Past Events

The event is hosted by the Irish Cultural Centre (ICC), 5 Black's Road, Hammersmith, London W6 9DT

There will be two lectures, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Ticket holders are welcome to bring their own food and purchase any basic snacks or drinks from the Irish Cultural Centre’s bar and tuck shop.

"Records relating to the Irish War of Independence held at The National Archives, Kew"

An exploration of key archival materials held at The National Archives in Kew, shedding light on one of the most significant periods in Irish history.

speaker: Michael Mahoney (Learning & Outreach Support Officer, The National Archives, Kew)

"An Undiscovered Country: Irish Military Pensioners of the United States in Ireland and Britain, c. 1845–1905"

This talk examines the largely untapped U.S. military pension records that document the lives of Irish emigrants and their families, offering rare insights into 19th-century Irish social history.

speaker: Dr Damien Shiels (Historian, archaeologist, and author specialising in the Irish diaspora. Former curator at the National Museum of Ireland and Research Fellow at Northumbria University) 

More information can be found on the Irish Cultural Centre website.

This is an in-person event. Booking is open to all on the ICC website here. The cost is £8 for a single lecture or £14 for both.

For details for other events in our anniversary series click here

***THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED***

This is an in-person event to be held in the seminar room at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Titanic Boulevard, Belfast. Booking is free of charge and open to all (subject to capacity of venue).

The event will start at 5.30 pm and follow the timetable below:

5.30-5.45  introduction

5.45-6.45  William Roulston “Scottish migration to Ireland in the seventeenth century” (including Q&A)

6.45-7.15  break (tea & coffee provided)

7.15-8.15  Marian Lyons "Irish merchants in France from 1630 to the eve of the French Revolution: prospects, challenges and identity” (including Q&A)

“Scottish migration to Ireland in the seventeenth century” 

In successive waves of migration, tens of thousands of Scots migrated to Ireland over the course of the seventeenth century. Most settled in the province of Ulster, but a substantial minority could be found elsewhere on the island, in counties including Longford, Sligo and Tipperary, as landowners, farmers, clergymen and merchants. This presentation looks at the sources for tracing these Scottish families and understanding more of their life experiences during this tumultuous era.

speaker: William Roulston, Research Director, Ulster Historical Foundation.

William Roulston has been Research Director of the Ulster Historical Foundation since 2006. He is the author of a number of books on aspects of Irish history with a particular focus on the province of Ulster. His most recent book is "Researching Ulster Ancestors, 1800–1914" (2026).

“Irish merchants in France from 1630 to the eve of the French Revolution: prospects, challenges and identity” 

This lecture traces the establishment, development and decline of Irish merchant communities in Saint-Malo, Nantes, La Rochelle and Bordeaux during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It explores the merchants' motives for settling abroad and examines their experience of establishing and expanding their businesses, outlining challenges they navigated and various investment opportunities in European and Atlantic trade that they embraced. The means by which they achieved commercial success, elevated their standing and eventually became integrated into French society are also highlighted.   

speaker: Marian Lyons, Professor of History, Maynooth University.

Marian Lyons is Professor of History at Maynooth University and has published extensively on the Irish in Europe, particularly France, during the period 1600-1789.

This is an in-person event. Booking is free of charge and open to all (subject to capacity of venue).

For details for other events in the IGRS anniversary series click here

The Society’s Annual General Meeting will take place online, via Zoom, on Saturday, 16th May 2026, at 2pm (GMT (or UTC) +1)

This will be followed by the AGM Lecture at approximately 2:45pm (depending on the time required to complete the formal business of the General Meeting). Details of how to register for the AGM are given below – please do so as soon as you can and don’t leave it until the last moment.

In due course, the Agenda, draft minutes and officer reports for this year’s meeting will be posted on the website page dedicated to the AGM. This can be found under the Member's section of the website menu or by clicking here.

Please note that the AGM will be recorded for the purpose of minutes taking.

AGM Lecture

This year Valerie Adams, Librarian and Archivist of the Presbyterian Historical Society of Ireland will give a talk titled “Pre-1800 Sources for Irish Genealogical Research”. The lecture, fully illustrated with PowerPoint slides, will be a fascinating journey exploring the content of the lesser-known archival sources for Irish genealogy and where to find them.

About Valerie Adams

Valerie was an archivist at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) for over 30 years. At the time of her retirement in 2009 she was Head of Strategic Development. She is an acknowledged expert on the historical collections of PRONI and has over the years lectured on them widely in Ireland, the UK, and internationally. In January 2010 she took up a post as librarian and archivist for the Presbyterian Historical Society of Ireland (PHSI). She was appointed MBE for services to archives in Northern Ireland 2024.

Time Zones: The above times are British/Irish Summertime (which is GMT (or UTC) +1). To confirm the equivalent time in your own time zone please follow this link: https://bit.ly/3wBP2Fz

Please note that this is a member only event. You must be logged into the website to book a place. If you would like to join the Society, please click here.

The New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) is honoured to present the 2nd event in an international lecture series to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Irish Genealogical Research Society (IGRS).

This event will begin at 14.00 in the US Eastern Daylight time zone UTC. The start time in the UK and Ireland will be 19.00 on 18 April 2026. Check the following link to establish what time that equates to in your time zone.

The online portion of the event costs $15. It will be available via American Ancestors.org. Join online by registering here.

For details for other events click here

The British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa (BIFHSGO) is honoured to present the inaugural event in an international lecture series to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Irish Genealogical Research Society (IGRS). 

This event will begin at 14.00 in the Canadian Eastern Standard time zone UTC. The start time in the UK and Ireland will be 18.00 on 28 March 2026. Check the following link to establish what time that equates to in your time zone.  

