Putting the ‘Family’ into Irish Family History Centre
12 April 2019Hi everyone! I’m delighted to be sharing our new series of events for young families, kicking off this Spring and carrying right through to Christmas (that’s a scary thought!) Children are never too young to be involved in family history and what it means to be a family – no matter...
Tracing landless labourers in Valuation Records
29 March 2019In Ireland, the number of agricutural labourers fell after 1850. Day labourers and seasonal workers, servant boys and girls were employed to work on the farm. Workers from outside the locality were always cheaper; they came, they went and crucially, as historian Caitriona Clear has written, the farmer didn’t have...
News Digest: March 2019
29 March 2019A round-up of some of the news in the World of Irish Genealogy today! Who Should Own Photos of Slaves? The New York Times – A lawsuit has been filed in Massachusetts saying that the descendants of slaves, and not the institutions that currently holding them, rightfully own the...
POSTCARD FROM IRELAND: Dublin Theatre
29 March 2019Welcome to our ‘Postcard from Ireland’ where the Irish Family History Centre try and give you a flavour of some of the new or lesser known museums / exhibitions and attractions in Dublin and further afield in Ireland. Dublin has an extremely vibrant and exciting theatre scene, the best...
4-Week Genealogy Course Begins
29 March 2019This March we were delighted to kick off our four-week course An Introduction to Genealogy here in the Irish Family History Centre. Historian and Genealogist Declan Brady gave a fascinating first lecture on Research Methods and Census Records, getting participants familiar with the initial stages of family history and where to...
St. Patrick’s Day Competition Winner!
29 March 2019To celebrate this year’s St. Patrick’s Day, we ran a competition for a free one-hour consultation to explore your Irish roots with one of our genealogists. We asked readers to share their favourite family traditions and St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, and we were amazed and thrilled at the variety of...
End of year 2018-19 Course in Irish Family & Social History, Trinity College Dublin
29 March 2019The 2018-19 course in Irish Family & Social History finished in Trinity College this week. It’s been a really busy year, preparing lectures for two years is more than double the work, but the enthusiasm of the students carried me through. Being back in the classroom provides real activity and challenge. The students,...
Griffith’s Valuation
15 March 2019Here is something that I think will be a help to everyone tracing their family history. I was recently trying to locate a property in Griffith’s Valuation. I wanted to see who owned a field in the mid-19th century and was trying to match the occupier with the specific lands in...
POSTCARD FROM IRELAND: Local Bookshops
15 March 2019When learning about ancestors who migrated from Ireland, we suggest gaining a better perspective of them by looking at where they’re from, and what it was like at the time they lived there. Thankfully for family historians pride of place is a key theme in Irish life. The study of local history...
Digital Detectives at the Irish Family History Centre
15 March 2019In celebration of this year’s St. Patrick’s Festival, the Irish Family History Centre is running a revamped Digital Detectives hunt for families. People of all ages can enjoy this free digital treasure hunt (with challenges available for adults and children!) and tackle our history mysteries. Some spaces still remain...
Competition: Win a FREE 1-Hour Consultation with the IFHC!
14 March 2019To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and our wonderful family traditions, we’re giving you the opportunity to win a free 1-hour consultation worth €85.00! The consultation can take place either here in our centre in Dublin, or as an online consultation. To Enter: Simply share your family’s favourite St....
Act your age, not your shoe size!
01 March 2019You may have read news reports about Emile Ratelband, back in November/December 2018. Mr. Ratelband, aged 69, was applying to have his age legally changed to 49, as he felt this more accurately reflected his age. The Dutch court rejected his request, but it put in my mind the numerous...
