Agriculture has been central to Irish life for millennia, and the backbone of the rural community is the farming family. Even though there have been significant social and economic changes in more recent times, the Irish are still generally thought of in terms of their historic relationship with the land.  The aim of this talk is to help those with roots in rural Ireland learn more about their farming ancestors through identifying documentary and printed sources of relevance. William will present information on the relevant collections found in archives and libraries. He will focus much attention on the records deriving from the management of landed estates in Ireland and what these can tell us about our farming ancestors.

Meet William Roulston and get a preview of his presentation in this short video.

In this talk, Martin McDowell will explain how DNA is being used in Ulster in a variety of ways to achieve different goals. He will explain how to find Northern Irish matches and how DNA can be employed in a number of unique ways to provide insight into a geographic area or subject. This DNA-facilitated insight has enabled family historians to reconstruct family trees back beyond paper records.

This lecture reflects the popularity of hints offered by all the major commercial companies and FamilySearch. Claire will discuss the importance of critically analyzing the pros and cons of each hint. The case study will deal with a hint offered in Claire’s own Irish family tree (which is attached to many different users’ trees), breaking down where it came from and how she determined whether it was correct. As so many people now use these hints, it is vital that family historians understand how to employ them properly.

Room 1: Irish Genealogy Q & A - Professional Irish genealogist Paul Gorry will respond to any general questions that you may have about Irish genealogy. Priority will be given to participants who know only that an ancestor came from Ireland, and who would like some guidance on how to determine a specific county of origin. Paul is also taking part in Expert Connect on Sunday in one of the Leinster breakout rooms.

Room 2: DNA - Featured speaker Claire Bradley is also a genetic genealogist and will field any questions you may have on DNA-related matters. Featured speaker Martin McDowell is expected to pop in as well!

Rooms 3, 4, 5 & 6: Social breakout rooms – general discussion.

More information is available in the Registrants' Portal.

This talk explores ways in which your genealogy research can be helped by mapping the locations of households containing particular surnames appearing in Griffith's Valuation, census records, state BMD records and Catholic registers. John will provide vivid examples of just how localized certain names are and how impossibly widespread others can be. His talk will give some of the history and technical background involved in creating the maps but will mostly focus on the names themselves.

This talk examines the history and origins of surnames found in Ireland, including native Irish, Scottish, English, Welsh, Huguenot, Viking, Palatine, Gallowglass and Jewish names. First names often followed a traditional naming pattern and this can help to build your family tree. Natalie will use case studies showing traditional naming patterns to explain how this worked; some naming traditions, used particularly by the Ulster Scots, can even help to expand your family tree. She will also cover the Latin names sometimes used in Roman Catholic records.

During Austin Bovenizer’s childhood, growing up with a Palatine Methodist heritage meant living in a parallel world. The schools, church, and the independence of farming life set his family apart from most of the Irish community. Austin will outline the history of the Irish Palatines, including their journey from Germany to Ireland, the communities they established in their new homeland and their role in bringing Methodism to North America. He will also provide insight into the migration of some families to Ontario and discuss research resources. A graphic artist and illustrator by profession, Austin’s talks bring the Irish Palatine story to life.