The event is free. Join online by registering HERE.

For details for other events in the 90th Anniversary programme click here. 

Rachel Fehily is a barrister, lecturer in literature and justice at UCD and is engaged in interdisciplinary creative-based doctoral studies supported by Research Ireland.

Tickets are Euro 10 each for non-members. Members if you are not logged into your account please click here to order your free ticket.

This event is timed to begin at 14.30 in the Irish/British time zone UTC. Check the following link to establish what time that equates to in your own time zone.

Marguerite Fletcher will discuss, Using the Irish Naming Tradition to Build your Family Tree. The title self explanatory, Marguerites presentation will do exactly what it says on the tin and should be a very useful addition to our collective research armoury. 

The National Famine Way runs from the National Famine Museum in Strokestown, Co. Roscommon to the EPIC Museum on Custom House Quay, Dublin. It is 165kms long and is the route taken in 1847 by 1,490 tenants of Strokestown House and Estate from there to Dublin from which they left to travel to Grosse Isle, Quebec, Canada. Caoilin Callery will also talk about the Global Famine Way which is being constructed in the US and Canada to commemorate Irish Famine emigration to those countries. 

9.00 Assemble at EPIC, Custom House Quay, Dublin

9.30 Coach departs promptly. Coach capacity is 35 persons. 

10.45 Arrive at Emo Court Demesne.

11.00 Tour of House which lasts 1 hour. If numbers exceed 25 persons, House tours will be staggered. Those not on a tour will have time to enjoy the grounds and attend the cafe.

13.00 Coach departs for Stradbally Fayre, Stradbally.

13.20 Lunch.

14.40 Depart for Ballykilcavan Farm and Brewery

14.45 Arrive at Ballykilcavan Farm and Brewery.

17.00 Coach departs for Dublin.

To book:

Please email ibtreasurer@irishancestors.ie before 7 July 2025 with your name/s and a mobile phone number.

Cost: 65 euro for IGRS members, 70 euro for non-members which includes travel by coach, all entrance fees and lunch.10 euro reduction for people using their own transport. Fees must be paid in advance to Maureen Power (treasurer), online to:

IBAN IE89AIBK93104741516056; BIC AIBKIE2D. Include your name in the narrative.

The Society’s Annual General Meeting will take place online, via Zoom, on Saturday, 17th May 2025, at 2pm (GMT (or UTC) +1)

This will be followed by the AGM Lecture at approximately 2:45pm (depending on the time required to complete the formal business of the General Meeting). Details of how to register for the AGM are given below – please do so as soon as you can and don’t leave it until the last moment.

For the AGM, the Agenda for this year’s meeting, the draft minutes for last year’s meeting, and a copy of the Treasurer’s Report for 2024 will follow in due course.

Please note that the AGM will be recorded for the purpose of minutes taking.

AGM Lecture

This year Dr Ciarán Reilly will give a talk titled "'A catalogue of evicted tenants': The Great Famine eviction database". During the years of the Great Irish Famine more than a quarter of a million families were removed from the land and evicted. No part of the country was immune from eviction. Whole townlands were cleared and erased from the landscape in what was a near daily occurrence. In this illustrated lecture, Dr Ciaran Reilly will highlight where people were evicted from and focussing on data from almost 2,000 evictions sites, insights will be given as to how the story of eviction during the Famine can be used for genealogical purposes.

About Ciarán Reilly

Dr Reilly is an historian of nineteenth and twentieth century Irish social history at the Department of History, Maynooth University with a special interest in the Great Irish Famine, Irish country houses, landed estates, the Irish revolution and the Irish diaspora. He is also Assistant Director of the Centre for the Study of Historic Irish Houses & Estates at the Department of History.

Time Zones

NB: The above times are British/Irish Summertime (which is GMT (or UTC) +1). To confirm the equivalent time in your own time zone please follow this link: https://bit.ly/3wBP2Fz

Please note that this is a member only event. You must be logged into the website to book a place. If you would like to join the Society, please click here.

Kieran Owens will present on “O'Shea & Owens of Limerick: Banking and Commercial Success from Ireland to Spain”.

Tomas Trenor will present on “The Trenor Family: From Ireland to Spain

Lunch Break: 12.15 to 13.25

Nessa O'Mahony will present on "How Family History can inspire the Creative Writer"

Ruth Mathewson will present on “Settling under the Saltire: Finding the Irish in Scotland

Joseph E. A. Connell, Jr. lives in Florida. He is a graduate of Pepperdine University School of Law, Malibu, CA. His historical research interest lies in early 20th Century Ireland – with a particular focus on the period prior to the Rising up to the founding and early days of the Irish nation. His book, Dublin in Rebellion: A Directory 1913-1923, is an essential reference source for those who study the revolutionary period.

Breandán Mac Suibhne and Daniel Carey will cover;

(1) How the Imirce Project came about via Kerby Miller's initial work of collecting Irish emigrants letters and memoirs and his subsequent donation of the collection to the University of Galway,

(2) Phase 1, the initial digitisation of the immigrant letters and memoirs,

(3) Phase 2, the digitisation and incorporation into the Imirce Project database of additional donated material,

(4) A live tour of the Imirce Project database to demonstrate the range and scope of the collection and how best to access and interrogate its content.

Megan Smolenyak is a United States based commercial genealogist and story teller. Her most recent books are Hey, America, Your Roots Are Showing and Who Do You Think You Are?: The Essential Guide to Tracing Your Family History, companion guide to the TV series.

