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
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.
Was your ancestor “out” in 1916? Explore how the Easter Rising shaped your family story and learn how to find their records in our Letter from Ireland.
Have you ever wondered why your ancestor lived with another family in records? Learn about the Irish Hiring Fair, the “earnest” coin, and the reality of life as a landless labourer.
Step back to 1876 with this fictional Irish ancestor letter. Experience the grit of farm life, emigration, and the deep family bonds of a West Cork family.
Beyond the myths of snakes and shamrocks, what do we really know about St. Patrick? We explore the true story of the man who shaped the Irish landscape.
Why did your Irish ancestors held such tiny plots of land? The Battle of Boyne might have something to do with it, shaping records and the world they left behind.
Ever wonder why your Irish ancestors left in spring? Discover the “hungry gap” and the seasonal rhythm that forced a choice between the land and the sea.