Irish Genealogy & Family History Resources

Are you interested in discovering more on your Irish family history? In this section, I have included letters (and podcasts) that include stories, explanations and approaches to help you investigate your own Irish family history. You may even receive a little inspiration to break down one or two family history brick walls!

 

Browse the features 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 and podcasts.

Irish Genealogy & Family History Letters

Life in Ireland 1800s

Life in Ireland during the 1800s: See more by looking through this lens

I have noticed that when we assemble an Irish family tree by gathering the essential ancestors, places and dates – we eventually ask: “I wonder what life in Ireland was like for my Irish ancestor and their family?”

The Great Hunger Memorial Statues with flowers

Did your Irish Ancestor Live Through this terrible time?

Ever wondered about the stories and trials your Irish ancestor might have faced during the great famine? As I delved into the resilience and hardships of my own O’Regan lineage, it made me reflect on the untold tales each of our ancestors might hold.

The Irish Famine - Cottier Class

How the Irish Famine Wiped out a Whole Group of People

The Irish famine had a profound effect on a large group of people in Ireland who often went unrecorded. While some records of Irish ancestors are lost due to incidents like fires, many times no records were made in the first place.

Letter From ireland

10th Anniversary of the Letter from Ireland

We’re having a birthday celebration here in Cork, and not just any birthday – it’s the 10th anniversary of this Letter from Ireland!

I’m sipping on my regular cup of Barry’s Tea, do join me with a cup of whatever you fancy yourself, as I share the story of how this little Letter from Ireland came to be.

The City of Belfast

explore the city of Belfast’s unique history and its divergence from other Irish cities. Through a conversation between Colleen and our Belfast-born genealogist, Jayne McGarvey, we’ll delve into the lives of ancestors, the events that moulded them, and the reasons behind their migrations.

Irish Genealogy & Family History Podcasts

Irish Ancestral Homeland

Finding Your Irish Ancestral Homeland in Ireland (#838)

In this special Irish family history episode we take two letters from our Green Room members. We chat about the approach they should take to uncover more about their respective Irish ancestral homelands.

Irish genealogy trip- Cathy and Mike in County Cork

An Irish Genealogy Trip Back to County Cork (#837)

On our latest episode, join us on an Irish genealogy trip as we embark with Boston-native Cathy Abraham back to County Cork. Unraveling the romantic tale of her great-grandparents’ elopement to America, we uncover hidden truths and visit ancestral lands connected to the O’Callaghan and Richardson families. Prepare for some fascinating discoveries!

The Great Hunger - An old Irish ruin.

Living Conditions at the time of The Great Hunger (#836)

In this episode, we look at a very difficult time in Ireland – one that triggered a time of death across the population of the island as well as emigration for many generations afterwards.

What Happens when an Irish Bard Reads Your Family History (#821)

In this episode we look at two different styles of story-telling. First, Carina reads out “Which County did your Irish Ancestor Come from?”. In the second feature we ask an Irish Poet/Bard to look at the family history of one of our Green Room members and then to put the entire saga into verse.

7 Irish Characters – 7 Tales of Emigration (#812)

In a follow-up to our recent episode about traveling from Cobh to Ellis Island – we head back to the Cobh Heritage Centre in County Cork and hear 7 stories of emigration from this very spot to many places around the world. Many thanks to Jack Walsh and all the team at the Cobh Heritage…