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…

A Mystery Solved: The Search for my Irish Grandmother (#802)

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…

Did Many of Your Ancestors STAY in Ireland?

Carina here – a bit of a change from Mike. I came downstairs earlier and pulled Mike off the keyboard to sent him back to bed – still stressing about “never missing a Letter from Ireland yet”. So I said, don’t worry, I’ll do it instead.At this stage I read the Letter from Ireland each…

Laurel & Hardy and An Irish American Hero (#721)

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…

The Evolution of Irish Surnames – Where your Irish Surname fits

In this article, we look at Irish Surnames – their origins and evolution. See if you can find the Irish surnames in your family tree in one of the sections below.