Catalog of Lectures

While most countries base citizenship on place of birth, parentage, and marriage, some countries also offer citizenship by descent—meaning if you have ancestors who were citizens of that country two, three, or even four generations back, you might qualify for dual citizenship! Two well-known examples are Italy and Ireland. In this webinar, we will go over the requirements involved for these two countries, gathering documentation, applying—and waiting—for dual citizenship.

The website of the National Archives and Records Administration (Archives.gov) is your at-home portal to a myriad of records. This lecture will demonstrate how to navigate the online catalog, access or request records from home, and, because not everything is online, discuss tips for planning a research trip. We will also discuss the difference between the National Archives in Washington, DC and the regional branches found across the country. 

Using case studies, this lecture introduces the Family Historian to cluster research for Irish Research.  Cluster Research involves identifying the ancestor’s FAN club: family, associates and neighbors.   

Ireland has a unique and rather confusing system of land divisions, all of which need to be known and understood to effectively and accurately look for your ancestors. 

This lecture discusses the history of Irish Immigration to Canada and sources of information such as passenger Lists and alternative records.  Next specific groups of settlers are covered such as the Halifax Irish, the Peter Robinson settlers, the Monaghan settlers, the Famine Irish. The role of emigrant aid societies is also covered, such as the Montreal Emigrant Society. 

This lecture covers the basics of using DNA in Irish research. DNA testing companies and types of DNA are covered. Next, the process of creating ethnicity estimates is covered.  What to do with your list of matches is next followed by a case study using DNA. 

During the Great Famine in Ireland (1845-1849), thousands of Irish families and individuals fled Ireland seeking a better life. This lecture will review the different resources to find your Irish emigrant ancestors in Canadian records including shipping records, quarantine databases, and online collections.
 

Irish immigrants were one of the largest groups that headed west. Explore the history and key resources to research your Irish pioneers. This lecture will cover the California Gold Rush, Oregon Donation Land Claims, Homesteading, Railroad Workers, as well as online resources. 

Ethnicity estimates are just a small part of your DNA results—and they aren’t always accurate or as precise as you’d like them to be. This lecture will discuss how to triangulate ancestral origins by reviewing your matches carefully and by combing your DNA results with traditional genealogical research.

With your ancestor’s origins in hand, it’s time to start looking at records in the Old Country. In this lecture we will review what types of records exist, how to use them in your research, and how to access them. We will pay special attention to resources that can be accessed from home, online.