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
Well, we’re just getting over Saint Patrick’s Day in this part of the world. There were parades all over the place last Thursday – as it is a holiday across the country, most people are off for the day. The weather was a bit nippy – but dry and cheerful – a nice relaxing day…
Do you have a favourite tree? Maybe the majestic oak, or graceful willow? In Ireland, the most ancient and revered is the mighty Yew tree, used to guard entrances to homes and cemeteries. In this letter we talk about how a tree came to name both the sons and townlands of Ireland.
This week, we’re going to start off with a “bonus” letter. Here is a letter I wrote around about this time last year. It was all about “The Fighting Irish” – and how “faction fights” evolved into the Irish sport of Hurling today. Click here to read more about the Fighting Irish and the birth…
Just last September, one of our Green Room members, Eunice Hawkins visited the City of Liverpool on the west coast of England, and compiled a wonderful “trip report” that reminded us of the so many links between Ireland and Liverpool: “Interesting visit yesterday! Liverpool has 2 cathedrals – the gothic designed Anglican, and the RC…
A few weeks ago, we announced our new reader of the month competition. Each month, we take one of your stories or letters, and feature it here with comments from myself. So, here is our reader of the the month for February – Lynn Clements from New Jersey in the USA: Lynn starts off: Hello…
Irish Genealogy & Family History Podcasts
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.
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!
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.
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.
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…