ROOTS & BRANCHES

There are some programs of which genealogists never tire.
Presentations on Irish research are one of those “evergreens,” probably because there are so many people with ancestry from Ireland—estimated at more than 30 million people in America today!
With that in mind, Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania’s Winter Seminar titled “Records and Background on Researching Irish and Scots-Irish” brings back two dynamic presenters from the Ulster Historical Foundation for a virtual day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST on Feb. 11.
The foundation’s Executive Director Fintan Mullan and Research Officer Gillian Hunt will team to present five lectures and two live question-and-answer sessions.
The five presentations will include lectures that will help genealogists at all levels from beginner up to advanced. They include:
• Emigration from Ireland to North America: an overview
• An introduction to archives in Ireland and their websites
• Census substitutes and other important sources for the nineteenth century
• Newspapers as a source for Irish research
• Church records for use in genealogical research
The presentations are designed to combine background on the history and culture of the people on the island of Ireland, both the current Republic of Ireland as well as Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, as well as giving detailed information on the best sources for Irish research, which is crucial since Ireland has suffered significant record loss during the war for Irish independence a century ago.
For more than 20 years, Mullan has been the Ulster Historical Foundation’s executive director; he helped pioneer the Irish vital records site www.rootsireland.ie, a database with millions of records.
Hunt is the foundation’s research officer and is responsible for the management of its many genealogical activities. As well as managing the genealogy side of the Foundation’s work, Hunt carries out research for clients and is a hugely experienced user of the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland and the General Register Office. She regularly teaches courses in Northern Ireland and gives talks on family history in the rest of Ireland, the UK, and North America.
Mullan and Hunt will both be available to take questions during designate periods on the day of the seminar.
Registrants also will be able to access the lectures for 14 days after the presentation through the Ulster Historical Foundation’s platform. There will be door prizes available to attendees.
Fee to attend is $45 for society members and $50 for nonmembers.
To register for the program, go to the society website’s Events page at the URL, https://genpa.org/programs-and-events/
Registrations must be completed by Feb. 9 to be eligible for door prizes.