Check out these four new Irish genealogy online workshops

Ancestor Network, Ireland’s most trusted genealogy research, advisory and publishing firm, is offering online workshops by authoritative speakers in July 2021.

With the Covid virus situation thankfully drawing to a close, are you planning on visiting Ireland in 2021 to find out more about your Irish ancestors and to perhaps meet living relatives?

If you are, it is important that you research as much about your Irish ancestors before you come to Ireland to get the most out of your visit. This means at a minimum finding out about where your ancestors were from in Ireland, what were their parents’ and siblings’ names, what trade they worked in, how and when they emigrated, and what religion they practiced. 

Are you planning on visiting Ireland to find out more about your Irish ancestors?

Talking to older relatives is a good place to start. Obtaining birth, marriage, and death civil records and naturalization papers in your home country is also critical.  It also means putting together a family tree so you can bring that with you and having it to hand when you are in Ireland.

Ancestor Network, Ireland’s pre-eminent and most trusted genealogy research, advisory, and publishing firm, will be offering four online workshops by authoritative speakers in July 2021 to help you learn how to gather this information. Topics to be covered are 'Understanding Irish Placenames’, and ‘Planning a Genealogy Research Visit to Ireland’.

Each workshop will be led by authoritative speakers who are experts in their field

Understanding Irish Placenames with Aiden Feerick and Dr. James Ryan - Thursday, 8 July 5:00pm Dublin, 12:00noon U.S. East Coast

Finding the home of your ancestors is central to understanding whatever records they left behind. However, the nature of the land divisions they referred to and their names are sometimes very confusing. Places identified in older records like, for example, in Church baptism and marriage records, can puzzle even experienced researchers.  

This talk will review the background to the land divisions mentioned, name the provinces of Ireland, the Baronies, the Civil Parishes, the counties, and the Poor Law Unions and discuss the reasons behind them. Mention will also be made of the ecclesiastical divisions into parishes and dioceses. The talk will also examine townland names and how they came into being by examining the physical features of the area and by considering the built landscape.

Participants registering will receive a free comprehensive list of Irish genealogy websites categorized into key research areas

Planning a Genealogical Research Visit to Ireland with John Hamrock and Michael Rooney- Friday, 9 July, 5:00 pm Dublin and Belfast, 12:00noon U.S. East Coast

This workshop is a virtual tour of the main archives, libraries, repositories, and heritage centers in Dublin, Belfast, and around Ireland for conducting Irish Genealogical Research. Before going on any genealogical research trip, compile as much information about your ancestor including names, places, trades, religion, and dates if at all possible. Prepare a detailed family tree you can bring with you. Use records from your home country first and work back in time. Imaginative planning is required to get the most out of one’s limited time and financial resources.

Prices for the workshops are €30 each.

These online workshops will be presented via Zoom. More information and access to registration are provided here or on the Ancestor Network website.

Participants registering will receive a free comprehensive list of Irish genealogy websites categorized into key research areas.