describes the holdings of the Genealogical Office (GO), which are now part of the National Library of Ireland manuscripts department. The collection with greatest potential for family history research is probably information extracted by Sir William Betham from prerogative wills up through 1800.
Prerogative wills, per John, are those with property in more than one jurisdiction--thus covering only wealther families. (These original records were destroyed by the 1922 fire.) The sketch of the Reynolds family tree is particularly helpful in exemplifying what lucky researchers might find. |
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Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland
Claire Santry writes, "...the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland (VRI) team has been making daily releases of newly digitised material and resources on its website..." She includes some details about the newly added resources.
We'll continue to watch VRI developments.
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FamilySearch and the DAR
This week the Daughters of the American  Revolution (DAR) convene for their 133rd Continental Congress. Working with FamilySearch, the organization has designed an experience that lets members discover family relationships with other DAR members and make personal connections with them.
The feature created a buzz when it was introduced a year ago. Members do not have to be present at the national meeting in Washington, D.C. to participate. All that’s needed is for them to create a FamilySearch tree by adding living and deceased relatives as far back as they can. (Living family members are not visible to others.) FamilySearch identifies matches and shows how one is related to other DAR members.
My closest relative so far has been a 4th cousin, which admittedly is not that close, but the list of matches continues to grow as more members join the fun. This morning when I queried the app, I was happily surprised to see “Lindal,” a good friend and fellow member of the Lake Minnetonka DAR Chapter. A full comparison of how we match was immediately available--nine generations back to our common ancestors, Philip Jacob King Sr (1709-1787) and his wife, Catherine Voltz (1709-1755).
Shown at right are truncated family trees that begin (or end?) with my grandmother, Retta Belle Stahl (1877-1961), and Lindal's grandfather, Charles Wesley Ridenour (1876-1948).
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Emigration and Passenger Lists
The "John Grenham Irish Ancestors" Facebook  group includes postings about different parts of his website that may be overlooked.
Under the free Browse tab, select Emigration to find links to passenger lists sortable by name of ship, year, origin, and destination. While the list for early years is sparse, entries start in 1767 and extend through 1930. Click on the image at right to start your search.
Thanks to a loyal IGSI member and blog reader for sharing this tip!
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July 2024 Podcast
In the first episode of Season 3 -- our July edition of the “This month at the IGSI” podcast -- genealogist Dave Miller begins by providing the dates for the July “Irish Saturday ” event (July 13) and webinar (July 20) with Michael Walsh: From Tithes to Griffith's Valuation, Property and Valuation Records.
Dave interviews IGSI Co-president Walt Rothwell about educational events through 2024. IGSI will be represented at the Minnesota Irish Fair Aug 9 - 11. And there's BREAKING NEWS about the December 2024 webinar!
Volunteer and IGSI's Instagram manager, Janelle Asselin, presents her first Irish History Minute, educating us about the Norman Invasion of Ireland.
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Medieval Uí Briúin genealogies
Y-DNA Sheds New Light on the Medieval Genealogies of the Uí Briúin Dynasty
Here is part two of a two-part series on the medieval genealogies of the Uí Briúin dynasty of northwest Ireland, written by Maurice Gleeson & Kyle DePew and posted in the FamilyTreeDNA blog (June 18, 2024).
If you missed part one, you can read that blog post here.
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MNHS adds newspapers to its digital hub
The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) has added over 10,000 issues to its collection of digitized newspapers. Paula Stuart-Warren recently posted the good news in her blog, "Genealogy by Paula." She details the new MNHS newspaper titles & date spans and provides live links here.
Most of the new issues are from out-state Minnesota newspapers. However, the Fort Snelling Bulletin (1928-1946) snagged my attention and down the rabbit hole I went. My father was discharged from the Army at Fort Snelling in June 1945. I quickly found an article on the front page of the June 9th Fort Snelling Bulletin which reported, "...because of the recent War Department policy to discharge replaceable veterans with an adjusted service rating of 85 or more...the separation center has been working from 0730 until 2200, seven days a week...and will continue to discharge around 125 men a day." Old newspapers are a gold mine.
By the by, aforesaid Paula Stuart-Warren will be IGSI's featured presenter on Saturday, August 17, with her talk "Railroad Records and Railroad History: Methods for Tracking." Railroad research is one of Paula's specialities. While you're at her blog, take a look at the list of topical categories she's covered (lower right side of the page) and you'll see 23 posts about Railroads! One can get a preview of her presentation by cruising her postings on the subject.
Click on Activites at left to see all upcoming IGSI events, including Paula's webinar. |
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Researching a Cork Family, IRE to WIS
If your Irish ancestors emigrated to the American Midwest in the mid-1800s, you shouldn't miss IGSI's upcoming webinar.
Next Saturday, June 22, you'll have three options to hear Lois Abromitis Mackin share her research about a Cork family that left Ireland to settle in Wisconsin. You can participate 1) in person at the Minnesota Genealogy Center, 2) attend the webinar remotely, or 3) view the recording later, at your convenience.
