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
In this letter, we explore the rich history of a renowned Irish beverage—Guinness Extra Stout Porter, commonly known as ‘Guinness’. Learn how this pint of Guinness evolved into a symbol of Ireland celebrated worldwide
In this letter – we look at the journey of an ancient Irish Royal family around the north half of Ireland over many centuries. This “journey” was typical of many Irish families following the arrival of the Normans and the later plantations.
In the heart of Ireland lies Rathcroghan, an ancient site steeped in myth and legend and an Irish fairy mound.
Which county did your Irish ancestors come from? When we think of Ireland, we often think of places like County Kerry, County Galway, County Louth and so on – all the way through the 32 historical counties on the island of Ireland. In fact, if your ancestor was asked their county of origin – they would probably include the county name as well as “Ireland” in their answer.
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?”
Irish Genealogy & Family History Podcasts
This week we have a special episode that takes you around ten counties on the island of Ireland. We stop off at each point and share a song – as well as more on the place and the person featured in the song. Please note that this episode was broadcast in a different format inside…
In this episode we trace the origins of Carina’s Irish grandfather – Bartholomew Cronin. He died well before she was born and she only recently realised how little she knew of his early days, the wider family and his final resting place”. So, join us as we look to solve this mystery – with plenty…
In this episode we trace the origins – and more – of Carina’s mystery Irish grandmother. I say “mystery” because Carina only ever knew her as “Granny Cronin”. So, join us as we look to solve this mystery – with plenty of journeys, unexpected turns, twists and interesting characters along the way. We hope you…
Have you ever wondered how the Irish surnames in your family tree came about? Understanding just HOW your Irish surnames developed is KEY to understanding more about your Irish origins and likely locations in Ireland. In this episode we take two very different Irish surnames and use them to illustrate the sometimes simple – and…
This episode of the Letter from Ireland podcast has a Hollywood theme! Not just Hollywood however, we tell two stories behind recently released movies with a strong connection to Ireland. So, what do Laurel & Hardy, Steven Spielburg, Tom Hanks, Mary Black and Carina Collins all have in common? They all feature in this week’s…