Welcome to the fifth issue of RELATED ☘️, the magazine we make just for you, our IRISH by ANCESTRY community.
They say heavy snow on the oaks in January is a good omen for the year’s harvest. I imagine that’s some kind of metaphor for productivity, which could be a boon for your genealogy searches.
At first glance, the scene appears quiet and uniform, a smooth white cloak under which all details are hidden in the drift.
Yet, as in winter (in the northern hemisphere now), patient eyes soon learn to see more. A faint track appears: a baptismal record in a rural parish, a land valuation entry, a faded photograph with a place name scribbled on the back. Each is a footprint in fresh snow.
Irish research, like a winter walk, asks us to move slowly, to read subtle signs, and to accept that sometimes our way will be blocked. We must circle back. But snowfall also brings a certain brightness. We experience the delight of uncovering a long-lost townland, of connecting cousins separated by oceans and years, of realizing that still beneath the still surface lies a rich, living story. May our Irish by Ancestry community help you follow those delicate tracks across the fields of the past, until the contours of your own Irish family finally emerge in sharp, enduring relief.
I may be too focused on snow, forgive me. We have had so much; it might be May before we see the ground again. But May is a much better time worth imagining, as you might have heard:
We are taking a group on our inaugural IRISH by ANCESTRY SPRING TOUR, April 23-May 3. We plan to be there the week of the release of the long-awaited 1926 census, and won’t that be some craic? Do you want to come along? If you are interested in learning more about the Spring Tour 2026, we have details for you HERE. Come with us!
January was such a busy month, it’s a relief to see it go. We start February fresh today, with the blessing of Brigid. I hung out my Brat Bhríde (Brigid’s cloak) last night before sunset. Do you know that tradition? May Brigid keep us all well, with warm hearths for the rest of the year.
It’s the season of love and family, so we have a few features that will warm your hearts while you learn about the past. Here’s what we have for the rest of the issue:
☘️ We’ll learn about Irish weddings of old from CLODAGH DOYLE, the keeper of the Irish Folklife Division at the National Museum of Ireland. She shares why Shrove Tuesday was crucial in Irish marriages.
☘️ We’ll also have some cooking lessons in SHROVE PANCAKES, a delicious, lemony-sweet Irish tradition I am delighted to carry on with you.
☘️ KARLEE TWINER, our in-house genealogy expert, breaks down the difficulties of searching for illegitimate children in your family lines. She also answers an ASK THE HERITAGE HELP DESK request from Martha Sorce (Martha, we remember you from our Roots & Branches classes!) about making assumptions in a marriage record to potentially glean a long-lost grandmother’s name.
☘️ If you haven’t heard yet, Karlee’s GENEALOGY CLASS SCHEDULE for the year is up HERE. We’ll get into more detail, including what to expect at the April 1926 Census Class Party!
☘️ JONATHAN BEAUMONT, our man on the ground, takes us ’round Dublin, touring the top ancestry sites, with a bonus stop for pints!
☘️ Our Ancestor Memoir Contest winner SINEAD TYRONE’s story, For Love of Margaret, illustrates how much her ancestors were willing to risk for happiness. It choked me up! Her story is a *perfect example* of what I talk about on the group every Thursday: Re-creating compelling accounts of the people who made our lives possible with their courage is a worthy effort. We have the dry genealogical data to do it, if we just learn how to translate it. Amazing job, Sinead! She will help us decide the March contest theme.
☘️ We dug into the braided history of IMBOLC, the feast of Brigid, with its brideog dolls, protective rush-woven crosses, and brat bhrídes, to find the best ways to honor Ireland’s favorite goddess/saint. It’s complex, this intertwining of ancient pagan beliefs and Christian sainthood.
☘️ We also talked to author KIM CURRAN, who wrote about Brigid in her newly released novel. (This book is the @BrigidsLibraryBookClub pick for February. How could we resist?) We already have more than 20 people signed up to read with us this month! Do you want a copy of this book, but it isn’t available yet in your country? Let me know (Email: shelagh@byancestry.com) I have ordered a case for us exclusively! I’ll get it in your hands.
☘️ And we chatted up the founder of the Tipperariana Antiquarian Book Fair, TERRY CUNNINGHAM, who reveals the secret to the book festival’s 30-plus years of success. We walk through the details of this charming event that benefits the local Fethard historical society and get to know its history and its greater purpose—preserving Irish history for those of us seeking local knowledge.
With more than 106,000 members in our Facebook group, IRISH BY ANCESTRY is a community of knowledge and kinship. Thanks for being here for all the new initiatives we are rolling out. It’s going to be a great year. Once all this snow melts …
As always, may you be blessed by the ancestors you seek.
Slán,
Your admin and editor, Shelagh
RELATED ☘️ 