About Us and A Letter from Ireland.

Mike and Carina Collins of A Letter From Ireland

Welcome to A Letter from Ireland.

 

Let me guess - you’ve been interested in tracing your Irish Heritage and Family History for some time now.

 

Maybe you've already travelled to Ireland? Perhaps you wonder if you will ever get here?

 

What you DO know is that your ancestors left Ireland for a better life - bringing with them their values and beliefs, many of which were passed to you and your own family.

 

Since 2013, we've shared our weekly "Letter from Ireland" and it has attracted over Two Million people of Irish descent around the world. They find that our Letters, Blog posts, Videos, books and Podcasts help them to understand what life was like for their Irish Ancestors.

 

For some, this information provides a rich backdrop to help with research on Ancestry Record sites. For others, the Letter connects them with their Irish roots in a very real and visceral way.

 

Here are just some reasons why some of our readers keep coming back to "A Letter from Ireland" for more:

 

“Trace your surname, discover where your ancestors may have lived and step into this fascinating and beautiful land that we love”. Sandy Laferriere.

 

“If you have Irish blood running through your veins, or even if you are just interested in Ireland, this site is essential.” Patty McCoy.

 

“You and Carina are melding a very important aspect of Irish history and heritage to our personal genealogical endeavors. Thanks for bringing it all to life for us!” Jack Healy.

 

 

Now, I think it’s time to introduce ourselves! We are Mike and Carina Collins - a husband and wife team based in County Cork, Ireland.

 

Our Irish Heritage adventure started when we noticed many people asking questions on Facebook about Irish surnames and the homelands of their Irish Ancestors.

 

We started to answer with our local knowledge - and those answers took the form of a weekly email called “A Letter from Ireland”.

 

In each Letter, we share stories of counties, surnames and heroic Irish individuals who made new lives for themselves across the world - often in the harshest of circumstances. Sound like any of your Irish ancestors?

 

Today, we travel around Ireland - gathering stories and sharing them with you through our weekly letters, blog posts, videos and podcasts.

Would you like to see the Letter and Podcast survive and thrive for the future - and receive some personal benefits along the way?

Recent Posts

Copy of The Letter From Ireland Show 1 - Irish Placenames - A Journey along an old Irish Road (#110)

Irish Placenames – A Journey along an old Irish Road (#110)

Welcome to Season 1, Episode 10 of the Letter from Ireland Show. In this episode, Carina looks at how Irish placenames are created – and takes us on a journey along an old Irish road.

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Copy of The Letter From Ireland Show - A Trip to The Moon - In the Footsteps of 2 Irish Scientists (#109)

A Trip to The Moon – In the Footsteps of 2 Irish Scientists (#109)

Welcome to Season 1, Episode 9 of the Letter from Ireland Show. In this episode, Carina looks at the story of two Irish scientists who made a big impact on the scientific world. One was born in Ireland and left – the other was born in England, but came to Ireland where he is buried.

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Blog 1 jpg - The Music of Chief O'Neill

The Music of Chief O’Neill

As I write, I can hear the Autumn winds giving the trees their first real shake of the season. An “Indian” summer may be ahead of us, but there is no sight of it at the moment! How is the weather behaving in your own part of the world today? An Irish Warrior Name. Do…

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Crogh Patrick - Irish Homelands - County Mayo Revisited

Irish Homelands – County Mayo Revisited

Welcome to this “Irish Homelands” feature - as we revisit County Mayo.


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Kilkenny Castle, County Kilkenny

The Life, Plays and Wisdom of George Bernard Shaw

In a recent letter from Ireland, we chatted about our recent visit to the city of Armagh – but also about the marching bands of the Orange order who spring into action this time of year. That prompted many shared stories in reply – lots of memories and opinions! Well, today we will hang on…

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