Among Megan’s most satisfying genealogy achievements are;

• Discovering Michelle Obama’s roots (as featured on the front page of The New York Times), tracing Barack Obama’s roots to Moneygall, Co. Offaly, Ireland, resulting in his pint-in-a-pub moment, and uncovering Joe Biden’s Irish and English heritage.
• Correcting history by revealing the true Annie Moore, first immigrant through Ellis Island (as featured on the front page of The New York Times).
• Providing 25 years of forensic consulting services to the U.S. Army to locate thousands of family members of more than 1,700 soldiers still unaccounted for from WWI, WWII, Korea and Southeast Asia
• Using her sleuthing skills to help coroners locate the next of kin for unclaimed persons and establishing a group of volunteers to tackle this quiet epidemic.

Tracing an Irish ancestor in Africa is an uphill struggle, but perhaps because of that it is an interesting subject. Donal McCracken’s presentation will take us through the steps in researching Irish ancestry in South Africa in the years before World War One. As Irish migration to South Africa after World War One was rarely more that 200-300 a year, Donal McCracken will show how the early period is the most productive for the genealogist.

Born and educated in Ireland, Donal McCracken is Professor Emeritus at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Professor McCracken is a historian who specialises in environmental history, media history and the Irish diaspora in Africa.  

He is widely published. His most recent works are, Napoleon’s Garden Island: Lost and old gardens of St Helena, South Atlantic Ocean, Kew Publications, London, 2022 and, You will dye at midnight: Threatening letters in Victorian Ireland, Eastwood Books, Dublin, 2021. He is currently deep in research for his next work which will be a history of Ireland's gentlemen's clubs. 

Tickets are Euro 10 each for non-members. Members if you are not logged into your account please click here to order your free ticket.

This event is timed to begin at 15:00 in the Irish/British time zone UTC. Check the following link to establish what time that equates to in your own time zone.

Join the Ireland Branch Committee for a convivial evening of genealogy chatter and catch up with friends.

Free Event - All are Welcome.

Free to all members and their friends who would like to gather together to enjoy convivial fellowship from 6PM in the Teacher's Club -CLUB NA MÙINTEOIRÌ, 36 Parnell Square, Dublin 1 . 

Free to all members and their friends who would like to gather in convivial fellowship before Christmas.

Liam Maloney undertook BA and MA programmes at the School of History in University College Dublin.

He began polar history with the Shackleton Endurance Exhibition in Dún Laoghaire and has been writing and speaking about polar topics for ten years. He was Historian of the Antarctic Team aboard NCL's 'Norwegian Star' In 2023 and has spoken to local history societies and institutions across the UK and Ireland.

He maintains the 'Shackleton's Endurance' Facebook page and network.

Tickets are Euro 10 each for non-members. Members if you are not logged into your account please click here to order your free ticket.

This event is timed to begin at 14:30 in the Irish/British time zone UTC. Check the following link to establish what time that equates to in your own time zone.

Jim’s presentation will include aspects of tracing Irish Police ancestors in The Peace Preservation Force (1814-1822), Constabulary of Ireland (1822-1836), Irish Constabulary (1836-1867), Royal Irish Constabulary (1867-1922), Dublin Metropolitan Police (1836-1925), Irish Revenue Police (1832-1857), Cork Civic Patrol (1922-1923), Oriel House Detectives (1922-1923), An Garda Siochana (1922 to date), Royal Ulster Constabulary (1922-2001), The Palestine Gendarmerie (1922-1925). The presentation will include terms & conditions of employment in each of the police forces.

Tickets are Euro 10 each for non-members. Members if you are not logged into your account please click here to order your free ticket.

This event is timed to begin at 14:30 in the Irish/British time zone UTC. Check the following link to establish what time that equates to in your own time zone.

As this is a Dublin based tour this year, there is no coach. We ask participants to make their own way using public transport to Kilmainham Hospital.

9.30     Assemble at the OPW stand in the central courtyard of the Royal Hospital.

10.00   Tour starts.

11.00    Tour Ends

11.30    Make way to Hilton Kilmainham Hotel for Lunch

12.00    Lunch

14.00    Depart on foot for Richmond Barracks. 13 minute walk or transport possible for those who wish by taxi share.

14.30    First Tour will depart on foot from Richmond Barracks to Goldenbridge Cemetery - 3 minute walk. Tour takes 1 hour and 15 minutes.

15.00    Second Tour will  depart on foot from Richmond Barracks to Goldenbridge Cemetery. Tour takes 1 hour and 15 minutes.

The ground in the Cemetery can be uneven so bring stout footwear and a walking stick or support if necessary.

To Book:

Please email events@irishancestors.ie before 13 July 2024 with your name/s and a mobile phone number.

Cost: 60 Euro for IGRS members, 70 Euro for non-members which includes all entrance fees and lunch. Fees must be paid in advance online to:

IBAN IE89AIBK93104741516056; BIC AIBKIE2D. Include your name in the narrative.

• Claire Bradley will present on “Uses for Autosomal DNA Testing”.

• Martin Curley will present on “Mapping your DNA – using maps and genealogical data to determine your ancestral home”.

  • Lunch Break: 12.00 to 13.15

• Paddy Waldon will present on “WikiTree.com and DNA”.

• Q&A by Presenters Panel on all things DNA.

The Society’s Annual General Meeting will take place online, via Zoom, on Saturday, 11th May 2024, at 2pm (GMT (or UTC) +1)

This will be followed by the AGM Lecture at approximately 2:45pm (depending on the time required to complete the formal business of the General Meeting). Details of how to register for the AGM are given below – please do so as soon as you can and don’t leave it until the last moment.

For the AGM, the Agenda for this year’s meeting, the draft minutes for last year’s meeting, and a copy of the Treasurer’s Report for 2023 will follow shortly.

Please note that the AGM will be recorded for the purpose of minutes taking.

