21 September 2007
APGI member Steven Smyrl will be giving a talk on “Forgotten, slighted & obscure – underused sources for Irish genealogy” at 10.30am at the Irish Family History Society meeting Saturday 6th October 2007. On Saturday 10th November 2007 Fiona Fitzsimons will speak on “The Teare family: Goldsmiths of Dublin 1660s-1851”
Venue Dublin City Library & Archive,
138-144 Pearse St,
Dublin 2.
7 September 2007
John Grenham is known in genealogical circles worldwide because of his landmark publication Tracing your Irish Ancestors . He has been involved in genealogy since 1981, when he began work on the research panel of the Genealogical Office. He was a founder member of the Association of Professional Genealogists in Ireland, and he has been an IGRS member for years. Having worked as a professional researcher for a decade, he became a project manager with the Irish Genealogical Project in 1991, remaining in that position ’till 1995. The first edition of Tracing Your Irish Ancestors , was published in 1992. It has become the most widely used guidebook on Irish genealogy. A third edition appeared in 2006.
John’s other publications include Clans and Families of Ireland (1995), Generations (1996), the chapter “The Genealogical Office and its Records” in The Genealogical Office (1999) and Grenham’s Irish Surnames (CD-ROM, 2003), as well as numerous articles in the magazine Your Family Tree. He also developed his own genealogical software, Grenham’s Irish Recordfinder. Since 1998 he has run the ireland.com/Irish Ancestors website in conjunction with the Irish Times . Most recently he was Genealogist-in-Residence at Dublin City Library and developed its database of mid-twentieth century Dublin electoral lists.
Steven C. ffeary-Smyrl has had a life long interest in genealogy. As well as being one of the foremost Irish genealogists, he has been a tireless worker for the IGRS Ireland Branch and for the Council of Irish Genealogical Organizations (CIGO) for over a decade.
He has been a professional genealogical researcher since the late 1980s, and a member of the IGRS since 1989. He was admitted to membership of the Association of Professional Genealogists in Ireland in 1991. Since 1995 he has served on the IGRS Ireland Branch committee, being chairman 2002-2005. For much of that time he was the driving force on the committee, organizing most of the branch’s events. His work for CIGO, of which he was chairman 2000-2002, has been of incalculable benefit to all organizations involved in Irish genealogical research, particularly in relation to the reform of civil registration legislation in recent years.
Steven is the leading authority on the records of Irish Dissenting Protestants. He is author of Irish Methodists – Where Do I Start? (1999) and is soon to publish his major work on the history of Dublin ’s various Non-Conformist congregations. With Eileen Ó Dúill, he also wrote Irish Civil Registration – Where Do I Start? (2000).
13 July 2007
APGI member Paul Gorry is giving the one day Course for Adults on Genealogy at the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life – Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, on Friday 20 July. The course runs from 10am to 5pm. It covers a wide range of Irish genealogical records and how to access them.
http://www.museum.ie/countrylife/
21 June 2007
APGI member Paul Gorry is speaking at the Library Association of Ireland’s Oral History Seminar Part 2 on Thursday 21 June 2007. The day-long Seminar takes place at the National Library of Ireland. Paul’s lecture, “Oral History – the Starting Point for Genealogy”, is the first on the programme, commencing at 10.45am.
12 June 2007
National Library’s Genealogy Advisory Service.
A fter seventeen years of association with the National Library’s Genealogy Advisory Service (GAS), APGI members will no longer be providing the GAS at the National Library of Ireland in Kildare Street, Dublin.
Following a tendering process, negotiations have now concluded without agreement having been reached. APGI members continue to run the entirely separate GAS at the National Archives in Bishop Street, Dublin.
The first advisory service began in 1989 at the Genealogical Office as a one-to-one consultation facility, operating on a fee-paying basis. In 1998 it was transferred to the National Library main building and converted into a more accessible consultation service, free to the public. Due to the success of ’s provision of this service – through its membership of accredited professional genealogists – the National Archives invited to provide a similar facility which began there in January 2003.
While remains fully committed to the GAS at the National Archives in Bishop Street, it wishes the National Library’s GAS continued success in what ever form the service continues to operate.
30 May 2007
Muirín O’Briain, M.Phil., M.A.P.G.I.
It was with great sadness that we learned of the death of our esteemed friend and colleague, Muirín O’Briain. Muirín was universally liked and respected in genealogical circles. She played a prominent part in the Irish Genealogical Congress committee over the years and served from 1997 to 2001 as secretary of the Ireland Branch of the Irish Genealogical Research Society. She joined in 1995. Last December she became Vice-President of the organisation.
Muirín bore a long illness without complaint. She dwelt on the positive, and her sunny disposition was an inspiration. She was a very special person whose unassuming and gentle ways won her the admiration of all whose lives she touched. Muirín’s colleagues will miss her immensely.
Paul Gorry, President
27 May 2007
Death of Muirín O’Briain, M.Phil., M.A.P.G.I.
Muirín O’Briain, Vice President of , died at her home in Dublin, on Sunday May 27 2007 after a long illness. The removal will take place on Tuesday May 29 to St. Joseph’s Church,Terenure arriving at 5o’c. Requiem Mass on Wednesday at 10 o’c. R.I.P.
30 May 2007
Mary Beglan to speak at Raheny Library.
The annual Ray Wickham Memorial Lecture of the Raheny Heritage Society will be given by APGI member Mary Beglan, on Wednesday 30 May at 7.30pm in Raheny Library. The illustrated lecture will be on ‘Marriage Settlements in the Registry of Deeds’.
Venue: Raheny Library, Howth Road, Raheny, Dublin 5.
16 May – 20 May 2007
Eileen M. Ó Dúill to attend NGS Conference.
APGI member Eileen M. Ó Dúill will be attending the National Genealogical Society conference in the States in Richmond Virginia from May 16th to 20th May 2007. She will be representing Irish Genealogy Ltd. in the exhibitors hall at the Greater Richmond Convention Centre.
12 May 2007
Joan Sharkey to speak at Local History Day.
APGI member Joan Sharkey will be giving a lecture entitled ‘Raheny Footprints’ at the Local History Group Day to be held on Saturday 12 May 2007 at the Dublin City Library and Archives. This is the 3rd year this has been organised by the Dublin & Irish Local Studies, of Dublin City Library and Archive.
Venue: Dublin City Library & Archive, 138-144 Pearse St., Dublin 2.
2 March 2007
Helen Kely to visit Argentina.
Helen Kelly will be in Argentina from the 13th March to the 2nd April. While there, she will participate in the many St. Patrick’s Day fesitivities in Buenos Aires, including celebrations at the various Irish insitutions such as the Fahy Club and the Hurling Club. She will also spend some time in the Pampas where she will meet with Irish communities in San Antonio d’Areco, Carmen d’Areco and Merecedes.
25 February 2007
Across The Irish Sea : Tracing Your Irish Ancestors – 10 March 2007.
The Family Records Centre, London has joined forces with Tourism Ireland and the British Postal Museum & Archive to bring a one-day conference dedicated to tracing Irish ancestry. The conference will be held at the Phoenix Centre in Mount Pleasant (a few minutes walk from the FRC) on Saturday 10 March 2007.
The day will feature lectures on all aspects of Irish family history – on both sides of the Irish Sea. Michael Gandy, Audrey Collins, Paul Gorry, Helen Kelly and John Grenham will introduce you to the most important sources and resources and look at ways that you can get around the particular difficulties of researching your Irish ancestors.
Tickets are £20.00 each. Phone 0208 392 5300 or download a booking form online at: