Final call for Saturday’s FREE lecture: in-person or via Zoom

Virtual gathering on Zoom -or- live in Mendota Heights!

Tracing Your Irish Roots: A Beginner's Guide -
A free event for all thanks to a generous anonymous donor. Open to all, but registration is required.

Presented by Jillian van Turnhout from Ireland

Saturday, Sept 19, 10:30am – noon CDT (UTC-5)
Virtual on Zoom, with the option to watch live with us in Minnesota

Exploring your ancestors in Ireland? This session will introduce you to getting started… or to refresh your efforts — no experience required. You'll learn about key records to trace Irish families: civil (birth, marriage, death), church, and land records… both online and in archives. She will outline strategies for different periods of Irish history.

Jillian will discuss tips for common research obstacles — lost records, names spelled in various ways, and sources that appear to conflict. How do you tell a good source from a shaky one? Where do you turn when you hit a dead end? Whether you're brand new to this research or ready to take a fresh look at a stubborn family mystery, you'll leave with real tools to make progress. Gather your ancestral tree and bring your questions!

On registration you will choose to attend on Zoom or to join our live audience event in Minnesota. Doors will open at doors open at 9:30 to share coffee or tea and Irish treats before the broadcast; the presentation runs from 10:30 am until noon. If you prefer, the Hoffman Research Library will be open from 10 am – 4 pm for personal research or to explore the Irish Collection. Following the broadcast, we’ll sample Irish treats and look at crafts and references of interest. Books & maps will be available for purchase. It’s quite likely that stories will be shared and questions answered… possibly a few tales or family secrets revealed. Join us!

For details and registration, click on Events tab at left. 

Your confirmation email will list the Zoom meeting login. This will also include a link with detailed information about joining the live gathering at the Minnesota Genealogy Center.