AGM Lecture

The AGM Lecture is titled: ‘Leading the Way: Michael Leader's Transcripts of County Cork Church of Ireland Parishes’. It will be given by Sharon Hintze, a member of the IGRS Library committee who will speak on the project to digitise the Society’s extensive collection of transcripts of parish records for Co. Cork compiled by the late Michael Leader

Time Zones

NB: The above times are British/Irish Summertime (which is GMT (or UTC) +1). To confirm the equivalent time in your own time zone please follow this link: https://bit.ly/3wBP2Fz

Please note that this is a member only event. You must be logged into the website to book a place. If you would like to join the Society, please click here.

Dr Declan Brady is a professional genealogist, educator and historian. He completed his PhD, "The Evolution of Local Politics in North County Dublin, 1870-1948", at Maynooth University, where he now teaches.

He examines how sources for History and Genealogy are interdependent and complementary, using his doctoral thesis as a case study.

1798 - a Woman’s World

An in-person Walk and Talk by Audrey Mac Cready, 9 March 2024.

Meet at: Bridge Street, Dublin, opposite The Brazen Head pub, 12.00.

This guided walk will take an hour, moving from Bridge Street to Thomas Street and Watling Street. Audrey’s ancestor, Mary Moore, was an active member of The Society of United Irishmen during the 1798 Rebellion and is the focus of this talk about the experience of women in this turbulent period.

The group is limited to the first ten persons who indicate their interest in attending by sending an email to events@irishancestors.ie. You will be notified if you make the cut! Free to members. €10 for non-members who should bring payment with them on the day.

Via her work in built heritage and with SPAB Ireland, Shóna O'Keeffe will consider the intersections and overlaps between genealogy and historic buildings research. Impact of the builders, architects and past owners of a building will be examined, highlighting the importance of understanding the people involved. The talk will also include an introduction to the SPAB approach to conservation and its activities in Ireland, focusing on the people, past and present, involved in the construction of our built heritage. 

Tickets are €5 each for non-members. Members, if you are not logged into your account please click here to do so to order your free ticket. 

This event is timed to begin at 14:30 in the Irish/British time zone UTC. Check the following link to establish what time that equates to in your own time zone.

Following the genealogical trail of his wife’s GG GF, James Woods, born in 1845, Colin hit a brick wall. The record of his marriage in Roxbury, MA in 1867 showed only that his parents were Patrick and Mary Woods and that his wife, Bridget Cummings was from Skyrne in County Meath. Colin still did not know where James Woods was from and could not find convincing baptismal records that would yield such information.

Finally, a FTDNA autosomal DNA test taken by his daughter led to a breakthrough which strongly suggested that his wife’s Woods ancestry lay in Portglenone, County Antrim. Colin will tell us all about it!

Tickets are €5 each for non-members. Members, if you are not logged into your account please click here to do so to order your free ticket. 

This event is timed to begin at 15:00 in the Irish/British time zone UTC. Check the following link to establish what time that equates to in your own time zone.

Many people are put off researching their Irish ancestors as they have heard tales of “all the records going up in smoke” or been told that “it is too difficult”.  Yes, we lost a major tranche of records at the start of the Irish civil war in 1922 with the fire in the Four Courts in Dublin however a wealth of other records were never in that building and so are available to this day. Twenty years ago starting out with Irish research meant one needed to go to Ireland to consult the records.  Since then a great tranche of Irish records have been placed online and the Irish government has provided many of these on free websites.

So now is a great time to start researching Irish family history.  Join us at the Irish Cultural Centre to learn what records were lost, what records are available for free and how to get started with your research. No prior learning required.

Tickets are £5 each. The talk is open to all but please note, booking is via the Irish Cultural Centre website here. You cannot book this event through the IGRS.

About the Speaker:

Jill Williams was born and brought up in Cork in the Irish Republic.  A University College Cork graduate, she is a qualified teacher and has been teaching courses in Family History for over 20 years. For 15 years she volunteered regularly in the library of the Irish Genealogical Research Society (www.IrishAncestors.ie)  in London and in 2013 was honoured with a Fellowship of the Society.  She maintains the society’s Facebook page

Tickets are £5 each for non-members. Members, if you are not logged into your account please do so (top right on home page) to order your free ticket.

Fact: great grandparents were Browne and Blake living in Carnacon, Co Mayo.

Best clue: “She spoke with a slight English accent, beautiful manners. Holidays in Bunowen” .

Problem: the curse of the 1840s lack of documentation.

Solution: DNA.

Advantage: Blakes married 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cousins frequently.

Result: A DNA trail that jumped the 1840s problem to link to the family with the most extensive documentation dating back to the 1200s.

Tickets are €5 each for non-members. Members, if you are not logged into your account please click here to do so to order your free ticket. 

This event is timed to begin at 14:30 in the Irish/British time zone UTC. Check the following link to establish what time that equates to in your own time zone.

Ciaran O'Neill, Ussher Associate Professor in Nineteenth Century History, Deputy Director, Trinity Long Room Hub, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin will speak on this often-ignored topic. He has recently co-edited 'Ireland, Slavery, and the Caribbean: Interdisciplinary Perspectives' (Manchester University Press, 2023), O'Neill and O'Kane (eds). 

Tickets are €5 each for non-members. Members, if you are not logged into your account please click here to do so to order your free ticket. 

This event is timed to begin at 14:30 in the Irish/British time zone UTC. Check the following link to establish what time that equates to in your own time zone. 

Please note: no recording of this talk will be available in the immediate future.

Nick Reddan is the webmaster for the IGRS website, and is an expert on The Registry of Deeds. He is on a visit from his native Australia and we are delighted to have the opportunity to hear him speak on this topic. He is a moving force behind the volunteer-led The Registry of Deeds Index Project. https://irishdeedsindex.net/index.php.