Researching a Mid-Nineteenth-Century Cork Family, from Wisconsin to Ireland
By Lois Abromitis Mackin, PhD, professional genealogist
10:30 AM - Noon CST (UTC-6)
$15 for IGSI members*; $20 for non-members
An Irishman from Cork, born about 1845, settled in Wisconsin. Learn the records and methods we used to identify six of his eleven siblings in America, then trace the family back to Ireland, where we learned about his other five siblings and his parents.
Lois Abromitis Mackin, Ph.D., is a professional genealogist focusing on American and British Isles research. Lois writes and teaches about genealogical records and methods, including DNA. She was a founding member of the Minnesota Genealogical Society DNA interest group. She supports several lineage societies at the state level and is a member of the Education Committee of the Irish Genealogical Society International.
The webinar will be recorded, and all registrants will get access to the recorded event.
*The member Discount Code is posted on the member-only webpage (link).
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FamilyTreeDNA kits on sale
Yet another Father's Day special, this offer from FamilyTreeDNA is good through June 17, 2024.
Click here to find out about savings on Family Finder and Big Y-700.
If you've already done a Y-DNA test, sign in and check out FTDNA's reduced pricing on upgrades.
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Current genealogy-related bargains
Father's Day weekend is traditionally a good time for special prices on DNA kits, but when D-Day is added to the mix, there are even more bargains! Here are two:
1) Ancestry DNA Kits on sale, starting at $39*. Click here for more details.
*Offers end 16 Jun 2024 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Excludes shipping. Some DNA features require an Ancestry® subscription.
2) Free Findmypast access through June 10. Registration required; exclusions may apply.
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Law change re: MN adoption records
A notice from the Minnesota Department of Human Services/Minnesota Department of Health states:
Adopted people to get access to original birth records
Due to a recent law change, adopted people will be able to request their original birth records beginning on July 1, 2024 (Minnesota Statutes 144.2252 and 259.83). Currently, adopted people may or may not be able to access their birth records, depending on the preferences of the birth parents. The new law allows any adopted person born in Minnesota who is 18 or older to request the original pre-adopted record of their birth.
Parents who have placed a child for adoption
Birth parents may submit a Birth Parent Contact Preference form to indicate whether they would ilke to be contacted by the adopted person when access changes on July 1. Adopted people will have access to the original birth records, regardless of the parents’ contact preferences.
For relatives of adopted person (if deceased)
Beginning July 1, 2024, an adopted person’s original birth record may also be requested by people related to the adoptee, if the adoptee is deceased. These individuals include: the adoptee’s spouse, child, grandchild, or great-grandchild of the adoptee.
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Sneem Parish, County Kerry
The Irish Family History Foundation (IFHF) has announced the addition of 6,226 new baptismal and marriage records for Sneem parish in Kerry.
 Baptisms - 5497 records (1813-99);- Marriages - 729 records (1858-1900).
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Free British Connections article
Want to sample this quarter’s British Connections?
An article titled "A Band of Builder Brothers: The Rise and Fall of a Swansea Family Business" is available for anyone to read.
Members of the International Society for British Genealogy and Family History (ISBGFH) are able to read the entire issue, which is about the role of money and commerce in the lives of British ancestors.
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FMP's maritime records
FindMyPast has recently launched 313,000 new records of individuals  with maritime service, from collections at The National Archive (TNA) in Kew.
Record collections now available include Coastguards, 1801-1952 and British Royal Navy & Royal Marines Service And Pension Records, 1704-1939, both with "sizeable contingents of Irish-born men."
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Confirmed by DNA
From the FamilyTreeDNA blog, here's the link to a fascinating (May 28) account about what you might learn from family history research.
While there, scroll down to the (May 24) posting about Y-DNA findings
written by Maurice Gleeson and Kyle DePew.
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Searching the Surname Interests Database
Have you looked at IGSI’s Surnames Interests Database? Currently 770 surnames have been added to the database by IGSI members. Anyone can search and leave a message, whether they’re a member or not.
To begin, click on Surname Interests in the column at left, then Surname Research.
The surnames listed are those IGSI members are searching and have entered in the database. (Check back regularly to find new additions.)
As displayed, the database is arranged alphabetically by surname. 
1. In the box at the top of the page, enter the surname you wish to search. If you have entered an alternate spelling of a member’s surname – and they have recognized that alternate spelling -- you will see that surname among your results.
2. When the results display, click on the eye (under Actions) to see the details entered by the member. Entries there may include the townland or parish of the Irish county, alternate spellings of the surname, and additional notes or comments.
3. You can sort the data by clicking on the column titles, or simply scroll down the list of 770 entries.
4. To contact the IGSI member who entered a surname for further information, click on the envelope image (in the box to the right of the eye). A new page will open that will ask you to enter your name and email. For validation, you need to check a box and then type in the code that appears.
Add your message and send. While we cannot guarantee a response – nothing ventured, nothing gained.
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