From June 5-9 the Society of Genealogists is running a Family History Getaway: Irish Ancestors/ Irish Lives.

This Getaway Week focuses on the Irish branches of your family tree: how they lived, their daily lives and jobs, the political and social issues that challenged them, and the documents that can help you build an understanding about them.

We caught up with one of the experts teaching at the Getaway, the Irish Family History Society’s own Fiona Fitzsimons.

Carmel : Are you excited about the Society of Genealogists’ Family History Getaway?

Fiona: I’m really looking forward to the London Getaway in early June. On Wednesday 7^th June, I’m teaching a full day, and have developed new talks especially for the event.

Carmel: What can you tell us about the new talks?

Fiona: The first talk is Paper Landscapes: Imperial surveys of Ireland. What are archives for us today were in 1600, 1700 and 1800 information banks to develop policy and government. Surveys defined the island and brought the Irish people into clearer view.

Carmel: What else is new in your talks?

Fiona: The second new talk ‘What do people do all day?’ explores between the 1600s and the 1900s, how work and occupations in Ireland changed. My guiding principal was to identify what sources survive to trace ancestors at work.  

Carmel:  I know that you’ve also included new research findings – can you say more without giving away any state-secrets?

Fiona: Yes, in Court, Prison and Transportation records I’ve incorporated new research findings on Transportation from Ireland to the Americas in the 1700s. I hope to show what original records survive for early Transportation from Ireland, and what records may bridge some of the gaps.

Carmel: The Society of Genealogists are held in high esteem in family history circles. It’s a good association to have.

Fiona: Yes, agreed! It’s going to be fun to be part of the Getaway for Irish Ancestors/ Irish Lives. And I hope to catch up with Else Churchill – we taught in the 2015 British Institute in SLC.

Carmel: Will you deliver your talks as ‘lectures’ or will there be any chance to work with the documents?

Fiona: I’m incorporating one new thing learned from teaching in the U.S., that is to bring in a workshop element. By including samples of documents, I hope to encourage participants to pick up the documents and start to work with them immediately.  

View the full programme here : http://www.sog.org.uk/uploads/GetawayIrishweb.pdf

Booking is now open.