This is an in-person event only. Booking is optional, as the event is open to all.

9.00  Coach departs National Museum, Kildare Street, Dublin. On time!

10.30 Beyond the Trees, Avondale. Coffee/tea break.

11.00  First of tours of the house, in small groups. Tours depart every 30 minutes. Those not on a tour have time to enjoy the treetop walk and the grounds.

13.00  Coach departs for Arklow Bay Hotel.

13.30  Lunch.

15.15  Depart on foot for Maritime Heritage Museum. Ten-minute walk, or transport possible for those who wish.

15.30  Visit to the Museum. This is the last entry time, so be punctual.

17.00  Coach departs for Dublin.

To book:

Please email ibtreasurer@irishancestors.ie before 17 June 2023 with your name/s and a mobile phone number.

Cost: 65 euro for IGRS members, 70 euro for non-members which includes travel by coach, all entrance fees and lunch.10 euro reduction for people using their own transport. Fees must be paid in advance to Bernadette Cass (treasurer), either by cheque to 10 Wellpark Avenue, Drumcondra, Dublin 9, or online to:

IBAN IE89AIBK93104741516056; BIC AIBKIE2D. Include your name in the narrative.

Three decades ago, when Kate Nelson started seriously doing genealogy, one of the lines she was most eager to trace was the Hunt family from Tipperary. Her g-g-grandfather, Thomas Hunt, had emigrated to Canada in 1849. A cousin had provided his siblings’ names, their birth dates, and the name of the town they left – Cappagh White.

Although sites like Ancestry had yet to be created, Kate soon met someone on the internet who she thought was a relation. Their families shared odd names and came from the same small town, but when Kate mentioned that her family was Catholic, her contact replied, “We clearly are NOT related. There are no Catholics in the Hunt family.”

His reaction foreshadowed a multi-decade effort to fit her Catholic family into this well-documented, well-known Protestant clan. It only took a global network of cousins to do it! 

Kate Nelson grew up in New York State where her Hunt relations settled after emigrating from Ireland. For 35 years, she has traced her Irish roots in Mayo, Cork, Galway, and Tipperary. She has self-published three books about her family and is the reunion organizer for her extended clan. She enjoyed a long career in organizational communication before joining Temple University’s faculty in 2006 to teach business ethics and management. Kate and her husband live in suburban Philadelphia.

Tickets are £5 each for non-members. Members, if you are not logged into your account please click here to do so to order your free ticket. 

This event is timed to begin at 14:30 in the Irish/British time zone UTC. Check the following link to establish what time that equates to in your own time zone. 

Please note: no recording of this talk will be available in the immediate future.

The Society’s Annual General Meeting will take place online, via Zoom, on Saturday, 20th May 2023, at 2pm (GMT (or UTC) +1)

This will be followed by the AGM Lecture at approximately 2:30pm (depending on the time required to complete the formal business of the General Meeting). Details of how to register for the AGM are given below – please do so as soon as you can and don’t leave it until the last moment.

For the AGM, the Agenda for this year’s meeting, the draft minutes for last year’s meeting, and a copy of the Treasurer’s Report for 2022 will follow shortly.

Please note that the AGM will be recorded for the purpose of minutes taking.

AGM Lecture

The AGM Lecture is titled: ‘Virtual Treasury 101: Records, Resources and Research’. It will be given by Dr Ciarán Wallace (Deputy-Director of the Beyond 2022-Project) and will be an update about the growth of material now to be found in the Virtual Record Treasury. The VRT represents a project to identify surrogates for original material destroyed by the fire which consumed the Public Record Office of Ireland in 1922, and to make it available online digitally and without charge. Dr Wallace will:

• Give a tour of the Virtual Treasury.
• Show some major collections and hidden corners.
• Point out the supporting essays and articles which explain and give context for particular groups of records.
• Using relevant examples, he will demonstrate how to search and browse for records, filter results and how to search within a document.

Time Zones

NB: The above times are British/Irish Summertime (which is GMT (or UTC) +1). To confirm the equivalent time in your own time zone please follow this link: https://bit.ly/3wBP2Fz

Please note that this is a member only event. If you would like to join the Society, please click here.

• Codebreaker:The untold Story of Richard Hayes - Marc McMeniman.
• Troubled Waters: Wales, Ireland and the Irish Sea in the long C18th - Dr. Mary-Ann Constantine, University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies.
  • 12.00-13.00 Lunch break
• The Youghal Witch Trial - Rosaleen Underwood, M.A.G.I.
• Killester Garden Village and the Irish WW1 ex-servicemen and families who lived there - Áron Crampton, Chairman, Killester Garden Village Committee.

The notice of this overnight trip was sent to all members recently and places were snapped up! There is now a waiting list of eleven and if places become available, those members will be notified.

Donnacha DeLong is a Dublin-born journalist/online communications consultant now living in London. The great-grandson of Gerald Boland, 1916 veteran and Fianna Fail founder, Donnacha is the current historian of the Boland family.

Donnacha took on the research mantle from his mother and granduncle, Kevin Boland, over a decade ago when he set up an Ancestry family tree. Using online tools unavailable to his predecessors, he has since reconnected with distant cousins in England and America. He also found the death cert and final resting place - in Glasnevin - of his great-great-great grandmother, Eliza Kelly.

He's still digging, trying to find the more distant Mullins cousins, and holding out hope of proving the family story that Eliza Kelly was a first cousin of Thomas J. Kelly, the leader of the 1867 rebellion.

Donnacha will talk about his work and the tools he used to add to the extended Boland family tree.

Tickets are €5 each for non-members. Members, please click here to log in to your account to order your free ticket. 

