Irish Genealogy
at the IAHC

Finding Our Ancestors: Civil Registration and Church Records in Ireland

Discover how Irish civil registration and church records can uncover your ancestors' lives. Explore available records, when they began, where to find them, and what they reveal about your family. We'll compare Irish records with their U.S. equivalents, highlighting similarities and differences in birth, marriage, death, and church records.

Whether you're researching your Irish roots or learning to navigate historical records, this class will help you identify valuable clues and take the next steps in your family history research.

Finding Our Ancestors: Defining the Land & Griffith's Valuation

Understanding where your Irish ancestors lived is essential to discovering their stories. Explore Irish land divisions, including townlands, civil parishes, baronies, and counties.

We'll then examine Griffith's Valuation, learning how this resource can identify where ancestors lived, the land they occupied, and people connected to them. Discover how to establish ancestral locations and uncover clues to guide your research.

Finding Our Ancestors: U.S. and Ireland Census Records

Census records offer valuable snapshots of our ancestors' lives, revealing their households, occupations, ages, and other family details. Explore U.S. and Irish census records, what they contain, where to find them, and how to use them effectively.

We'll compare records from both countries and discuss privacy laws and access restrictions affecting their availability. Learn how census records can help connect generations and piece together your family history.

Finding Our Ancestors: The Basics of DNA

Have you taken a DNA test and wondered what your results mean? Or are you considering testing but unsure where to start? This beginner-friendly class introduces DNA as a valuable genealogy research tool.

Explore different DNA tests, what they can and cannot reveal, how DNA is inherited, and how results can uncover family connections.

Learn essential genetic genealogy terminology, how DNA matches work, and how they can help confirm relationships, overcome research obstacles, and discover previously unknown family branches.

We'll also discuss how DNA complements traditional research and why DNA results are clues to investigate, not definitive answers.

No scientific background required! Whether you're new to DNA testing or already have results you don't understand, you'll gain practical knowledge for incorporating DNA into your family history research.

Finding Our Ancestors: Ancestry ProTools

Take your Ancestry research further with Ancestry ProTools, featuring advanced tools for exploring family trees, records, DNA matches, and relationships.

Learn to analyze your family tree, identify connections, explore relationships, and uncover overlooked clues using features beyond standard Ancestry tools.

Whether you're new to ProTools or an experienced Ancestry user, discover practical strategies for making your genealogy research more effective.

Finding Our Ancestors: AI and Genealogy

Discover how Artificial Intelligence can support genealogy research, from organizing information and analyzing clues to transcribing documents, translating languages, interpreting records, and developing research plans.

Through practical examples, learn how to ask effective questions and use AI to investigate family history. We'll also explore AI's limitations, the importance of fact-checking, and why original records and reliable sources remain essential.

Whether you're new to AI or already experimenting with it, discover tools and techniques to make your research more organized, efficient, and productive.

Finding Our Ancestors: Round Table

Have a genealogy question, research roadblock, or family mystery you’re struggling to solve? Join this interactive Ask Me Anything–style session to exchange ideas with the instructor and fellow family historians.

With no set topic, we’ll explore your questions, research challenges, historical records, useful resources, and unresolved family mysteries. Bring a question, challenge, or discovery to share!

Come ready to ask questions, exchange ideas, and learn from others. Someone else’s research experience might hold the key to your next breakthrough!