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

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.

Do You See Yourself As Irish?

When I am travelling in Ireland and someone asks me – “Where are you from?” – the answer is usually expected to be the county where you live. It’s only when I travel abroad that I start to think of myself as an “Irish man” as opposed to a “Cork man”. Do you have a similar experience?

Irish Genealogy & Family History Podcasts

Irish Baby Names – Do You Follow this Approved List? (#117)

Welcome to Season 1, Episode 17 of the Letter from Ireland Show. In this episode we look at “Approved” Irish baby names that are found in families – maybe you’ll hear one from your own family?

DNA and Culture – Is Irishness your Nature or Nurture? (#114)

Welcome to Season 1, Episode 14 of the Letter from Ireland Show. In this episode we get philosophical! First, we ask if Irishness is your nature or is it nurtured. But Carina starts by asking “Where did the Irish come from?”.

Pride, Prejudice and Jane Eyre – An Irish Connection? (#113)

Welcome to Season 1, Episode 13 of the Letter from Ireland Show. In this episode we have a literary theme. Carina looks at a famous English writer – and some of her Irish connections, as well as a family of English writers who held their ancestry from County Down. 

Maud Gonne and Mrs. Brown – 2 Tales of Strong Irish Women (#111)

Welcome to Season 1, Episode 11 of the Letter from Ireland Show. In this episode, Carina looks at the story of two very different strong Irish women – but notices common traits that run deep in both of them.

Irish Placenames – A Journey along an old Irish Road (#110)

Welcome to Season 1, Episode 10 of the Letter from Ireland Show. In this episode, Carina looks at how Irish placenames are created – and takes us on a journey along an old Irish road.