This event is timed to begin at 14:30 in the Irish/British time zone UTC. Check the following link to establish what time that equates to in your own time zone. 

Please note: no recording of this talk will be available in the immediate future. 

Drawing from specific examples Steven will showcase not only the library’s collections but also some of the more practical tips in searching the catalogue and accessing the material. 

He currently works for the National Library of Ireland in Family History Services and is a committee member of the Archives and Records Association, Ireland.  Originally from across the North Channel in Scotland, Steven’s academic background is in history and linguistics with a particular interest in the evolution of lexis (words). This interest led Steven to complete a degree in the area of archives. Steven has worked for university libraries and local authorities in a variety of roles, including as a professional archivist.

This event will begin at 14:30 in the Irish/British time zone UTC (Summer Time). Check the following link to establish what time that equates to in your own time zone.

Tickets are €5 each for non-members. IGRS members, please log in to your account first to order your free ticket. You will also receive an invitation by email to register for this online event. 

This talk describes how autosomal DNA breaks through an 1800 Brick Wall and how Y-DNA attempts to break through a Brick Wall in the 1600s. These case studies illustrate how both types of DNA test can help you break through the Brick Walls in your own family tree.

Tickets are €5 each for non-members. Members, please click here to log in to your account to order your free ticket. 

This event is timed to begin at 14:30 in the Irish/British time zone UTC (Summer Time). Check the following link to establish what time that equates to in your own time zone. 

This event on Zoom will consist of four short presentations 20 minutes each followed by a question and answer session. The presenters will be:

Nick Reddan – project webmaster

Rosalind McCutcheon – the project's greatest contributor

David Rencher – Chief Genealogical Officer, FamilySearch

Steven C. Smyrl – Chairman Irish Genealogical Research Society

All are fellows of the Irish Genealogical Research Society.

This will be a great opportunity to learn about using the Registry of Deeds and ask question of some of the leading experts on the Registry of Deeds and family history.

The timing of the event is to open it to the widest possible audience. In eastern Australia the time is 6am (22 September), in London and Dublin it is 9pm (21 September), New York it is 4pm (21 September) and in Salt Lake City it is 2pm (21 September).

The Land Commission generated millions of records, most of which still remain closed to the research public. This talk will describe the its work and provide an overview of outline the type of records it created. 

Terence Dooley is Professor of History at Maynooth University and Director of the Centre for the Study of Historic Irish Houses and Estates. His latest book Burning the Big House: the Story of the Irish Country House in War and Revolution 1914-23 was published by Yale University Press in 2022. 

IGRS members will receive an invitation by email to register for this online event. 

Claire wrote her MA dissertation on a Quaker family from Wexford (The Goffs of Horetown) and used their extensive archive to augment her work. This lecture will showcase some of the Society's on- and offline material as well as some documents from the private family archive used to undertake this research.

9.00 depart Kildare St., Dublin.

10.30 arrive Clonegal, Co. Carlow. Tea break, house and garden tour.

13.30 arrive The Lord Bagenal Inn, Leighlinbridge, for 4-course lunch.

15.30 arrive Delta, Strawhall. Garden tour.

17.00 depart for Dublin.

Cost per person: €65(members), €70 (non -members) which includes travel by coach, all entrance fees, refreshments and a special lunch 

To Book:
Please email Bernadette Cass before 1st June 2022. Be sure to include your (mobile) phone number on all correspondence. Cheques can be posted to Bernadette at 10 Wellpark Avenue, Drumcondra, Dublin 9, D09 X5C3.
Payment may also be made via internet banking including your name in the narrative IBAN: IE89AIBK93104741516056 BIC: AIBKIE2D

Fiona O'Hara, Co-Founder and Secretary of Irish Crochet Lace Revival (ICLR)

Rosaleen Dwyer, Heritage Officer, South Dublin County Council

Founded in 2017, ICLR is dedicated to the revival of Irish Crochet Lace making. Irish Crochet Lace is a style of lace developed in Ireland in the 19th century as a cost effective alternative to European laces. The skills required to make this type of lace have been passed down from generation to generation orally, and as the economic sustainability of lacemaking in Ireland fell into decline, so did much of the knowledge and experience behind the making of this lace. On our journey of discovery, we have learned that in order to educate ourselves about how to make Irish Crochet Lace and disseminate that knowledge to a broader audience, we need to research the past and seek out the stories of makers and the stories of their families and communities. The short film we created with the assistance of South Dublin County Council, about a Clondalkin community of Irish Crochet Lace makers was an exercise in making the connections between the stories within the community and having those stories heard on a larger platform during National Heritage Week 2021.

Join us on Zoom on Tuesday, 15th February 2022, at 8pm (GMT) for a little celebration to mark the launch of our new website.

There’ll be a few words of welcome from our chairman, Steven Smyrl, followed by a tour of the site given by Council Member and IGRS Fellow, Jill Williams. We'll even be giving away some spot prizes too.

Members and non-members can both join the celebration by registering here.

While the Penal Laws ‘are a standard set piece in text book accounts of the eighteenth century’, it is only relatively recently that Catholics have ‘emerge[d] … not as an amorphous mass of down-trodden victims whose destiny was to endure, but as a group of socially-mobile individuals who struggle[d] … against civil disabilities’ and ‘unmitigated persecution’. With the publication of a number of works with local focus, a picture has begun to emerge of Catholics who not only attempted to, but were successful in employing a number of methods by which they could circumvent a legal code ‘directed so comprehensively at the right of the Catholic to enjoy, inherit and purchase land’, the ‘basis’ of which lay in the 1704 and 1709 Popery Acts. Such tactics included conversions to the established religion and intermarrying with Protestant families, as well as granting annuities, manipulating the use of long leases, entering into private trusts and creating settlements to prevent the land being passed on by gavelkind, the latter three approaches relying on some level of collusion with willing Protestants.

