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
Irish Matchmaker Tomás O’Brien had the power to shape family trees. We dive into the hidden world of 1880s matchmaking and how it shaped your Irish ancestors.
The hills, bogs, valleys, and coastlines we see in Ireland today weren’t shaped slowly over millions of years like many other parts of the world. Much of Ireland, as our Irish ancestors knew it, was carved into existence in a geological blink of an eye that happened just 12,000 years ago.
Does your Irish ancestor’s birthday seem to change across different records? You’re not the only one with this problem! Discover why your ancestors’ birthdays ‘drift’ and how to narrow it down.
Are there genetic connections between Ireland and Iceland? Though they might seem quite distant, they are connected through fascinating threads of history, culture, and even genetics
The Tithe War (1830-1838) saw Irish families resist forced payments to the Church of Ireland. Learn what really happened and find your ancestors in the records.
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…