Old Irish First Names and Nicknames
Irene Morgan

Can’t find an ancestor in the records? First-name aliases could be the root of the problem. Old Irish given names were often disguised by a variety of Latin and English “translations” and nicknames. Our Irish ancestors used these aliases freely, blissfully unaware of the confusion this would create for their descendants centuries later.

Irene Morgan will discuss Irish first names: how they were pronounced and translated, the culture of use, and most importantly, how they appear in the records. Join us to discover how Biddy and Delia evolved from Bríd, why Lacky can trip us up, and lots more. Morgan, a native Irish speaker, is the resident genealogy writer for Ireland Reaching Out and founder of Irish Quest.

The presentation will be available on Zoom only at 10:45 a.m.   

DNA in Irish Family History
Claire Bradley

Professional genealogist Clare Bradley will discuss several types of DNA tests but will focus on autosomal DNA. She will explain the terminology, talk about which companies offer testing, and review costs. In particular, she will discuss how you can use this ol to further your Irish ancestral research. She will also discuss the ethics of testing and the possibility of uncovering a family secret. Bradley, the Director of Irish Studies at the International Institute of Genealogical Studies, regularly lectures to a wide range of family history and historical societies. 

The presentation will also be available on Zoom only at 10:45 a.m.   

Intro to Irish Genealogy
Kerri Tannenbaum

Are you new to Irish genealogy research? Or do you need to brush up on some basics? At our St. Patrick’s Day meeting, Forum member Kerri Tannenbaum will provide an introduction to Irish genealogy. While the talk will be aimed at new researchers, it will have something for all. Kerri Tannenbaum, a professional genealogist and researcher, is a graduate of Boston University’s Certificate Program in Genealogical Research and the ProGen Peer Study Groups. Kerri serves as contributing editor of the Newsletter and runs her own company, Family Dot Connector LLC.

This Zoom event is open to the public. 

NYC’s Emigrant Savings Bank Records
Katherine R. Willson

Katherine Willson will discuss the reasons behind the formation of New York’s Emigrant Savings Bank, which was geared toward Irish emigrants. She will then talk about the valuable genealogy information recorded in the bank’s records, as well as where to find copies of these records both online and offline.
Willson has lectured at regional and national events, is a full-time researcher for clients, and has taught genealogy courses for over 25 years. She is a past president of the Michigan Genealogical Council and a past board member of the Association of Professional Genealogists.

The presentation will also be available on Zoom at 10:45 a.m. for those members who are unable to come to the library. 

The Green Space: The Transformation of the Irish Image
Marion Casey

It only took a century or so for phrases like “No Irish Need Apply” to segue to “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” in American popular culture. Casey’s book The Green Space examines the factors that contributed to remaking the Irish image from a downtrodden and despised people to universally acclaimed. According to Casey, as “Irish” evolved between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries, a visual and rhetorical expanse for representing ethnicity opened up. In this evolution, both Ireland and the U.S. were linked to how versions of “Irish” were deployed over time—was it a straightforward noun about a specific people or was it a loose, malleable adjective only slightly connected to actual ethnic identity?

Marion R. Casey is Clinical Professor of Irish Studies at Glucksman Ireland House NYU and Affiliated Faculty in the Department of History at New York University. She is co-editor of Making the Irish American: History and Heritage of the Irish in the United States (2006).

Follow Your Family Through Their Chain Migration
Kevin Cassidy

The average Irish immigrant did not arrive in the U.S. alone. He likely followed an already existing chain of relatives, friends, and neighbors who had crossed the pond. This talk details how to find the pathway and track one’s family back to the
parish of origin.

Forum member Kevin Cassidy is an avid researcher and lecturer on genealogy topics. He has spoken across the U.S., as well as in Ireland and Canada. Cassidy has traced his own family tree back to the townlands of origin for all eight of his great-grandparents.