The January 2026 edition of The Septs has been emailed to all IGSI members. For those who've opted for a general membership, a printed copy of the quarterly journal is also on the way via USPS.

Here's a summary of the feature articles:

The Septs, January 2026    Theme: Documenting Death

• Documenting Life and Death When Records are Locked: Tracing Living Family in Northern Ireland Beyond GRONI by Chelley Brekke McLear
• Resolving a Murphy-Leary Family Brick Wall Through Probate and Death Records by Joan Cichoski
• Websites About Cemeteries by Aiden Feerick 
• Grief Rituals: The Wake-How Irish Traditions Honour the Dead and Comfort the Living by Lottie Moore
• Death by Drowning: What One Death Record Uncovered About a Family Dispute by Peggy Peters
• Irish Gravestone Symbols Adapted and reprinted from the blog post at Billion Graves written by Cathy Wallace
• Origin Story by John Grenham 

The cover photo of St. Patrick’s and St. Brigid’s Catholic Cemetery, Glenariff, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland, was taken by Michael James McNabb.

Note: Signed-in members can view all issues of The Septs--going back to 1981--by clicking on The Septs (Journal) tab at left. One can then sort by either Contents (Date) or Issues by Theme.