Following the passing of my parents, aunts, uncles, and too many cousins, I realized that I knew far too little about my Irish ancestors, and I had lost any opportunity to ask questions of family members. So began a quest to discover my roots. That journey is now 20 years on and I have discovered so much; in fact, I know more than either of my parents ever knew about our family origins. I wish they were here so I could share what I’ve learned with them, but, more importantly, I long to hear their family stories once again. I know I’ve forgotten more stories than I’ve retained.
Family research is a many legged stool and the Irish Family History Forum has been a critical leg to my learning. Most importantly, it provides the opportunity to mix and chat with members who have many of the same questions that I have as we all continue to research our stories. Their family stories spark memories for me and help me to re-hear the family stories I knew growing up. Our shared history provides shared stories. The monthly meeting topics provide me with insight and motivation, even if the topic seems to not involve my research goals. And the speakers are great sources of information even beyond their presentation. Each meeting provides me with access to professional genealogists and, needless, to say, their tips are of such value to us as we continue to search our ancestral trees.
When I want to do some genealogy searching, I enjoy visiting the IFHF on-line home page to remind myself of the many links provided to us. What a great resource that is!
Thanks for keeping us all informed and motivated.
John Leddy
