Letter Archive
Welcome to the letter archive page for the weekly "Letter from Ireland". We started to write these letters in 2013 covering Irish Genealogy & Family History, Irish Surnames, Irish Culture & Customs and Ireland Travel, here you'll find a link to all of them.
Browse the letters listed on this page and jump to one that interests you, or enter a placename, surname or other item in the search box below to see related letters.
All of our weekly letters to date
Who was the keeper of your family’s history? An Irish storyteller could be the key to uncover the memories, surnames, and townlands of your ancestors.
Have you ever noticed a significant age gap between your married Irish ancestors? For many, Irish marriage wasn’t about romance, but an economic arrangement.
Want to turn family history timelines into an unforgettable Irish story? Learn how to break through the writer’s block and share your past.
Reflecting on the troubled times of Irish history, Mike shares comforting wisdom from his grandfather-in-law Timmy O’Donoghue of County Cork.
The small places of Ireland: Why a quiet field or old cottage wall can feel more sacred than the grand sights when tracing your family roots.
Did your ancestors come from Limerick? Join Mike as he walks the historic streets and explores the roots of this iconic Irish city.
Land records show your Irish ancestors as tenants, but that’s only half the story. See how one family held their ground in Kilkenny for 1,300 years.
What was life like for an Irish shoemaker in 1926? Mike uses the new census to reconstruct the daily world of Carina’s Moynihan ancestors in Cork.
A West Cork shopkeeper filled in his 1926 census form on a spring night in Ovens. A hundred years later, you can sit down and read exactly what he wrote.
The 1926 Census is finally here! These new Irish records might just help you find the family members who stayed behind after your ancestors moved abroad.