Through a case study of three Catholic brothers-in-law, Patrick Lattin, Richard Leigh and Michael Moore, who, in collusion with their Protestant bother-in-law, William Alcock, purchased various properties in Dublin, Kildare and Meath, this talk will detail the legal strategies used by Catholics to screen their illegal land acquisitions during the Penal Laws. The importance of family connections, as well as the information regarding family ties that can be gleaned from legal papers will also be highlighted.

Emma Lyons holds a PhD from the School of History in University College Dublin, where she has lectured in early modern History. Emma held the Research Studentship in Irish History at the National Library of Ireland, cataloguing the Castle Leslie estate papers, and was researcher for the National Library of Ireland's World War Ireland exhibition. 

In 2021, Sharon Slater, in conjunction with Ormston House, released 'Women of Limerick', an interactive mobile phone app. The app brings the user on a self-guided walking tour of Limerick city, introducing women who have shaped the world through innovation, creativity and philanthropy. This talk will explore the process of taking history digital and will explore some of the forty women highlighted on the tour.

Sharon Slater is an award-winning historian. She is the author of multiple publications focusing on the history of County Limerick. She is currently the Historian-in-Residence at Ormston House.

The sources we rely on for our family histories provide information, but the analysis of that information and formulation into proof requires a structured method. Currently, there is little guidance on this for beginning and intermediate family historians. This talk will discuss research methodologies, what they are and why they are useful. It will introduce a research methodology and show how it can be used to successfully crack a complex case.

Phil has worked in the software industry for 30 years. He is currently an operations director for a large international consultancy where he helps teams to design, optimise and document their methodologies. He has been researching his family history for well over 15 years and has come to realise that importance of using a rigorous methodology when analysing and solving difficult genealogy problems.

The second half of the nineteenth century saw considerable real estate development in the Dublin 6 area.  With this came green space, and squares such as Kenilworth, Grosvenor, and Belgrave.  Around the same time, a number of technological innovations led to the development in the UK of outdoor variations of sports such as lawn tennis, bowls and croquet.  Tennis had previously been played in other formats in Dublin, but the affluent and eastward-looking populations of the Rathmines, Ranelagh, and Rathgar areas were quick to embrace these new sports.  A dizzying number of clubs quickly emerged to fill the green space, each with their own social scene.  The healthy rivalry between the clubs led to a brief period when Ireland was on top of the international competitive landscape.  However, the earliest references to tennis in the area do not relate to the clubs but rather the opportunism of skating rink owners seeking to lure crowds.  This talk explores the development of tennis in the Dublin 6 area, focusing particularly on developments at Rathmines Park, Kenilworth Square, and Grosvenor Square from the 1870s into the early 20th century, when tennis declined in popularity.  

John O'Brien is a keen historian and genealogist, originally hailing from a stationmaster's house on the abandoned Sallins-Tullow branch railway line in east Kildare.  He studied mathematics in Trinity College, before embarking on a career in investments and financial consulting, which has included lecturing on several postgraduate programs in the Dublin universities.  He recently completed a Certificate in Local History in Maynooth University, for which he wrote a dissertation on the origins and decline of Kildurrihy, a clachán townland in the Ventry parish in Kerry.

This talk will give you an introduction to Freemasonry and what the archives of the Grand Lodge of Freemasons of Ireland can offer to the genealogical researcher.
Members and their families from the mid 18th Century on are documented, serving as an alternative, if specialised source of information on past generations.

Rebecca Hayes works as the Archivist and Curator at Freemasons’ Hall, Dublin. Graduating from University College Dublin with a BA in Archaeology and Greek and Roman Civilisation, she went on to complete a Diploma in Genealogy, also at UCD. She worked as an archaeologist and at Dalkey Castle and Heritage Centre before taking up her current role in 2002.

A century on from the end of the great war, the story of the thousands of Irish troops who served and fell in conflict, is still perhaps less understood than is deserved. In a subject that is even today a controversial one, we will focus not on the politics of the time, but instead shine a light on the simple and incredibly powerful story of those who  gave so much on the battle field.  This very special virtual tour will explore the very earliest days of the Great War right through to the Armistice in the footsteps or Irish soldiers who took part in iconic engagements at Etreux, Cuinchy, Gallipoli. The Somme, Messines, Ypres, Epehy and the Sambre Canal.

The Irish National Ladies Land League kept the show on the road when the male leaders of the Land League were arrested in October 1880. Founded in January of that year in anticipation of the arrests, it was the first political organisation for women in Irish history, and proved to be more radical than its parent. Audreys' great-great-aunt, Kate Molony, was one of the treasurers.

Audrey Mac Cready is Irish and has been an archaeologist, a librarian and an EU official and has finally become what she wanted to be when she was twelve years old – a writer.

Since 2010 'Ireland Reaching Out' has been connecting people of Irish descent with their places of origin in Ireland. It has evolved into a global community of more than 150,000 members and has developed an innovative online platform that helps people all over the world to document, preserve and share information about their Irish heritage.

Laura Colleran has been working with Ireland Reaching Out since 2015, and has seen it become one of Ireland's largest diaspora engagement networks. An ex-member of the Irish diaspora herself, and with a background in marketing and digital media, she is passionate about developing innovative ways to help people connect with their place of origin in Ireland and to discover more about their Irish heritage.

Popular writer Sinéad McCoole joins the Ireland Branch over Zoom for a talk about the role of women in the War of Independence.

Sinéad is the author of several books including Easter Widows, which focused on the wives and partners of those men who were killed for their part in the 1916 Easter Rising, and No Ordinary  Women, on revolutionary women, and a biography of Lady Lavery, the influential society wife of Sir John Lavery.

