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

35187960 m - Is There Such a thing as Irish DNA?

Is There Such a thing as Irish DNA?

Carina and myself are just back from the city of San Sebastian in northern Spain – located in the middle of what is known as “Basque Country”. We travelled there as part of our traveling the “Irish Ancestral Trail” – tracking the places where the Irish originated, and the places where we ended up! It…

Imbolc

Saint Brigid and The Story of a Remembered Soldier

There also seem to be a lot of commemorations over the past while – for example, we had the 1916 Irish Easter Rising centenary one year ago. That same year we had another commemoration – it was the centenary of the first day of the Battle of the Somme – the bloodiest battle of the…

Irish Hurling - The Origins of Two Irish Counties.

The Origins of Two Irish Counties.

It’s a fine “soft day” here in County Cork this morning, there is a fine shroud of mist covering the hillside as well as keeping our complexions moist! The weather, being what it is today, gives us a good excuse to head to a local barstool later and enjoy watching the Green, Red and Blue…

An irish knight in battle

Would You Like to Hear the Tale of an Irish Knight?

I’m having a cup of Barry’s tea this morning as we chat and I hope you’ll have a drop of whatever you fancy as you join me for today’s Letter. In fact, the Barrys of Cork have a small part to play in today’s letter. Over in The Green Room, I received a note from…

Statue of Annie Moore

The Story of Two Irish Immigrants.

How are things in your part of the world today? I’m delighted to introduce another reader’s “Letter of the Month”. We get so many stories each week, it seems a pity not to share some of the best.  So, congratulations to Kevin Nolan who shared the following letter. “Hi Mike, I’m the product of a…

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.

Cup of tea stories - What Happens when an Irish Bard Reads Your Family History (#821)

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.

blogcobh2 - 7 Irish Characters - 7 Tales of Emigration (#812)

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…