She came from a gold-obsessed family, so perhaps it wasn’t so surprising when the treasure bag was found in Hannah’s water closet. But what was this Galway girl even doing in San Francisco? ℘℘℘ Anyone who’s ever dabbled in genealogy knows that certain forebears call louder than others – even when they’re not your own. While researching Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson – better known … [Read more...] about Gold Fever: The Shiny, Shady Past of Katy Perry’s Irish Great-Great-Grandmother
Genealogy
Tim Kaine's Irish Roots
Just how Irish is the Democratic vice-presidential nominee? And what does Tim Kaine's family tree have in common with Downtown Abbey? ℘℘℘ No sooner had Hillary Clinton announced Tim Kaine as her running mate than articles on his roots began to appear – mostly about his inherent Irishness. There’s good reason for this, as he is of mostly Irish heritage – about 80 percent, with … [Read more...] about Tim Kaine's Irish Roots
Weekly Comment:
Irish Genealogy Just
Got a Lot Easier
Last July, the National Library of Ireland went live with a digitized collection of Irish Catholic parish records from the 1670-1900 time frame, a huge boon for those of Irish heritage. Just one catch. No index. Well, there were a variety of partial indexes scattered here and there on other sites, but no comprehensive one.
In an article published in the Oct/Nov 2015 issue of … [Read more...] about Weekly Comment:
Irish Genealogy Just
Got a Lot Easier
Weekly Comment: PBS Uncovers Surprising Genealogical Connections for O’Reilly, Maher, O’Brien
By Irish America Staff
January 15, 2016
January 15, 2016
Bill O’Reilly, Soledad O’Brien, and Bill Maher’s Irish roots were uncovered in this week’s episode of Finding Your Roots, Jr. on PBS, and it turns out, O’Reilly and Maher are related. O’Brien is also related to another of the show’s previous guests – Stephen Colbert. The episode, “The Irish Factor,” used a combination of archival research and DNA testing to explore the … [Read more...] about Weekly Comment: PBS Uncovers Surprising Genealogical Connections for O’Reilly, Maher, O’Brien
From Ellen to Eileen
An excerpt from In Search of Our Ancestors: 101 Stories of Serendipity and Connection by Megan Smolenyak. Many of us have a particular ancestor who calls to us louder than others, one with whom we feel a special kinship. For me, this is one of my great-great-grandmothers, Ellen Nelligan. Perhaps it’s because my own grandmother – her granddaughter – told me tales of her life. … [Read more...] about From Ellen to Eileen