Irish America

Irish America

Genealogy

Discover Your Ancestors on this Interactive Map of Irish Surnames

By Dave Lewis, Editorial Assistant
April 6, 2018

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Have you ever wondered where your Irish family name is most common or originates from in Ireland? If you’re like most Irish Americans in the weeks following St. Patrick’s Day, the answer is almost certainly yes. And to get the answers, cartographer Kenneth Field and the American Geographical Society have shared an interactive map of Ireland based on the 1890 census that … [Read more...] about Discover Your Ancestors on this Interactive Map of Irish Surnames

Gold Fever: The Shiny, Shady Past of Katy Perry’s Irish Great-Great-Grandmother

By Megan Smolenyak, Contributor
August / September 2017

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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

Tim Kaine's Irish Roots

By Megan Smolenyak, Contributor
October / November 2016

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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

By Megan Smolenyak, Contributor
March 1, 2016

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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

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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