AGI’s first Continuing Professional Development (CPD) event of 2017 took place at Dublin City Library & Archive on the afternoon of Tuesday, 21 February. It was a great success, with stimulating talks and lots of catching up among colleagues. More than half of the Association’s members were able to attend and they were joined by all eight of AGI’s Affiliates.
AGI member Elaine Hannon asks Andrew Cooney a question about Tusla.
The day’s speaker as were Andrew Cooney of Tusla, on the new adoption bill currently before the houses of the Oireachtas; John Grenham, MAGI, on tips and shortcuts for many of the standard online sources for Irish genealogy; and Nicola Morris, MAGI, on British and Irish military records from the Irish revolutionary period and the Great War. Each talk lasted for approximately 20 minutes.
Andrew Cooney covered the remit and responsibilities of Tusla with regard to its adoption and fostering tracing service, drawing members’ attention to the various sets of original records they hold. Explaining the provisions of the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016, which when passed should allow greater access to data held on adoptees.
John Grenham gave a live demonstration of tips, tricks and shortcuts he has discovered can be used when searching various online data sets, including the 1901 and 1911 census returns, civil records, church records, migration records to name but a few.
AGI Members and Affiliates gather at the beginning of the event.
Finally, Nicola Morris spoke about the surviving material relating to the British and Irish armies from the period of the Irish revolution and the Great War, 1914-1924. She highlighted which British Army records can be considered complete and therefore definitive, to offset the loss of the original Great War service records during enemy bombing on London in 1942. She also drove home the need for caution when using the Irish army material because of course much of it was compiled retrospectively, often excluded some combatants’ names to settle old scores!
The afternoon ended with time for socialising at the nearby Mont Clare Hotel bar and restaurant.