New Irish TV show will help public to trace their ancestors

A reworked version of Ireland’s broadcaster, RTE’s “Who Do You Think You Are?” will aid families to trace their genealogy.

The television program had concentrated on celebrities in the past but the new show “Genealogy Roadshow” will feature “ordinary folk” and their ancestors.

It is their hope that the show “will do for genealogy what The Antiques Roadshow has done for antiques".

The show presented by Derek Mooney will begin filming on Sunday, January 16 at Carton House, in Maynooth. The experts will help solve family mysteries and discover celebrated ancestors.

The productions company, Big Mountain Productions, are especially looking for ancestors of Arthur Guinness and the explorer Ernest Shackleton, Kildare's most famous sons. They will also be seeking connection to Dublin-born rebel leader Theobald Wolfe Tone.