The Medieval Origins of Irish Genealogy - an Archaeologist's perspective (Webinar - online)
virtual on Zoom
10:30 AM - Noon CST (GMT-5)
Presented by Professor Thomas Finan, Saint Louis University
Free and open to the public, but registration is required
The medieval era (The Middle Ages or Dark Ages) began around 476 CE and spanned nearly 1,000 years. We will explore how the medieval Irish established and documented the ancestry and heraldry we pursue today. Many source records remain accessible, including textual documents, maps, and landscape information.
Dr Thomas Finan is a professor of medieval history and archaeology at Saint Louis University, and the author/editor of many books and academic articles relating to medieval Ireland. He has been the director of the Lough Key archaeological project for over 20 years. This "dig" in County Roscommon on Castle Island examines the site of a medieval castle (of the MacDermot lords of Moylurg), unearthing mysteries of 13th century rural Ireland. The University of Minnesota - Morris has also partnered in this project.
A proud descendent of Roscommon Irish, Dr. Finan is also active in several digital projects analyzing collections of medieval genealogical material.
Hoffman Research Library, MN Genealogy Center, 1385 Mendota Heights Road, Ste 100
Stop by the library for Irish research help.
Check www.mngs.org on the day you plan to visit, to make sure the library is open. Short-notice closures will be highlighted on their main page.
Saturday, January 4, 2025
Using Artificial Intelligence to Research Documents & Letters (Webinar - online)
virtual on Zoom
10:30 AM - Noon CST (GMT-5)
Presented by Mark D Thompson
$15 for IGSI members (with Discount Code); $20 for non-members
Do you have old family letters and documents waiting to be explored?
Artificial intelligence can assist you in analyzing and researching your family’s personal archives, on paper or online. Whether you need to summarize large documents to easily identifying names and relationships, or to develop a "cast of characters" or timeline in complex documents, AI tools can make your research more efficient and effective. Get familiar with terms like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and more. We will discuss how to use some of the most powerful AI tools available to genealogists today, such as transcription and translation, being mindful of accuracy and sourcing. We will also explore how the major research websites are providing new tools for us, using related technology.
Mark will explain how AI can "lighten the load" of research and help you reveal rich history deep in your family archive!
Audience level: all
Register here:
forthcoming
The Discount Code will be sent to members via email and is posted on IGSI’s member-only webpage (link). You can reach the IGSI Education team at Education@IrishGenealogical.org
Thursday, January 23, 2025
IGSI Social Gaggle on Zoom (Social)
Zoom meeting
6:30 - 8:00 PM CST
Join a group of IGSI leaders to share ideas and challenges with family history research relating to Irish ancestors. Please share your questions, celebrations, favorite strategies or resources, and dead ends. The session will start with a round-robin of introductions (as you choose), followed by a short demonstration of "gems" on the IGSI website (public & member-only) by Walt Rothwell, then open discussion time on Zoom.
Open to the public. No registration required. Please join in the fun and common purpose!