All members are most welcome to join us, especially those overseas. There’s no cost for the talk and the Zoom invitation will be sent out closer to the time.

A meeting of the newly formed London and South East Branch.

The Ireland Branch will present a lecture on Saturday 27th June at 11am.

Our main speaker is Ms Ellen Murphy of the Registry of Deeds.

Ellen was originally scheduled to speak our cancelled AGM in April and we’re delighted she’s able to present her lecture over Zoom.

Joining details will be sent to all members by email in advance.

A day of lectures & talks. Details closer to the time. No booking necessary.

Join the Ireland Branch committee for a festive evening of genealogy chat.

All are welcome

This year the IGRS is doing something a little bit special instead of our traditional Autumn lecture.

Many of our members have begun to dip their toes into the growing field of DNA testing. Interpreting the results can be a minefield, so why not book a slot on our workshop.

The day will have 2 talks and a number of consultation slots available. The morning talk will be on the third-party DNA website Gedmatch & how to put your results on to it. The afternoon talk will be on triangulation and how to use it to further your research.

Consultations will be on a one-to-one basis with one of our DNA experts. We encourage members to bring their own technology with their results available. However, we will also have a couple of laptops and tablets, so if you can’t bring your own device, then just bring your log-in for your results and we’ll take it from there!

Update 30/10/2019: The DNA day is fully booked. We’ve had a great response to this workshop. If you missed out this time, but would be keen to take part in a repeat workshop, please send Aileen Wynne an email registering your interest.

Members & volunteers will return to the RDS to run our hugely successful stand, giving out advice.

Visit to Co Louth

Cost per person: €60 (members), €65 (non -members) which includes travel by coach, all entrance fees, refreshments and a special lunch at Scholars Townhouse Hotel

9.15 am. Coach departing from outside National Museum, Kildare Street

10.45. Visit to Beaulieu House and Gardens with tea/coffee

12.45. Lunch at Scholars Townhouse Hotel

15.00. Depart for Listoke includes tours of Distillery Museum followed by light afternoon tea

18.00. Depart for Dublin

19.15.  Approximate time of arrival back in Dublin.

Bookings: Please email Bernadette Cass before Friday 26th July 2019. Be sure to include your phone number on all correspondence. Cheques can be posted to Bernadette at 10 Wellpark Avenue, Drumcondra, Dublin 9.

Payment may also be made via internet banking including your name in the narrative IBAN: IE89AIBK93104741516056 BIC: AIBKIE2D

IGRS Member Niall McDevitt will talk about scientist Erwin Schrödinger’s time in Clontarf during World War II.

Four talks: two before lunch and two after lunch.  There will be a silent raffle.  As in previous years, the event is free and everyone is welcome.

The speakers are:

Ian d’Alton – ‘A pile of stones, a living memory, a family member: Bowen’s Court, Elizabeth Bowen, and imagining the Irish gentry.’

Joan Sharkey – ‘Some families of interest in the Raheny Area‘.

Joan Kavanagh – Banished Beyond the Seas: NAI records of convict transportation to Australia, 1788-1868′”

David Butler – ‘Publishing Research in The Irish Genealogist‘

The 2019 IGRS Open Day and Annual General Meeting is to be held on Saturday, 11th May, 2019 at the Abbey Conference Centre, 34 Great Smith Street, London, SW1P 3BU, United Kingdom.

As usual, the day will take the format of two talks in the morning, followed by lunch and the AGM in the afternoon. Below are details of the day’s programme.

10:15 Registration, coffee and biscuits
10.45 Mining for Treasure in the IGRS Collections – Jill Williams, FIGRS
11.45 Freed felons, Land Hungry Migrants and Imperial Infantry: The Biographical Database of Australia as a Source for Genealogists – Michael Flynn
13:00 Lunch
14:15 IGRS AGM (All welcome, but only members may vote)
15:30 Close

Cost
The charge for attending the morning lectures, which includes lunch, is £25 members (£30 for non-members). The AGM is free. While anyone can attend the AGM, only members can vote. If you are not already a member, why not join now?

If you are a member, please click here to purchase a ticket for the day.
If you are a non-member, please click here to purchase a ticket for the day.

You may also pay by cheque as follows:

Send cheque to The IGRS, 18 Stratford Ave, Rainham, Kent ME8 0EP with your name and either an SAE or note of your email address.

Travel information:

Railway station: Victoria
Tube: St James’s Park (District & Circle lines)
Buses: 11, 24, 211 via Victoria Street; 88 via Great Smith Street; 507 via Horseferry Road

Hoping to see you on the day!

Soldier marriages & Family Histories

by Dr Aoife Breathnach

The IGRS Ireland Branch committee are delighted to invite you on a walking tour of Arbour Hill on Saturday the 9th of March 2019, meeting at 11am.  There will be (pre-ordered) tea and sandwiches afterwards.  This will cost €10 which can be paid on the day, however places are limited so booking is required.

This is a guided introduction to Arbour Hill, its vantage point and usefulness in viking times, the military prison, the military chapel, and the entire military site, graveyard, schools and bringing you up to the Irish military takeover and the UN museum and visitor centre.

Please email Bernadette Cass before Monday 4th of March 2019.  Be sure to include your (mobile) phone number on all correspondence. Cheques can be posted to Bernadette at 10 Wellpark Avenue, Drumcondra, Dublin 9
Payment may also be made via internet banking including your name in the narrative IBAN: IE89AIBK93104741516056 BIC: AIBKIE2D

Join the Ireland Branch committee and friends for a social evening of genealogy chat to get you in the Christmas spirit.

We're having our annual London meetup on Saturday the 20th October 2018