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Upcoming Events – 2024
March 16 |
Ask a Genealogist Email your questions to programs@ifhf.org no later than March 1. |
April 7 |
Irish Woodlawn Cemetery Trolley Tour Established in 1863, Woodlawn is a 400-acre oasis in an urban setting. Recognized as one of America’s most historically significant properties, Woodlawn was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2011. Described by the National Parks Service as “a popular final resting place for the famous and powerful,” the cemetery is distinguished by memorials that “represent the largest and finest collection of funerary art in the country.” The cemetery’s Irish trolley tour presents long-lost stories of New York City history and takes guests to the graves of prominent people of Irish descent, from entertainers to politicians and historical figures to Civil War heroes. The tour takes about 90 minutes. Tour-goers should meet at the cemetery’s Jerome Avenue entrance. For directions, see www.woodlawn.org/about/plan-a-visit/. Email Pat Phelan at programs@ifhf.org to learn more/register. |
April 20 |
The Wrecks of the Bristol and the Mexico In early January 1837, one of the worst shipwrecks in New York history occurred. Off Nassau Beach on Long Island’s south shore, the ship Mexico became stranded in freezing weather. A total of 116 people, mostly Irish immigrants and crew members, succumbed to the icy cold. Six weeks earlier, the ship Bristol had been wrecked off Far Rockaway. Nearly 100 Irish and English immigrants drowned. Art Mattson, Lynbrook village historian and author of Water and Ice: The Forgotten Shipwrecks of the Bristol and Mexico, will discuss the fate of the two ships and their passengers. |
May 18 |
TBD |
June 4 |
Tour of NYC Municipal Archives A presentation and guide to the MA’s genealogy collections, including vital records and other records not commonly thought of for family history research. Tuesday, June 4 from 11am-1:30pm. Email Pat Phelan at programs@ifhf.org to learn more/register. |
June 15 |
Written in Stone: In-Depth Study of a Gravestone Genealogists use gravestone information to document death information, but often a burial marker provides more than biographical details. Gravestones should be analyzed, and doing so requires us to think beyond genealogical research. In this lecture, Gena Philibert-Ortega will explore types of cemeteries, the anatomy of a marker, and the hidden information the marker provides. Philibert-Ortega has taught material culture and social history at the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. She is a frequent presenter at seminars and conferences. She has also conducted research for PBS, HGTV, and the Travel Channel. |