Summer 2024
Course Title: Discovering Your Irish Heritage: A Journey Through Historical Records
We will be holding a series of free online weekly workshops over the summer season, presented by Dr. Liam Alex Heffron and invited guests. Each workshop over Zoom will last about forty minutes with twenty minutes Q & A, and will delve into some of the most popular resources used by the public in researching their family history or gathering information on their local heritage. Dr Heffron will discuss the context of each resource, how it was formed and managed, how we can interpret the records held there and give us practical demonstrations of how you can search these records for yourself.
Our St Cormac’s Society online and in-person workshops and talks are kindly supported by the Oweninny Wind Farm Community Support Fund, administered by Mayo County Council and the Local Enhancement Programme 2024 administered by the Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) and funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development.
Course Overview:
Dr Liam Alex Heffron at the Explore Campus Innovation Awards 2019, University of Galway.
This six-week online course is designed for amateur historians and genealogy enthusiasts interested in uncovering their Irish heritage through historical records. Each week focuses on a different type of record, providing participants with the knowledge and skills to effectively locate and interpret these resources.
Week 1: Census, Census Substitutes
- Overview:
- Introduction to Irish census records and their historical context.
- Understanding the gaps in census data and how substitutes can fill those gaps.
- Topics Covered:
- Overview of available Irish census records (1901 and 1911).
- Major losses of earlier censuses and the importance of substitutes.
- Census substitutes: Griffith's Valuation, Tithe Applotment Books, and other key resources.
- Activities:
- Guided tour of online census databases.
- Practical exercise: locating and interpreting census records and substitutes for a specific ancestor.
Week 2: Newspapers & Directories
- Overview:
- Exploring the role of newspapers and directories in historical research.
- Tips for effectively searching and using these resources.
- Topics Covered:
- Overview of relevant Irish newspapers and their historical significance.
- Types of information found in newspapers: obituaries, advertisements, local news, etc.
- Historical directories: street directories, trade directories, and their uses.
- Activities:
- Demonstration of online newspaper archives.
- Practical exercise: finding and analyzing a historical newspaper article or directory listing relevant to your research.
Week 3: Valuation Records and Cancellation Books
- Overview:
- Introduction to valuation records and their importance in land and property research.
- How to use cancellation books to trace property changes over time.
- Topics Covered:
- Griffith's Valuation: purpose, structure, and how to use it.
- Understanding and using cancellation books (revision books).
- Case studies showing the practical application of these records.
- Activities:
- Online exploration of Griffith's Valuation and cancellation books.
- Practical exercise: tracing property ownership or occupancy changes for a specific location.
Week 4: Civil Records and Church Registers
- Overview:
- Delving into civil and church records to uncover vital events in ancestors' lives.
- Differences between civil and church records and how to access each type.
- Topics Covered:
- Civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths in Ireland.
- Major religious denominations and their record-keeping practices.
- How to find and interpret parish registers, baptismal records, marriage registers, and burial records.
- Activities:
- Guided search through online civil and church records databases.
- Practical exercise: locating and analyzing a birth, marriage, or death record.
Week 5: Maps & the Landscape
- Overview:
- Using historical maps to understand the geographical context of your ancestors' lives.
- How landscapes and place names have changed over time.
- Topics Covered:
- Overview of major Irish map collections: Ordnance Survey maps, estate maps, and more.
- Understanding townlands, parishes, and other administrative divisions.
- Techniques for overlaying historical maps with modern maps.
- Activities:
- Demonstration of online map archives and tools for geographical research.
- Practical exercise: creating a historical map overlay and analyzing changes in a specific area.
Week 6: Viewer Suggestion - Your Topic of Interest
- Overview:
- A flexible week based on participants' interests and suggestions.
- Topics Covered:
- Participants will vote on a topic or resource they would like to explore further.
- Possible topics: Emigration records, military records, probate and wills, etc.
- Activities:
- Tailored content based on the chosen topic.
- Practical exercise related to the selected topic, allowing participants to deepen their research skills in a new area.
Course Features:
- Live Weekly Sessions:
- Interactive lectures and Q&A sessions with an experienced and PhD historian.
- Resource Library:
- Access to a curated collection of online databases, articles, and guides.
- Discussion Forums:
- Engage with fellow participants to share findings, tips, and support.
- Weekly Assignments:
- Practical exercises to apply what you've learned and make progress in your own research.
- Final Project:
- Optional project to create a comprehensive research report on your family history, using all the resources and techniques covered in the course.
This course structure provides a comprehensive and engaging experience for amateur historians, equipping them with the tools and knowledge to delve deeply into their Irish ancestry.